Starlight and Shadows

Chapter 22: Maintenance Part 2

Ruby shot up in her bed. It was still dark outside.

'I forgot to check the bearings!' Ruby thought. A faint sound of crinkling paper could be heard as she threw her red covers off. Feeling around in the dark she quickly found her pen and some paper, jotting down 'For. Ch. VN Bearings! Imp.!' In her shorthand.

Twirling her pen around her thumb in the dark Ruby started shuffling in her bed. She needed to get up. Normally she wouldn't be up this early, but she needed to work on Veiled Night! It was important, not only for her friend, but for herself.

Carefully, very carefully, Ruby climbed down from her bunkbed, the bed swaying slightly from her movements as she tried to be as quiet as possible. She absolutely, positively, did not want to wake Weiss up.

Creeping to the door of their room, notebook and pen in hand, Ruby passed by Zeffre's bed, her heart clenching as she did so. Last night when Weiss and Zeffre had come back from their conversation they both had looked so terrible. Weiss hadn't told them what they'd talked about, but she did ask Yang to go find a bed for Zeffre. Something had happened to Zeffre's room.

Ruby bit her bottom lip. She didn't know what was wrong or how to help... That's why she needed to do her best work on Veiled Night. She would help in any way she could.

Stepping out into the hallway Ruby froze.

Sitting across from her team's room was a curled up Zeffre. She was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest snoring silently. Weiss had given Zeffre one of her white nighgowns.

'Why is Zeffre sleeping in the hallway?'

Zeffre flinched, face scrunched up in pain.

Ruby walked over to stand in front of her friend. 'Is she having a nightmare?'

Zeffre let out a quiet whimper.

"Zeffre? Zeffre," Ruby said, shaking the blue haired girls' shoulder lightly. "Wake up."

"ngh..." Zeffre looked up at Ruby, dark bags around her eyes. "Oh. Hey Ruby, do you need something?" she asked, voice hoarse.

"Nope. You were having a nightmare," Ruby said. "Why are you sleeping in the hallway?"

A wry smile tugged at Zeffre's lips. "Because it's cozy."

Ruby tilted her head. "Huh, really? Well then," she said, sitting besides Zeffre in the same position. "Hm... It doesn't feel that cozy to me. Too cold." She said, smiling.

"It's an acquired taste," Zeffre said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Like black coffee?"

"Heh... yeah. Like black coffee," Zeffre said, smiling.

Nodding her head Ruby opened her Theoretical Weapons Almanac (a worn red notebook she used for working out ideas) and laid it out in front of her, reviewing her notes and ideas from last night. Yang said nobody could read her handwriting, but that wasn't true. She could read her own handwriting! Most of the time.

Zeffre sighed. "Isn't it too early for you to be doing schoolwork?"

"Not schoolwork," Ruby said absently, flipping a page. "Triple checking notes on Veiled Night to see if I missed anything."

"Wouldn't you rather go back to sleep?" Zeffre asked.

Ruby twirled her pen around her thumb. "Nope."

Zeffre raised an eyebrow. "Nope? Seriously?"

"Yup."

"Why?"

"Important."

"Why is it important," Zeffre said, exasperated.