So I have a habit of starting fics but never finishing them. So I decided to try writing it out fully before posting it. So welcome to a new AU I have created, which I have dubbed 'Witherverse', see the name. This will be nine chapters long so I hope you stick around and enjoy it ;)

Ruby loved being outdoors. In the fresh air with leaves and plants all around her. She didn't know why but it just made her feel at home.

Which is why she'd decided to become an explorer. Searching out different terrains, being the first human to set foot in the land was life changing. Her reports were always full of excitement and new discoveries.

Admittedly some trips had been a little dangerous but they were never boring. She loved it; she loved her job.

Ruby walked along the forest floor, eyes scanning the blue sky above her. She was in a large forest to the south east of Vale's populated territories. In the past, these lands had been uncharitable because of dangerous creatures of Grimm claiming the land.

But in recent times, new weaponry had cleared the way and executed most of the beasts with ease. All that was left was for her to explore, check if it was safe and draw up a report.

The town wasn't too far back, roughly half a day's walk. Before heading off, she'd stopped for supplies and heard some strange tales about these woods.

Apparently, deep in the heart of the forest was a section where nothing grew. No animals lived there and the plants just withered and died. Several attempts had been made to try and stretch the woods back into it but all had failed. It was just… dead. Rumours spoke of a monster deep within its belly, a curse settling over the land and keeping it barren and wasteful. Adventurers had dared entered and didn't come out. Some people thought it was a grimm, others said it was a possessed supernatural.

While sounding insanely dangerous with the little scraps she'd heard, Ruby couldn't help but feel as though this was going to be awesome!

Letting out a little squeal, Ruby jumped, shaking the map in her hands. Vale's maps had an accurate outline of the coasts but hardly anything internal. And that was part of her job. To chart out the new land for everyone to see.

Ruby closed the map and tucked it into her backpack. The sun gleamed overhead, turning the leaves to gold and shimmering the water. The wind was gentle, cooling her down and she smiled. Life was good.

So far, she'd encountered no problems. No Grimm ran about and animal life was peaceful as ever. Nature was beautiful. Ruby paused to pick up a couple of flowers, ones of such a splendid colour she was amazed. She let out a hiss when a thorn pricked her finger. The pure white rose shuddered as a drop of Ruby's blood hit its petals. The red and the white mixed well and Ruby had to admit it looked nice.

Standing up she sucked a finger into her mouth and turned back to her path.

It was then she saw it.

Just up ahead, hardly in sight, Ruby caught sight of black. The black so harsh against the vibrant green.

Ruby picked up her pace to get to it, quickly forgetting about the flower. Pushing past the leaves and branches, she emerged into a wasteland and gasped.

It was still a forest but was everything the townspeople had described. Blackened into ash, the ground was barren and cracked, not a single plant growing. The tree trunks were still standing but they too were withered and dead.

An icy wind whisked through the wasteland, setting Ruby's nerves off. The rumours were true about the wasteland. So what of the beasts that it held?

She listened, hearing nothing that suggested ahead was unsafe. But the whole eerie silence made her think differently.

She spotted a rabbit down the way, bridging the line between the vegetation and barren land. Its little nose twitched once before turning and fleeing immediately. Birds cawed suddenly overhead but when Ruby looked up, she saw them veer away to the side and fly along the boundary.

Even the wildlife steered clear of the wasteland.

Now mystified and intrigued, Ruby slid her handgun from her hip. Cocking the barrel, she started walking. The ashes crunched beneath her feet but she walked as quietly as she could. She walked for a few minutes before coming across something strange. Lying on the ground, nestled in what looked like the remains of a fire were several small bones.

Ruby crouched down, picking through the ashes to examine them. Rabbit bones if she wasn't mistaken. Its flesh picked clean by teeth.

Now she was thoroughly confused. What sort of beast used a fire for food?

She stood back up and glanced up to the sky. And gasped when she saw tiny wafts of smoke rising into the air.

To the untrained eye, they'd just look like slightly darker air but Ruby had spent most of her life on the move and knew enough about fires to recognise a campfire.

Ruby picked up her gun again and set off towards it. The ground noticeably became more cracked and broken with each step she took. The trees became skinnier and more frequent. Ruby tracked the smoke and made her way along. The deeper into the wasteland the closer she got.

