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Chapter Text

Ruby held her shoulder tightly, its pain radiating through her body. She panted from equal parts exhaustion and fear as the red-headed faunus towered above her. She scooted back, grabbing onto the turf as if it could fortify her for what was about to come.

The attempt to distance herself ceased, however, when she backed into a tree.

Nowhere else to go.

The faunus walked towards Ruby, her wide smile and sharp eyes piercing through the wounded girl. She kneeled and pinned Ruby to the ground, her hammer looming above like a judge’s gavel ready to cast judgment. 

Ruby tried to protest, tried to reason her way out of it, but to no avail.

The faunus spoke. “Name’s Nora, by the way. Hope we can be friends anyhoo!”

No, no, no! Is this seriously how I’m gonna go out?!

Ruby had one last chance to beg. “Wait, wait! Please! I—”

A loud, high-pitched sound rang out, shaking Ruby to her very core.

Thirty Minutes Earlier

Ruby sighed. “Geez. Why’m I feeling so anxious about this?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Yang reassured her, “they’re gonna love ya. And if anything goes wrong, I can just bring out the big guns,” she mused, flexing her arms.

“I’m really not sure beating everyone up would be the best introduction….” Ruby gave an uneasy grin, in on the joke but ever cautious of Yang’s dramatic flair.

“It’ll happen at some point anyway, right? So it’d be best to start with a—” Oh God, is she gonna do the thing? “Bang!” 

Ruby half-heartedly smiled. At least she was spared the terrible pun her sister seemed so infatuated with.

Yang kneeled down and gently grabbed Ruby’s shoulder, a softer sound in her voice. “Really, it’ll be fine. It’s just the inauguration, you know? He’s probably just gonna go over some safety rules or whatever.”

“And team selection, probably.”

“Probably, yeah. And that’ll be fine, too! No way they could pass up putting us on the same team, we’re a world class combo!”

“Mm…” Ruby rubbed her neck and smiled just a little more genuinely. “Ya got me there.”

“Heh. I win.” Yang smirked as she and Ruby finally entered the auditorium building, silently bracing for whatever awaited them. 

Two large staircases framed the modern-styled lobby with a round ticket booth in the center, and Ruby found herself bubbling in a quiet awe at the design. Nearly everything was a calm white with dark red accents tracing the furniture and intricate patterns along the walls. A brunette woman in a beret and sunglasses sat behind the booth, typing aggressively on a computer as if it had wronged her.

With Ruby trailing behind, Yang took the initiative. “‘Sup! We’re here for the Vytal Fight inauguration.”

The woman peeked at them from behind her sunglasses, before quickly turning her attention back towards the computer. “Sure, sure. I see you on the register. Let me get your name tags.”

She pulled a “Hi, My Name Is…” sticker from somewhere below her desk and held it towards Ruby. A pit formed in her stomach as she read the name. They’d gotten it wrong. Her mind began racing with the horrible possibilities it gave rise to. How would she correct people? Would they ask questions? Say some snide, passive-aggressive comment? Make fun of her?

“Hey, looks like my sister’s name tag is wrong. Can you mark it out and write her actual name to the side?” Ruby felt a wave of gratitude at her sister’s intervention, the relief immediately releasing the tension in her shoulders. Yes! Sis’ saves the day again!

“Oh, huh.” The receptionist glanced at her computer. “Yeah, sure. Stupid thing told me wrong. Sorry. What’s your name?”

“Ruby,” she replied in quiet excitement.

“Apologies… miss, yeah?” Ruby beamed and nodded enthusiastically, excited to meet someone who understood. “I’ll fix your name in the system. For now, though—” The receptionist handed Yang her name tag and pointed down the central hallway. “It’s just through the doors at the end. Enjoy the inauguration, and good luck. For your first college-league match—” she paused, her face twisting into a grimace. “Well, you’ll need it.”

“Hah, yeah, I’m sure. Thanks!” Yang gave a polite wave as the two circled around the booth and walked down the hallway.

Ruby folded her arms. “I’m guessing she means whenever we have our first match, right? Like, pfft, no way we’d have one today, right?” She nervously laughed as she brushed off the idea. “...Right?”

After a curious moment of silence, she glanced over to find Yang seriously pondering the idea. “Yeah, uh, I’m sure that’s what she meant. Prrrobably.”

Ruby gulped.

Yang opened the rightmost door and stepped through. Ruby followed suit when, in a flash, the left door swung open too. A woman in a white dress dashed through it and down the hallway, leaving an unplaceable chill to run down Ruby’s spine. Who— who was that? She wondered, her gaze lingering down the hall. She brushed the strange feeling off quickly, though, and followed Yang through the door. The classically-styled auditorium seemed modestly sized, certainly smaller than one would expect for a university as large as Beacon. In contrast to the lobby, this room felt old . A half dozen people sat scattered through the first few rows. Only three of them sat together, the rest separated by a few seats. Everyone stared in waiting towards an empty stage.

Quiet. No one spoke, no bag rustled, nothing. It almost unsettled Ruby, the stillness of it all. No one in the room, including her, knew just what to expect.

Down one row were two empty seats, pieces of paper taped over them. “Rose.” Next to it was one labeled “Xiao Long.” Yang quietly shuffled in and sat in her designated seat, gesturing for Ruby to join her. Sitting and getting as comfortable as she could in the old and dusty chair, Ruby took a moment to try and ground herself, as she so often had to.

Deep breath in, deep breath out. Eeeverything’s fine….

“Oh, God.” Yang sank into her seat.

“Huh? Wassup?”

She sighed, the anxiety palpable. “Two aisles down, four seats left.”

“Is that…? Oh man, that’s Blake, isn’t it?”

“Don’t say their name so loudly!” Yang said, far too loudly. Ruby saw the faunus’s ears twitch ever so slightly, a motion almost obscured by the bow they habitually wore.

“I thought they just watched the fights? What’re they doin’ here?”

Yang sighed again in reply, rubbing her forehead. “They always wanted to do more than watch. Guess they finally got in the game. But… guh, I am so not ready for this.”

Now vaguely curious if she knew anyone, Ruby studied the audience more closely. 

A guy in a ninja-esque outfit, a redhead faunus girl with fox ears next to him, and another redhead in some strange Greek looking kit all sat together. And a few seats away from them naturally sat a dude in knight-themed armor… yeah, Vytal Fight players were weird. Ruby knew as much. The people that filled the ranks of her high school team were engineers, outcasts, and glorified LARPers, all with a flair for the dramatic. She was no exception to the rule, proudly wearing her gothic-inspired outfit composed of a black-and-red dress, an imposing red hood, leggings and, as Yang described, ‘sick as hell’ boots. She felt pretty darn good about it, too. Getting to wear a dress in public still hadn’t become any less exhilarating. 

So many of the others had dressed for combat, though. Had she missed a memo or something? With luck, they were just being paranoid.

The knight guy seemed vaguely familiar to Ruby, though she couldn’t really place him. Probably mistaking him for someone else, right? He certainly had the face of someone you might see in any crowd, not that that’s a bad thing. Satisfied she didn’t know anyone in front other than Blake, she turned to check behind her in case anyone else had come in, and suddenly noticed a name on the seat behind Yang’s. “Schnee.” Huh, empty….

All clear, it seemed. No freaky chance-encounters for her. That would be a challenge exclusive to Yang today, it seemed.

Static and feedback echoed through the auditorium, the sound electrifying the air. Ruby turned her attention towards the stage where a white-haired man with round glasses tapped the mic. He almost looked old to Ruby’s eyes, but his unwrinkled face and strangely spry movement betrayed the image. Clearing his throat, he began. 

“Good afternoon, everyone. You should all remember me from the university inauguration, but in case any of you couldn’t make it, allow me to offer a formal introduction. I am Professor Ozpin, and I bid you welcome to Beacon University. While I am sure everyone is thrilled to begin courses in a few days, today has a different focus. Today, we will be inaugurating you into College-League Vytal Fight.”

Ruby felt a chill run down her spine. Nerves?

“Ah, Ms. Schnee. You’ve made it just in time.”

“Apologies for being late, sir!” The raised voice startled Ruby. Having come from directly behind her and at close proximity, it was uncomfortably loud.

Looking behind, Ruby found the mysterious woman in white she saw earlier. She was taken aback by just how pale she was. Her hair, like her dress, was a stark white, with most of the color in her face coming from the vivid light blue of her eyes and a small amount of blush. Her skin was so perfect and clear of blemishes that she almost looked like porcelain. Um… pretty, Ruby couldn’t help but think.

The woman suddenly glanced down towards Ruby, the two making uncomfortable and menacing eye contact. She quickly turned back towards the stage. Not smooth, Ruby, not smooth!

“It’s quite alright, Ms. Schnee. As I was saying, it is with great pride that our school plays host to the best Vytal Fight teams in the state. From dozens of applications, we have chosen you eight to formally participate in our freshman program. We’ll do the team selection shortly. Afterward, you and your team will live together, train together, and fight together.” He straightened his shoulders. “In my humble opinion, no sport on Earth is more rewarding than that of Vytal Fight. The reason is simple: in this game, your teammates are everything. Through the first semester’s Autumn Tournament and beyond, I hope you find yourselves forming new bonds which will last a lifetime.” Yang bumped Ruby’s shoulder with her own, offering a warm smile.

“With all that said, we can now begin.” Ozpin clapped and dawned a sly smile. “Everyone, if you could please look under your seats.”

In the dimly lit cubby hole below Ruby’s seat laid Crescent Rose, sitting idly in its folded configuration. Upon seeing her weapon, Ruby felt a surge of pride and excitement, knowing just how much had gone into its creation. At first glance, an untrained eye would only see a jumbled mess of red and black acrylic sheets and some oddly shaped metallic parts. Few would know to expect what it was truly capable of; Its ability to quickly unfold into either a scythe or Co2-powered precision rifle. Which is all to say, it could kick total ass.

Ozpin continued. “I thank everyone for turning in your weapons to be inspected last week. I’m happy to return them to you, and to inform you that they have all passed our safety inspections. It’s a good thing they did, too, seeing as you’ll be needing them imminently.” He paused, staring daggers at the audience. “For you see, the first match has already begun.”

A murmur echoed through the auditorium. Oh God, so the front desk girl really did let it slip?!

“The rules of this introductory match are simple. On your way in, Ms. Adel handed you all a sticker with your name on it. You must possess four of these name tags, acquiring the other three from your fellow fighters. If you lose your own name tag, you are ineligible for victory.”

A wave of tension swept across the room. Some frantically removed their stickers, placing them in more secure locations on their person. Ruby noticed Yang sneak hers into her boot. Others stood still, tense, gripping their weapons tightly and waiting to see how the situation evolved. Should— should we start fighting? Here, now? But I don’t wanna mess this pretty auditorium up!

“The match began when our last arrival, Ms. Xiao Long, accepted her name tag.” Ruby spotted Blake’s ears twitch below their bow once again. ”It pleases me to see, however, that you are all diligently following rule number one: Safety. Is. Paramount,” he spoke with an intense emphasis. “Part of that is to never draw your weapons or fight outside of the arena and designated training areas. Had any of you done so, it would have resulted in immediate disqualification from the program.”

The mysterious woman behind Ruby scoffed. “ Pfft. Obvious trick,” she muttered under her breath. Ruby felt embarrassed, not having thought it through herself. 

“Indeed, you may only draw your weapon when the signal is given. Now, please follow me to the arena without further delay. I will give you all more details once we arrive.”

Everyone quickly rose from their seats. Some more ducked down to hide their name tag, while others who were satisfied carefully collected towards the exit door on stage left, still trying to maintain a degree of distance from each other.

An excitement began to rush through Ruby. The thing that gave her anxiety— meeting people, hoping they’d be okay with her being trans— she was so worried that’d be a part of this initiation. It wasn’t something she was cut out for. Not today, at least, not with the stress and chaos of trying to prepare for this new school and routine of hers.

But, fighting in an arena? In the arena, with her precious Crescent Rose? Now that was something she could get into. As she started to feel the dangerous allure of competition billowing through her, her previous anxieties fell by the way, petals in the wind.

“Can you believe it, Yang? We’re gonna fight in the Amity Arena! Little kid us would be so proud, huh?” Ruby’s pride went unanswered. Turning to her sister, she found Yang silently wandering off.

Huh. Weird.

“Ah… hey, Blake!” Yang hesitantly called out. Nearly everyone had congregated near the exit, waiting for Ozpin to lead the charge, though Blake lingered off to the side. Yang had rushed to meet them before their journey began. Best to get this outta the way quickly, right?

“...Yang.” Blake turned around, an eyebrow raised.

“Fancy seeing you here!” Yang nervously laughed. “So, you decided to become a fighter, huh?”

Blake narrowed their eyes. “Yeah.”

“Cool! Hey, so, about everything—”

“You don’t have to force it, Yang. ‘So not ready for this,’ I believe you said.”

“Ah, so… you heard that, huh?”

“Yeah.” The faunus lazily pointed towards the bow covering their cat-like ears. “Good hearing.” A moment of silence lingered before they spoke up again. “Listen, Yang. Talk to me once you’ve figured out what you want to say, alright?”

“...Right. Yeah. Sorry.” 

But, sorry for what? Running into them? She didn’t have anything else to be sorry for, right?

No. No use trying to convince herself out of this.

Yang’s dam on her guilt crumbled as the sour emotion flooded her thoughts. A year without talking, avoiding her ex as much as possible, trying to escape their past— logically, she knew she shouldn’t have felt so guilty. She’d done nothing wrong, right? All that hurt and frustration, and Blake wanted to keep up the charade of being okay? It was a mutual agreement to end their romance. Blake didn’t want it to be the end of their friendship. Yang had never worked up the courage to convey that she did. But, she didn’t need to, right? It was her decision, her prerogative, to cut ties.

Except they now faced the possibility of being teammates. Of being roommates . It almost felt like a cruel twist of the dagger from the Universe that such a proud moment, being accepted into Beacon’s Vytal Fight program, would coincide with the painful reunion of Yang and her once-lover.

But… maybe it’s just Karma, Yang thought.

Ozpin clapped once. “Everyone, let’s get going. Follow me, keep up, and try your best to avoid getting lost.” The first to step outside, he broke into a quick jaunt. As he walked along the beautiful open footpaths of Beacon, a group of eight followed diligently behind him, sneaking glances towards their opponents, studying them, trying to understand the weapons they carried and any potential weaknesses in their matchups. On a typical day, Ruby would’ve done the same. Today, however, her focus wandered to one person in particular.

She looked through her opponents and past her sister, now walking detached from the group. Farther along, she saw a girl in white at the head of the convoy, following directly behind Ozpin. Schnee, was it?

What’s her deal? She’s so… proper. She nearly made Ruby feel underdressed, despite wearing a dress herself. Still, Ruby’s outfit wasn’t too tight and still allowed for a full range of mobility. Anything less would have given her sensory issues. Schnee’s outfit, on the other hand, just couldn’t possibly be comfortable. A constraining half-length jacket seemed to limit her possible range, and the tight corset under her dress must’ve surely choked the life out of her.

Admittedly, Schnee probably also didn’t expect a fight today, so continuing to wear what was presumably her formal attire wasn’t too surprising. But… she kept her high heels on, too, even after Ozpin broke into his jaunt. She clearly struggled to balance at such a speed, yet she refused to slow down or allow anyone to pass in front of her. Vytal Fight had never been a particularly gracious sport; The kind of people it attracted were often the sort who like to fight dirty and look for every possible advantage in a match. Sacrificing such an advantage for the sake of style? To Ruby’s mind, it was as shocking as it was strange. 

There had to be more to it. Maybe her heels were a part of her fighting technique with that rapier she had holstered? Or perhaps it was as simple as them being a source of comfort. Experiencing pain for the sake of comfort was something Ruby had become intimately familiar with.

But, she couldn’t be sure. Ruby picked up her pace. A girl as interesting as this mysterious “Schnee” was one Ruby felt keenly interested in meeting, and a resolve as strong as this was, on a good day, juuust enough to override her social anxiety. The excitement and adrenaline her destination inspired certainly helped as well. If she’s okay with me, maybe she could be my first friend here, too?

Ruby jogged along the path lined with old academic buildings, past the knight and the spartan exchanging first greetings, past the ninja and the redhead planning idly for lunch, past the brooding Blake and past her sulking sister before finally finding herself beside the mysterious woman in white.

“Ah… Hi! I’m Ruby!” The woman gave her a sideways glance, quickly accompanied by a scowl. Ruby felt the beginnings of anxiety and fear well up within her once again. Right, so, she’s not the cheery type. That’s okay, just means a little more patience and work to get her to open up!

“I like your dress! It’s so, um, grand! And your sword there is—” Ruby suddenly felt a hand grab her shoulder and push her from the path. She found herself pinned against the wall in a dark and cramped alley, Schnee holding her lightly enough to avoid any real pain but strongly enough to keep her there.

“What is your deal?!” The woman growled. “What, are you trying to find a weakness you can exploit? Get close enough to see where I hid my name tag? Or are you just trying to bully me before the match so I might slip up?”

“What?” Ruby’s eyes went wide. “No, no, nothing like that! Oh God, I'm so sorry it came across like that!” Ruby found her hands grasping the arm that pinned her, though she made no attempt to escape. Provoking her more, well, it’d probably just make the situation worse. “I just thought that’cha seemed really cool! I meant it about your dress and sword, they’re awesome! And it didn’t look like you were hanging out with anyone or knew anyone, so I just figured maybe we could be friends and—”

“I don’t need friends …” Schnee glanced down and squinted, “Ruby Rose.”

The name tag. Ruby was so caught up in trying to make a friend that moving her tag hadn’t even occurred to her.

“Ah, wait, please don’t—!” The ripping noise of the sticker being torn from her dress was excruciating. Schnee held her newly acquired prize in clear view for Ruby to see.

“And even if I did want a friend, it’d never be one so braindead as to lose the match already. You think anyone’s going to go easy on you just because you’re trying to act nice? This isn’t a sport for bright eyed little dolts!”

Ruby slumped, and her heart ached. She’d already upset someone?

“Ehem.” The girls turned to see Ozpin at the alley’s mouth. The pressure at Ruby’s shoulder and stomach released as she came free of the girl’s pin.

Schnee showed him her trophy. “I’ve taken her tag. You said the match has already started, right? So, even though we aren’t in the arena yet, this is still allowed?”

“That depends. Ms. Rose, were you harmed in any way? Physically… emotionally ?” He made the emphasis on the last word quite clear.

She wanted to fight back. To say that, yes, this taller, colder woman had said words which stung, which scared her, words that would ring loudly in her thoughts during the night. That it wasn’t fair for her to take advantage of Ruby’s attempt at friendship to win a match before they even got in the arena.

There was just one thing which stopped her. She noticed that the moment Ozpin suggested Schnee had potentially hurt her emotionally, the older girl’s face had twisted into a more hollow version of itself.

What was that?

“N-no, no, I’m fine,” Ruby squeaked out. “She didn’t hurt me. She got my name tag fair and square, I guess?” She knew it was a bad idea to let it slide the second the last syllable left her mouth, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe Schnee was just having a bad day, or something. Or maybe she struggled with social cues like Ruby herself did? She did think I was trying to bully her, after all.

“Hm,” Ozpin stroked his chin. “I admit that this isn’t how I intended this match to be fought, but the blame lay on my shoulders. I should have given more detailed restrictions. Nonetheless, I will allow it on this one occasion. However, you should know, Ms. Schnee, that you can expect a great deal more scrutiny going forward. While I encourage outside-the-box thinking in how my students complete their objectives, I will not allow bullying to occur on my campus. Your high status will not free you from the consequences.” 

High status? Ruby wondered.

Schnee’s shoulders slumped at the mention of bullying. As pale as she already was, what little red still occupying her cheeks had quickly vanished. “I’m…” Schnee turned from Ozpin to Ruby, a crease lining her forehead. “I’m sorry. I didn’t—” She sighed deeply. “I didn’t intend for my words to come across as harshly as they did. And I admit my tactics were, perhaps, somewhat unsportsmanlike.”

Ruby avoided her eyes. Not out of fear, but out of the uncomfortable all-encompassing nature of eye contact when emotions registered so loudly. It was just so much. “Um, it’s okay, really! I get it, today’s kinda stressful and—” Schnee briskly walked away, dodging past Ozpin to leave the alley. “Hey, wait! I was talking….”

“Well.” Ozpin cleared his throat. “If you’re quite alright, Ms. Rose, we should continue to the arena.”

“Huh? Why? I lost.”

“You’re ineligible for victory, Ms. Rose. But you’re not out of the game.”

“Um… I don’t think I'm following.”

“Ms. Schnee used the loose ruleset I provided to her advantage. There were no restrictions placed on securing name tags outside of the arena. Similarly, there was no rule stated about leaving the game after losing your own.”

“But why would I stay if I can’t win?”

“That’s not for me to say. Though, perhaps you have your own objective. To hinder someone? To… aid someone , even?”

Yang!

“Oh!” Ruby exclaimed. “Thanks, Professor! I getcha!” She impishly winked.

He smiled kindly, gesturing for Ruby to rejoin the group. “I sent Ms. Adel on ahead with everyone else, so we’ll have to catch up.”

Now brimming with energy, she rushed forward to rejoin the group, covering the shame of losing with the resolve of helping her sister win.

Yang never expected she’d see it in person. Staring through the observation window high above the arena’s ground floor, she could see inflatable trees and kitbashed five-piece buildings crowding the field.

