The wind carried with it an unrelenting chill, washing over the shadowy forest beneath the cliff. The trees swayed in tune with the rhythm of the air, leaves brushing against each other to create an orchestra of natural ambiance.

A huntress clad in a red cloak stood atop the high cliff. She looked off into the distance, eyeing the city beyond the treeline. Tasked with protecting its denizens, she watched over in silence.

The tranquility of the night was peaceful. Too peaceful.

The first howls of the creatures of Grimm broke through the air. Beowolves, far below. A chorus of screeches above, Nevermores.

The red-clothed huntress reached beneath her cloak. She grabbed onto her weapon and held it parallel to the ground. Gears turned, and the mechanisms worked together to unfold it into a giant scythe.

The huntress looked into the sky, noting the smaller Nevermores circling her above. She did not spot their leader, but suspected that it lie in wait below the cliff side, waiting for its time to strike.

One of the Grimm dove to strike the reaper. She stood still until it came near. Where the huntress once was, a flurry of rose petals remained. Before the Nevermore could comprehend it's mistake, a large silver blade crashed into its neck. Its head fell to the ground, and its body dissipated into a cloud of black smoke.

The rest of the Nevermores rushed to attack the scythe-wielder, but none struck true. The flock of the dark creatures became shrouded in rose petals as the huntress spun and slashed her way through the assault. She became a whirlwind with her blade, cutting through the Grimm with ease.

The huntress stopped, bringing her scythe to rest. The Grimm fell to the ground and faded away, leaving behind not a trace of their foul essence.

Almost on cue, the ground started to rumble, and a strong updraft came from the cliff side. The powerful screech of a matured Nevermore echoed through the darkness, announcing its call to action.

It was almost as though the flow of time completely ceased all function. The giant Grimm came to view over the edge of the cliff, bringing its wings to their full span. The crimson orbs of pure hatred and pain shone into the night, piercing the soul of the red-caped warrior that stood before it. The outline of the black mass shone with a pure white, being cast from the shattered moon above. Feathers fell from its body like leaves in the fall as it rose higher into the air.

The creature headed straight for the red reaper. Its shadow looked as though it trailed off its wings as it dove through the air to meet its opponent.

The light of the moon glinted off the huntress' scythe as she shot through the air. While the Nevermore anticipated a direct attack from the front, the huntress was cunning. She activated her semblance, causing a flurry of roses to carry her around the Grimm, and onto the wing supporting its flight.

She dug her scythe deep into the Grimm's appendage, and recoiled as it shrieked in agony. It tried to retaliate, flapping its wing with a much faster tempo. Yet, this only caused the blade to burrow deeper into the creature. The huntress pulled her blade through the wing, and sliced it clean off.

The avian Grimm fell to the ground, flailing as though it could still achieve flight. The huntress jumped off the beast and followed it past the cliff edge. She brought her scythe to bear and decapitated the Nevermore as she fell, bracing her landing. She touched down unharmed, and the Nevermore crashed into the ground, fuming black smoke as it faded into nonexistence.

She landed in a small clearing, holding her scythe over her shoulder while kneeling on the ground. She glanced around the clearing, looking for more Grimm. As expected, it seemed as though the beasts of the dark were not finished with the huntress yet. Around the clearing, she could spot the same crimson eyes hanging in the darkness, almost as though to taunt her skill and aptitude.

The red reaper smiled. Almost out of arrogance, or a sense of pride for felling the largest of their pack with such ease. It mattered not to the beasts. They were only concerned with the death of their worst enemy. The creators, the warriors of light.

The huntress brought down her hood and stared into the eyes of an Alpha Beowolf across from her. The beast recoiled in an instinctive fear of the silver eyes. Windows to the purest souls, those that feared nothing... not even fear itself. Yet, the creature's apprehension was short lived.

They all charged forward, ready to disembowel the silver-eyed warrior before them.

The reaper readied her scythe...

"...and I sliced through all of 'em! There must've been like… sixty Beowolves!" As Ruby finished recounting the story, she threw her hands above her head. Ruby's enthusiasm was quite infectious, getting her partner Weiss to smile as she recounted her tale.

"So dramatic. Did you actually do the pose when you landed after killing the Nevermore?" Weiss asked, indulging Ruby's over-exaggerated version of her tale.

"Yeah! It was so cool, you should've been there!" Ruby exclaimed.

