Welp, here is the final chapter. I do hope you guys like it. And I've noticed looking over quickly at some other chapters I've done. I always seem to make Ruby run away quickly when a bomb shell hits. Is that strange? I feel it is a little.

Chapter 9: Day Five part two

Ruby went to the one place where she could think. She knew if they wanted to find her, it would be literally the first place they looked. She went to her room. She had been sitting on her bed facing the wall. She couldn't figure anything out.

What she knew and what she thought she knew were reversed. And even Velvet wouldn't be able to fix her thoughts at this point. She knew there were only two people in existence that could help her. One was her sister, but for obvious reason she couldn't talk to. The other was herself, and even she was finding it harder and harder to figure out what to do. And it was hurting her on a near physical level.

She could hear a knock on her door, but she didn't want anyone in. She wanted simply to be alone to think. Anyone else was nothing but a distraction and one she couldn't afford to give herself. She desired to simple figure out everything. And people rarely helped. If Ruby was being honest with herself, Velvet, and the two doctors that both constantly wanted to see Ruby in a much healthier mental state, did help from time to time. But this was different.

Out of the friends of Yang had, that Ruby knew off, all hated her. And now that one has multiple reasons to hate her, what could she do. Ruby not only removed a friend from Nora, but she also shattered her arm in multiple places.

The least Nora could do is hate Ruby. But the way she told Ruby how she knew Yang was what was causing the distress. It wasn't out of terror or hate. It was almost like she knew Yang was a sensitive subject and that was the best time she felt to reveal it. Out off all the interactions Ruby had with her she could think of at least ten on the first day alone to tell her.

But the knocking didn't subside. It just grew. If it was any of the staff they would just walk in if Ruby didn't answer. And Velvet wouldn't be allowed on the side where Ruby was. Unless she was occupied with one of Ruby's doctors. But she knew they knew she would need some space. And they would also make sure Velvet and Nora would give her that space.

And out of her friends she had left on the inside, Pyrrha had one of the only visits she ever looked forward to. Them being once a month, she still felt like they were too far between. But she also understood why her parents couldn't visit more.

Which left Penny, but Ruby knew she was in a group meeting. Or she should be at least. Ruby knew the girl's tendency to avoid group. Something she couldn't find any fault with. But she would never support hindering anyone's recovery. Penny included.

"I want to be alone!" Ruby yelled, not even lifting her gaze from the wall. She was hoping that at any second something would change in it. Simply to prove it was all a dream. The first nice dream she would have had since the accident. Despite how much it was destroying her mind. It still seemed to be the nicest dream. One that she needed to be just a dream.

She could hear her door creak open. "I can't do that friend Ruby. Friend Velvet was here and she said you ran off and you may need some help thinking." Penny spoke sticking her entire upper body into the room. Just barely enough to not invade the safety area Ruby had created as to think, but enough so she could do what Velvet asked of her.

"Penny, you should be at group. I just need to think, and having people around won't help me this time." Ruby spoke softly. She wanted the interaction to be over as fast as possible. Even if it meant being the reason for Penny. She had after all been some of the voice of reason that helped Velvet. This sole time though was a win win scenario.

"Group got out early. And Pyrrha's time with her parents is almost up so she'll come here as well once that is done. I just figured that it would be somewhat easier if it was just me to start off with." Penny spoke, inching her way further into the room. Still keeping the door open, in case she had to leave.

"Penny. I appreciate it. I really do. But this is something I need to process this myself. So please can you leave me." Ruby pleaded. She really wanted to end this entire discussion.

"If it is something that awful ginger girl you are rooming with? Because I hope you know I'll make sure she leaves you alone." Penny stated as she fully entered the room. She wanted to show how honest she was with that declaration.

"No Penny. It has very little to do with Nora. It is just got given a lot of information that I need to process. So please. I ask again, can you leave me for a bit?" Ruby pleaded for what felt like would be the final time. Or so she hoped. She didn't know how much will she had in herself to ask Nora to leave once more.

"Okay Ruby. I'll leave. But once you figure it out, Velvet is worried." Penny spoke sadly as she left closing the door tightly. She wasn't one to argue with her friends ever. And she knew whatever Ruby was trying to figure out, she wouldn't want to have Penny fighting with her as well.

