Summoning a Soul Mate

Weiss took a deep breath, focusing intently on the task at hand. She knew she'd been remiss in practicing her summons, and if she was going to excel as a huntress that would have to change. 

She thrust Myrtenaster into the ground, feeling the familiar tug on her aura. The glyph appeared in front of her, larger than any she'd produced. It was bright, blindingly so. Even with her eyes shut tight with concentration it was uncomfortable. It was draining. Winter had assured her that it got easier, that it wouldn't be so tiring once she had a handle on it. In this moment, Weiss struggled to believe that, the ache in her muscles growing more insistent with each passing moment. She wanted to give up. She was simply no good at summoning. She didn't have the strength to do this yet. No matter how morbidly curious she was, no matter how desperately she wanted to succeed.

"Hey Weiss!"

Her concentration shattered in an instant. Of course she'd interrupt now of all times. The glyph faded away as quickly as it had appeared, the light subsiding, the strain on her muscles reduced to a dull throb. She opened her eyes, glaring at the perpetual motion machine in front of her.

"Ruby, I'm trying to concentrate."

"I saw. Big glowy glyph. Did it work?"

"Do you see a summon?"

Ruby gave a wide grin in response.

"You'll get it next time!"

"Obviously. Now is there a reason you interrupted me?"

"What do you mean? You're the one that called for me." Ruby had a curious look on her face. She believed what she was saying. That was perhaps more frustrating than if she was pulling some sort of childish prank.

"What are you talking about? I've been silent this whole time. Concentrating on my summoning. Why would I ever willingly invite a distraction to interrupt me?"

"I don't know. I just thought I heard you call for me. Sorry! I'll leave ya to it!"

Weiss sighed. Ruby had been a thorn in her side ever since she had arrived at Beacon. How was someone so insufferably childish her partner? 

She sheathed her sword, and sighed. That letter had rattled her more than she realized. It was unusual for her mother to go out of her way to contact her. Stranger still for it to be by way of a physical letter. Honestly the whole thing was laughable. Summoning a soul mate with glyphs? If it was true, which she highly doubted, it was utterly ridiculous. How would something like this be kept a secret? The Schnee semblance was famous for being hereditary, there was simply no way there was a facet of it that she didn't know about, that Winter didn't know about if her mother was to be believed. She would simply have to try again, put these notions to rest as nothing more than her mother's drunken rambling.

She quickly downed half a bottle of water, drew Myrtenaster from its place on her hip and took a deep breath. She focused on the foes she had bested before. The Arma Gigas she had beaten to prove she was worthy to be here. The Nevermore she had helped Ruby slay. 

The tink of metal against the stone filled the room. The bright glow from her glyph. The scream of strain from her muscles. She pushed all of that aside, focusing only on the feelings those moments had elicited.

With the Gigas, there was the determination to win. The pain in her eye. The elation of her victory. With the Nevermore there was worry of her future at Beacon. A need to prove herself. A small VERY small amount of respect for her partner. Her partner with the captivating silver eyes. And that smug smile she couldn't stop thinking about.

She felt her brow twitch. She shook her head, but it was too late. Her focus was lost. The glyph faded, the light dissipating. She opened her eyes slowly. There she was again.

"Hi again! Sorry to interrupt, but, I was heading back to the dorm, and I guess I got all turned around, and then I heard you calling for me. Did you need something from me?"

Weiss fixed her hair, and stood up straight. She felt the fatigue hit her immediately. She stumbled slightly and felt Ruby catch her. It was hard to be frustrated that she failed, or angry at Ruby's continued presence. Instead all she could think about was how warm Ruby felt pressed against her. And how she smelled like roses and strawberries. 

A sickening thought crossed her mind. She turned her head slowly to look at Ruby who was just smiling happily back at her. What if Ruby kept showing up because... no. That was ridiculous. She just happened to show up. She certainly wasn't being summoned.

"You're really pushing yourself today, huh? Don't forget to rest, okay?"

"I'm fine, thank you. You don't need to hold me up, I'm perfectly fine standing on my own, thank you." 

"I know you are, but it's okay to get help sometimes. I don't mind holdin' ya." 

Weiss did her best to ignore the slight heat rising through her face.

"You're insufferable."

Ruby woke in the night as she'd done several times since coming to Mistral. Usually it was dreams of Pyrrha, or Jaune getting a little too loud with his late night training sessions. When she looked over, he was fast asleep in his bedroll. 

She had heard something though. She knew she had. She just had to find it. If she heard what she thought she heard, it was the most important thing that had happened in months. 

She crept through the bushes, searching by the dim light of the moon for any trace of her partner. Any trace of Weiss. She'd called her name. Wherever she was, Weiss needed Ruby. And Ruby was not going to lose her again. There was nothing in all of Remnant that could keep her away.