Many would call Amity Arena the home of Vytal Fight. In the sports' early days of 1993 to 2006, it was mostly played on soccer fields or in airsoft arenas, being a makeshift game created and played amongst engineering students drawn in by the idea of constructing their own weapons. It was a hit, and its popularity swept through campuses throughout the States. Billing itself as a modern and evolving technological institute, the leadership at Beacon saw it as a new, exciting and potentially profitable spectator sport. Starting in the ‘06—’07 school year, they began a series of Vytal Fight tournaments in the Amity Football Arena played on days when it otherwise wouldn’t typically be in use.

As the stories go, the attendance numbers quickly grew beyond what they had ever expected. The size of the field allowed far more interesting and varied arenas than existed before, and some of the world's most talented and eccentric engineering students suddenly having access to college funds to develop their weapons meant the sport became even more of a spectacle. 

Now, in 2011, the sport was the fastest growing in the world, and nearly every large university had a small collection of teams. Beacon itself sponsored a major league team, The Cinders, composed of school alumni. They technically operated directly under the NVFL, the National Vytal Fight League, but Amity Arena served as their home. Beacon also had one minor league team with two more soon to be formed.

And it was one of those new teams that Yang would soon be a part of, much to her chagrin.

“Pretty far from the high school gym, huh?” She turned to find a lanky blonde guy with an awkward smile. He wore paintball armor with vague knight stylings, one of the ones who had dressed for the potential of a match. “I mean, it’s so much bigger! You could get every student from our old school, and every single one of their family members probably, and they wouldn’t even fill an eighth of this stadium!” Our old school? He spoke like they knew each other, but Yang couldn’t place him.

“Yup! It’s one hell of a step up,” Yang replied uncertainly, still trying to figure him out.

“Heh, yeah, that place was just too darn tiny. Remember that time I accidentally threw my shield into the crowd?”

No. “Yeah! Totally! Funny times.” Yang gave the best smile she could. A moment passed in silence as the guy gave a reassuring nod.

This is totally unsustainable, isn’t it?

“Look, uh, I don’t actually remember you. Sorry,” she shrugged. Honesty’s the best policy, right?

“Yeaaah, I kinda got that sense from the weird look on your face. That’s okay, it’s probably better you don’t remember me anyway. I may or may not have been a bit of a nerd.” He gave a strained laugh.

“Dunno about that! And just because I don’t remember you doesn’t mean I don’t want to, y’know? What’s your name, again?”

“Oh, uh, Jaune! I was on the other team.”

“Jaune, huh? Jaune… wait, oh my God, I do remember you!” She lit up.

“Oh God, you do?” He furrowed his brow, teeth grit for a reason Yang couldn’t imagine.

“Yeah, totally, man! You had the ‘Bieber haircut!”

Yang bore witness to an incredible ability. Jaune had completely frozen in place. Even the wind through his now peaked hair seemed to still.

“Y-you okay there, Jaune ol’ buddy?” No response. “Ah, right, I’ll… give you some space. Sorry!”

What’d she say? Huh, weird guy.  

Moving towards the center of the observation room, Yang spotted her sister walking through the door alongside Ozpin.

“Psst! Yang!” Her younger sister’s attempt to whisper from a dozen feet away only made people stare. Yang moved in closer to regroup.

“‘Sup, sis’?”

“So, uh, long story short… I kinda already lost.”

“What? How?!” Yang loudly asked, inviting stares once again.

“Shh! I’m tryin’ to keep it on the down low!”

Hesitantly coming back down to a whisper, Yang continued. “How? What happened?”

“I’ll tell you later! The important bit is that I’m still technically in the game. Once we’re in the arena, I’ll try and find you so I can help you, ‘kay?”

“What? Rubes, is that even allowed? And who got your name tag anywa—”

Ozpin clapped loudly. “Everyone, if I could please have your attention. I apologize for the wait, but there will be no further delay. Ms. Adel, if you could please hand them out?”

The high-fashioned girl from the auditorium booth picked up a box from the corner of the room and began handing out the contents. Blindfolds.

“We’ll be taking you to your starting positions individually. Your weapons’ tanks have been filled with a color assigned to you for this match. Once you hear the bell, you may begin. You’ll be monitored by a team of judges through the skycams, and any player eliminations from contested critical damage, or successful collections of four name tags, will be announced over the loudspeakers. We’ve attached a small microphone to the strap of your blindfold so we can listen in for any necessary questions, so please keep them on your person. With all that being said, please equip your blindfolds, and we’ll escort you shortly.”

Yang sighed deeply and put on her blindfold. Opening her mouth to inquire further, Ruby began first. 

“The girl in the white dress got my tag, so maybe you could take her out and get two in one go?” Yang nodded, before realizing Ruby had probably already put on her blindfold too. “But don’t worry about the specifics! All you’ve gotta do is bring out the big guns, remember?”

“Heh,” Yang chuckled. “Now you’re speaking my Yang-uage!”

Awful, Ruby thought to herself, stifling an ashamed chuckle. She started to hear shuffling and mumbling as the lobby’s inhabitants were ferried out, Yang included.

“Salutations, Ruby Rose!” The voice startled Ruby. “I am Penny! If you will please take my arm and follow me, I’ll escort you to your starting position!” The sweet sounding voice came from directly besides her, at a volume ever-so-slightly too loud for comfort.

“Sure! Ah, thanks!” Ruby replied, linking arms with the stranger. It felt nice.

“Of course!”

Stepping, and marching, and stepping some more, along Ruby and her guide traveled through the long and cold corridors of Amity Arena.

Carefully descending down a flight of stairs, Ruby decided to spark up a conversation. Just because one friendship attempt went bad doesn’t mean all of them will, right? Right?

“So, Penny! Are you a fighter, too?”

“Oh, no, nothing like that! I help with weapon maintenance and secretarial duties! However, I will be assigned to one of the new teams as a Guardian! We may end up being teammates!”

“That’d be pretty rad! So, um, any tips for today?”

“Tips? Oh, well, allow me to think about that!” She stopped their trek suddenly, holding Ruby back for a moment. She almost tripped from the sudden change in speed. “Oh, yes! I do have a tip, Ruby Rose! Make sure you enjoy the company of the people around you.”

“Um. ‘Kay! Sure! Thanks?”

“My pleasure!” She exclaimed. Ruby pondered the meaning. Just general life advice, or does it actually relate to the match? Enjoy the people around you… something to do with team selection? Or maybe it connects with the name tags somehow?

A loud and deep mechanical whir filled the hallway. A mere second afterward, Ruby felt the calming breeze of the outside air wash over her. 

Air from the actual Amity Arena! She geeked out. Starstruck wasn’t the right word to describe her feeling, seeing as the object of her fascination was little more than a big glorified building. Even still, Amity Arena certainly had a personality all its own, and it was one Ruby had always loved.

“Ruby Rose, we have arrived at your destination! You may remove your blindfold once you hear the door close behind you, okay? And I wish you the absolute best of luck!”

“Yeah! Thanks, friend!”

“F-friend? Oh, my, do you really mean i—” The automated mechanical door closed. Ruby smiled, feeling hopeful she’d see the girl again before too long.

Removing her blindfold and packing it into her belt, she found herself surrounded by inflatable trees. With astroturf below her and the trademark open dome of Amity Arena above, Ruby couldn’t contain her excitement. Y es! Yes, yes, yes! She flailed her hands from the energy she’d accrued. I’m finally here, Amity Arena, as a real, actual fighter! 

Right, she tried to collect herself, game plan! Number one objective: Find Yang. Don’t have to worry about losing my name tag, but if I took enough damage, they’d still prolly kick me out. Scanning her surroundings and the horizon above them, she found a three story tower in the distance. Could make a good perch to spot Yang from.

With her first destination decided, she waited impatiently for the game to begin. An excruciatingly long minute later, a short jingle played over the loudspeakers, followed by three booming notes.

And finally, the bell. 

Ring, ring, ring.

Ruby smiled. Let’s do this!

She unfolded Crescent Rose into its scythe configuration and began her journey towards the tower. Better to take it slow and keep an eye out for potential enemies than to blindly rush in. She took it a step at a time, keeping an eye out for any signs of movement among the treeline.

It was a slow advance, and her mind wandered. There’s eight fighters, and ya need four tags to win. That means two winners, and one of them has to be Yang. Not really any room for mistakes— wait, why two winners? It was a strange number, Ruby noted. Maybe an arbitrary one? She felt like she was missing a detail, but she had no time to consider it. She’d made it to the treeline around the tower. 

She crouched low to the ground and hid behind one of the inflatable trees, familiar to her from her high school games. She held her breath, and patiently waited just those few extra moments. Gotta give it a minute, see if anyone beat me here.

Sure enough, the girl in the Greek outfit dashed out of the tower and into the treeline opposite Ruby, oblivious to her presence. Taking a final look and finding no one else, Ruby decided it was time for her turn.

She put her track-and-field skills to work as she rushed towards the tower, tossing aside carefulness in favor of speed. She made it in quickly, and peeking her head outside for one last look, she decided she’d made it safely. Phew.  

The ground floor of the tower was fully enclosed, though the second and third were open aside from a small half-wall on top. It made it an especially risky place to be, but the benefit of being able to fully scout the battlefield was simply too alluring a prospect.

She scurried up the rickety wooden stairs and made it to the top floor, finding a scrap piece of plywood in a corner. She hauled it over and covered the entrance to the stairwell, serving as decent insurance in case anyone ended up spotting her and decided to go in for the attack. Satisfied with her position, Ruby crouched below the half-wall and peered over the edge, surveying the arena.

To the north, the girl in the Greek outfit ran into the knight and ninja. It had turned into a full on fight, though it seemed she had gotten the jump on them and maintained her surprise attack advantage, holding her own against the two.

Looking east, Ruby found her objective. Blake and Yang were just… sitting and talking? Maybe they’d teamed up for the time being? It’d at least buy Ruby some time.

And finally, to the West she saw Schnee, carefully skulking around the trees. Probably best to avoid her for now, Ruby figured.

That left one final person unaccounted for. The second redhead, the fox-eared faunus.

If I can’t see her anywhere, then she’s either hiding somewhere, or—

“Hellooo! Scythe lady? I saw you scurrying around here, so I thought I’d say hi!” 

Guh!

Ruby jumped at the surprise, but the adrenaline rush allowed her to quickly regain her nerve. She pinpointed the voice as coming from the floor directly below her. The plywood wouldn’t stop anyone for more than a few seconds, but that might be just enough time for Ruby to pull something.

Hopefully she wouldn’t have to.

“Wait! Um, you should know I don’t have my name tag anymore!”

“Whaaat? But we only just started! So… are you lying to me, lady?” She asked, clearly teeming with amusement. “So mean!”

“No, no, really! Cross my heart! I lost it on the way here!”

“ Mhmmm~ Likely story, witch girl.” Ruby frowned. C’mon, that’s not the look I’m going for! The suspicion in the redhead’s voice was as clear as day, and the truth came to light: There was no talking her out of this. So, with a deep breath, Ruby braced herself.

Okay. Fight mode. Let’s do this.

She moved to look over the edge of the tower, opposite the direction her assailant would be traveling up the stairs. Three stories down, no way to land that safely. But the second floor had its open walls. If she could—

An idea hit Ruby like a flash of lightning. A terrible, awful, dangerous idea. She folded Crescent Rose into its sniper configuration, hung it over her back, and lifted a leg over the half wall. She grabbed the ledge as tightly as she could, and lifted her other leg over the wall, trying her best to avoid dangling into view of her competitor on the second floor. 

“Well, I guess I’ll just leave ya alone then!” The faunus laughed. “No trouble heeere~”

This plan’ll have to do! The redhead slammed against the plywood, sending it flying, and she burst onto the top floor of the tower with stunning ease. In the same instance, Ruby grit her teeth and kicked against the half-wall, using her momentum to swing into the second floor. She landed hard , pain sparking through her shoulder.

Not super graceful, but she had no time to waste. She raised herself and swung Crescent Rose from around her shoulder, shooting paintballs towards the stairs to the third floor. The fire gave her the cover she needed to descend to the ground floor and try to exit the building.

“Nope!” the redhead shouted, suddenly jumping directly from the second floor right into Ruby’s path, blocking her from leaving. God, how strong is this lady to take a landing like that? Ruby folded Crescent Rose into its scythe mode just in time to block her opponent’s hammer mid-swing. The “cutting” edge of her scythe was a permeable membrane full of black paint, capable of leaving a mark on any surface it grazed. It interlocked with the girl’s hammer, itself having a similar mechanism on the head with orange paint.

The faunus used her hammer’s mass to leverage Crescent Rose into the ground, providing an opening for her to back off and swing once more. Ruby dodged left and used her momentum to swing center mass. She missed. The hammer came down once more, and Ruby’s instincts guided her to back away.

The hammer swung between her legs, lodging itself into the ground. Ruby felt her skin crawl at how close a call that was, not just to losing, but to actual pain as well. Her anxiety swelled. Taking no more time to count her blessings, she turned and ran towards the treeline. No need to fight this girl seeing as she couldn’t win the match anyway, right?

She only made it to the first tree. Something tripped her. Looking back, she realized the handle of her attacker’s hammer had struck her leg. She threw it?!

Now on the ground, it hit her all at once. The pain. A second impact had been too much for her already wounded shoulder to bear. She held it tightly, its sting radiating through her body. She panted from equal parts exhaustion and fear as the red-headed faunus towered above her. 

She scooted back, grabbing onto the turf as she went as if it could fortify her for what was about to come.

The attempt to distance herself ceased, however, when she backed into a tree.

Nowhere else to go.

The faunus walked towards Ruby with an ominous smile. She kneeled and pinned Ruby to the ground, her hammer looming above like a judge’s gavel ready to cast judgment. 

Her grip wasn’t as gentle as Schnee’s had been, much to Ruby’s dismay.

“So! What was that about you losing your name tag?” The faunus’s ears flattened, heightening her playfully shrewd expression

“Really, I did! I don’t have it, you can check!”

“Nope! Sorry, too risky to try and find it without painting ya. I’d rather just kill you and take it off you then!” Kill?! “Fake kill, I mean! I’m not feeling that enthusiastic today!”

She grabbed her hammer near to its head and held it over Ruby’s chest. A chill ran down her spine.

The redhead gleamed deviously. “Sorry about knockin’ ya out. Name’s Nora, by the way. I hope we can be friends anyhoo!”

No, no, no! Is this seriously how I’m gonna go out?!

Ruby had one last chance to beg. “Wait, wait! Please! I—”

A loud, high pitched sound rang out, shaking Ruby to her very core.

The sound of metal striking metal. Opening her eyes, she found the source.

Schnee.

Her rapier held the hammer at bay, providing Ruby just enough time to roll out from below the two women.

“Uh, howdy!” Nora barked, her eyes wide. “Didn’t see you there, fancy dress lady!”

“Mm. I only just arrived.” Schnee brushed a loose strand of hair back behind her ear. “You’re far too loud, you know.”

“Eheh, I am, aren’t I? Trying to kill steal or something?”

“She doesn’t have a name tag,” Schnee gestured her head towards Ruby. “I already took it. Although I haven’t taken yours,” she said, finishing with a flourish.

“Pfft, so that’s how it is, huh? Welp, your funeral!” Nora wrested her hammer from the lock and quickly backed away. Eight feet now separated the two combatants, with a beleaguered Ruby staring from the sidelines. Tension electrified the air.

Schee tilted her rapier towards the ground, pulling a trigger on its hilt. A stark red paint drained from the central chamber and flowed along the blade, coating it in its entirety. It began to drip from the dulled edge, and Nora’s smile grew in its intensity.

Schnee made the first move.

She launched into an all-out sprint, closing the distance between them in just a few blinks of an eye. Two quick strikes rang out against the woman’s hammer before Schnee found an opening. Thrusting towards her opponent’s arm, Nora reacted by twisting, nearly bringing her hammer into Schnee’s leg. Wasting no time, Schnee brought her rapier back into striking position. 

And still, it was too late. Nora’s hammer swung with fury, far too fast to parry. Schnee instinctually dropped forward to her knees, the hammer narrowly avoiding her head. With too little room between the two to properly maneuver her rapier, she extended her legs and flew into Nora’s stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Nora fell backwards with a grunt.

Her eyes flashed with some sort of realization. With both of them on the ground, Nora kicked wildly in Schnee’s direction, distracting her more than anything. Using those few precious seconds, she folded her hammer’s handle inwards and extended a part of the head, turning it into what appeared to be… a shotgun, maybe? Some sort of projectile weapon.

Ruby folded Crescent Rose back into a rifle in response. Whatever Nora’s weapon had become, she hesitated to fire it. Ruby didn’t share her concerns. She shot in Nora’s vague direction, hoping to avoid friendly fire with Schnee. Assuming it would be friendly fire.

As capable as Crescent Rose was, its rifle mode was intended for long-distance shots. The aiming reticle was tuned for as much, and Ruby never did get around to making a range selector. Too much improvement to be made in the weapon’s core components, she always thought. She regretted that now.

Her shots all went wide. It was enough, however, to scare Nora into standing and rapidly backing away from the two.

Wait, did it scare her? Ruby wondered. No, not scared, she’s backing away for a reason—

With her newly gained distance, Nora fired.

The projectile missed Schnee and Ruby by little more than a foot. It bounced off an inflatable tree in the distance and began spraying orange paint wildly in a ten foot diameter, as if it were a grass sprinkler.

“Grenade launcher!” Ruby shouted, both in admiration of the weapon and to let Schnee know. Schnee glanced back towards her for a moment before running to the right. It gave Ruby a clear shot of Nora, and she once again opened fire with Crescent Rose. 

Ruby’s tactical prowess took over. Nora’s grenade launcher was extremely powerful, but Ruby could shoot faster. Keeping Nora on the defensive meant depriving her of the ability to easily fire back. 

Nora, too, seemed to realize this. She entered into a sprint, running past and then behind the wooden tower. Ruby gave chase, now able to take aim at a distance Crescent Rose could accommodate for. With her firing solution decided, she pulled the trigger.

A moment too late. Nora had reached the northern side of the treeline and threw herself behind one. Weaving between them, she successfully made her getaway, a fox on the run.

Phew.

Schnee walked towards Ruby, taking a position beside her. They mutually took a second to breathe. Schnee gazed daggers towards the treeline and sighed deeply.

“Drat. I really thought I had her.”

“Heh, yeah, you really had her on the ropes.”

Schnee turned to face Ruby, her expression creasing into a frown. Oh no. “Ruby Rose, why in God’s name are you still here?”

“Oh, right, uh, long story! But basically, losing your name tag doesn’t boot you outta the fight. Only damage does. Still can’t win, but I haven’t really lost yet, either.

“That’s— What? That’s ridiculous. Did you check with Professor Ozpin about this, or are you just cheating and hoping to beg for forgiveness later?”

“No, no, it was his idea!”

“His idea?! Ugh, you know what? Whatever.” Schnee stared into the distance, seemingly lost in thought. 

After a moment, Ruby found the courage to ask her burning question. “So, um… why’d ya save me?”

“Curiosity, in part. I also imagined you’d help me deal with that other girl in the short term. And afterwards, well…” Schnee’s gaze shot back towards Ruby, her knuckles whitening along her rapier’s hilt. “I’d deal with you. Assuming you’ve come back to exact your revenge.”

“No, no! Not another fight!” Ruby pleaded. “I didn’t come to exact my revenge, or whatever! I just wanna to find my sister and help her win.”

“That blonde you were sitting with in the auditorium?” Ruby nodded. “I see. That’s a little surprising.”

Ruby cocked her head. “That I wanna help her win?”

“No. That she’s your sister. You don’t look anything alike.”

Ruby chuckled. “I took after my mom, she takes after my dad, it’s a whole thing.”

“Mm.” A gentle gust of wind blew through the stadium as Schnee bowed her head, seemingly deep in thought once more. She looks so… regal, Ruby admired in silence.

Schnee pointed her rapier towards the treeline Nora had run into. “I imagine she’ll come back for us. Try to surprise us, pick us off from range.”

Ruby giggled at a realization. Aw, poor Nora has no idea what she’s in for . “Probably not, actually! When I was lookin’ around from the tower, I saw three other guys fighting in the direction she went. I’d betcha dollars to donuts she’s been pulled into that by now.”

“Darn it!” Schnee suddenly yelped, stomping her foot on the ground. “If there’s four people there, one of them will probably get all the name tags they need. And I’ll be deprived of them.”

“Unless some of them got away?”

“Unlikely. A fight that big, you might as well go all in, try to wrap it up.” Schnee stroked her forehead in frustration, before suddenly straightening her shoulders and perking up. “Ruby Rose, I have a proposal for you.”

Oh, boy. “Uh-huh?”

“While you were scouting, did you see anyone else? Other than those four?”

“...Yeaaah?” Ruby replied, concerned where this was going. “I saw my sister and this other person, Blake.”

“Perfect. Guide me to him.” Ruby took on a puzzled look at Schnee’s suggestion, and held her tongue about correcting the language. Better to let Blake explain. “We can take him out together, I’ll get another name tag, and then I can acquire my last from one of the people in that group fight. Assuming any are left, that is.”

“But, um, why?”

“Because that removes one potential threat to your sister, and if I can get my last name tag from someone other than her, it means she and I won’t have to fight either. In the meantime, you’ll also have my protection, of course.”

Ruby scrunched her nose up. Schnee lacked a key piece of info: That Blake and Yang had seemingly teamed up. She knew it was something she could use to her advantage… if she could stomach it.