A large ridge stood in between her and the origin of the smoke and Ruby paused to consider her option. What the heck was down in this crater she didn't even know but whatever it was, it probably wasn't safe. But she'd come this far.

A glimpse wouldn't hurt.

Ruby dropped to her belly and wriggled her way up the dirt. Her backpack slid to the side as she nudged it out of the way. She didn't want it rising over the edge. Any indication she was here was a danger.

And Ruby peered over the ridge and was quite disappointed.

She hadn't been expecting anything but she thought it would at least be something cool. Below her was someone's base camp, the ridge only a part of it. To the side, an overhang held what looked like moss. A bed.

In the centre was the fire and Ruby saw someone crouched near it.

They were covered from head to toe in cloth and she couldn't see anything about them. But she leaned closer. Shaking gloved hands extended as they lifted a dead bird from the ground next to them. They were going to cook it, Ruby realised.

Just a camper, maybe an explorer like her. Ruby sighed. This was quite a let down.

And apparently the person had heard her sigh.

They stumbled around, head jerking from side to side. Ruby watched as they dropped the bird, fumbled helplessly for it before something impossible happening.

It exploded into ash.

The person froze, hands still extended in an attempt to catch what no longer existed. Their hands curled into fists and she heard a frustrated voice. Their head spun fearfully, searching for their eavesdropper and when they paused where Ruby lay, Ruby knew she had to move.

Ruby rolled back instinctively, landing behind the ridge. And over her head lashed a wave of power.

Ruby pressed her gun right to her chest as she stared. It was like a jet, striking the sky and the trees behind. And anything it touched withered into ash. Her heart was thrumming in her throat and lay still, hoping that whatever was down there didn't realise she was still alive. That blast aimed to kill her and she wanted to know why.

Any sane person would have ran but let's just say that Ruby was more of the risk-taking type. She slowly crawled her way back up, dragging her bag and gun along with her. Hand after hand, as quiet as she could.

Over the ridge, the person sat on the ground, knees curled into their chest. It took Ruby a few minutes to realise they were crying. And after a bit, her compassion won out over her fear.

"Hey," she called, jumping over the ridge.

The person's head shot up, what must have been their face latching onto where she stood. Slowly their legs unfurled as they started to back away.

"Are you okay? Can I help you?" Ruby shuffled forward, movements slowly and obvious so not to scare them.

Their body looked human now that she was closer to them. Their clothes were light cloth, revealing that they seemed to be a young woman. But Ruby knew that looks could be deceiving and that monsters of all kinds lurked within human skin.

"Y..yo..y..you're alive," she said shakily.

Ruby nodded, taking another step. Slowly she slid her gun back into its hip holster. "Yeah. Look, I'm fine. I'm going to hurt you."

Another step took her close enough to see the woman's face. Like the rest of her body, her head was covered in a long scarf, even the end coming right across her face.

But she'd left a thin slit for her eyes. And Ruby saw the icy blue eyes filled with fear and the pale skin that looked as though she'd never seen the sun.

"Please… you need to go.." the woman stammered. "I… I can't do this… I can't control.."

Ruby paused, taking her in. Whatever power she possessed made her dangerous and her fear made her unpredictable. But why, what was wrong? Ruby ran her eyes down her thin body and across the slim shoulders and outline of her face. Hollow cheeks and sad eyes. Realisation dawned on her.

"Are you..? Hungry?"

The change in the woman's eyes told her yes despite the fact she said nothing.

Ruby hastily picked up her bag. "It's okay, I have food, you can have-"

"I can't touch anything you have. It'll wither like everything else does." The woman spoke the first clear sentence yet and her voice was filled with a bitter distaste.

Ruby paused in her rummaging. "That… that can't be true. You were holding that bird, you're wearing clothes. Surely…"

The woman sighed. "I can't touch anything living… These clothes are artificial. It took me a while to control that.."

That made sense, in a way. Not much of this made sense but an idea bloomed within her.

"That should be fine! Just wait a sec, I swear it's here-" Ruby stuck her tongue out as her hand sank deeper into her rucksack. She pushed aside many different items before she finally closed around the box she wanted. "Ah ha!"