As the door closed, Ruby resumed what she was doing. Trying to figure out everything about the ginger haired girl and what sort of connection she had with Yang. Something that may have seemed so simple to the average on looker. But to her, it was her own white whale.

"YOU WERE ONE OF YANG'S FRIENDS AND YOU WAIT TILL NOW TO TELL HER!" Velvet yelled causing the ginger haired girl to shrink further and further into the already small shell that seemed to be shrinking.

"I just never found the right time." Nora muttered trying to avoid the wrath of the brunette. After Weiss had told Velvet to not go after Ruby, Velvet had directed her full wrath at Nora. And Nora was terrified that Velvet may snap and do something a lot worse than what Ruby did.

Velvet had been fuming as she paced the room. She had already knew where Ruby would run off to. It was the single place she always felt comfortable enough to do anything, until Nora came to be in her life.

Nora had debated if what she was using to shield herself was really decent enough. Granted all it was, was a table. It hadn't even been moved. She was just using it to give herself some much needed distance. Blake and Weiss had been just outside the room talking. Nora wasn't sure if that was the best thing for them to do.

They had doubts if Ruby was going to be alive, and Ruby and Velvet were clearly close friends. What was she going to do to someone who had just hurt Ruby. It wasn't even a small chip at her mental health. This was a large portion being destroyed. It had been clear when she ran out. She had been hurt.

"Seriously. How was I meant to know Yang is a touchy subject?" Nora asked as Velvet turned to face her. The anger in her eyes was that of something that Nora had never seen before, and she never wanted to see again.

"SHE BROKE YOUR ARM FOR TAKING A PICTURE!" Velvet yelled beginning to pace again. She had hoped that Ruby would be able to decipher her thoughts. Even though Velvet ran into Penny and asked her to go check up on her. And seeing as Penny hadn't returned she could only hope that Penny had been able to get Ruby to talk to her.

"Seriously. That is the touchiest subject when it comes to Ruby. You could tell her that you stabbed a dog, and she would just psychoanalyse you. But something like that may cause her to just shut down. And when she shuts down, she can't think and that always causes a huge shit storm in her mind." Velvet ranted to no one in particular. She had no intentions on letting Nora know more than she wanted.

"Best case scenario is she shuts down for a few days. Worst case they have to drug her to a near comatose state until that shit storm clears." Velvet continued her ranting as she took a seat. She needed to think about some way to help clear it if Ruby needed some of her help. And she would gladly help.

"Right, we have figured out some things. In two hours time, she should have figured enough out to talk again. And then we will bring her back here. Velvet we are sorry, we are going to need you to stay longer." Weiss spoke as Blake walked in just behind her. They had not wanted to have Velvet in the hospital for longer than they need her to be.

"It is okay Doctor Weiss. I know you are worried that I may have some bad memories of being here. But I don't. In fact I have a lot more good memories. The only bad ones are Ruby being locked in isolation." Velvet spoke seeing Nora look at her like she had a few questions. That was until Velvet looked at her, her eyes still holding the same rage at her.

"Okay. We might as well go get something to eat. I know Nora and we haven't eaten yet. I'm sure you haven't as well." Weiss spoke seeing Nora cheer up at the mention of food alone.

"Bye Pyrrha." Ruby spoke as the redhead nodded and left. Ruby had already figured out the largest portion. It had taken longer then she would care to admit. Normally if she was faced with any problem she could think about both objectively and subjectively and have all possible answers in a few minutes.

But nearly two hours later, she finally got the first answer. She didn't like the answer either. But she had no other one to go on. The only answer was that Nora didn't hate her. It seemed so out of character if she was one of Yang's friends. The rest of them hated Ruby's guts. Why would this one be different.

The answer piratically causing her to tear her hair out. But she wasn't sure what was the preferred option. If Nora was like the rest and hated her, then she would not blame her and know what to do. But if her only solution was right then she finally found someone who liked her until she broke her arm. Either way she was positive that she had pushed away one of the only remnants of her life before it went to hell. And she had no idea how to process beyond that point.

She heard a knock. She was ready to yell at Velvet if she sent someone else. She hoped Velvet knew that she couldn't think about something like Nora being a friend of Yang if she kept sending people to make sure she was alright.