I can take her to Blake and Yang, make a lotta noise, they’ll see her before she sees them. And then I can shoot her in the back? But, I really, really don’t want to… but, if that’s the safest way to get Yang a win… guh. I dunno.

Frustrated with the conundrum, she resolved to the greatest short-term solution to any problem in the world: Not thinking about it.

Looking back at Schnee, Ruby spoke. “Well, I guess the plan makes sense.” From her perspective.

“Of course it does. I’m one of the greatest strategists in the world.”

“Pfft!” Ruby erupted into a belly laugh. “I know you’re a good fighter…”

“Thank you.”

“But one of the greatest strategists? Just in general, not even in Vytal Fight specifically? Don'tcha think that’s a bit of an overstatement?”

Schnee looked almost shocked at the sentiment, though her expression quickly turned to an embarrassed pout. “Well, maybe I should’ve been a little more specific. I suppose.”

Ruby grinned. “Uh-huh.”

“But I really am the best Vytal Fight strategist!” She pridefully asserted. “Wait, actually, second best, only behind my older sister. But the Schnee family is at the top of the game!”

“Mhmm~”

Schnee’s face turned more red by the second. “You know what? Just take me to Blake.”

“Your wish is my command, o’ grand strategist!” Ruby teased, marching in the direction of the two.

She nearly thought she heard a stifled chuckle from behind her.

…Naaah, couldn’t have been!

“Oh. Hey, Yang.”

The cosmic dagger of Karma twisted in Yang’s gut once again. Why’d it have to be them? Why did the first person Yang ran into during the match have to be Blake? What a fuckin’ day. God.

The two stood firm, separated by a dozen feet. Blake’s hand held a tight grip on their weapon’s hilt, though their face was as unreadable to Yang as it ever had been.

“Blake! Fancy running into you again so soon, huh?” Yang said, trying to hide her upset. She didn’t know why.

“Yup.”

The seconds of lingering silence felt like an eternity.

“So…,” Yang filled the dead air, failing to continue the thought she didn’t have.

“Are we going to fight, Yang?” Blake asked in what sounded like a genuine, non-judgmental query.

“Hah! Uh, I guess we should, right? It is what we’re here for, throwing punches!” Yang mimed the action, careful to not squeeze her hand so tight as to actually activate her weapon. Just yet, at least.

“Right. I suppose.” Blake took an offensive stance and readied their blade to be drawn.

Yang was surprised to find that she ached at the sight. Her once-best-friend, her once-lover, ready to fight her, their expression blank in… apathy? Anxiety?

We used to laugh together, Yang recalled.

“Aren’t you going to get ready?” Blake seemingly noticed Yang’s failure to take a stance for the fight.

Why? Why do we have to keep fighting? I’m so tired of it. So tired of you. Of this. Why can’t we just… Yang’s thoughts had retreated from the arena, now solemn in her own head. The strange cocktail of emotions going through her were isolating in their complexity, cyclical in how deeply they pulled her down. Every wound of hers felt re-opened.

Blake relaxed their posture and walked towards a large “rock” made of a plywood skeleton and fiberglass shell. Taking a seat, they gingerly pet the spot next to them. “Yang, sit down? You look pale.”

Pulling herself from her thoughts, Yang realized she needed to stop Blake from worrying. “Oh, I'm fine! Sorry, just started thinking about this funny video I saw where this cat—”

“Yang, just take a breather. It’s fine.” Blake pet the rock once more.

Begrudgingly, Yang took a seat on the far side of the rock, a distance between them. Long minutes passed in silence as she failed to think of anything to say, yet unable to escape the burning desire to spill her guts. To yell, to blame, to apologize.

Blake broke the silence first. “You and Ruby made it to Beacon, huh?”

“Yup,” Yang squeaked out a reply. “Figured I had a decent chance, but she didn’t even tell me she could graduate high school early until she’d already gotten into Beacon.”

Blake gingerly chuckled. “She just sprung it on you? Sounds like her.” 

“Literally only told me two weeks ago! I’m so proud of her. She actually managed to keep a secret for once in her life! Oh, and I’m proud of her for the whole ‘graduating early with a scholarship’ thing too, I guess~” Yang joked.

“Mhm.” Blake smiled. “Glad you two ended up here together.”

“Yup. If only Zwei could’ve gotten a scholarship too,” Yang teased. Blake and the family dog never did get along well.

“Uh huh. Might as well bring Taiyang too, if you’re going down that road.”

Yang gagged. “No way! On a team with my dad? He’d end up burning the whole stadium down somehow. The man’s an open flame in a gunpowder farm.”

“A gunpowder farm?” A playful smirk spread across Blake’s face.

“Yeah, y’know! Where all the farmers take care of the gunpowder trees.” Blake burst into laughter, and Yang smiled. “There really is nothing funnier than a friend saying something slightly wrong, huh?”

Wait, did she just call them a friend?

Fuck.

She suddenly found herself ripped from the warm embrace of… whatever this was, this small moment of respite from the tension between she and Blake. All that pain, it was still there, bubbling dully under the surface. 

But.

This was better than the fighting, and better than the silent brooding they had done more and more often towards the end. This was something she could put up with.

Maybe. If she could keep this going. This light, easy talk. Not delving into the deeper things, into feelings.

It was at least worth a try. Yang and Blake had been friends long before they had been lovers. This wasn’t exactly the same— this was tenuous, shaky, painful, experimental… untested. But maybe it could be a start to something. Maybe not friendship, but just… 

Cooperation.

“Oh yeah, how’s Qrow doing?” Blake either gracefully maneuvered around the ‘friend’ comment, or didn’t notice. “Is he keeping busy with the big leagues?”

Yang reached for her boot. Blake tensed.

“Uh… Yang, what are you doing?”

She found what she was looking for tucked inside. She removed it, and held it towards Blake, their eyes widening.

“Your name tag?” 

Yang grinned. “Take it.”

“W-why? Yang, you don’t have to give up or punish yourself for—”

“That’s not what I’m doing. Believe me. This is just…” Yang struggled to find the words.

“Hm?”

“Something different.” Blake smiled with some sort of insight. “Take it, okay? I know it won’t make us square, but it's something new. So take it, and let’s just get along together the best we can, okay?” 

Blake closed their eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, releasing it gently. “Okay.” They reached out and took hold of the name tag, wearing a light smile.

It’s something new, Yang repeated to herself. Something new. Something different. Something changed. That was enough of a victory for the day. And maybe, if she were very, very lucky, it’d help balance her Karma out. Just a little bit, however microscopic.

Blake’s ears suddenly twitched, their grip on the name tag hardening.

“Blake?”

Their eyes darted towards the treeline. “Someone’s coming.”

The warning came too late.

Ruby skipped happily along the astroturf, with Schnee trailing behind. 

The arena’s scenery was carefully arranged to limit visibility. Wide inflatable trees, small plywood buildings, fake bushes, rocks and fences all contributed towards making sure one couldn’t see more than twenty or thirty feet ahead. Only the occasional area broke the trend, like around the tower, though Ruby found this part of the stadium was by far the most densely decorated they had seen. It made their quest to “hunt” Blake ever more perilous.

Ruby still hadn’t decided just what to do about that whole mess. She knew Blake and Yang could beat Schnee, especially with her help, but— was that really the kind of fighter she wanted to be? In her first college-league match, no less?

Whatever she chose to do, it would depend on her spotting Blake and Yang before Schnee did. Her attempts to focus, however, were in vain when a girl as interesting as Schnee walked just behind her. There was just something about her. So mysterious.

Ruby slowed her pace and glanced back towards Schnee, keen to spark up a conversation. “So, she-who-Sun-Tzu-fears ,” Schnee rolled her eyes. “What’s your first name? Or, um, whaddaya go by?” Ruby asked with a smile.

“No part of the deal specified I had to make small talk with you, Ruby.” She folded her arms, and Ruby pouted in response. Seconds of silence passed before Schnee broke it. “You would’ve learned had you successfully taken my name tag, you know.”

“I know, I know. I messed up.” Ruby sighed.

“You made a rookie mistake, and that redhead back there—”

“Nora,” Ruby shared.

“You let Nora beat you.”

“I didn’t let her beat me! I just—”

“I saw most of the fight while I was making my way towards you, Ruby. If you didn’t try to run away, you could’ve beaten her. Your weapon is a good foil to hers, and you’re more nimble.”

“C’mon, don’t go all grand strategist on me!” Ruby pleaded, growing genuinely sad. It carried through her voice as a flutter, and Ruby started feeling embarrassed on top of everything else.

Schnee looked towards the ground, tracing her steps as she walked. An unreadable expression etched her face, her brows furrowed. “...But. You were accepted into Beacon, which means you can’t be all bad. I’m excited to see what you can do on a better day, I suppose.”

“R-really?” She studied the girl’s expression and movements, searching for any insight as to the authenticity of her words. Ruby’s ability to read faces and tone was, notoriously, extremely lacking. While it sounded genuine to her ears, Ruby still found herself surprised at the sudden show of warmth from the woman who had otherwise been such an ice queen.

“Mm,” Schnee said, noncommittal, seemingly back to the cold shoulder. Confounding.

“Well, I’m excited to see more of you with that rapier of yours,” Ruby tried to lighten the mood. “Looked pretty fly!”

“It’s called Myrtenaster.” Yup, sounds like something she’d name a sword. “My older sister helped me design the initial prototype when I started a few years ago.”

“Yeah, you mentioned her earlier! What’s your sister like?”

“Oh, she’s just amazing!” Schnee suddenly exclaimed, the first true excitement she had shown in Ruby’s company. “Winter is one of the best fighters I’ve ever seen! She’s a far better tactician than I am, but she’s trying to teach me when she can spare the time. I really want to be as good as her one day. Better, even, if it’s possible.”

“Whoa, she sounds pretty cool! My sis’, Yang, she’s… well, not great with the tactical stuff. But she can throw a mean right hook!”

“Ruby, I might have to fight her, you shouldn’t tell me that.”

“O-oh, right. Oops. Eheh.” She found herself surprised Schnee would stop her from divulging such key info. It’s a bit of nobility Ruby herself wouldn’t have, were she in Schnee’s shoes. Or, heels, rather. “Um, what about Winter? Is she on a team?”

“No, not anymore.” Schnee replied, her tone  flatter and her face fixed in place. “She was with the Aces, but she left for the military after a few seasons. Her leg was injured, and after she returned, she didn’t want to play competitively anymore. She’s on an advisory board for the NVFL, though.” Ruby wondered if Winter might know her uncle Qrow. The National Vytal Fight League wasn’t small, by any means, but if they’re both former players turned important admin workers—

“Wait, the Aces?” It suddenly hit Ruby. “ The Ace Operatives? Whoa, she was no joke,” her eyes hung wide in surprise.

“She is no joke, Ruby. Despite her injury, she could still easily defeat us both.” Schnee beamed, clearly brimming with pride.

“Sounds like you really look up to her, huh?” Ruby smiled, very much understanding the feeling.

“I do. We don’t get to see each other often, but next time we do, I’m hoping to have some evidence for her that proves I’m the best fighter here.”

Ruby almost wanted it for her, though she’d still prefer if Yang took the title. “Um, any other big goals for college?”

Schnee considered for a beat before replying. “No,” she said bluntly, sounding entirely certain. “Not aside from being the best in our normal studies too, of course. What about you?”

Ruby found herself pleasantly surprised by the question, seeing she’d actually sparked some interest from the gal. “Um, well, I really like the game. Aside from that, I guess I just want to get more comfortable?”

“Comfortable? What do you mean?”

“With myself, I guess. Or, with other people, maybe?” It was an important distinction, though Ruby couldn’t decide on which side she fell.

“Why are you uncomfortable?” The bluntness of the question stunned Ruby. C-can she not tell I’m trans?

“Ah, y’know, the usual standard stuffimsureeveryonegoesthrough—” Ruby babbled in a panic, unsure of what to do. Of the many strange situations Ruby had run into with people in regards to her gender, this one was entirely new to her, and the uncertainty of what to think became an anxiety all its own.

“Ruby,” Schnee placed her hand on Ruby’s shoulder. For the briefest of moments, Ruby thought the taller woman would once again pin her against something and continue the cruel barrage. “Is there something wrong?”

Ruby didn’t avoid Schnee’s eyes this time, instead finding herself immersed in them. The genuine concern that showed through them made Ruby feel a strange warmth. She’s so… “N-no, I’m good! Sorry, sometimes I kinda trip over myself, I guess? But really, I’m fine! It’s fine. Hah.”

Removing her hand from Ruby’s shoulder, Schnee seemed silently relieved. “Come on, let’s keep moving.”

“Yeah.”

The minutes passed as Ruby and her companion, now walking side by side, made their way to the far side of the arena. The walls and unoccupied seats towering above them grew ever closer, the sight reminding Ruby of this cheesy book about a maze she had attempted to read recently. What would typically be a short and simple journey grew in length and complexity as obstacles snaked their way across the field. Long metal fences covered with decorative vines proved to be the most troublesome. 

As the two powered through, Ruby wondered if she and Schnee might end up on the same team, whenever that was decided. Professor Ozpin said we’d do team selection “shortly,” which probably means today, right? But he decided to have this match before that. Hmm , that tip Penny gave me, about enjoying the people around me… 

This match is totally a part of the team selection. I’m sure of it now.

What started as idle curiosity turned into a deeper dissection of the match at hand.

I guess it’s a way to test our abilities in the field so they have an idea of what we can do? See how we interact with the people we run into, if we’d make a good team? But the name tag thing is weird. Eight fighters who need four name tags means there’ll be two winners.

Why did the numbers set something off in Ruby’s head?

Wait. A Vytal Fight team consists of four people. Means we’ll be split into two teams. I knew that much. So, a winner for each team? Why would that be? Unless that means the winners are going to be—

“Ruby!” Schnee shouted immediately after the two had turned a corner. She suddenly pulled Myrtenaster from its sheath, pointing it forwards and taking an offensive stance.

It took Ruby a moment to comprehend the scene that lay before her. Yang held her arm extended, sharing a grip on her name tag with Blake.

Was Yang… giving it to Blake? Huh?

“Ruby?” Yang questioned in surprise.

“...Yang?” Ruby replied.

“Blake?” Schnee quizzed, pointing her rapier towards the faunus.

“Uh. Hey,” they replied.

The mutual disorientation was interrupted by the loudspeakers blaring to life. Professor Ozpin’s voice rang through them.

PYRRHA NIKOS HAS COLLECTED FOUR NAME TAGS. FOUR FIGHTERS REMAIN.

Ruby saw Schnee’s face harden at the realization, her eyes glancing between Blake and Ruby. Blake reached past their shoulder and took hold of their weapon’s hilt, sheathed behind their back. Yang took a defensive stance next to Blake, looking towards Ruby for a cue.

Oh, God.

“Wait, wait!” Ruby shouted, holding her hands out. “I figured out the match! We don’t have to—”

Schnee rushed towards Blake. They rapidly twisted, pulling their weapon out and firing. A sickle on a rope sailed past Schnee, Blake holding the hilt it attached to. They tugged the rope back towards themself, careening the sickle towards Schnee’s hind leg in a unique and terrifying attack.

She jumped in reply, narrowly avoiding its blade coated in a violet paint. It left a streak in the turf as it began to return to its owner.

Schnee used the time to close the distance between her and Blake, blade at the ready. She looked as if she were out for blood, desperate, Ruby figured, to come out on top. She didn’t need to be.

Yang traced a semicircle around Schnee, looking for an opportunity to flank her.

“Wait! Yang, stop!” Ruby shouted, desperate to get someone’s attention.

Yang froze in her tracks, looking towards Ruby in confusion. Her face turned to shock as she felt Schnee’s rapier run across her back, coating her in a deep red paint.

She’s out.

“Wha— Ruby!” Yang shouted, lowering her arms in defeat.

“It’s already—” Ruby tried to explain, her voice overpowered by the sounds of Schnee and Blake’s fight. This isn’t working!

The two traded harsh blows. Blake’s weapon had been reassembled into a sword, serving as a heavier and more powerful counterpart to Schnee’s coated rapier. 

Blake raised their blade for an overhead strike. Schnee launched into a pirouette in response, hoping to catch them before their strike landed. Her rapier nearly made its mark on Blake before they twirled just out of range, using their momentum to swing the blade horizontally. Schnee was far away enough that the blade couldn’t strike her. But that wasn’t Blake’s intention.

They fired the weapon yet again, the sickle flying between Schnee’s legs. Schnee stepped on the rope, digging her heel into it to keep it from being recalled. Running along it, she readied her blade to slide across Blake’s throat. Surprise took her face as Blake fired a paintball from her weapon’s hilt, narrowly missing Schnee. She backed off once more, looking for another opening taking into account her opponent’s newly revealed ability.

Her face twisted in frustration. She lunged towards Blake, and Blake lunged towards her in response.

In a flash, Ruby realized what she had to do. Time for a bad idea…!

She rushed forward. A mere moment later, she felt Blake’s blade crash hard into her back, spraying her with the violet paint. Schnee’s face lit up in surprise as she took in the scene. 

She had put herself between the two.

“Ruby!” Blake exclaimed in concern. Ruby couldn’t hide her pained expression from Schnee, their faces just a few inches apart.

Schnee’s eyes went wide as she stared deeply into Ruby’s own. “Ruby…” she spoke breathlessly.

“H-hey,” Ruby smiled through the pain. 

Blake moved their blade from Ruby’s soon-to-be-bruised back and backed away cautiously. 

Turning, Ruby finally found her chance to explain. “I figured it out.” Hopefully she wouldn’t get in trouble for talking despite being ‘dead,’ but she figured it’d be better to beg for forgiveness than to stay silent.

“Figured what out?” Blake asked, twisting their head in confusion. Schnee momentarily lowered her blade, her face teeming with an emotion Ruby couldn’t even begin to identify.

“I figured out the match! Okay, okay, let me explain.” She took a deep, ache-ridden breath. “There’s eight of us being divided into two teams of four, right?”

“Right,” Yang replied, rejoining the group.

“And the objective is to collect four name tags. That means there will be two winners.” She left the statement lingering for a moment. Schnee’s face lit up in a realization, the first to understand.

“And that means something?” Blake inquired.

“Yeah! It means—” She was interrupted by Ozpin’s voice booming over the loudspeakers.

MS. ROSE, PLEASE DO NOT SPEAK AFTER YOU HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED, IF YOU’D BE SO KIND.

“Oops! Sorry!” she said, covering her mouth. Second too late there, Ozzy! Ruby smirked.

“It means this match is the team selection,” Schnee continued on her behalf. “Whoever collects four name tags becomes a captain, with the other tags they have comprising their team.”

“Wait, seriously?” Blake furrowed their brow. They turned to Ruby. “Are you sure about this?”

She mimed zipping her mouth shut, not wishing to break any more rules. Yang used her sister’s shoulder to lean against, smiling at the realization as a mere spectator.

“Could be a misdirect,” Schnee supposed. “But, knowing what my sister told me about Professor Ozpin, this definitely sounds like something he’d do. The man’s a total—”

The loudspeakers hummed as if he were going to say something, but after a second they turned right back off.

“A totally wonderful fellow.” She rolled her eyes, and Ruby could barely contain her giggle.

“Hm,” Blake replied. They looked towards Yang, an unspoken question asking if she believed her sister was right. Yang smirked in affirmation. Blake looked back towards Schnee, still somewhat obscured by Ruby between them. “I guess one of us will end up captain, then.” Blake’s deadpan sarcasm was something only those who knew them would pick up on.

“Indeed. Shall we finish our duel?” 

“Ugh. Hold on.” Blake fished Yang and their name tags from their pocket. They extended their hand past Ruby, holding them towards Schnee. “Here.”

“What?”

“I don’t want to be captain. Take it.” Ruby knew Blake would hate a leadership position, judging by their historic mercurial need for alone time. If they had ended up winning the fight and becoming captain anyway… eesh, that woulda sucked.

“You don’t even— We should at least fight for them!” Schnee huffed.

“Why? I’d just intentionally lose.”

Schnee clearly grew frustrated, beginning to pout. “There’s no integrity in that!”

“Which is why I’m just giving them to you.”

“Ugh! Fine.” Schnee begrudgingly took the tags.

Ruby giggled at how hard headed the girl was. She’s such a strange one.

Right on cue, the loudspeakers roared to life once more.

THE MATCH HAS NOW CONCLUDED. CONGRATULATIONS, CAPTAIN WEISS SCHNEE.

The relief Weiss felt was something she utterly craved— utterly needed. If she had failed in her first match, it would’ve set such a bad precedent.

“Weiss! Your name is Weiss!” Ruby beamed, the shorter girl excitedly shaking her by the shoulders.

“Ruby, get off of me! You’re—” The girl squeezed tighter.

You’re making me blush! Weiss thought.

Wait, why is she making me blush?!

Chapter Text

Tick, tock, tick.

Weiss scribbled idly in her notebook, full of details on the life story of one ‘Professor Port.’ She tried to follow along, despite her suspicions that his own personal history wouldn’t be on any tests. All the same, a lady must always be prepared for the unexpected. It’s what Winter would always say, at least. Her attempts to keep up with his rambling faltered, however, as the final minutes of her first day of classes slowly passed, one by arduous one. The drone of Port’s speech, her classmates’ yawns and paper scratches and nervous rustling… it all faded into the background as her mind began to wander.

Tick, tock, tick.

She was surrounded by strangers, and without a chance to socialize. Not that she would, of course. If she were to pass with top marks, focusing exclusively on her coursework during class was a vital necessity.