Ruby whipped out a box of Pumpkin Pete's and proudly offered them to the woman. "Pure artificial sugary goodness! I mean they aren't in anyway good for you but still!"

She extended her arm. The woman blinked twice before cautiously taking the box in her gloved hand. Ruby watched as she pried it open and lifted a handful of cereal. The emotion she had in her eyes as she ate made Ruby feel good.

"... thank you."

Ruby beamed, sitting down on the ground. All dregs of fear had been washed away and she felt only happiness.

"There's more where it came from. If you want I mean," she added hastily. Someone people were not to welcoming to help, no matter the good intentions.

The woman paused and nodded, eyes looking away.

Ruby felt a warmth burst inside her chest. "Great! My name's Ruby Rose and it's nice to meet you!"

The woman paused, lips curling into a small smile. "My name's Weiss. It's nice to meet you too."

"So you are not afraid me?" Weiss asked quietly.

Night had fallen and Ruby nudged the fire with a stick. Sparks flew as she cooked a fish over the flames. Weiss was tucking into some of Ruby's sugary snacks, namely her favourite cookies. And while she felt sad about it, she didn't mind because the poor girl was starving.

"Not really… I mean the wither-thing is freaky but like, you seem nice," Ruby beamed, settling back. "Maybe a little scary… but nice."

Weiss took another bite of her biscuit and said nothing.

"So… if you don't mind me asking… what are you? Why can you turn things to ash?"

Weiss frowned at her. "You haven't heard? Surely the townspeople must have some tales to tell of the Wastes." Her face changed. "Don't tell me you entered the forest without any idea of what was in here. Please."

Ruby rubbed the back of her neck. "I… well I mean… I did hear some rumours of a monster but I didn't think much of it…"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "My saviour is an idiot," she muttered. "Look okay. I don't remember much past about four years ago. But I woke up with only my name and the ability of pure destruction on my fingers.

I discovered the hard way of what would happen if my skin came in contact with living beings. I fled out into these woods, killed all the Grimm that attacked me and basically just lived here. The townspeople soon knew of my living here and wasted no time in spinning vicious rumours about me."

They call me the Wither, a creature that can destroy anything in its path. All it touches turns to ash" Weiss' shoulders shook. "And I guess it's true."

Suddenly the cookie she'd been holding in her bare hands crumbled into dust. Weiss stared down at it for a few seconds and Ruby saw tears bubbling in her eyes.

"Hey-" She reached out a hand.

Weiss reached instantly, sprinting halfway across the crater. "Are you mad, you dolt?!" she shrieked. "Were you even listening?! You touch my skin and you'll die. You'll turn to ash just like that cookie!"

Ruby was taken back. "I… I'm sorry… I.. "

Weiss grabbed at her gloves sitting on a stump nearby but her fingers brushed off a jar sitting nearby. It disintegrated into ash. Weiss pulled back, trembling. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she curled her hands into the dirt. The only safe thing she could touch.

"You… but you can touch things... " Ruby whispered. "You.. . It's your emotions, isn't it? You lose control when your emotions get too intense."

Weiss didn't look at her and just kept sobbing. So Ruby stood up and walked across to her. She offered the girl her gloves.

Weiss raised her head and stared at her, blue eyes shining with moisture. "How can you be so calm with me?"

Shaking fingers took the gloves from her and Weiss slid them on. They didn't wither like the rest and Weiss pulled her scarf back up. To hide all her skin from contact.

And Ruby felt her heart break inside. This wasn't fair, it wasn't okay. Poor Weiss, left alone with such a curse on her hands. All Ruby wanted to do was help her. How she didn't know but she wanted to. She'd stay in this forest and try help Weiss.

"It's okay. I want to help you. I will. I'll help you control it if you let me."

Weiss burst into sobs but nothing else turned to ash. Ruby wanted nothing more than to reach across and comfort her but she couldn't. She couldn't. She wanted to hold her.

So she just sat as near as she could while making Weiss feel as though it was safe. It was the smallest comfort she could give.

"It's okay," she murmured. "You'll be okay."

The months passed faster than Ruby knew they would. It took some time to convince Weiss but after relentless pushing and arguing, she finally managed to convince her to let her stay with her. How long, they hadn't decided.