"If Velvet sent you can you just leave me be?" Ruby yelled. She was surprised she had been able to continue staring at the wall for this long. Even if her mind is fogged as news of that magnitude often causes she would still need to look away. Or at least direct her attention. But the wall seemed to be helping her mind.

"Sorry, Ruby. I'm going to need you to come with me. We need to finish the conversation." Blake spoke as she stepped into the room. She had left the door open, just in case she needed to call in some extra help.

"Weiss and I both agree this may actually help your treatment. I promise you Ruby, as soon as I feel something bad will happen to you, I'll step in and make sure nothing happens." Blake spoke stepping closer to Ruby, resting her hand on her shoulder. Knowing the simple contact was enough for Ruby to respond.

"P-P-Promise?" Ruby stuttered. She had no doubt that Nora wouldn't do anything bad to her. She feared she may do something bad to Nora. And hoped Blake would pick up on that.

"I promise Ruby. I will not let either you or Nora harm each other." Blake responded, covering all possible meanings Ruby had hidden in the one word that she stuttered out. She had simply wanted Ruby to get back and confront the problem that she had created involving Nora.

Ruby simply held out an extended pinky. Blake knowing full well what she means by it. Blake quickly wrapped her own pinky around Ruby's. It was a simple mannerism Ruby had developed since before her sister had died. Something that no one had a problem with. It came with promising Ruby anything and she had even a shadow of a doubt.

"I pinky promise Ruby." Blake spoke as Ruby took her pinky back and stood up. She hadn't realised her legs had fallen asleep. But as she began to think about it she supposed it made sense. She had been sitting on them for nearly two hours.

The walk was silent. Blake wanted to give Ruby some extra time to think about what she should say. And Ruby was fearing that Nora may finally let go her pent up anger, and that she would retaliate.

She didn't even notice that they were in the room or that she was walking over to where her painting stood partially started. She quickly walked over picking up the palette and began to scrape off what paint had began to dry. She couldn't risk the colours that she would add mix with the partially dried paint.

Once the paint fell into the sink she walked back to her painting. 'I'll need some white I think.' Ruby thought as she walked over to the various colours and began to set her palette up for her to finish painting.

The others she could hear them being patient. She had couldn't hear them even talking amongst themselves. They were waiting for her to begin painting. She quickly stood in front of the painting once more and took up her brush as she began to paint.

"So Ruby, Nora just talk about Yang. We don't know anything about her apart from what you two have said to Blake and myself." Weiss spoke, enjoying the slight shift in Ruby's stroke. It was so subtle it would easily be overlooked. But to her it spoke volumes. It meant that Ruby didn't expect that. Which was only ever a good thing.

"Ruby, I'm sorry that-" Nora began but got cut off by Ruby. "You couldn't find a better time to tell me. Despite the fact there were several. But that isn't what they want to hear. They want us to talk about Yang. And I'm just lost on one thing." Ruby began as she switched her paint brushes.

"Why aren't you like Coco and hate me? It makes sense that you would hate me. I was the reason Yang died." Ruby spoke, she hadn't realised that she had stalled the paint brush from touching the canvas until a drop of paint hit the floor.

"Coco was already a crazy bitch. Seriously, she wanted to date Yang bad but got shot down at every time. But you're not at fault Ruby. I heard most of the story. You wanted to go to the bookstore and Yang caved." Nora began. She could have sworn that she saw a tear leave Ruby's eye.

"You were the only thing Yang would talk about most time. And also the reason she didn't want you to meet any of us. Her close friends, I mean. We were nothing but screw ups and Yang managed to pick us up and repair us, but she didn't want to risk you breaking. And well that clearly failed." Nora joked. She didn't like the gloom.

"I physically can't hate. I used to be so full of hate. You can even ask Renny. I hated everything. But Yang showed me, hate gets us nowhere. She then taught me how to actually forgive. Which according to her, you taught her. So if anything I should feel honoured being with you." Nora spoke near tears. She truly meant it.

All three women in the room could see a simple thing. One that startled them slightly. Ruby was crying. It was a silent cry. Not one out of terror or sadness like her nightmares would. These were tears of happiness. Ruby had even stopped painting. She had the paint brush down and the palette was still placed on a nearby table. She just rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

Nora stood up and walked up to the crying red head and hugged her.

Author's Note:

Okay after the last story I finished where I gave you all the finger. So I decided to give you all this ending. Hope you guys enjoyed it.