Still, she wished she knew someone here. Her team, so fresh as it was, wouldn’t have any courses together until the second semester. 

Hm, she hummed under her breath. My team .

She unzipped the front pocket of her backpack, refined and functional, and removed the name tags she had collected from her quarries-turned-teammates the previous day.

She flipped over the first tag and studied it, recollecting the research she’d done the night before. Blake Belladonna. She— They? Weiss corrected herself, still curious as to why Ruby avoided feminine language for them. They’d been a relative newcomer to Vytal Fight, only starting in their senior year of high school. Their engineering skills and meta-breaking strategies distinguished them, however, and earned them a spot in the ever prized Beacon Vytal Fight Freshman Program. The BVFFP; An acronym Weiss refused to memorize or ever use again.

She took Blake’s name tag and sat it on the desk, moving onto the next one. Yang Xiao Long. She had a full Vytal Fight career throughout high school, apparently becoming known as something of a “Bruiser.” Her weapons were acceptable at best, lacking in any real long-range options, and her tactics were often somewhat… direct. Where she excelled, however, was in her strength, intuition, and one on one combat encounters, where she boasted a remarkable eighty-two percent win rate.

Weiss moved on to the final name tag. The first name had been scribbled out, probably just due to a typo, and the name “Ruby” had been written in small print below it.

Ruby Rose.

Weiss had trouble finding her records from before her senior year, for whatever reason. What she could find, however, was fascinating. She was on the same team as Yang, and for what weaknesses her sister had in range, Ruby certainly made up for with Crescent Rose. Her versatility made her into one of the most striking support-fighters in the state. She also used to be on the track team, and her smile, Weiss noted, was quite endearing. Her big, toothy grin and the way it wrinkled her nose, the blush in her cheeks, that look on her face when she stepped between her and Blake’s blade—

Wait, how had she started thinking about this?

The girl frustrated her. She’d become certain Ruby’s nice and innocent demeanor wasn’t an act, though she still wondered how such a “sweet” girl had made it so far in the sport. Not taking out Nora, not taking out her with a shot in the back— they were instincts which would come back to bite Ruby, down the road.

She’d need protecting, Weiss decided. Purely as a service to her team member, of course, the duty of any captain.

As she re-stacked the name tags and slid them back into her backpack, her thoughts lingered on Ruby, wondering about the gothic inspirations in her outfit, about the faint red accent in her hair, why Ruby kept trying to become her friend, why she was so excited when she learned Weiss’s name…

Tick, tock, tick.

The campus bell sprung to life, interrupting Port’s droning and signaling the end of the lecture. Weiss jumped out of her seat, and rushed past people and out of the room with remarkable speed. Why, however, she couldn’t quite say.

“Weiss!” The familiar voice called out.

“Ruby,” Weiss called, nearly out of breath from her jog. She found the girl standing in the shade of a large building attached to Amity Arena. Her destination. The sign read “National Vytal Fight League - Beacon Campus,” though Winter told her everyone just called it “The Outpost.” The building had sweeping white walls and triangular windows evoking a modern technical style, and it matched well with the Arena itself, similarly cloaked in white along its outside walls.

As Weiss made it to Ruby and skidded to a halt, the shorter girl raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. “Uh, why the jogging, Weissey? Gettin’ some cardio in or something?”

“I suppose so?” Weiss panted. “Maybe. Yes. Rigorous cardio is important if you’re to be the best fighter you can be, Ruby.” She knew the advice wasn’t particularly meaningful, but it helped to cover up her stumbling at the very least.

Ruby just nodded in response, her nose wrinkling with warm laughter. “Good thing I run a lot then, huh?”

Weiss had to keep herself from laughing. It wasn’t too difficult after so many years of practice, but she had to admit that the barrier was certainly being tested. “So, are Blake and Yang here yet?”

“Nope!”

“Well, that’s alright, we can save them the trouble. Come on, let’s get the meeting over with.” Weiss marched forward and opened the door. She paused, however, when she noticed her companion didn’t move to follow her. “Ruby?”

The girl stood still, gritting her teeth and holding her hands behind her back. “U-um, sorry, I’m coming. Just a bit nervous, I guess.”

“Hm? Why?”

“You know! Just the usual!” She grit her teeth..

“The usual? Mm, no, I don’t know.” Her voice came across more coarsely than she intended. When Ruby froze up before elaborating, Weiss walked towards her. This was that same timidness the girl had repeatedly shown, though on this occasion, it came in a different context.  “Ruby, just…” she wanted to tell the girl to toughen up, as she herself had been told so many times, but the words wouldn’t come to her. She didn’t want to be a bully, like… like him.

She sighed. “You’re impossible. I’ll do all the talking.”

Ruby’s smile timidly returned to her face. “…’Kay. Thanks, cap’n.”

“Mm. Come on.”

The two entered the lobby full of memorabilia and old player weapons, and moved down the hallways. Lining the ceiling were signs giving directions through the building. Training Room, Weapon Maintenance, Locker Room, Offices….

The last was the series of signs the two followed, bringing them directly to Ozpin’s room.

Weiss entered to find Ozpin sitting at his desk, and a woman with long black hair watching his computer screen. The office was cluttered in a refined way, something Weiss didn’t even realize was possible. Paperwork, memorabilia, and antique knick-knacks littered the room, but it all retained a common stylistic theme of green, black, and gold. Putting in effort without refining his workflow, Weiss deduced.

Ruby lingered by the door before stepping in herself, leering towards the floor in anxiety.

Weiss only caught some of what Ozpin was saying. “—than expected, though Jaune’s performance revealed a problem. Practically every good tactical move he made was by accident. It’s not the kind of ‘skill’ we can train.”

The woman groaned. “It’s a type of skill that doesn’t need training. If it ends up being a problem, whatever. He either makes it, or he doesn’t. Right?” The woman finished with a strange, deliberate emphasis on the word. As if she were twisting some invisible dagger.

“Ehem.” Weiss cleared her throat.

Ozpin looked up from his computer with a strained grin. “Ah. Ms. Schnee, Ms. Rose. Welcome.” The mysterious woman collected her bag before moving towards the door. She walked with a speed and grace that reminded Weiss of her own sister. The image of grace was shattered, however, when she bumped into Ruby hard on the way out, nearly knocking the girl off balance.

…And judging by the impish sneer on her face, it was no accident. Weiss felt a small fire spark to life in her chest. No, no, you do not get to disrespect her.

“Hey! Excuse you!” Weiss shouted out, grabbing the woman by her wrist to prevent her escape.

The woman froze in place. A claustrophobic silence took hold of the room before she slowly twisted her head around to look towards Weiss, a crooked smile etching her face. She spoke deliberately, a barely concealed venom lacing her words. “Let go of me, dear. One warning.”

Weiss obliged, though not before placing herself between the woman and the door. “I insist you apologize to my teammate.”

“Whatever for?” The woman mockingly asked.

“ Whatev— For bumping into her! Intentionally! ”

“Oh, that? She …” The woman placed an odd emphasis on the word. “Is strong enough to take it. Isn’t that right, little flower?” The woman turned to Ruby, her orange eyes piercing through the girl’s defenses.

Ruby continued staring towards the floor, unable to meet her gaze. “S-sorry.”

“What?! Ruby, don’t apologize to her, she’s the one who—”

The woman cut her off. “I suppose I could forgive you.” She said, her smooth voice dripping in some sort of twisted enjoyment.

The fire in Weiss’s chest grew to encompass her wholly, billowing with disbelief. The nerve of this woman to dare force Ruby into—

“Cinder!” Ozpin raised his voice. Oh, Weiss thought, so this is the Butcher of Beacon. That explains some things. “That’s enough. I’d ask you to leave so we can conduct our business in peace. ”

Ruby suddenly raised her eyes. “Cinder?! I’m, um, a big fan! I’m sorry, I totally didn’t recognize you without the helmet— You’re— The Cinders are so amazing! You’re a total inspiration for me, your fighting style is just—”

“Mm. So you know my work.” Cinder almost sounded disappointed. Strange.

“Um, could I get your autograph? Not now, but later, maybe?” Ruby bounced with joy, seemingly having tossed aside her former fear. Weiss couldn’t say the same for her anger.

Cinder laughed. “Of course my dear, anything for you~” She reached out to touch Ruby by her shoulder—

And Weiss caught her wrist, mere inches from contact. She stared coldly towards the taller woman. Cinder stared back, her fiery eyes now cold, and she spoke.

“I gave you one warning.”

Tick, tock, tick.

Tense seconds passed.

Cinder suddenly wretched her arm from Weiss’s grip and stormed out of the room. Weiss breathed deeply, anger turning to worry as she checked on Ruby. “Are you okay?”

“Uh…” her breath shook. “Yeah. Totally!” Ruby replied, her strained and uncertain expression betraying her words. “I-isn’t she so cool?” 

What? Why is she defending the woman who just attacked her?

“Hm.” Ozpin spoke up. “It seems you two have mended some wounds since yesterday.”

“She’s my teammate,” Weiss answered, “And I’m her captain. It’s my duty to ensure she gets the proper courtesies. It’s as simple as that.”

Ozpin smiled. “Of course.”

A tap on the doorframe rang out.

“Yo!” Yang entered, Blake by her side.

“Ah, perfect timing.” Ozpin cleared his throat. “Now that we’re all here, we can get this meeting out of the way.” Ozpin opened a desk drawer, extracting from it a thick three-ring binder. “First, the bureaucracy. These are the rules and regulations of our Vytal Fight program. You’ll find them to be relatively similar to your high school league’s rules, though accommodations are made for the larger arena and relaxed weapon restrictions.” He handed it to Ruby. “Ms. Rose, I’d like you in particular to refresh yourself.”

“Eheh, sorry!” Ruby responded.

“It’s quite alright. I, myself, encouraged bending the rules for the first match, though it’s something we’ll have to be more stringent about going forward. Everyone will need to be fully caught up with the rules before the first match of the Autumn Tournament in a little over a week.”

The Autumn Tournament. Weiss recognized the name. It was the inaugural tournament most north-western college-league teams fought in, and it seemed they would have their own turn before too long.

It felt like an overwhelming challenge to be ready by then. How they performed in the first match would hold a significant weight in determining how much support and confidence they could get from the University, but even beyond that… just getting through it as a team without cracking would be a challenge. Actual, real-deal Vytal Fight tournaments were brutal , and no amount of preparation could completely soften the blow. 

A trial by fire, then.

“You’ll also find a team name registration form attached,” Ozpin continued. We’ll need that back before training begins Monday. I apologize for the relatively short time frame, though it will hopefully be long enough for you four to come up with something at the very least, even if it’s only temporary.”

Blake raised an eyebrow. “We’ll come up with something. Whether or not we’ll agree on it, though….” Yang chuckled.

“Indeed. Think of it as a team building exercise, if you must. Now, for our final point of order.” Ozpin picked up a small, shiny object from his desk, smiling as he held it in view.

A key.

Yang grinned widely in surprise. “No way, it’s already done?!”

Ruby jumped in excitement. “Yes! No more forty minute car rides! And no more cowboy music during them! ”

“Rubes, it’s not cowboy music, it’s—”

Blake cut in. “It’s cowboy music.”

Weiss was taken aback. Yang certainly didn’t seem like a cowboy music person. “Yang, really? Cowboy music? You ?”

Yang rubbed her forehead. “It’s not called cowboy music . It’s country. Actually, no, it’s more than country, it’s—” She paused before a wide smile slowly cracked on her face. “Can we just talk about this later? Like, not in front of the Professor, maybe?”

Ozpin smirked. “As for the business at hand, well… I hope you enjoy your new abode.”

Weiss stood before a small beige-green house. It looked old , to her eyes, maybe built around the same time Beacon itself was in the early 1900s. Ozpin detailed the refurbishments it had just gone through when he gave them the key a day prior: New plumbing and appliances, fresh insulation, new flooring. But little was done for its ancient appearance.

“It’s perfect!” Ruby beamed. She wore a black hoodie, despite the heat, and in direct contrast to Weiss’s own white tank top. It felt like something of an unrefined outfit, but she deemed it quite necessary for the work she’d be undertaking.

“I suppose it’s acceptable,” she relented to Ruby. “Better than the dorm we’d be stuck in were we not fighters, at least.”

Everyone had only packed the bare essentials. They had just one night of preparation, but moving in was something they were all eager to do. No need to delay it. They’d moved some stuff in already, boxes lining the far side of the living room, but there was still far to go. Weiss also had the family butler purchase some furniture to start them off with, which he’d been so kind as to deliver an hour before the team arrived. Weiss hadn’t explained where it all came from, but, well, no one had asked.

The real challenge? Getting it all inside.

“Turn it on its side!” Yang directed Blake as they desperately tried to fit a couch through the door.

“It’s already on its side,” Blake dryly replied.

“Other side!”

“What other side?”

Weiss sighed. Fine, time to play captain. “Stop trying, let’s just take it apart and reassemble it once we move the parts inside.”

Blake and Yang both looked at Weiss as if she were the dumbest girl alive.

“Hm.” Yang grunted. “I’ve got a better idea! Can you take, like, five steps back, Blake?”

They obliged with a coy smirk. Yang wiggled out between the door and the couch, flipped it over, and lifted it with a startling ease. She carefully maneuvered it through the door, and finally placed it down in the living room.

Ruby clapped. Weiss would’ve been annoyed at the dismissal of her idea had Yang’s technique not been so effective. The triumphant blonde leaned against the door frame, smirking at her teammates. “So, what next?”

Weiss considered what remained to be done. The rooms farthest back in the house were the two bedrooms, so… “Mm. We need to decide who bunks with whom.”

“Ooh, the fun bit!” Ruby mused.

Weiss hadn’t really considered who she’d like to be roommates with. But, the solution seemed obvious, no? Ruby and Yang seem close, but all siblings need their alone time, right?

“I think Blake and Yang should take a room. Unless there are any obj—”

“Wait! Uh!” Yang yelped. “We— We, uh—”

“We used to be friends in high school.” Blake finished. “I like to keep things clean, and she’s a slob. I like to read in peace, and she’s…”

“A total badass,” Yang seemed to relax for whatever reason.

“She blasts her music and plays her guitar constantly.”

Weiss sighed. “Right, I see the issue.”

Ruby leaned forward to speak. “I really don’t mind her playing, and I’m pretty used to her in general, so… I guess we could be roomies? It’ll be like we’re kids again!” She smiled at Yang. 

Weiss’s shoulders slumped ever so slightly. She couldn’t imagine why. Who ended up being roommates was an ultimately inconsequential matter, wasn’t it?

“Heh, that’s alright with me.” Yang affirmed. “I’ll even start using headphones for ya!” 

Ruby gave a thumbs up and grinned. “‘Kay!”

Weiss turned to Blake, trying to gauge their reaction. Their eyes met as Blake apparently did the same. Their expression was as unreadable as Weiss had ever seen it. Damn their resting poker face. “...So, Blake. I suppose that means we’ll be sharing a room.”

“Yup.”

Yang held Weiss’s shoulder. “My bet? I think you two’ll get along great.”

Blake nodded. “Good.”

“Well,” Weiss cracked her knuckles. “Shall we start by moving things into your room next?” She suggested, looking towards Ruby and Yang.

Ruby stretched her arms. Weiss almost thought she saw her grimace in pain, but she seemed to shrug it off. “Yeah! Alright, team, let’s do it!”

We can’t do it.

There’s too many boxes, Weiss decided.

They’d moved bed frames, mattresses, tables, wardrobes, and far, far, far too many of those accursed boxes. And Weiss was nearing the end of her energy reserves.

Yang still seemed fresh, and Blake, so tired as they were, still refused to slow down. Ruby, though, seemed to be having a much more difficult time. She’d gotten far slower since the start of the day, and at some point she’d started moving around stiffly. 

I wonder if she pulled a muscle or something? I’ll ask in a bit.

Even if no one said it, the team sorely needed a break. Weiss decided to call it after checking the time on her flip phone. She let everyone set down what boxes they were carrying, and stood by the doorway to block them from getting more.

“Alright, everyone, it’s nearly 2pm. Let’s take a lunch break.” Ruby and Blake sighed in sweet relief.

“God, best idea you’ve ever had,” Blake croaked. Weiss didn’t know whether to take it as a compliment or an insult.

Yang scratched her neck and surveyed her teammates. “Geez, I didn’t realize you guys were so tired. Sorry. I’ll go dig out the cooking supplies and whip something up, alright?”

Weiss nodded. “Good idea. The rest of us, let’s take a breather.”

“‘Kay. I’ll be upstairs for a bit,” Ruby quavered through the exhaustion.

She started walking up the stairs to her and Yang’s room, leaving the other three to their business.

After a few minutes of Weiss and Blake resting on the couch, Blake had seemingly gotten bored and wandered into the kitchen with Yang. Weiss herself would only get a few more minutes of recuperation before Yang peeked her head into the living room.

“Hey, Weiss, can you go ask Ruby what she wants on her hot dog? Probably just cheese, but I always like ta’ make sure.”

“Just cheese?”

“Yeah, she’s got a pretty sensitive palate. Check for me?”

Weiss pulled herself from the couch, placed her hands on her hips and stretched. “Aah~ Sure. I’ll go ask.”

Up the stairs she ascended. The door to Ruby and Yang’s room cracked slightly. She pushed, and—

And a difficult sight lay before her.

Ruby’s hoodie was pulled over her neck, revealing a long rectangular bruise on her back. She sat on the bed as she attempted to bandage it, though every twist of her back made her wince in pain.

Weiss’s heart sank.

“Ruby….”

The girl lazily looked towards Weiss.

“Ah!” She suddenly shrieked, recognizing the situation, and pulling her hoodie down in a panic. “Sorry, sorry!”

Weiss stood in silence, trying to process the situation. God, why wouldn’t she just tell us about this?! She marched towards the girl and picked up the bandage roll she was using.

Where’s the pain relief cream? She dug through the box Ruby had opened next to her, finding a tube of it at the bottom. She held it towards the timid girl who sat below her. “Ruby, why aren’t you using this?”

“I, um, I tried, but I couldn’t reach, so—”

“A dry bandage will just irritate it further, Ruby. Turn around.”

She looked surprised at the order, her already-red cheeks turning a deeper shade. “I… um, if you’re sure?”

Weiss calmed herself and sighed. “...If you’ll let me, Ruby. I’m worri—” She caught herself. “Concerned.”

“Y-ya really don’t have to worry about me! But, um… y-yeah, you can.” Ruby turned around, slowly lifted the back of her hoodie and brought it over her head. Her hoodie being relatively large allowed her to keep her front covered. The bruise proved a stark contrast to the rest of Ruby’s skin. Her clothes had been enough to keep the paint at bay, and to keep her skin from breaking, but the weapon weighed enough and hit hard enough to leave a significant mark.

A cocktail of emotions washed over Weiss. Anger, frustration, pity, confusion….

She gently sat down next to her, sinking into the soft bare mattress. The light flickered through the window blinds into a scattered, disorganized room, housing only Weiss and one Ruby Rose. It was quiet, Weiss realized. No clock. No ticking. Just them.

She squeezed some of the gel from the tube, and gingerly placed it on Ruby’s back. She flinched at the cold, though her shivering, Weiss understood, was mostly from nerves. She wondered how Ruby had ended up so bashful, so scared of so much, but she knew now wasn’t the time to ask.

Weiss began to work the cream along the bruise. She was thankful that Ruby seemingly wasn’t wearing a bra, as the strap would’ve made the task a fair bit more difficult. She moved her hand along her back, up and down, feeling the definition of Ruby’s muscles.

And it began again. That flush in her cheeks, the sinking feeling in her stomach, the deepening of her breath….

Ruby’s shivering had stopped at some point along the way. In place of it, the smaller girl leaned back into Weiss’s hands. “This, uh… actually feels pretty good, Weissey~”

She felt as if she’d been struck in the stomach. Her heartbeat raced , faster and faster, and it all started to feel so… so….

“Ruby.” She had to distract herself. Her voice fluttered, though Ruby didn’t comment on it. Hopefully she didn’t notice?

“Y-yeah?”

“You’ve been moving around and unpacking things all day. Why didn’t you tell us?” Once again, her voice came across more coarse than intended, but she had to ask at some point. She felt like she was spoiling the moment, but, what moment? 

Just helping my teammate. As her captain. That’s all.

“Well, because Yang would get all worried and then it’d be a whole thing and I just—!” She sighed. “She doesn’t… handle worrying very well, I guess.”

Weiss shifted uncomfortably. An overbearing sister? She could almost understand the idea, except Winter’s worries had never been entirely unfounded. Not that she always realized that, at first.

She sighed and began wrapping the bandage around the girl. “You need to tell me about these things, Ruby. Training starts in three days, and our first tournament match is five days after that. If you keep trying to overdo it, you won’t be ready—”

“I’ll be ready! Promise!”

“That’s not the point. Just… try and communicate, okay?”

Ruby sighed. “Okay. Sorry, Weiss. I know I can trust you.”

Trust. Weiss felt a surge of comfort at hearing the word. They’d only known one another for a few days, but…

When was the last time Weiss had a friend?

Middle school? Elementary?

Ruby seemed intent on making Weiss her friend, and for a moment, Weiss found herself not minding the idea.

“Of course you can trust me. That said, you’re going to rest between now and when training begins, alright?”

“But we still need to do your and Blake’s room, and I need to set up my computer, and—!”

“Captain’s orders, Ruby. I don’t need to tell Yang, but you’re going to rest nonetheless.”