But her little crater was nice enough and sheltered so Ruby never felt too cold or exposed to the elements. They did have strict rules on sleeping far apart though, just in cass Weiss rolled and touched in her sleep. It was a good home for the woods.

Every week Ruby would walk back to the town and buy a weekly supply of food for them. Foods that Weiss found easier to eat. Money wasn't an issue as Ruby had a regular salary paid by the Vale Society of Exploration. As long as she kept in with monthly reports she was fine.

Weiss soon was putting on a bit of meat to her thin skeleton and Ruby felt relieved.

The main issue with controlling Weiss' powers was getting her emotion under control. Whenever she was worried or afraid or upset, she turn ordinary non-living objects to ash.

Ruby was starting to get it. Normally, only living things were affected by her. Any plant or animal would wither and die if in contact with her skin. No amount of experiments or trying different things would change that.

But slowly Weiss was getting her destruction under control. Weiss was naturally cold and shielded and all they needed to do was build on it. Help her control herself.

They walked under the stars through the wastes, side by side but never touching. Ruby longed to take her hand in her own, to touch her bare skin. But it seemed that would have happen.

And it hurt. When wanting to comfort she could do nothing but talk soothingly to Weiss. It hurt Weiss as well. She could see it in the way she looked at her skin, gazed at her hand as she passed her things. Weiss wanted to be able to hold her, feel without fear. But it was impossible.

When Weiss gradually got the courage to take off her scarf permanently, Ruby had to take a second to recover.

Weiss was beautiful. Her hair was a startling white, almost seeming unnatural but so beautiful. Her skin was paler than any she'd ever seen and her eyes the clearest blue.

Ruby swore she fell in love the moment those eyes smiled back at her.

The months she spent with Weiss, they connected. She was her anchor, holding her throughout the storm. Weiss could survive without her but chose not to.

And even though the pale girl refused to acknowledge it, she was glad that Ruby stayed with her.

Ruby was glad too. Sure she missed parts of exploring but every day with Weiss was an adventure of its own. Each day they strolled deeper and deeper through the Wastes, exploring the borders and its contents.

It was her fault, Weiss said. She'd killed the ground they walked on. The night she fled into the forest she'd been so alone and frightened that she'd just lost it.

Her power had exploded outwards and created the Wastes right along with the crater they lived in. And nothing new would grow along the barren land.

She told her there and then that she wanted to hold her and hug her tight. Weiss blinked once at her and blushed before looking away.

That became a thing between them. I want to hold you. Their version of a hug. Whenever one was feeling down, a smile and that saying always made they feel a little better.

And neither of them were lying when they said it.

Ruby felt herself falling and falling harder for someone she could never have. She could never touch Weiss and Weiss would never let her, for fear of destroying the one thing she cared about. But her feelings for Weiss grew stronger and stronger. Ruby sat beside her at night, eyes watching the girl beside her. The stars gleamed above them, shining and shimmering like gems high above.

And suddenly a star streaked across the sky.

"A falling star," Weiss murmured. "Make a wish."

Ruby leaned back, turning towards her. "One day I wish you could hold me. Hold me in your arms and not feel afraid of losing me."

Weiss stared at her, hard gaze softening. And then she spoke, voice achingly soft.

"I wish that too."

It was late afternoon the next day. Ruby had stripped off her trademark red cloak to cool in the sun. It beamed over head, bathing them both in warmth.

Weiss rarely took off her layers for today she did, sitting in a long sleeve t-shirt and pants. It wasn't much but it was the most skin Ruby had seen. Besides when they bathed in the river. Ruby felt her cheeks pinken.

"What are you thinking about? It's something weird, isn't it?" Weiss frowned. "Stop that."

Ruby giggled, jumping from where she sat. "Make me."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "You are insufferable you dolt," she muttered but Ruby saw the fondness in her eyes.

She often saw it in her eyes and it made Ruby wonder how the girl truly felt about her. Did she felt the same longing in her heart? Ruby looked away, still blushing.

"Wither!" A voice suddenly roared through the air.

Both of them jumped and Ruby looked around. It was the first human that wandered into the forest since she came along. A whole year they'd made it without incident.

"Ruby-" Weiss began, flexing her fingers. There was nervousness on her face, a tense panic flooding her. "I-"

Ruby shushed her. "It'll be okay," she breathed. "We just need to hide."