"You do have quite the flair for the dramatic," Weiss chuckled.

Ruby thought tonight was going pretty well, all things considered. She and Weiss had finished a rather strenuous test earlier that day. After studying the material non-stop for a week straight.

Their years at Beacon had become more and more stressful as time wore on. Tests were more demanding than ever, and they got sent on plenty of missions. Working and fighting non-stop took a major toll on Team RWBY. Because of this, they decided to make their best effort to invest time into rest and celebration. And so, partner nights were born.

RW and BY of RWBY would each go out to dinner after a stressful test, mission, or tournament match. This became a ritual that stuck with the team throughout their time at Beacon. It also proved to actually do wonders for the team academically.

Over the years, Team RWBY went from prodigies to legends among the combat schools.

They found themselves at the top of their sparring classes, beating out every other team by far. They won the last year's Vytal Festival tournament in Mistral. And to top it all off, they're receiving specific mission requests from a few high profile clients! Chief among these was when they were hired by Schnee Dust. Their hard work did not go unrewarded. Jacques Schnee himself congratulated the team and commended them for their effectiveness.

Team RWBY was set to graduate their final year and become fully-fledged huntresses. Although the more accurate term would be fully-legal huntresses.

Ruby deflated at the thought. It was likely that Weiss wasn't going to walk the path of a true huntress much longer, being the heiress of Schnee Dust.

It's a future that Ruby would have to live with. But, is it wrong to hope that they'll stay friends?

Ruby brought herself back to the present when a red-haired waitress came to their table with a notepad in hand.

"Hello, and welcome to The Maroon Cove! I'll be Sharla, your waitress for tonight. Can I take your order?" Sharla spoke in a soft but confident tone. She seemed friendly.

They placed their orders. Weiss chose one of the more expensive salads on the menu, Ruby opted for a strawberry pie with a glass of milk on the side.

After thanking the pair, Sharla bounded over to the kitchen to deliver their order.

The ambiance of the diner permeated the air. One could hear sounds of plates clattering, guests chatting away at each other. It was an atmosphere that felt comfortable and warm.

It took a while before Ruby and Weiss found an eatery that they could both feel comfortable with.

Ruby would tend towards smaller, family-run restaurants with loud patrons and a homely staff. Weiss, on the other hand, ate at much more high-end establishments, teeming with the Valesh elite.

Often, the pair would be quite uncomfortable in each other's setting. Ruby hated the fancy restaurants, feeling they lacked soul. Weiss often felt self-conscious at cheaper diners, no doubt because of her massive wealth. Well, that and she wasn't a huge fan of burger places.

After much debate, they settled on The Maroon Cove. It was a well kept, professional diner and bar. It had a rustic element to it, being built like a Mistralian bar with some Valesh aesthetic sprinkled in.

"So, have you heard about what happened to Jaune yesterday?" Ruby started.

"Not anything in particular. Aside from... him being Jaune."

"Well, he got in trouble with Glynda because he reflected Pyrrha's shield into Ozpin's office," Ruby said.

Weiss snorted loudly. "What!?"

"Yeah, it was pretty hilarious. I was up there because he was talking to me about that solo assignment I was telling you about. And he was just finishing up when Pyrrha's shield crashed into his head!" As Ruby spoke, she watched Weiss' expression subtly change from one of curiosity to amusement. How her lips curled up and the slight widening of her eyes as she began to laugh.

"I don't know whether to be impressed about his strength to do that, or his sheer luck of landing it on Ozpin's head," Weiss remarked as she covered her mouth with her hand while she giggled. Ruby had to stop herself from squealing at this small gesture.

For the better half of last year, Ruby didn't know why she'd been paying a lot more attention to her partner than normal. Sure, it's natural that they would become closer as time wore on. Yet, there was something there that she just couldn't place at the time.

Something about her smile, about her seemingly natural elegance. Her determined, sometimes stubborn, attitude. Hell, her fighting style! They had almost seemed to light up the room around her. Colors felt more vibrant, sounds felt richer.

Ruby found that she began to enjoy every second with her snow-white partner.

It all came to a head when she looked at Weiss after defeating a Wyvern Grimm. Their clothes were tattered and their Aura was all but gone. They'd just defeated a large beast that nearly took both their lives. It was only because of Weiss' cunning and cool head that they bested the ancient Grimm.