The younger girl pouted. “Okay… thank you, Weiss. Really.”

The warmth in her cheeks spread once more. “Mm.” She searched her mind for any distraction, anything to calm her down. “Cheese?”

“...Cheese? Huh?”

“Yang’s making hot dogs. You only want cheese on yours, yes?”

Ruby’s face lit up. “Hot dogs?!” She pulled her hoodie down in a flash and sprang for the door, running faster than Weiss ever could.

“Slow down! Don’t strain yourself!” Weiss shouted in vain.

She sighed, a small smile creeping along her face. She’s impossible…

Weiss watched the ceiling fan slowly rotate. Her mattress, though directly on the floor, was still exceptionally comfortable after such a long day. Her mind wandered as the moonlight and blue glow of night shone through the window. 

Everyone did so well today.

They weren’t able to do everything. They never found the time to decide on a team name. They’d only just been able to get everything inside before the sun set, and at that point, everyone was too tired to keep working. There was still a week's worth of unpacking to do, maybe more. Probably too much to get done before the Autumn Tournament began. 

The tournament was a weight on Weiss’s shoulders like no other. It would be hellish to train and prepare for, and all the more difficult to win, but… they’d get through it together, somehow.

A part of being a captain is giving earned praise, right? It’s something Winter had been exceptionally good at, though Weiss found she struggled with forming compliments. Still, she’d have to learn.

She flipped to look towards Blake, laying on their own mattress across the room.

“Hey, Blake?”

“Yeah?”

“Good work today.” A sweet and simple compliment, one that would be hard to mess up.

“Thanks.”

Weiss realized she knew so little about the faunus. She’d read their records, of course, but it only encompassed their academic history. The person themself? A total mystery.

“Blake?”

“...Yeah?”

“Why do Ruby and Yang call you ‘they’?”

Yang saw Blake turn to face her out of the corner of her eye.

“...You waited until right as we started trying to sleep before you asked about this?”

Weiss felt defensive. “It’s been a busy day! And a half. I suppose. Sorry.”

“Mm. I don’t feel like explaining it. Just keep using ‘they,’ alright?”

“Of course. I didn’t mean to imply I wouldn’t. Simply curious.”

“Yeah.”

Weiss felt herself inching ever closer towards the warm embrace of sleep. But there was still something tugging at her. Someone.

“Blake?”

A quiet groan came from the other side of the room. “What?”

“Do you—” Weiss gulped. “Do you ever feel sick when you look at someone? Not in a bad way, necessarily, just…”

Blake gently chuckled. “Mm… yeah.”

Weiss wanted to ask more, to dig for details, but something told her she shouldn’t. That leaving it there was the right call. Her mind wandered in the final throes of consciousness, and Ruby flashed before her eyes.

Ruby… You really… Are… Impossible…

Chapter Text

It had been three days since everyone moved into the new team house, and in those three days, Ruby had done everything she could to rest her back. It had paid off. She now stood in the endzone of Amity Arena, side by side with her team, ready to begin their very first training match.

It was equal parts exciting and nerve-wracking.

She tensed as she surveyed the field.

There was a long clearing towards the center of the arena, flanked on either side by a dense ‘forest’ of inflatable trees, fake bushes, rocks, and two small buildings. It gave her and her team a clear, if narrow, view of the field.

Claustrophobic.

In the center of the arena stood a large elevated stage, walls of styrofoam rock lining the sides of it. Tall enough to take cover behind, should the four conspicuous figures in identical full-body armor standing on stage need it.

Ominous.

Between the breaks in the cover, Ruby saw a bright orange chest. It was large and prominently placed, practically fluorescent in its glow. No one could miss it.

…Interesting!

Ruby lowered Crescent Rose’s scope to find Weiss, Blake and Yang staring daggers through the four ominous figures. She wondered if they were as nervous as she was, but… they certainly didn’t look it. 

There was a gnawing frustration rising in Ruby’s gut. Why can’t I get my head in the game today?!

“GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.” Ozpin spoke, the buzz of the loudspeakers turning his typically smooth voice into something far sharper. “THE OBJECTIVE OF OUR TRAINING MATCH IS QUITE SIMPLE. YOU MUST ACQUIRE THE CONTENTS OF THE CHEST BEFORE YOUR RIVAL TEAM DOES. THE GUARDS WILL ATTEMPT TO STOP YOU.”

So it’s just an objective match? Okay, okay, I can do this.

“ONCE A TEAM ACQUIRES THE CONTENTS, PLEASE CEASE FIGHTING, HOLD POSITIONS, AND AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTION. THAT SAID, THE MATCH WILL BEGIN IN ONE MINUTE. GOOD LUCK, TEAM JUNIPER. AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU, TEAM…” He hesitated. “PLACEHOLDER NAME.”

Ruby burst into laughter, and Yang immediately followed. “ Ohmygod , he actually said it!” Ruby spoke between her chuckles.

Weiss sighed. “So help me, if we haven’t decided on a team name by the time we have our first actual match… you know, the kind with an audience.”

“Naaah, it’d be even funnier then!”

Ruby saw Weiss’s face dawn that funny little expression she gets when she’s upset. The little blush, the crease on her forehead, the way she puffed her cheeks… Ruby nearly giggled at how cute it was.

“Ruby! That’s not—” Weiss sighed. “We’ll figure that out later. For now, here’s the plan….” She cracked her knuckles, stretched her neck, and squinted her eyes. “Those guards are Team Elemental.”

Blake grimaced. “Shit. How’d you figure that out?”

“Their bags were in the locker room, but they weren’t.”

“Right. They’ll be tough, Coco in particular.”

Ruby was thankful Weiss had given everyone a rundown of the Beacon teams the night before. Too many names to remember them all, but Coco… well, her kill-to-death ratio was pretty unforgettable.

“Which is why we let Team Juniper do their share of the work. We take position in the treeline and wait for them to attack Elemental. Then, we move in for a pincer. Three of us distract whoever on Elemental isn’t occupied, and one of us goes for the chest.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, though Ruby felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. “Um, who’s goin’ for the chest?” Why’m I even asking.

Weiss glanced at her. “You.” 

Ruby’s shoulders slumped. Why’d it always have to be her doing these things? Just because she’s a support fighter?

…Well, yes, actually. Ruby cursed herself for having sown what she was now about to reap.

Seemingly sensing her anxiety, Weiss elaborated. “You’re better equipped than us for variable range fighting, and since we don’t know which Elemental member is which… well, just wait for my signal, and then run for it. We’ll have your back.”

Ruby nodded, though her grip tensed on Crescent Rose. C’mon, if I can just get my head into fight mode….

Once again, her coping mechanism was denied. Fanfare played over the speakers, and at the last tone of the bell, the four sprung into action. Weiss, Blake and Yang dashed into the left forest, leaving Ruby alone on her journey in the right. She ran, rushing past trees and rocks and jumping over the occasional limb. She found running to be incredibly calming. Her days in the track club seemed to be paying off.

She looked across the divide towards the other forest. She couldn’t spot her teammates, though they should have been in position. The guards hadn’t seemed to notice them, so, no emergencies yet.

She’d barely had a moment to breathe before Team Juniper enacted their own plan. She heard shouts and the sounds of weapon blows from the other side of the stage. Two of the guards left to take on their opponents.

But the other two stood firm.

A-are they really gonna try and 2v4 us?!

Ruby waited with bated breath to see what her team would do. She wondered if the plan would change, but… she couldn’t contact them. All she could do was wait.

Suddenly, Yang rushed forward to fight the closest guard. Weiss and Blake quickly followed suit, taking on the other.

Yang’s guard had a trident, and Weiss and Blake’s had a staff. No minigun meant no Coco, at least.

Weiss fought fiercely with her rapier, keeping the pressure on her adversary while Blake looked for an opening. Their monkey-tailed opponent somehow stood firm, their staff meeting every blow that swung their way. Their mobility and maneuverability was incredible, faster than any other fighter Ruby had seen.

Yang, meanwhile, was engaged in a much more heavy kind of combat. Ruby had seen her sister’s punches do a surprising amount of damage to past opponents; enough that her gauntlets had gone through no less than three separate redesigns intended to reduce the impact they carried.

It worked. Kinda.

It hurt less to get punched by her now than it used to, thanks to the cushioning in her gloves, but there was no less force carried through them. In a straight up fist fight, she’d dominate nearly any opponent, pushing through whatever defenses they had with ease. Her gauntlets only carried four shotgun-esque paintball shots, however. Much of her fighting was set-up to ensure she could get off one perfect, indefensible, decisive blow. That was her plan as she flung her trident-wielding opponent around. Disorient him, disarm him, trip him, and go in for the final strike. That was her go-to, and it was brutal to watch.

Between one of Weiss’s strikes, she yelled loudly. “Ruby!”

Pulling herself from her thoughts, Ruby ran. Fast. Crescent Rose was ready to fire the second someone approached, but she proved too fast for either of the guards to make a move.

One foot in front of the other, go, go, go!

She’d already ascended the stairs before either of the guards even noticed her. A single paintball found its way towards her, but a quick dodge behind the styrofoam rock wall protected her. 

Peeking out, it seemed she proved a good enough distraction for Weiss and Blake to cover their opponent in red and lavender paint. He was out, allowing Weiss to rush towards Ruby in support.

Ruby took her opportunity and went for the chest. She skidded to a stop beside it. Lifting the heavy lid, she found…

“Salutations!”

“P-Penny?!”

A mousy girl smiled widely as she stood up in the chest. Ruby wanted to reintroduce herself, seeing as she was blindfolded the first time they met, but things moved too quickly for her to be able to.

A loud tone rang out, accompanied by Ozpin’s voice. “TEAM PLACEHOLDER HAS ACQUIRED THE CONTENTS OF THE CHEST. IF EVERYONE COULD PLEASE CEASE FIGHTING AND HOLD POSITIONS.”

After a few stray swings reached their end, the sound of fighting lulled.

“THANK YOU FOR THE ASSISTANCE, TEAM ELEMENTAL. YOU MAY NOW RETURN TO THE LOCKER ROOM AND PREPARE FOR YOUR REGULAR TRAINING REGIMENT.”

The guard with the staff sighed. “Damn it! I completely screwed that up, man, that’s totally my bad—”

His friend with the trident started patting his back. “You did great, bro, don’t even worry about it. We’ll get ‘em next time.”

As they walked off, Yang turned towards her team and shrugged.

“EACH TEAM NOW HAS A NEW OBJECTIVE. TEAM PLACEHOLDER, YOU WILL WIN THE MATCH SHOULD YOU SAFELY ESCORT MS. POLENDINA TO THE ENDZONE. TEAM JUNIPER, YOU WILL WIN SHOULD YOU ELIMINATE MS. POLENDINA FROM THE GAME BEFORE THEY REACH THEIR DESTINATION.”

Penny’s smile grew wider as she clumsily extracted herself from the chest. She must be enjoying this?

“YOU HAVE THIRTY SECONDS TO PREPARE BEFORE FIGHTING MAY RESUME. GOOD LUCK.”

The seconds started ticking by quickly as Ruby’s team rushed to her side. 

Weiss looked exhausted.

Ruby’s grip tightened on Penny’s shoulders as she watched her captain nervously pace. 

The seconds passed, the entirety of the now assembled team waiting for Weiss’s orders.

Five seconds. Ten. Fifteen.

Oh god, we are gonna come up with a plan, right?

…Right?

Weiss sat in the Amity Arena branded chair, legs crossed and stewing in frustration.

The view from the sports commentator’s room was nice, at least. It provided a full overview of the field, and lining the entirety of a wall were screens showing the views from the various cameras hanging across the stadium. Before those screens sat Ozpin, staring blankly at Weiss and her teammates.

“So. Would you like to know precisely when you guaranteed your loss?”

Weiss felt a pang of frustration. “I have a feeling I already know.”

Ozpin pressed a button, and footage from their match began to play. Through the skycam footage and from the audio of each player’s microphone-equipped earpiece, Weiss re-experienced herself making a terrible mistake all over again.

Weiss: “Okay, um… here’s the plan. We need to find cover, first and foremost. We’ll use that little building in the forest.”

Yang: “Nora’s grenade launcher makes cover pretty damn useless, doesn’t it? If we just make a run for it, we can beat them to the endzone—”

Weiss: “They’ll just fire on us. We need cover we can take them out from. It’s the safest option.”

Weiss felt like hitting herself. God, what on Earth was I thinking?

Ozpin pressed another button. The video fast-forwarded to them taking positions in the one-room plywood building.

Weiss felt so confident of the positions when she assigned them. Ruby on sniper duty, Blake on flaking duty, Yang as the frontman ready to take on any melee users, and Weiss personally protecting Penny.

It was a solid strategy. At least, it would’ve been, had they been fighting any team other than Juniper.

From the skycam footage, Weiss could clearly see Yang’s changing expressions convey her thoughts. 

From firm, to concerned, to frustrated, to firm once again.

Yang: “This isn’t gonna work. The second I say run, we run.”

Weiss: “Excuse me?! No, we need to hold posit—”

It was such a nothing interaction. Yang breaking from rank only distracted everyone for… what, five seconds? Less?

Just long enough for Nora to make her move. Weiss saw her shoot the grenade from no less than ten yards away. It landed directly in front of the building, precisely on target.

And no one was prepared for it.

Ozpin paused the video. He spoke slowly. 

“A team without consensus is no better than four individuals on their own.”

Someone’s chair creaked as an uncomfortable air filled the room. Penny, standing in the corner with a streak of white paint across her dress, gripped her clipboard tighter.

“In order to understand why, we need to study the response of each individual.” He unpaused the video.

As the grenade went off, the situation devolved quickly. Yang dove for cover, narrowly avoiding the blast. Ren appeared from the forest and began fighting Blake with a ferocity neither of them saw coming. Pyrrha exploded onto the scene and immediately tagged Yang with her spear, eliminating her from the game.

Blake: “Run! I’ll fight them, buy you two some time!”

They shot their sickle towards Pyrrha, pulling her into their fight with Ren. Ruby, Penny and Weiss regrouped with each other and prepared to run.

Ozpin paused once more.

“Yang.”

The blonde looked up, a sullen expression on her face. “Yeah.”

“You trusted Weiss so little that you immediately abandoned her plan, without consideration of the consequences.”

“So, it’s my fault?” She asked, genuine concern carrying through her voice.

Ozpin held out a hand. “We’ll revisit ‘fault’ after we go over the rest. Blake?”

The faunus’s ears twitched. “Mm.”

“You immediately decided to sacrifice yourself, ultimately in vain. Pyrrha is one of the strongest melee fighters in the freshman program. Ren is the fastest. The time you gained for Weiss, Ruby and Penny by fighting them was negligible.”

Blake lowered their head. “I knew.”

Ozpin nodded, sternly. “I’d ask why you decided to fight them anyway, but I believe I understand. You gave up, didn’t you? Decided the match was unwinnable, with Yang gone and the team in disarray, and so you decided to throw in the towel in a way which wouldn’t draw the ire of your teammates.”

Blake nodded. “Was I wrong? About the match being unwinnable?”

“You weren’t.” Ozpin replied, without inflection. He continued the video.

Ren backed off of Blake once Pyrrha entered the fight. She and Blake traded blows, but one strong thrust of Pyrrha’s spear covered Blake’s side in a bronze colored paint. 

They were out.

The footage was grainy, but Weiss could just barely see Pyrrha wink at Blake, and Blake smiled in return.

Do they know each other?

Ren beelined for Penny, but Ruby stepped between them. They traded a few quick blows, but Ren’s speed and double-wielded dagger-guns proved too much for Ruby. Weiss stepped in just in time to save Ruby from a fatal blow. She decided to take over the duel, figuring Myrtenaster was better suited than Crescent Rose for high speed fighting. She had a different idea in mind for Ruby.

Weiss: Run!

Ruby took Penny by the hand and sprinted towards the endzone, leaving the rest in her dust. Weiss was so, so close to defeating Ren. The short blade length of his weapons limited his range significantly, and a single step backwards instantly gave Weiss the advantage. She was one strike away from taking him out of the game.

But a quick, well-timed thrust from Pyrrha’s spear was all it took to dash her chances. She had been eliminated.

Ugh, of course I had to go out fighting a ninja and a spartan. Does it always have to be the weirdos in Halloween costumes?

Weiss watched Ruby and Penny run on another monitor, the skycam diligently following them. They made it a good distance, but they couldn’t see the final nail in the coffin from their meager view on the ground.

The entire time the others had been fighting, Jaune had been sprinting into their side of the stadium, committing to a ridiculous flank maneuver. It shouldn’t have worked. It wouldn’t have, had he not accidentally ran directly into Penny from around a large tree, his sword leaving a white gash on her dress.

Ruby didn’t even see him before it was too late.

Jaune ultimately won his team the game… by accident.

Infuriating.

The video reached its end. Ozpin placed his chin on his hands as he leaned against the desk.

“Ruby, this is a genuine and honest question. Were you panicking as you ran?”

Weiss noticed her nervously fidget with her hands. “S-sorry. Yeah, um I was freaking out, didn’t even think about surveying. I don’t know why, I just—”

“It’s quite alright, Ms. Rose. Had you kept a cooler head, you would’ve been able to eliminate Jaune.” The girl nearly curled up into herself. “But your chances of victory would have still been slim. In the time it took for you to fight Jaune, the others would have caught up to you. Victory was still possible had you sent Penny on ahead, but that’s two possibilities removed from what actually happened. That means it isn’t worth consideration. Not right now, at least.”

Ozpin leaned back in his chair before continuing. He addressed the whole team as he spoke. “One minute, forty seven seconds.”

Weiss was confused. “Hm?”

“That’s how long passed between the continuation of the game and your loss.”

“...Felt like longer.”

“It always does.” Ozpin gently smirked. “I said we’d revisit ‘fault’ after we watched the footage.”

Weiss knew where this was going.

“Think back to what I said. A team without consensus is no better than four individuals on their own. The root of the problem, the fault , was not Ruby’s anxiety, nor Blake’s tendency to give up, nor Yang’s unwillingness to bend. Those are all symptoms of a much more serious underlying cause: a severe lack of trust. Not between any given two of you, but between each other as a team. ”

Weiss felt sick. God, I’m an idiot. I should’ve been harsher. Is that what he’s saying?

“A strong team will trust each other completely. To follow an order, to not give up, to protect each other. They’ll believe in their team and themselves, no matter the odds. Most teams go through a great deal of time and hardship before they achieve that. It may be no different for you, and that’s quite alright. The only complication… is that Team Juniper has already established that rapport.”

Weiss noticed Blake’s ears furrow at that last sentence, though she couldn’t guess why.

Ozpin turned to Penny, quietly standing in the corner. “Penny, I may have some additional work for you tonight, if you’re free and would like to undertake it.”

The mousy girl saluted. “I’m ready for duty, sir!”

“Wonderful.” Ozpin turned back to Weiss and her team. “Penny’s job is to support you and your team however she can. That mostly involves secretarial work, and supplying you battlefield intel over an earpiece during official league matches.”

Weiss knew her team would acquire a Guardian, though she hadn’t known it would be this ‘Penny.’ Weiss didn’t know what to make of the girl.

She is a girl, right?

Penny’s hair was a dull red, medium in its length. She wore a somewhat strange gray, white and green dress with overall-style straps. She had a black and green scarf around her neck, and the pink bow on the back of her head pulled the outfit together into… something. It was a mishmash of fashion Weiss found herself more confused by than anything. 

Something about the girl threw her off. Her cheeks and chin were a little sharp, her skin a little rough, and her voice a little strained. She nearly mistook the girl for a boy when she first laid eyes on her during the match, saved only by Ruby yelling her name. ‘Penny.’

Weiss idly wondered if the girl was… 

Wait, what’s that term again? She struggled to recall.

Ozpin continued. “Tonight, however, I have an extension for Penny’s work. Should you all be available, I’d like to conclude your field training here for today. In place of that, I’d like for you all to meet up tonight and do something together. A team bonding activity of your choice. And I’d like Penny to tag along and take notes, so I can understand your dynamic outside of the arena.”

Weiss didn’t like the idea. What could they possibly do together as a ‘team bonding activity’? An improvised strategy session? Muscle training?

Yang folded her arms and smiled. “I think I might have an idea. There’s this restaurant a couple blocks off campus that’s totally kick-ass—” Ozpin cleared his throat. “Totally cool, I mean! We could hang out there.”

What? A restaurant? What team bonding could we possibly do there, there’s no way that’s what he meant—

Ozpin clapped once. “Perfect. Will you all be attending?”

Nods across the room, apart from Weiss. She was confused by the suggestion, but…

She tentatively nodded her head. If this is what you want, Professor. Fine.

“Excellent. I look forward to hearing about it, Penny. I’ll leave you all with one last thing. The Autumn Tournament begins on Saturday.”

Weiss’s stomach dropped. Judging by the unphased look on the others faces, no one but her seemed to understand the true weight of the tournament. They were still so far from being ready. The first match would rip them to shreds if she couldn’t somehow pull it all together.

A couple all-nighters, Weiss decided. I’ll need to prepare strategies.

Ozpin continued. “Not having a team name ready by then, well, it wouldn’t be a particularly good look.”

Ruby and Yang giggled. Blake smirked as they spoke. “What, not a fan of Team Placeholder? ”

“Mm, there’s a far better option out there, I’m quite sure. That said, I’ll allow you all to leave and plan your night. Have fun.”

The team traded their goodbyes as they exited the room, Weiss the last to leave.