She heard it again, louder this time. A plea for help. Weiss was strong. Stronger than she realized. If she was asking for help, something was seriously wrong. Ruby had to find her quickly. To answer this pulling sensation she could feel on her aura. It was growing insistent. Demanding her presence. 

Then just like that, it was gone. No nagging feeling, no calls for help. Silence. Not even the birds, nor the bugs. The forest stood still. 

Ruby didn't sleep that night. She returned to her bedroll an hour later, eyes heavy, and heart aching for her partner. Try as she might sleep would not take her.

The questions the next day were easy enough to brush off. It's the stress of the mission, or finding burnt out city after burnt out city. Jaune might understand. Ren and Nora certainly wouldn't. Pining for her partner wouldn't help them though. She had to be strong, and push that aside. Focus on the task at hand.

Today, when she hadn't slept just had to be the day when some crazed manic attacked. Some claims about taking her away. It was hard to focus. Her weapon felt heavy. Every blow seemed to sap her aura more than it should. She felt it shatter from a kick to the ribs, sending her flying, Crescent Rose clattering to the ground behind her. 

She should be scared. For herself, for her friends. Instead her thoughts were on Weiss. She couldn't help her if she died here, or if she got taken. She had to get through this, for Weiss.

She watched as his tail lashed towards her. The stinger poised and dripping with a venom she knew would spell her death. She closed her eyes, a well of emotion coursing through her. It felt like that time on Beacon tower. When her eyes had activated for the first time. She heard a clang, as if the tail had struck... something. There was a brilliant, blinding light. But it wasn't coming from her this time. Her eyes snapped open to see a glyph formed underneath her, and a single word from Weiss's lips.

"Ruby!"

Weiss pushed the bed out of the way and cleared a space on the floor. She was angrier than ever at her father. Being stripped of her title as heiress didn't matter, it was his complete disregard for what happened at Beacon. The way he wrote off her experiences as nothing more than a distraction from his precious company. She was going to summon her Gigas, fueled by this emotion. She was going to prove to herself once and for all that she could master summoning. And then she was going to leave. To find her team. To help rebuild Beacon. To do anything other than rot here in this prison of a mansion.

She straightened her back, taking a deep breath. Once again she searched her memories for the experiences that pushed her. How she felt during those moments. She thought of her determination to win. To protect her friends. To save lives. She thought of why she had to get out of here.

She thought of Ruby.

The clink of metal against the floor. The blinding glow enveloping her room. The pull on her aura. It wasn't as severe as before. It was normal. As normal as using any other part of her semblance. It had to be, if she wanted to get back to her partner.

All at once the burden doubled. Tripled. She stumbled to her knee as the glyph shone brighter and brighter, enveloping the room in white. She was summoning something much more than she'd anticipated, and from much farther than her own aura. She screamed with effort, unwilling to give up. This needed to work. She needed to do this. She could feel it when it happened. She slumped to the floor, letting the glyph fade.

She opened her eyes, taking in what she had summoned. The Arma Gigas stood tall, strong, and proud before her, emitting an ethereal glow. And on the floor in front of it lay her partner.

"Ruby!"

She was by her side in an instant. Ruby blinked, caught off guard by her sudden appearance. 

"Weiss?"

"I did it!" Weiss said with a note of disbelief. "I summoned you!"

Ruby's brow furrowed as she processed what she was hearing. Every time she'd heard Weiss call for her, it was an attempt to summon. Another realization hit her. Weiss just saved her life. Her eyes widened. She reached up to pull Weiss close, gently locking their lips together. She hadn't really planned on it, but nothing else felt right in the moment. It was wary, unsure, new, and maybe a little scary, but it was right. Ruby knew that with every piece of herself down to her very soul. She was where she needed to be.

When they broke apart, Weiss didn't look surprised at all. She had a soft smile on her face, and a warmth in her eyes that felt almost unfamiliar. 

"I missed you too Ruby."

Ruby gave a small smile. The safety she felt in this moment, compared to the situation she had been in... her smile faded. The situation she was in. The scorpion Faunus that had attacked them. She needed to get back to Mistral. She knew they'd be okay, they'd pull through somehow, but it was her responsibility to protect them. To get them to Haven.

"Weiss, we have to leave. Now."

"I was just about to suggest the same. My father is angry enough without me summoning you in here. Where were you before?"

"Mistral, going to Haven. Some maniac attacked us, trying to take me away-" Weiss's grip tightened reflexively. "But you got me out of there. I'm worried about what happened to Jaune, Ren, and Nora."

"Well, then let's go rescue them together, yes?"

Ruby gave a small nod, smiling up at Weiss. Any concerns she had seemed to be more manageable in Weiss's arms. She could bear anything with her partner at her side. 

"Together."