I could seriously kiss you right now, she thought as she stared into the Schnee's eyes. She remembered the icy-blue orbs still looking pristine and clear, despite the mud covering her partner's face.

In that moment, Ruby Rose, the nobody from Patch, realized that she was in love with Weiss Schnee.

Since her personal revelation, Ruby never quite looked at her partner the same. She tried to distance herself just the slightest bit, not to get too attached. She had to keep her crush a secret, there was no way they could continue to be friends after… if she found out.

It's not like she even had a chance at a relationship, anyway. Everyone knew Weiss was straight. Even though they'd since broken up, she once had feelings for Neptune. And much to Ruby's chagrin, Neptune was definitely male.

But she was the team leader and had to put her feelings aside. Anyways, Weiss is a great friend! She may not be completely satisfied with the result, but... it's better than nothing.

"How much longer do you think Blake and Yang are going to be out?" Weiss asked, pulling Ruby back out of her thoughts.

"Knowing them? Imma guess about… three days? They're out hunting Geists, right?"

"Yes," Weiss scowled as she answered. She had a run in with a Geist while camping out on a reconnaissance mission. She went out to take a leak and ended up coming back with her clothes half torn off, fencing a possessed bush with a stick. It was an interesting day, to say the least.

"Well, what do you wanna do in the meantime? We've got half a week with no missions to go on, so it'll just be you and I."

"That's you and me, Ruby," Weiss corrected.

"You know what I mean," Ruby said as she rolled her eyes.

"Honestly? I think I might take a page out of Blake's book and do some reading. She did say I could borrow her collection while she was out on missions."

"Reading, huh? I have an idea!" Ruby widened her eyes, brimming with excitement.

"Oh? You have a recommendation?"

"Sort of. There's this one book that Yang used to read to me when I was young. It's called Legends of Luthoria. It's like a collection of fairy tales from this super awesome fantasy world!"

"I don't really have much interest in reading children's books." Weiss crossed her arms with a slightly disappointed expression.

"No, no, it's actually really good! Even Blake has it in her collection!" Ruby waved her hands in front of her, using her semblance for extra speed. This caused small rose petals to fall from the blurs that were her fingers.

Weiss rolled her eyes and brushed away the petals.

"I never took Blake to be the fantasy type." Weiss' expression softened and she chuckled slightly.

"Hey, they're some pretty good stories! Seriously, you've got to read it."

"Well, I suppose it's better than doing nothing. How about we start on that tomorrow?" Weiss smiled at the brunette huntress.

"Consider it done!" Ruby closed her eyes and shot a thumbs-up at Weiss with a wide smile.

Weiss, still smiling, shook her head at the enthusiasm of her partner. Seems that even after so many years, some things never change.

Ruby had gone back up to the dorms while Weiss decided to go for a walk around Vale.

Weiss loved the aesthetic of Vale at night. Vale was home to many natural parks that were lit by candle during late hours. The heiress often found herself on walks through said parks. She admired the tranquil nature of Vale's less urban spaces, drinking in the environment.

After leaving the diner during her dinner with Ruby, this night was much the same. She walked to Ardent Lake Park, an out of the way upper town natural reserve. The name of the area refers to how the moonlight reflects off of the water, giving it an eerie silver color.

She aimlessly wandered through the park, following the trail. Large trees surrounded the heiress, softly swaying in the wind. The breeze permeated the outdoors, whistling quietly as the air rushed past.

She took a turn on the trail, leading her to Ardent Lake, the namesake of the reserve.

The lake shone with the silver light of the shattered moon looming above. The water rippled as ducks swam past, causing the light to shine brighter through the pulses of water.

Weiss marveled at the sight before her. The beauty of Vale never ceased to amaze the white-haired girl. Weiss never saw anything like Vale before Beacon. Her homeland, Atlas, was a frozen tundra. But, that isn't to say that it didn't have its own wonderful aesthetic. Its beauty came in the form of serenity and stillness, a quiet and reserved landscape.

Yet, Vale's appearance was so much more pleasing to the heiress. She deeply appreciated the feeling of life and sound that wove itself into the environment.

Weiss walked over and sat on a bench next to the lake shore. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and capturing the serene feel of the air around her. She listened as the waves of the shore crept onto the sand, and the rippling water splashing onto itself.

The heiress opened her eyes and looked up to the stars. She felt herself awe at their vibrancy, their ability to shine so bright from so far away.