“Oh, and Ms. Schnee?”

She looked to Ozpin as the rest ferried down the hallway. “Yes, sir?”

“I see a great deal of potential in your team, Weiss. You have good people around you. All you have to do is trust them.”

Weiss felt her chest tighten. In frustration? Hurt? Anxiety?

She couldn’t tell.

It’s… It’s not that simple.

Chapter Text

Six in the afternoon, and Yang was feelin’ good.  

The sun was low to the horizon, just beginning to paint the sky with the first orange hues of the night. A gentle breeze shook the leaves. It would still be a couple weeks before they began their turn to vibrant reds and oranges, but some still fell as a gust of wind came from the river. 

Yeah, this is a perfect day for Calavera’s. 

The beach-themed establishment was built on a small ledge overlooking Portage Bay. It was a bit of a walk to get to, but seeing the campus on the way was a treat all its own.

This is nice, Yang thought. 

Despite her captain’s yelling.

“No bar!” Weiss exclaimed, crossing her arms in a show of stubborn authority.

Yang rested her arm on Ruby’s shoulder, smirking at Weiss’s protests. “Don’t sweat it, it’s not a bar! It’s a restaurant, which just so happens to have a bar in it.”

“It says Clavera’s Grill and Bar right there on the sign!” Weiss gestured towards the offending advertisement, two dolphins framing the name.

“Don’t ignore the ‘grill’ part, Weiss. Guarantee ya these’ll be the best ribs you’ve ever had!” Weiss looked at her, her eyebrow raised and her lips thin. Maybe a tiny push’ll do it? “C’mon, trust me a little. It’ll be okay.” Yang shrugged with a reassuring smile.

Weiss pouted in her own way, looking deathly serious and staying eerily quiet. Despite her demeanor, though, no further protests came. Uh… gonna take that as a ‘sure.’

Penny, in contrast, was practically bouncing with excitement. “Oh, this will be ever so fun!”

Blake marched to the door and held it open with their boot. “C’mon, I’m hungry. Let’s go.”

Yang was the first to enter, guiding the rest up the sturdy wooden stairs. Calavera’s shared its building with a paddle club, with the restaurant itself occupying the second floor. It made it necessary to ascend every time someone wanted to visit, but that small inconvenience was offset by the view one could get of the boats coming into the bay.

She opened the second floor door and entered the restaurant. The walls were painted in a variety of beach and surfing themed murals, the vibrant colors proving a nice contrast with the light wood tables and chairs. Behind the bar stood Ms. Maria Calavera, the only other person around, loading empty bottles into a cardboard box. 

“Sup, Maria! Slow night tonight?”

She put down the bottle she was holding and donned her impressively thick glasses. “You could say that, I guess. You didn’t see the sign?”

Yang looked back towards the door and spotted a fluorescent ‘Open’ sign, turned off. “Oh! Eheh, sorry, my bad. We can find somewhere else—”

“Ah, don’t worry about it. Just needed a catch-up day, but if it’s just you and your friends, that’ll be fine.”

Yang had become pretty damn endeared towards this strange little lady. She’d found Calavera’s the first time she toured Beacon, and after trying the ribs and using the karaoke machine to sing awful songs with strangers, it became her favorite restaurant around. Now, whenever she needed a break from her schoolwork, or a reprieve from the team house, Calavera’s was her first stop. She and Maria had spoken a lot during those visits over the last two weeks, and a picture slowly painted itself of the restaurateur. She was old, tired, and one hell of a riot.

Ruby clasped her hands together and bounced on her toes. “Thank you, Ms… um, Calavara?” The older woman gave a thumbs up. “Yang said this place has the best ribs she’s ever tasted, I’m pretty excited to try them~!”

Maria chuckled. “Is that what she told you? Well, high praise, considering they’re not even her favorite thing off the menu.” Ruby tilted her head in curiosity before Blake pulled her over to a table. Maria chuckled. “Your sister, yeah?” Yang nodded. “She seems like a nice girl. Always welcome here, of course.”

“Thanks, Maria.” Yang knew Ms. Calavera was alright, but hearing it said aloud proved a nice comfort.

“Of course. You want the usual?”

God, she’s so cool.

Yang lowered her voice. “Nah, not today. The girl with the white hair? That’s my captain. Prooobably couldn’t get away with drinking in front of her.”

“Mm, hard-ass?”

“She’s trying to be, but she’s, uh… not too good at it.” Yang gently smiled.

“Ah, I understand. That’ll be fun to deal with. Now go on, spend time with your friends, I’ll get everything ready.” She held out her fist.

Yang replied with a fist-bump, their own little greeting and goodbye, and walked over to the table where the girls had settled in. Taking her seat between Ruby and Blake, she leaned back and tried to catch up on the conversation.

“—Actually get to see you this time, Penny! No blindfold today.“ Ruby said.

“In-deed!” Penny replied, a small grin on her face. “Though, I apologize for the state of my appearance…”

Ruby suddenly looked to Penny, her brow creased and her fingers curled into her palms. “Oh, Penny, no! Don’t ever apologize for that. I think you look really cute!” She gave a reassuring smile.

“Oh, thank you, that means the world to me!” Penny exclaimed, though her smile seemed unsure. 

Yang felt her heart warm. The scene reminded her of Ruby earlier on in her transition. Confidence in one's attire, appearance, voice, it was all something one had to re-learn. Or learn in the first place, in Ruby’s case. Yang saw how hard it was for her, how hard it continued to be.

She decided to help the girl feel a little more comfortable. “Y’know, I don’t think I could wear that dress better myself, Penny. Really suits you, y’know?”

Her eyes twinkled. “Thank you! Yes, I feel very comfortable in it!” Her smile seemed just a little more genuine this time.

Yang noticed Weiss squint her eyes and scratch her neck. Right, she still doesn’t get it, huh?  

She almost wanted to test what Weiss knew and how she’d react, though she realized how bad an idea it was. Like poking a beehive to see who’s home.

Leaving it be, the conversations continued. The five roamed from topic to topic as they waited on their food, happily snacking on the breadstick appetizer Maria had brought out and enjoying each other’s company. Yang didn’t learn anything particularly substantial about her new team, though she did enjoy Penny’s remarkably in-depth explanation of how marbles are made.

She took a sip of the soda Maria had brought for her, and breathed easily. Yeah, this is nice.

Sometimes, Yang noticed, things could suddenly feel a little more real than they usually did. Colors become brighter, voices become louder. As she sat beside Ruby and Blake, she realized that very feeling had overtaken her.

She’d never thought she would be here again, having fun with these two, together, on such a calm night. But as she sat there listening in contentment, cloaked in the warm glow of the bronze lights hanging above and the faint golden hue of the sunset shining through the windows… she knew that this was real, and that it was okay .

She and Blake hadn’t spoken much since their reunion, and she couldn’t figure out Weiss, but… tonight? 

Tonight, Yang decided, would be one free of worry.

Blake had one overriding thought. God, Yang was so right. They chewed the final shred of meat off the bone. As far as ribs go? Pretty alright.

Ruby waved at Blake, trying to get their attention. “Blake, you’ve, uh, got a lil somethin’ there,” she pointed to the corner of her own mouth.

“Mm.” Blake pulled a brown paper napkin from the worn-down plastic napkin holder. It was completely covered in stickers, an indicator of this place having been around for a while, and probably being a little more lively most of the time. They wiped their mouth. “Thanks.”

Penny scribbled something into her notes, holding her clipboard tight. “Oh, the food was so excellent! Thank you for bringing us here, Yang!”

Blake looked over Penny’s shoulders and read her notes. Practically everything she had written down was about the scenery or food. Not sure those are the kind of notes Ozpin wanted you to take, Penny.

Weiss removed the handkerchief she’d tucked into her collar and clasped her hands together. “I must agree with Penny. Yang…” she hesitated. “You did a good job,” she said in a hushed tone.

Blake found themself surprised at the hint of warmth from Weiss. Kindness almost sounded unnatural from her. At least it was there, every now and then.

Yang hung her hands behind her chair. “Heh, thank you! And since this idea worked out,” she smirked, “I may or may not have another one.”

Blake tilted their head in curiosity. “So, we didn’t come here for a pleasant meal and some nice conversation.”

Yang snapped her fingers. “We did! But Ozpin said we need to build some trust, right? And I think this little idea of mine will help with that.”

Weiss sat up straight and narrowed her eyes in vague concern. “Well, what do you propose?”

“See, there’s this little game called Two Truths and a Lie—”

Ah.  

“So that’s your angle,” Blake smirked.

“It’s not an angle, Blake! That makes it sound so ominous. I just think it’d be fun.”

Weiss raised an eyebrow. “What is this game, exactly?”

It was no surprise to Blake that Weiss hadn’t heard of it. She gave every indication of being a sheltered and overprotected child. These little gaps in her knowledge, the way she talked to people expecting them to just inherently understand her and follow her orders…. Yeah. Spoiled rich kid, Blake thought, imagining it as a statement of fact. 

Mm, is that too harsh?

Blake often found themself quick to judge. Throughout most of their life, it’d been necessary to keep them safe. It was an instinct that had only steered them wrong once before, but… once was all it took to make them question every judgment they made.

It was hard to avoid lingering on it. Not least because the person they’d hurt thanks to that instinct still sat beside them.

Yang scooted towards the edge of her chair. “Okay, so! We go around the table, and whoever’s turn it is says three statements about themself. Two of ‘em have gotta be true, and one of ‘em has to be a lie. The rest try and figure out which is the lie. Simple, right?”

Penny grit her teeth, her eyes wide. “Oh, I’ve been told I’m very bad at lying.”

“Don’t worry! It’s easier when you’re supposed to.”

Weiss crossed her arms. “I’m struggling to see how a game about lying is supposed to build trust.”

“It’s more about the truths than anything else. Means we get to know each other some! Hard to trust someone you don’t know a thing about, y’know?”

A few seconds passed as Weiss considered. She uncrossed her arms and placed her hands flat on the table. “Fine. Let’s play.”

“Yes!” Yang exclaimed. Ruby gained a determined look, and Penny an excited one. “Alright, alright, I’ll go first since it’s my neck on the line.”

She stayed silent and rubbed her chin. Yeah, good luck trying to find something neither I nor Ruby know.

Yang clapped. “Got it! So, in the eighth grade, I went to this summer camp, right?”

Ruby groaned. “Olympic something-something Girl’s Camp. Still mad at them for not letting me go with you…”

“Yeah, I was pissed about it, too. But the crooks wouldn’t give dad his money back, so off to the forest I went. Anyway, while I was there… I came first in a mud race, kicked one of the councilors in the shins, and had my first kiss. ” She jokingly enunciated the last two words as if they meant something more than they did. “Any guesses on which thing I lied about, there?”

Mm, don’t remember hearing any of these. She did dance around the story of her first kiss that one time, though.

Despite the lead, they still all sounded annoyingly possible. Blake sighed. “Yang, knowing you, I wouldn’t be surprised if all three happened in a single day.”

“Uh, the two that are true actually did, thinking about it.”

Blake chuckled. “Naturally.”

Weiss raised a finger in question. “Are we allowed to ask follow-up questions?”

Yang shrugged. “Sure, why not? Adds a little challenge.”

“This first kiss of yours, who was it with?” Weiss held onto her cup of water with both hands, though only ice remained. Blake idly wondered if it made her hands cold.

Yang put her palm to her heart, a faux-surprised look on her face. “Damn, Weiss, don’t you know? A girl never kisses and tells~” Weiss’s face contorted in embarrassment, seemingly not getting the joke. “Kidding, kidding! It was this kid named Ash. Big reader.”

Wow. Sounds familiar.

Blake raised an eyebrow. “You have a type or something?”

Yang shook her hands. “N-nah! Just a coincidence!” She said, her nervousness carrying through.

“I was kidding, Yang.”

She half-heartedly chuckled. “Yeah, totally! I knew!” 

Sure. Blake smiled in amusement.

Ruby’s eyes darted between the two. Penny idly played with a straw, and Weiss looked very confused. They couldn’t blame her, the team captain was missing some pretty massive context here.

Weiss’s eyes flashed in some realization. 

Oh, did she just figure us out? Well, it was a good run.  

“I’ve got you, Xiao Long! You’re lying about the kiss,” Weiss accused.

Yang leaned back and smiled. “Oh, yeah? And how’d ya figure that?”

“Ruby said the camp was called ‘Olympic-something-girl’s-camp’. If it was a girls camp, then how could you have kissed a boy there?”

Ah. The cluelessness continues.

Yang laughed. “Yup, can’t argue with that logic. Anyone else have a guess?”

Blake and Ruby cast their vote for the mud race, and Penny cast hers for kicking the counselor. As each vote came in, Weiss looked increasingly befuddled.

Yang cleared her throat. “So, uh… that mud race? Yeah, I actually came in fourth. Still pissed about it.”

Ruby pumped her fist. “Yes! I know you too well, sis!”

“Wait—” Weiss tilted her head, and a line formed between her eyebrows. “So, what about Ash?”

Well, here we go.

Yang took a drink from her cup. She looked towards the ceiling with a subdued smile before she began.

“She and I shared a bunk bed. We spent every night talking to each other about regular ol’ tween stuff until we fell asleep. Boys, dreams, books and movies. One night, this bad storm came in, and she was terrified. I’m talking about ‘shaking nonstop’ levels of scared. And, well, I was worried about her. Told her that I’d protect her, that it’d be okay.”

She gently placed her cup on the table. “We took cover under a big blanket with a flashlight, and I held her. We spent the whole night talking again. This time, though, it was about her family, and mine, and all the things that made us feel comfortable. Safe. That included each other. When the morning came and the storm passed, well… she kissed me.”

Blake smiled. Yeah. Sounds like you.

Weiss stayed silent as she looked down and idly played with a sugar packet. Blake wondered what she must be thinking. She didn’t look angry, confused or surprised. Just… thoughtful.

Ruby grinned reassuringly. “I’m surprised I haven’t heard about this before. It’s nice.”

“Yeah, one of the councilors saw us kiss again and tried to separate us. So, uh, I kicked her. ‘S why I got sent home early! I was angry about it for years afterwards, that’s why I never mentioned it,” Yang shrugged.

Blake wondered what changed. Why could she talk about it now?

Ruby burst into her unique, melodic laugh. “Sorry, sorry! I just— kicking someone because they wouldn’t let you kiss a girl is the most you thing I’ve ever heard!”

Yang chuckled. “Fuck, yeah, it really is. Hey, I am who I am.” She rubbed her neck.

Penny raised her hand. “May I go next? It seems ever so fun!”

“‘Course, Penny! Go for it.”

She put down her straw and wrung her hands together. “Oh, I know! Okay, so, I’ve been kayaking with a friend, I spent a week alone in Paris, and I, um… I’m a— A painter!” She smiled widely.

Ruby grinned. “Penny, it doesn’t work if you trip over yourself like that.”

“Hm? Whatever do you mean, Ruby?”

She gently giggled. “Oh, nevermind, don’t worry about it. Is the lie that you’re a painter?”

“Oh, darn! You figured me out…”

Blake turned to her. “Penny, you’re supposed to let everyone guess before you say, remember?”

“Oh, right! My sincerest apologies,” she said, happiness still carrying through her voice. “Perhaps I can repay you with my Paris story on the walk back home!”

“Heh, sounds like a plan,” Yang said.

Weiss returned the sugar pack she was playing with to its holder before rising from her seat. She looked a little paler than she had before. “Please excuse me, I… need to use the restroom,” she said in a hurry before wandering off to another room of the restaurant, out of view.

Yang shrugged. “Huh, alright then. This is a multi-round thing, so let’s just keep going. Blake, you’re up!”

Something neither Yang nor Ruby would know. This’ll be tricky.

“Alright. Hm.” They froze in thought. “I used to have a pet spider named Nightshade, I once dated a black-belt, and cats freak me out.”

Yang snorted. “ Nightshade? You really named a spider that?”

“Yep. Or nope. You’ll have to guess.”

“And what’s with this cat thing? I know you don’t like dogs, but—”

“It’s the ears. Little versions of mine. It’s freaky.”

“...Huh.”

Ruby spoke up. “Hey, um, I think I’m gonna go check on Weiss.”

Yang nodded. “Yeah, good idea.”

“I’ll be right back!” She rose from her seat and headed the same direction Weiss went.

“Well, guess it’s just us!” Yang said, looking at Penny and Blake.

Penny scratched her head. “Perhaps we can take a break? I would very much like to go ask Ms. Calavera for more breadsticks!”

“Oh, yeah, that sounds good. Can you ask her to top my drink up, too?”

“Abso-lutely!” Penny exclaimed, before heading off towards the kitchen.

Blake and Yang stared at each other, now alone at the table. The orange glow of sunset had disappeared from the windows, now replaced with only a faint moonlight. Everything was quiet.

The two hadn’t spoken much since the match. Not alone. Blake had helped her make hot dogs when they were all moving in, and they’d eaten breakfast together since then, but… actual conversation? It hadn’t really happened.

I mean, where would I even begin?

“So, Blake!”

Oh, guess I don’t need to. “Yeah?”

“That training match today was pretty wild, huh?”

“Uh, I suppose so. Ren’s annoying to fight. Too quick.”

“Oh, that’s his name?”

“Yup. Lie Ren. I guess you haven’t had much of a chance to meet everyone on Team Juniper.”

Yang scratched her ear. “Yeah, not really. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to. Hopefully we get to before the tournament starts?”

“Hopefully,” Blake lied.

“Oh, I noticed you and Pyrrha had a vibe goin’ on. You two know each other?”

Blake knew this conversation would happen at some point. God, this’ll be a minefield. “Yeah. Her and Nora both.”

“Oh, yeah! Ruby told me about Nora. She sounds, uh…”

“She has a lot of energy, yeah. I met them both at Lincoln High.” Blake saw Yang’s eye twitch at the mention of the school. Blake had spent their sophomore and junior years at Aberdeen High. Living in Ruby and Yang’s hometown changed their life. Those were good years, which made their move back to Tacoma even harder than it already had been. Having to acclimate to yet another school for their senior year proved incredibly challenging. “I, uh, thought I’d be alone for the first few weeks. But once I joined the Lincoln Vytal Fight team, I met them. Nora and I bonded over us both being faunus, and Pyrrha was already Nora’s friend. It worked out.” Blake smiled.

Yang gently smiled in return, and it seemed genuine. “You talk about them pretty highly. Anything, uh…” Yang raised her eyebrows suggestively. “ Else goin’ on, there?” She asked in a joking tone.

Mm, here comes the hard part.

“No.” Wait, shit, why’d I lie? “Y-yes, I mean.” Blake quickly corrected themself, Yang’s head tilting in confusion. “Uh, nothing serious. It’s just that sometimes, we… you know.”

Yang leaned in closer. “Um, don’t think I’m picking up what you’re putting down. Unless you mean—” Yang paused, her eyes suddenly shooting wide and her mouth opening in realization. “Wait, do you three actually …” Again, she raised her eyebrows suggestively, her surprised expression remaining.

Blake closed their eyes and sighed. “Yeah. Occasionally.”

“Holy shit!” Yang laughed. “Sorry, that’s just— Well, it’s surprising! God damn, Blake!”

Blake buried their head in their arms, looking for some escape from the embarrassment. “Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s a whole thing, believe me. Pyrrha and Nora have their own crushes and shit, and we’ve gotta keep it on the down-low, but it’s just— Oh, god, I don’t even want to talk about it.”

“Heh, I believe you! It certainly does sound like a whole thing.” Yang laughed, looking almost in disbelief. “Shit, wait, you probably wanted to end up on a team with them, didn’t you? Sorry, if I realized giving you my name tag would lock you into our team then I—”

“Don’t worry about it, Yang. It’s not a big deal. I like this team too.”

“Ah. Well, alright.”

“And, besides, that was… important.”

Yang lowered her eyes. “Yeah.”

A moment of silence passed.

Yang looked back towards Blake. “You know, I’m glad you didn’t end up alone. At Lincoln, I mean. And in general.”

Blake raised an eyebrow. “Is that something you were worried about?”

“Yeah. Hell, I worried about that even when you were still in Aberdeen.”

Blake's ears flattened unwillingly. “I… guess I can’t blame you. But, yeah, it’s okay. I have people.”

Just not the people I need.

Yang grinned and gave a thumbs up. “Hell yeah!” Blake smiled in return. “Anyway, uh, where’d Penny go?”

The two turned around, finding her behind the bar. Maria was chuckling as Penny chugged a dark, bubbling drink.

Wait, what?

Yang stood up and shouted. “Penny, no!”

A cold air washed over Ruby as she slid the door open.

Weiss leaned against the rails of the outdoor dining patio, looking out to the river. She was cast in the blue glow of the night sky and the ambient light of the city.

“You okay, Weissey?”

‘Cause ya sure don’t look okay….

Weiss turned around to find Ruby. She was expressionless, apart from her eyes hanging a little lower and looking a little darker than they had before. “Hm? Of course.”

Ruby walked forward and took her place beside Weiss. She wanted to watch the river, or look at the skyline, but….

She looked towards Weiss instead. “Hey.” Her tone of voice was reassuring, and her smile gentle.

Weiss glanced at her. Her eyes suddenly became a little more alert as her eyebrows shot up. “H-hey.” A moment passed in silence before Weiss pointed towards the skyline. “Look. You can see the top of the Space Needle from here. Just barely. It’s small, but it’s there.”

Ruby didn’t turn her gaze from Weiss. She couldn’t. Not when she looked so… lonely. “Ya feelin’ homesick?”