Weiss exhaled, relaxing her muscles. "Okay. Okay." The white haired girl looked her in the eye. "I want to hold you."

Ruby smiled sadly. "Me too, Weiss."

"Come out, Wither!" the voice called again. This time it was a lot closer than Ruby realised and she looked around frantically. She grabbed her gun from her bag and flicked the safety off.

Whoever this was was looking for Weiss and from the sound of it, probably didn't want to just chat.

Weiss crouched in the small overhang that she slept beneath and Ruby hid behind a stack of logs they'd gathered for their fire.

"Hey Cinder, Merc!" a feminine voice reached her ears. "I found something!"

Ruby shifted from where she crouched, peering over the top of a log. A green haired woman stood on top of the ridge, gazing down at their settlement. Behind her two voices answered.

"Good job, Em," a voice purred as she approached. She had dark hair and amber eyes and she smiled at the green haired girl.

"You see anything?" A silver haired man crested the ridge too, a long rifle in his hand.

Ruby tensed, spying similar weapons on the two girls. These weren't just normal adventurers, looking for excitement. They were huntsmen looking for their prey.

"There!"

Ruby stared in horror as the green haired one pointed a finger right where Weiss was hiding. She shouldn't have been able to see her, not from that angle.

The silver one cocked his rifle. "Come out, Wither," he purred. "I think we'll have some fun, shall we?"

It took a few seconds but eventually Weiss emerged from the overhang. Her hands were clenched into fists but she seemed to keep things under control. But her jaw was tense, ready to snap out at any moment.

The dark haired one grinned, whipping her gun from her back. "So this is the Wither," she smirked. "Hmmm… I expected something grander."

Weiss shook her head. "It's just me."

The dark haired one laughed. "This is too easy." Her expression hardened. "Get her Merc."

The silver one opened fire and Ruby screamed, darting from the cover. Faster than a bullet she leapt, darting in front of Weiss. She heard Weiss scream too and then a harsh pain erupted in her stomach.

Ruby fell back from the impact. Straight into Weiss' arms.

She wasn't wearing her gloves and Ruby wasn't wearing anything on her arms. The moment she felt skin against hers Ruby knew she only had seconds before she withered.

Looking up, Weiss' eyes were brimming with tears. Ruby lifted a hand, finally touching the smooth skin of her face. The wet of her tears marked her fingers and Ruby felt her own slid down her cheek.

"Look," she tried to smile. "I knew you'd hold me." And then she leaned up and gently kissed her, the soft feeling of her lips the first and last time in her life.

And then she died, swift and painless, the dark consuming her.

The moment Ruby withered in her arms, Weiss felt herself explode. She felt her power flood outwards, intent on destruction.

But it was different from last time. Different from when she'd created the Wastes.

It was controlled, an explosion with a target in mind. Tears blurred her vision as she screamed, hands extending towards the three huntsmen.

They didn't stand a chance, exploding into ash where they stood. Their gear, their guns, their everything withered and crumbled. She killed them in a second, her grief blinding her reason. Ruby. Her Ruby. Killed by her, for her. She sobbed.

Weiss collapsed to her knees, hands shaking. Her entire body was shaking. Ruby.

It wasn't fair. Why Ruby, the one thing she loved in her life. Ruby saved her from a life of misery and made her feel as though she was worth something. As though her life was meaningful.

And now she had been taken away from her.

Weiss hadn't fought for much things in her life. She hadn't fought when she first destroyed a human. She hadn't fought when she'd been forced out of the city. She hadn't fought when humans came after her, only to have them destroyed by their own actions.

But now, this day, Weiss was going to fight. For Ruby.

She didn't know how, she didn't when, but one day she bring Ruby back. She'd find a way.

Because she needed her. She loved her.

And she never got the chance to tell her.

Thanks for reading, comments and kudos are appreciated ^-^

So for clarification on what Weiss' power actually is: Weiss destroys and living thing she touches, e.g. plants, animals and humans. She can't touch anyone without them withering into ash. This can also apply to non-living things. But with the right control, she can touch any non-living object freely.

She also can control her destruction, as with the blast she sent towards Ruby and later towards CEM. It can be a blast or a concentrated stream.