She found herself in envy of the celestial giants. She learned from her Astronomy studies that the light of the stars will far exceed their lifetimes. They will continue to remain in Remnant's sky long after they will fade. Weiss thought that to be the most interesting fact about a star. Humanity may never truly see the star as it is right now, it may be long gone then. Yet, humanity saw the star's legacy. The light it left behind.

Weiss looked back to the silvery lake.

Legacy…

What does that word mean to the heiress?

All her life, she has lived according to the Schnee legacy. The traditions of the Schnee family were woven deeply into her psyche. The very reason she came to Beacon was that she thought she could redeem the family name.

Her motivation, determination to uphold her family's legacy was always her driving force. It fueled every decision she made, every step she took. There was nothing so very ingrained in her mind to compete with it.

And yet…

She began to doubt.

Love has never been a very complicated subject for Weiss. She was always rather indifferent to the various suitors her father attempted to set her up with. Her personal interests in the past have been lustful pursuits, spurred on by her hormonal tendencies.

Sure, Neptune was a good partner, but she didn't feel for him the way he felt for her. It was a failed experiment at best.

This began to change during her previous year of attending Beacon. And in the most sobering way possible.

Weiss always cared deeply for her partner, Ruby. Although she would berate her constantly, she always did it out of a sense of trying to be the best partner she could.

But since last year, she began to notice certain… things about the redheaded huntress. She felt herself at ease in the presence of the brunette in a strange way. One that simultaneously felt charged and calming at the same time.

She appreciated her features more. The silvery orbs that were unique to her seemed to almost shine more. Her smile looked warmer and more inviting than it ever had. Her red seemed so much more vibrant, more passionate.

Her voice became not one of annoyance, but of endearment. She felt as though she could listen for hours and hours about anything Ruby had to say.

Weiss had her suspicions but never gave them any voice. Until one night.

She had been battling a Wyvern Grimm with her partner in a final stand. They both had every single lucky break they could have received. But in the end, it was Ruby's speed and instinct that pulled them through. They killed the ancient Grimm, against all odds, and lived to tell the tale.

She remembered looking into Ruby's eyes and coming to a resolute and astonishing conclusion.

She was in love with Ruby Rose.

For a fleeting moment, that was all that she could understand, all that she could know.

And it was the most certain she had ever been.

What followed was compounding doubts and insecurities crashing on top of one another. If she truly was in love with Ruby, how could she reconcile her personal desires with her fate? With her destiny to uphold her legacy?

Ruby walked the path of a huntress. Weiss is destined to become what is essentially modern-day royalty. In an ideal world, they should be able to coexist in each other's lives, but society dictates that they do not.

If Weiss wanted to continue her path of redeeming the Schnee name, she would need to give up a future with Ruby. If she wanted to move forward with Ruby, any redemption of the Schnee name would be stolen from her.

Weiss shook her head in her indecision. Although she was sure of her ability, she felt so hopeless in the face of her future.

Weiss didn't know what she wanted. And it was tearing her apart.

The heiress looked down at the surface of the lake. The surface glinted with silvery light as the waves rippled across.

She walked to the edge of the shore and looked down into the water. She saw her blue eyes staring back at herself, almost to ask the question she desperately wanted an answer to…

What is it that you want, Weiss?

A/N

AAAAND WE'RE BACK, BABY!

Hey all! UltimateRadiance here! And I'm back to deliver some sweet, sweet White Rose goods.

Those of you who followed Storybook, the short-lived previous budding version of this story, probably came from the update that I uploaded to the chapter. I intend to follow through with this one, as I'm in a much better spot in life right now.

As for you newcomers...

Welcome to Luthoria! A story about the fantasy worlds of a fantasy world! Crazy, right?

Team RWBY is called to an alternate world parallel to Remnant, by the name of Luthoria. Luthoria's heroes have failed to fight back the darkness which now threatens to overtake their world. Team RWBY is their last hope. They will go on an epic adventure, learning to harness the power of magic, battling the monsters of the Mire along the way. But world ending plots be damned, they're still young adults hopelessly in love.

I hope you enjoy the ride!

On a side note, a huge thanks to my editor, Useless Lesbian. It's a major help to have a second pair of eyes on this project.

Criticism is always appreciated and welcomed. This is UltimateRadiance, signing off.