Weiss looked down towards the shorter girl. “No.” Definitive.

“You’re not missing Winter or anyone?”

“Well… yes. I miss her. But I’ll probably see her more up here than I ever did in Los Angeles. Work brings her to Beacon occasionally.”

“That’s exciting! I can’t wait to meet her, she sounds pretty neat.”

“Mm. She is.”

“But, Weiss, if you’re not homesick… then what’s wrong?”

Weiss’s face became tighter, her eyebrows furrowed in frustration. She pulled away from the railing and crossed her arms. “Why do you assume something’s wrong?!”

Ruby felt the hair on her arms stand up. Her shoulders tensed as anxiety took hold of her. Oh god, what’d I do?!

No, no, keep calm. She really does feel bad. She’s just gettin’ all puffy to cover it up.

Ruby took a deep breath. “S-sorry, Weiss. It’s just… you look sad. I know we haven’t known each other for long, but you’re being quieter and more distant than I’ve seen you before.”

“So? What’s it matter to you?” Weiss set her jaw.

“That thing you told me, when my back was hurting? About trying to communicate? That goes for you too, Weissey. I’m… worried about you.” Ruby could hear her own voice fluttering.

Weiss’s expression changed to one which almost seemed pained. She quickly turned around, placing her back to Ruby.

A long moment passed before she spoke. “God, you’re such a dolt.”

Ruby braced, expecting to be pushed against a wall again. Weiss simply turned back around, her arms limp at her side. “All those stories in there? The things Yang and Penny and Blake have done? With their friends, and… whatever. I haven’t done any of that. My entire life has been about keeping up appearances. Attending company meetings in painful dresses and caked in makeup, getting perfect grades so someone can glance at a piece of paper and pretend to be impressed—”

Her voice became strained. “Doing everything I possibly can, every single day, just to look like the perfect little heiress for our company!” She walked back to the railing, her knuckles whitening as she held it. “I had to after Winter finally had enough of father and left for the military. And that’s okay. I can be heiress in her place, it’s just…”

That’s what Ozpin meant when he referred to her as having ‘high status,’ Ruby realized. It also explained the mysterious appearance of a truck full of new furniture to their team house, and the fancy clothes, and so, so much more.

Weiss sighed. “Even Vytal Fight. It’s only for appearances. The company has a lot of money tied up in the NVFL. He made Winter and I become fighters because he thought his children playing the sport would inspire confidence in investors.”

Ruby held her hand to her heart. “Do you… not like Vytal Fight, Weiss?”

Weiss paused in thought, looking into the horizon as if she could find an answer in it. “I love it. It’s the only part of my duties that I actually enjoy. The only part of my life, really. And now, I’m a captain.”

“But…?”

“But I’m failing.”

A gust of wind swept across the patio, unseating a strand of Ruby’s hair. “You’re upset about how training went today? Is that what you mean?”

“I completely screwed it up!” Weiss exclaimed, smacking the rail with her hand. “I made a bad call, and when Yang called me out on it, I just—” She paused, her anger lulling back to sadness. “It’s taking everything in me to not get frustrated. Those three, in there, and you… I don’t know how to deal with you. You’re all too different. And I’m…”

“You’re…?”

Weiss suddenly straightened her back and took a deep breath. “I’m your captain. I shouldn’t be talking about this with you.”

Seriously?! Back to this? God, what does she think we are, an army platoon?

Ruby sighed. She couldn’t be mad at Weiss. Not when she understood so well.

“Weiss, you don’t think I know how it feels to be different from everyone around you?”

“What? Why would you know how it feels?”

“Becau—” Ruby’s voice caught in her throat. Ah! She still doesn’t know! M-maybe now’s a good time to tell her? But, no, that’d just distract from her problems. Oh, God, uh…

“Ruby?”

Ruby exhaled. Just… feelings. Explain the feeling. She turned to Weiss, and as difficult as it was, she looked her in the eyes.

“Weiss, you feel like no one gets you, right? Like they don’t even try to. You go through your life trying to be as happy as you can, where you can, but then these stupid societal expectations get put on you by everyone. Even by the people who supposedly love you. They say you’re supposed to just grin and bear it, but every day you get more and more angry because you feel like if they'd just listen to you and let you explain, from the bottom of your heart…”

“Then they’d understand.” Weiss’s voice had calmed to a rhythmic, warming lull.  “So you do know how it feels.”

“More than I know how to explain, Weissey.” She smiled.

Weiss looked towards the city, and Ruby joined her. At some point, the wind had come to a still.

“You’re not alone, Weiss. They might be different from you, but… we’re all different from each other, y’know? Just give ‘em some time, okay? Let them see you and get to know you like I have. The more you open up to them, the more they’ll open up to you!”

“Or they’ll decide they hate me. Think that I'm not good enough. That I’m a disappointment, and that if they had a better captain—” Weiss’s breath shook.

Ruby reached towards Weiss and held her by the shoulders. “Weiss! No! They’re— I’m not like that. I don’t think you are either, you know? Like, just think about it the other way around! I’ve not been doing too hot in the matches, but you don’t hate me for it… right?”

Weiss met her gaze. “I don’t know if I could ever hate you, Ruby.” She smiled.

Ruby saw the lights of the city reflected in her captain’s pale blue eyes, their depth drawing her in. For the second time since they met, Ruby found herself unafraid of looking into Weiss’s eyes. No, she was utterly immersed in them. In their beauty.

In her beauty.

Ruby felt her face grow warm, and Weiss, too, began to blush. And for a brief, fleeting moment, Ruby wondered…

If I closed my eyes, tilted my head, and moved just a little forward… would she do the same?

…A cruel pit formed in Ruby’s stomach, and her heart ached.

N-no. She could never be into me. Not how I am.

Weiss smiled gently, her eyes half-lidded. Ruby never wanted this moment to end. 

But it has to. For Weiss’s sake.

Ruby tentatively removed her hands from the taller woman’s shoulders. Weiss’s brow creased, though her smile remained. “U-um… Weiss, it’s the same for me too, you know? And for them. I don’t think any of us could ever really hate each other, because we’re all in this together, okay?”

Weiss breathed in the night air, seeming to think hard before her response. She closed her eyes, and exhaled. “Okay.”

Two simple syllables, but a weight lifted off Ruby’s shoulders as she heard them.

She beamed. “I’m glad! S-so, um, wanna go back inside?”

“I… suppose so. Yes. Let’s go.”

Ruby headed for the door and slid it open for Weiss. As they walked back to the main dining area, Ruby felt something well up within her. An emotion that was deep, and tangy, and warm. One which made her body ache, and her heart beat faster. One which she was all too familiar with.

Longing.

And as she looked to her left, towards the white haired girl with the hard-earned smile, a terrible realization came upon her.

This feeling… isn’t gonna go away, is it?

Weiss screamed internally.

No, no, no! Oh god, what am I thinking?!

She tried everything to keep her composure as she and Ruby walked through the restaurant, back towards their team.

A terrible question lay on her mind.

Why did I want to kiss her?!

A barrage of confused emotions engulfed her as she recalled that look Ruby had in her eyes, how red her face was… how close they were. 

God! Okay, okay, deep breath… I’m not a lesbian. I can’t be. Lesbians are big and strong and have weird haircuts. Like Yang, apparently! I mean, her hair isn’t that weird, but she’s definitely big and strong! S-so yeah, it’s just that she got in my head with that stupid story she told us about her kissi—

Weiss’s remaining fortitude crumbled as she recalled the story. It started a domino effect of memories, ending with the one of her rubbing Ruby’s back. It brought on the strangest feeling Weiss had ever felt. A chill ran down her spine, but the rest of her body warmed immensely. She clenched her fists, as if she could hold on to whatever grace or stability she still had.

…God, this is ridiculous.

Ruby tilted her head. “Uh, you hear that?” Weiss grounded herself and listened. The faint sound of music and singing became louder as they walked.

♫ And now you won’t stop calling me, I’m kinda busy~ ♫

Little could have prepared Weiss for the sight she bore witness to as she and Ruby reentered the main room. Blake sat in a chair pointed towards the stage, legs crossed and a smirk plastering their face. On the stage, Yang and Penny were singing their hearts out into a microphone attached to a small, stereo-esque karaoke machine. Yang’s hair was a mess, and Penny looked far more red and relaxed than she had been before.

They sang in unison.

♫ Stop calling, stop calling, I don’t wanna think anymore! ♫

♫ I left my head and my heart on the dance floor! ♫

Weiss rubbed her temple. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Penny glanced towards them, noticing their return. She handed the mic to Yang and wobbled off the stage, nearly falling. She smiled at the sight of Ruby and nearly tackled her in a spontaneous hug.

“R-Ruby Rose! Friend! Salon— Sal— Sal-yoo-tations!”

Ruby patted the girl’s back. Her wide smile stood in stark contrast to her eyes, glazed in confusion. “Penny! Um… are you drunk?”

Penny straightened herself, as if standing to attention. “A good question! Please, allow me to run a system diagnostic!” The girl froze in place, seemingly in thought, before continuing. “Yes! You should also become drunk, Ruby! It’s ever so fun!”

Ruby laughed awkwardly. “M-maybe later, Penny! Thanks for the suggestion!”

Penny beamed a big, toothy grin. “Ooof course, Ruby Rose! Girls like us must stick together, you know!”

Ruby’s face flashed in some sort of realization, before twisting into a strained expression. “O-oh! Um… you’re very right, Penny! Yup! Uh-huh! We sure do!”

Girls like us? Huh? Oh, whatever.

Weiss marched over to Yang and prepared to scold her. “Yang, what did you do?!”

Yang held her hands up between she and Weiss in a defensive stance. “Wasn’t me, I swear!”

“Then who?”

Yang pointed towards the bar where Maria handed Blake a can of beer. A Coors Light.

Weiss shook her head in disbelief. “God. When you took us here, you didn’t mention that this place is run by a crazy old woman! ”

Ms. Calavera spoke up loud enough for them to hear. “I may be crazy, but hey, I know how to have fun.” How did she hear us from all the way over there?!

Weiss and Yang wandered over to the others, dropping the veil of secrecy. “What if cops come barging in here?”

“Piggies can try,” she snorted.

Yang burst into a guttural laughter. “See why I like this place?”

Frustration grew in Weiss’s chest as she clung to her own arms tightly. She felt like exploding— like disciplining her team for how immature and reckless the situation was, how fragile their positions really were as freshmen fighters, how stupid they were being….

It’s what father would do.

…At the thought, a pit formed in her stomach. Her frustrations dissipated, their space now occupied by an unplaceable anxiety. A pain.

Thinking about father never brought out the best of feelings, but tonight, it had suddenly hit Weiss harder than ever before. Maybe it was the physical exhaustion from the training match, or the emotional exhaustion from whatever Ruby was doing to her, but… her defenses failed.

In her mind's eye stood Jacques, a rose in one hand and a sword in the other.

He kneeled down to the level of a younger Weiss, and held them towards her.

“Choose.”

It was the day her mother had died.

The day that everything changed.

It was a sight that tormented her in her darker and more lonely moments. She could never escape it for long. Never escape him for long. She could remember so little of her childhood, now, but everything after that day proved to be quite unforgettable. The lessons, the expectations, the punishments she would receive had she not met them.

Were it not for Winter, she would’ve loved the man. She wouldn’t have known any different.

She wanted to scream. A part of her wanted to direct it towards her teammates for being so reckless, or Ruby for making her feel so confused, or herself for failing to maintain her composure.

She looked to them all. Talking, smiling, enjoying each other’s company. And to her side stood Ruby Rose, her cheeks still flushed and a stray strand of hair hanging in front of her face. 

“Um, whatcha thinkin’, Weissey?”

Why can they be so happy, but I…?

The anger still bubbled, just underneath the surface, a part of her yelling and screaming in anger. But another part of her, a gentler and braver part, came through just a little more loudly.

Let them have this. Just for tonight. It’s okay.

She exhaled.

Remember what Ruby said. The more I open up to them…

“What I’m thinking, Ruby…” she sighed and looked towards the stage, a karaoke microphone laying on the floor. “Is that I am so going to regret this.”

Weiss held the microphone tightly.

Years worth of operatic training, and it’s going towards this of all things.

Ruby, Blake and Yang stood next to her, all huddled around the microphone. Weiss waited with bated breath as the small screen on the karaoke machine scrolled, the lyrics slowly inching towards the top of the screen. 

Couldn’t Yang have at least chosen a song I know? Like Vera Lynn, Kate Bush?

Panels on the machine began to light up in an array of colors, the first notes begging to play.

Oh, this song is going to be awful.

Ruby smiled. “You sure ya wanna do this, Weiss?”

“Y-yes. It’s a team building exercise. We have to follow orders.”

Blake frowned. “Mm. You’re nervous. I promise you, this will be at least ten times as mortifying for me.”

Yang wrapped her arms around Blake and Weiss. “Don’t worry, the embarrassment is part of the fun!” What? How does that make any sense? “And if it’ll help ya feel any better, you can just follow my lead~”

A dot began bouncing along the lyrics, and Yang sang. “She’s into superstitions!”

Blake joined in. “Black cats—”

Ruby finished. “And voodoo dolls!”

Weiss jumped bravely into it, whatever ‘it’ may be. “I feel a premonition…” she gulped. “That girl’s gonna make me fall.”

Chapter Text

Five Days Later

On the 3rd of September, 2011, at 4:10pm

Everyone Prepared For The First Match of the Autumn Tournament

Coco Adel struggled to give a damn.

Oscar paced before her, walking back and forth in rhythm as if he were a metronome. The hazel-eyed teenager gestured with a scrap piece of paper as he walked, periodically looking towards her as if he expected some response. 

She nodded, entirely randomly. 

Sure, he was probably saying something that was important to someone , but that someone certainly wasn’t Coco. She happily chose to live in the bliss of ignorance.

Ugh, thank god for earphones.

She leaned back in her creaky wooden chair and fell into the embrace of her music.

The song began with the strumming of a smooth electric guitar, followed by a rhythmic beating which sent chills down her spine. And finally—

♫ I fly like paper, get high like planes, ♫

♫ If you catch me at the border, I got visas in my name. ♫

She tapped her foot to the tune, her entire world wrapped in the melody.

Music was one of only three things which could make Coco feel her best. When the other two weren’t possible, it was a pretty damn good go-to. Something about it made the world feel just a little more sensible.

Tragically, her isolation ended with a tap on the shoulder. Opening her eyes, she found herself face to face with the eternally-upset Professor Glynda Goodwitch.

“Guh, fuck!” She exclaimed, nearly falling out of her chair. Jesus, why so close?! Glynda rolled her eyes as Coco removed her earphones. “Uh, hey, boss.”

Oscar raised an eyebrow, staring at the earphones which now dangled in Coco’s hands. “Wait, could you not hear a single thing I was saying?”

Coco leaned back, smirking. “Sorry, kiddo, I only listen to the stuff worth hearing.”

“I was literally telling you the exact same thing she’s about to.”

She shrugged. “Then you should’ve looked scarier about it.”

Oscar sighed. “Sure, I’ll get right on that.” He waddled off, a mirthless and unamused smile plastering his face. He is too easy.

“So, boss, what’s up?”

Glynda extended her finger and put her flip-phone to her ear. “Hold on a second,” she said to whoever lay on the other end of the line. Turning her attention back to Coco, she narrowed her tired eyes. “Two things. The first: You need to go easier on him.”

Coco almost scoffed at the notion. The kid didn’t deserve to be there. Not by her estimation, at least. Being Ozpin’s adoptee child didn’t magically grant Oscar the passion or skill necessary for being a Guardian, and yet here he was, forced into the role for Team Juniper thanks to his old man’s obsession with the game. She didn’t blame him, but… if he’s just going to complain, then why listen?

Nonetheless, she wanted nothing less than to face the wrath of her Professor. Some simple lip service would be enough to insure that she didn’t. “Sure. What’s the second thing you need?”

“I need you to get a team name registration form from Velvet.”

I finally have a job, and it’s to visit my girlfriend? Damn, my lucky day. “Any idea where she is?”

“Ozpin’s office. She’s on secretarial work today, should be meeting with the team any minute now to collect it from them. I’ll need the paper back within thirty minutes, otherwise the announcer won’t have anything to call them. I highly suggest not letting that happen.”

“Hey, not my fault they waited until the last minute to come up with a name.”

Not that we were any quicker, she recalled. Trying to find a thematic link between everyone had proved difficult. So difficult, in fact, that they weren't entirely successful. ‘The Elementals’ could only really apply to Sun and Neptune. Still, she and Velvet were fine with it. If anyone ever asked, they’d just give them an alternative reason. We’re a force of nature.

“Mm.” Glynda returned to her phone call. As Coco zipped her purse and got ready to leave, she couldn’t help but overhear some of Glynda’s conversation. She spoke in a hushed tone, frustration carrying through. “Oz— Ozpin. Are you not hearing me? She’ll hurt someone and they’ll pin the blame on you. For the last time, tell them—” her voice slowly faded into the background as she left the room.

Coco sighed. Another emergency right before a game? Wow, just like the last fifty times.

She arose from her chair and walked towards the exit, weaving between computer desks. The prospect of getting some fresh air was, at this point, wildly alluring. The situation room— or ‘Icebox’ as it was colloquially known, wasn’t exactly a five star lounge. It was named after the sensation everyone in it felt during a game: Their blood, running ice cold. The room was a veritable palace of information; A dozen computer terminals lined a giant window overlooking the field, and a central media station full of TV monitors stood in the center. It reminded her of a newsroom, almost. 

From here, a Guardian could relay to their team battlefield information and tactical advice, and Professor Goodwitch could oversee the entire operation.

That they only had one Icebox for both teams’ Guardians? It wasn’t great. The job was a stressful one. Guardians could only study the battlefield for ten minutes prior to a game before a curtain dropped in front of their computer terminals, blocking their view of it. And after the curtain went down, anxieties went up.

Today would be both Penny and Oscar’s first game as Guardians for their respective teams, and Coco was relieved that they would, at the very least, not fling insults at each other.

Probably.

Leaving the Icebox behind, she entered one of the many long and cold utility tunnels in Amity Arena. Re-equipping her earphones and pressing the play button on her phone, she continued her journey in melodic bliss.

♫ If you come around here, I make ‘em all day, ♫

♫ I get one down in a second if you wait— ♫

A short jaunt down some stairs and through an exit led her to the practically unpopulated upper stands of the stadium. The lower levels, in contrast, were brimming with thousands of people. Vytal Fight matches were a core part of Beacon’s culture, and the student body showed up in droves for the first game of the season.

Still, this many people are here for the rookies’ first game? We sure as hell didn’t get this many.

As she traveled down the stairs and joined the thick of the audience, their excitement electrified the air. 

A vendor was swamped with people trying to buy snacks. One couple held their kid above the crowd so he could see the field, where a colorful forest had been set up, and where the University’s marching band played and cheerleaders performed their choreographed set. They threw their pom poms in the air, catching the sun’s light and sparkling brightly. The jumbotron danced with an array of colors and fantastical graphics, interspersed with photos of the school’s football team and The Cinders. Such were the festivities an audience celebrated on the grand occasion of game day.

Coco smiled. Yeah. This is what it’s all about.

Further down in the stands, a fan glanced towards Coco and her eyes shined in recognition. She began digging through her bag, extracting from it a notebook and pen. She held it out and grinned widely, a silent request for Coco’s autograph.

The Elementals certainly didn’t have the attention that The Cinders had, but they were still pretty famous among the informed student body. Coco totally didn’t let it go to her head.

She happily signed the girl’s notebook, ending her signature with ‘xoxo’. The fan mouthed something which Coco couldn’t hear. Whatever it was, she nodded, and the fan’s grin grew wider.

She continued her journey, carefully dodging the spilled drinks and discarded food littering the stairs. Having finally reached the bottom of the stands, she hugged the wall until she encountered the gate leading towards the field. The guard posted there held a hand up when Coco began searching for her I.D. card, instead letting her through without protest.

Finally on the field’s track, another obstacle stood in her way. The field itself. It had been turned into a veritable forest of rubber trees for the match, and going through it would prove far more time consuming than simply going around. So, track it is. The inner track seemed empty from her previous high vantage, but the outer side of the track was currently blocked by the marching band. She’d have to get past them, somehow.

She attempted to weave through them, stepping on a tuba player’s toes and nearly knocking him over. His instrument roared as if it were in pain, the errant note audible even through Coco’s earphones. She gave him a reassuring pat on his shoulder before finally pushing her way through them.

Now on the inside lane of the track, just beside the marching band, she began to speed-walk past them. So chaotic as the band was, she was thankful to move past them and now travel alongside a squad of cheerleaders instead. A coach quickly scurried up to her, said something in passing, and scurried back off just as quickly to instruct the cheerleaders. A mere moment later, a live image of her appeared on the jumbotron.

Oh, so they want a show?

She stopped and struck a pose, hand to her hip and lowering her sunglasses with her index finger. She smirked as she imagined what the announcer must be calling her. A rising star? A beacon of Beacon? The most fashion-forward fighter in the world?

A skycam followed her as she continued her walk, the band of cheerleaders now shadowing her as they twirled their batons and chanted the school’s alma mater. To Coco’s ears, their chants were replaced with the music she so loved.

♫ Everyone’s a winner, we’re making our fame, ♫

♫ Bona fide hustler making my name. ♫

She finally reached the entrance to the NVFL building attached to the stadium: The Outpost. Before entering, she turned to the skycam and waved a thankful goodbye. 

God, I love my job.

Basking in the glow of an audience was the second of the three things she could find true comfort in. She never lacked for confidence, but when she was on the field? It was utterly euphoric.

She pushed through the doors, now entering an entirely different world. The hallways were cold, sterile, and strangely quiet. According to the overelaborate white and gold clock on the wall, it was four twenty-five. The game started at five, so by this point, she imagined everyone was at their battlestations. Only a few things remained to be done, getting that form being one of them.

She briskly walked through the halls, navigating them as naturally as she did her own home. She’d probably spent more time in the Outpost than any other building on campus. As much as she knew it, it was still strikingly different from what it had been at the beginning of her freshman year.

Back then, it was a lively building teeming with colorful decorations, whiteboards covered in cheesy engineering puns, and a small team of passionate people. 

It had since become something else entirely. It almost felt like a laboratory, now. The walls were clean and white, and the people rarely looked anything but stressed. The decorations, so sparse as they were, had become far fancier. It was technically a stylish building.

But it isn’t mine.

She’d stumbled across a clear example of the driving force behind the change. Through a large window looking into a meeting room, she caught a glimpse of Ozpin. He paced back and forth, talking on the phone as two stout men in suits glared at him. Coco remembered what the bottom of their name tags said from her previous encounters with them. “Of the National Vytal Fight League.”

The NVFL’s henchmen.

She wondered if Ozpin was still on the phone with Glynda. What was it they were talking about? That ‘she’ will hurt someone?

An image began to form in her mind of what might be happening. She hoped dearly, desperately, that she was wrong.

Still, she couldn’t spend any more time on it. She walked the final stretch to Ozpin’s office, and entered to find Velvet behind the Professor’s desk. Her large rabbit-esque ears swayed as she lazily typed on the computer. 

Coco removed her earphones and the song faded away. The melodic sound of her girlfriend’s voice was all the music she needed. Velvet was the third and final thing which could ease Coco’s heart. She was so, so gentle. It was a tenderness Coco hadn’t often found in her own brash, fast-paced life. But Velvet? She could soothe her unlike anyone else.

She knocked on the doorframe, drawing Velvet’s attention. They both began to smile, a gentle air between them.

“Oh, heya,” Velvet happily spoke in a fluttering Australian accent. Her ears flattened against her head, and her eyes relaxed.

“Mon cher.” Coco smirked as she took a seat across from Velvet. “Keeping busy?”

“Everyone’s panicking. You know how it is.”

Coco laughed. “Yeah, I sure as hell do.” She’d yet to experience a game day that wasn’t full of chaos. It wasn’t exactly surprising, though. Chaos was a part of the game.

“So, is something up or did ya just want to cuddle up for the match?”

A subtle warmth came from deep within Coco’s chest. “I absolutely came to cuddle.” Velvet’s blush grew just a little deeper. “Buuut, it would involve some light rule breaking. I’m supposed to pick up the newbie’s name sheet.”

“Oh, uh, that might be a problem. They haven’t brought it to me yet.”

“Seriously?”

“Yup.”

“Well… damn. I guess they can face the music while we cuddle, then.”

Velvet giggled. “Guess so.”

Coco retrieved her phone, ready to call Professor Goodwitch and update her on the team’s absence. A thought stopped her as she dialed the first number. She could still be on the phone with Ozpin.

Her curiosity peaked. “Hey, bun, any idea what’s going on?”

“Hm?” Velvet tilted her head.

“With Ozzy. I saw two suits bugging him. I think it’s got something to do with her, ” Coco finished with a sneer.

Velvet rubbed her forehead. “Oh, yeah. Apparently, she wants some part in the match today. The Professor’s saying no, but the NVFL is backing her up.”

The warmth in Coco’s chest was ripped away, a sinking feeling creeping in to take its place. “The fuck? They want to put the psycho bitch of Beacon in with the freshmen?”

“W— well, I would’ve probably chosen different language, but yeah.”

“Christ, she’ll cut someone’s arm off.” Coco set her jaw. 

“I tried telling Ozpin that, but he said the NVFL have final say.”

“Final say? But it’s the school’s match, that doesn’t make any sense!” Coco’s frustrations bubbled through her voice, not at Velvet but at the sheer stupidity of the higher-ups. Do they not know what they’re doing?

Velvet sighed. “The NVFL pay the bills, Coco. The Professor can only upset them so much.”

Coco sunk into her chair and rubbed her neck. “God, it gets worse every year. Remember when this was an actual sport, and not just… glorified theater?” Velvet solemnly nodded. “School matches were still okay, but if they’re digging their claws into them, too? ”

“Hopefully this is just a one time thing, you know? They probably just want a little drama to kick off the season.”

Drama…? Christ.

Velvet placed her hand atop Coco’s. “It frustrates me, too. But it’ll be okay. Really.”

Coco took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. Steadily. She looked into Velvet’s gentle, loving eyes, and in them, she saw that Velvet really meant it. 

She took Velvet’s hand between her own, and nodded.

It will be okay. One way the other.

Coco’s thought was interrupted as four people ferried in, holding their weapons. They were deep in the trenches of their own hectic conversation.

“Ruby, we are not calling ourselves the Seattle Seahawks!” A white-haired woman exclaimed. Weiss, was it? Coco tried her best to recall their names from the inauguration. She had to write eight name tags, and recalling which tag belonged to which face proved challenging. Still, they were memorable enough.

“Awh, but why not?! It sounds so cool! ” Hard to forget Ruby.

“Cool? No, it makes us sound like bird people. Not to mention how unprofessional it sounds.”

A blonde woman laughed before interjecting. “Uh, it’s also already taken.” That’s… Yang?

Ruby sighed. “Really? Awh, man….”

“Do you seriously not know about the Seahawks? Okay, I’ve clearly failed in my sisterly duties somewhere.” Yang shook her head in mock disappointment, smiling all the while.

Wait, have they seriously not decided on a name yet? Coco tried to interject, but their bickering continued amongst themselves.

“What about The Winter Maidens?” Weiss posited.

A black-haired catlike faunus chimed in. Blake. “Seriously? What, are we all changing our last names to Schnee, too? No way we’re making this a corpo thing.” 

Yang tilted her head. “Huh? What’re we talkin’ about?”

“Wiess’s family is rich as fuck,” Blake elaborated.

Succinctly put. I respect it.

Weiss straightened her back as she explained. “In… less colorful language, the Schnee NXT Company works in robotics and specialized manufacturing. Most of my family fills out the higher ranks.”

“Damn, now that explains a few things.” Yang teased.

“L-like what?!”

Blake interjected. “You also have a sister named Winter, and your corp uses white theming for practically everything.”

Weiss sighed. “Right. I suppose I can see what you mean. I formally retract my suggestion.”

Ruby’s eyes grew wide, sparkling with some kind of interest. “Woah….”

“Hm?” Weiss looked at her.

“Robots….”

Coco noticed Weiss dawn an almost imperceptible smile. “Mostly just the kind you find in factories, Ruby.”

“That’s still cool!”

“I’m glad you think so. I can show you them sometime, if you’d like.”

“Yes, please!” The smaller girl held her hands together in thanks.

“Ehem.” Coco finally managed to interject.

“Oh, um, Coco!” Ruby recalled. “I remember you from the inauguration! Didn’t know you were a fighter then, though. Your minigun is so cool! ”

“Yes, it is.” Coco rubbed her forehead and sighed. Jesus Christ, these four. How the hell did they manage to knock Sun out of the training match if they’re this scatterbrained?  

She folded her hands together before continuing. “You’ve only got a few more minutes to decide. I’ll need to run that form back to Professor Goodwitch, like, stat.”

They all stiffened. Weiss narrowed her eyes before taking charge. “Alright. Any final suggestions?”

Ruby paced, and Blake’s ears flattened. 

Yang stroked her chin. A moment later, she snapped her fingers. “Hey, what about Ruby?” She spoke with enthusiasm.

Ruby looked towards her, confused. “Huh? Wassup?”

“No, no. R-W-B-Y,” she spelled. “It’s our initials!”

Blake scratched an ear. “That’s not ruby, that’s r-wuh-bee.”

“It doesn’t fit perfectly, but people’ll learn. Sounds kinda tech-y too, right?”

Weiss placed the form on the table and borrowed one of Ozpin’s pens. Each stroke of the pen made the decision that much closer to being final.

Ruby extended her hands in protest. “Wait, wait! People will think I’m the mascot or something!”

Weiss paused her writing. “Well, unless you have another suggestion, we’re kind of out of time.” Ruby puffed her cheeks in thought.

Yang put her arm over the shorter girl’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, sis’, you’ll be a great mascot! Just smile and wave~”

Ruby tried to speak in protest, but all that came out was a sputtering mess of syllables. Weiss finished writing the name and thoughtfully included a pronunciation guide below it. Handing the paper to Coco, everyone breathed a sigh of relief that they’d at least chosen something.

Even if it kinda sucks, Coco judged.

Velvet glanced at her computer. “Phew. Now that we’ve done that, it looks like you guys are good to go. Just head to the locker rooms for whatever final prep you need to do, and then be at the gate by 4:55.”

Ruby rocked back and forth on her heels. “Any advice from the pros?”

“Some,” Coco jumped in. “There are at least twelve thousand people in the crowd right now.”

A wave of palpable anxiety swept across the room. Ruby grew pale.

Coco almost laughed, holding it in only by the skin of her teeth. “You’ll have the spotlight on you. Be memorable,” she enunciated. “And kick total ass.”

“And remember to stretch!” Velvet added.

Weiss curtly nodded. “Thank you.”

Coco gave a lazy thumbs up as the newly christened team left the room.

Velvet covered her mouth as she gently giggled. “Were we ever that… um… that?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Aw, well, I’m sure they’ll still do great.”

Coco bit her lip, the sinking feeling in her chest returning once more. “They might not have the chance to.”

“...Oh. Because of her. ”

“Yeah.”

The room grew still as they both considered the awful possibilities. Coco knew all too well what might happen.

She suddenly stood up and held the form out to Velvet. “Can you deliver this to Goodwitch for me?”

“Oh, um, sure. I’m pretty much done here. Why, what’s up?”

Coco removed her sunglasses. “I need to run by the house and get my gear.”

“Hm? Why?”

She set her jaw. “I’m not going to let her hurt the new guys.”

“Ah…” Velvet gulped, her ears standing straight back. “That’s…” she sighed. “Yeah. It’s a good idea, as much as I hate it. I’ll work on getting a nurse ready, just in case. Just be careful, okay?”

Her eyes narrowed, and her breathing slowed. “Well, hey. The NVFL wants drama? I’ll give them some drama.”

Chapter Text

In the warm and dimly lit dressing room, Ruby sighed in relaxation. Yang gently combed her hair as she sat in a fancy cushioned chair, pushing into the padding in sheer comfort. Through the mirror in front of her, she saw her sister carefully settle a strand of hair behind her ear before moving on to the other side, sweetly smiling all the while. 

According to the old-looking digital clock on the table below the mirror, it was four thirty-nine. Twenty-one minutes until the game began, and until she had to stand before twelve thousand people and somehow win the first match of the Autumn Tournament. Ruby didn’t know which anxiety to be scared of more, but in a way, that uncertainty helped to ease her. She knew they were two anxieties everyone probably felt, even if one of them was a little different for her.

She studied herself in the mirror, wondering what those in the audience might see in her. In her high school matches, she typically wore standard paintball armor. It was never flattering, or good for her dysphoria. But in her first match at Beacon, the one which gave her a team to be a part of, she wore her very own dress in her very own style. To say that it was euphoric would be an understatement, and she made a quiet promise to herself after that match to never go back to the dull and masculine paintball armor. It was a promise which was now coming to fruition.

She now wore an all new outfit, one which she assembled specifically for fights. She retained her large, black boots, but her formerly black leggings had been replaced by dull red ones covered by black vinyl stockings. They were complimented by a vivid red skirt which was a component in replacing the dress she formerly wore. The other components were a cheap and easily replaceable white long-sleeve shirt, covered by a similarly cheap red mesh top. A vinyl corset protected it, and paint was able to be conveniently peeled from it without damage in the event she got hit. It also gave her a modicum of protection against impacts, something which she expected would come in handy. Her favorite parts of the outfit, though, were her own little touches. The hood, her gloved gauntlets and utility belt… and the rose emblem attached to it. The one her mother gave to her. 

Mom… what would you think… of me being your daughter?

The thought often crossed her mind. She held no doubts that her mother would’ve loved and accepted her, just like Yang and Taiyang had— even if it took her dad some time to get used to it. Still, she wished she could hear her mother say the words herself instead of just imagining them in her more quiet and introspective moments. She wondered what her mom might think that her daughter grew up to look so, so much like her. As Ruby looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t help but grin.

It had taken so many years, and so much pain, but Ruby could finally see someone she was comfortable with in the mirror. Her dysphoria still flared up often, but on most days? She was okay with her body. It was no less sweet a feeling that she’d apparently crossed some sort of a threshold where some people wouldn’t realize she was trans at first glance, Weiss somehow included. It had been a week and a half since they met, and still, Weiss hadn’t seemed to realize that Ruby was trans.

She was happy about it, and all the more scared because of it.

Yang moved from her sister’s hair and sat the brush down on the table. She kneeled in front of Ruby and reached for her corset strings, tying them into a neat little bow and using Ruby’s belt to hide them. She reached behind her and grabbed a black choker from the table, and gently wrapped it around Ruby’s neck. Yang’s attempt to fasten the choker tickled, though, and Ruby couldn’t hold in her laughter.

“Heh, sorry, sis’.”

Ruby giggled. “You’d think ya never put a choker on before….”

“I’m more of a bandana kinda girl.” It was a fact that was clearly visible as Yang wore an orange handkerchief around her neck. It matched well with her khaki-colored jumpsuit and dark maroon jacket. A purple bandana was also tied around her leg, just above one of her boots, though Ruby didn’t know the story behind that one.

Yang finally managed to clasp the choker, but she didn’t rise from her kneeled position. Instead, she looked into Ruby’s eyes, a line faintly creasing her brow. “Hey, Rubes, you okay?”

Ruby raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Oh! Um, yeah. Why?”

“Well, we’re about to do the biggest thing we’ve ever done, and you’re being weirdly quiet.”

She shrugged. “Just thinkin’ about stuff.”

Yang placed a hand on Ruby’s shoulder. “Hey, it’ll be alright. I know twelve thousand people is a lot, but just pretend they’re—”

“It’s not even that, really. I mean, I’m a little nervous about that too, but….”

“Somethin’ else? Must be pretty damn scary if it’s worse than a whole stadium of people staring at you.” Yang grimaced.

“Um…” Ruby hesitated in reply. She wanted to talk with Yang about this since their outing to Calavera’s, but they’d been so busy with training that she hadn’t found the time. Until now, that is. She gulped before beginning. “It’s, um… Weiss.”

“Yup. Terrifying.” Yang said in a sarcastic tone. Ruby giggled brightly before Yang continued. “What, you still afraid of coming out to her?”

“Kinda.” Ruby rubbed her neck as an uneasiness traveled through her chest. But it’s more than that, now….

Yang gently smiled. “Well… she didn’t have a problem with me, right? And even if she probably doesn’t get Blake’s deal, she’s still respecting them.” Ruby nodded. “Plus, since you’re her favorite~ ”

“H-huh? Favorite?!” Ruby felt her cheeks warm at the notion, though she couldn’t possibly imagine why Yang would think that.

The taller girl’s smile twisted into a smirk. “I mean, the way you two keep pairing up and wandering off together? It makes a girl think~”

“It’s not— I’m not—!”

Yang bubbled into laughter and grabbed her stomach. “Oh my god! You totally have a crush on her, don’t you?”

Ruby grabbed her own shoulders and furrowed her brow, “N-no! I—” Ruby paused. There was no use in denying it. She was bad at hiding her thoughts at the best of times, and Yang in particular could always figure them out. She closed her eyes and sighed, resigning to her fate. “...Yeaaah.”

“Well, that makes a few things click.” Yang’s eyes relaxed as her voice grew softer. “Gotta admit, sis’, your tastes in women are, uh… pretty damn interesting.”

“She’s just so different! She’s strong, but kinda soft at the same time? M-metaphorically, I mean! I think I can kinda understand her, too. But, um, I’m trying to stop thinking about it, y’know? I’m pretty much already over it. There’s no way it could work since I’m tra—”

“Ruby.” Yang said with authority, her face twisting into one far more serious.

“...Sorry.” Ruby realized she was doing it again; Falling into that same, cruel trap she so often found herself in. Yang called her out on it more and more frequently, and it helped a great deal, but Ruby couldn’t always escape her own self-deprecation.

“Don’t call the game before it even begins, y’know? And besides, it’s been a week and a half. I’m starting to wonder if she already knows.”

Ruby shook her head. “Mm-mm. No way. When she and I were talking at Calavera’s, I kinda… tested the waters? Just kinda explained how it feels without saying what it is, but she definitely didn’t get it then. No way she does now.”

Yang smirked. “Oh, so that’s what you two were doing alone? And totally not a sloppy makeout sesh’?”

“Yang!” Blood rushed to Ruby’s face as fire crackled down her spine. All she could do was hide in the hem of her hood. 

A belly-laugh erupted from her sister at the sight. She laid her hand on Ruby’s forearm and spoke sweetly. “Sorry, sorry. I do get it, though, really. You’re afraid of losing her, and her not accepting you is the most immediate and freaky way that could happen. Even if it isn’t likely, that doesn’t make it any less scary.”

Ruby solemnly nodded. Yang always understood her in the end, even if it took some explaining to get there. But, more and more frequently, it didn’t even take that much.

Yang reached out and guided a stray hair behind Ruby’s ear. She moved her hand down and held Ruby’s cheek before speaking in a soft and calm voice. “Well… I think you can trust her, Rubes. But no matter what, you’re not alone. I promise.” She leaned forward and kissed Ruby’s forehead, eliciting a giggle from the smaller girl.

“Thanks, Yang.”

She stood up and ruffled Ruby’s hair, immediately undoing all the work she had just done. “C’mon! Weiss is probably waiting on us.” 

“‘Kay!” Ruby jumped up and grabbed the hair brush from the table. She marched towards the door with a smile on her face. “Let’s do this!”

We have to win.

Weiss repeated the mantra to herself as she intently studied the whiteboard.

All was quiet in the small and cozy corner of the stadium’s locker room. The carpet was a calm beige and the walls of the corner a soothing green, which proved a sharp contrast to the rest of the room’s dark floors, walls, and gunmetal lockers. Across from the whiteboard sat an old and dusty sofa, its vibrant red now faded to a gentle pink from years of use by Beacon’s many athletes coming through the room. 

Blake sat on the couch with their legs crossed, idly watching Weiss stare at the whiteboard. They grabbed one of a few tubes of paintballs from the coffee table on their side of the sofa, popped open the tube’s cap, and poured the paintballs into an open compartment on Gambol Shroud’s hilt. It made a good deal of noise, but Weiss blocked nearly all of it out.

She was too deep in her own head. Her most serious and competitive side had taken over, and it spoke with a hungry authority.

We have to win.

We have to win.

There’s nothing more important.

The whiteboard was covered in crude illustrations of team tactics and formations. On the side was a list of strategies Team Juniper could employ based on whatever broad objective the match might entail, and each possibility had a detailed percentage of likelihood attached which Weiss had spent one of her late nights calculating. Penny, in a rather surprising feat, had memorized all of the data in only a single night and from a single text Weiss sent of the raw numbers, something which gave Weiss a degree of comfort in their new Guardian’s ability. She hadn’t had time to meet with Team Juniper properly so she could establish profiles for each of their members, but the data she’d accrue from that wouldn’t have been useful enough to justify the time lost in other areas.

She’d left no useful stone unturned. But would it be enough?

Winter had once told her, ‘A lady must always be prepared for the unexpected. That’s how you win.’ It was a piece of advice Weiss had taken to heart, but few sports had the freedom of Vytal Fight. That freedom was still guided by a set of rules, but they were so often bent to their extremes by fighters and organizers alike. There was only so much preparation Weiss could do because of it, and that proved to be maddening.

“Hey, Weiss.”

But at this point? All she could do was stay on her guard and trust in what preparations she had made. She and her team had spent the better part of five days training incessantly together. They had to. Juniper crushed them in the training match, and by every other metric too according to Ozpin. Despite that, this match was simply too important to lose.

It was the first match of five which made up the Autumn Tournament. Their trial by fire. The match that would either make or break the team. Whichever team won this first match would be the one who Beacon gave the more challenging and prestigious away-games. Having to fight non-Beacon teams also meant a grant for developing and refining their weapons, greater visibility to the public, and an increased likelihood of admittance into the NVFL.

“Weiss?”

They were all mere components of Weiss’s most important goal.

We have to be the best.

Because there’s nothing else we can be.

Not in the eyes of her father, who could take away the few things she held dear with nothing more than a single command. He’d done it before, time and time again. Was that strange ache in her chest hope that he wouldn’t do so again…

…Or acceptance that it was only a matter of time?

Tick, tock, tick.

Weiss looked past the drawings on the whiteboard and found the faint outline of her own reflection. She was pale, ghostly, unblemished. Like a doll made of porcelain, yet somehow without a crack. That she hadn’t become scarred after so many fights was nothing short of a miracle, but to her, it felt more like a lie. The woman in the reflection began to seem a little more unfamiliar each and every day.

“Weiss!”

She quickly twisted around to find Blake staring at her. They leaned forward with their brow furrowed and their ears flattened. The fabric of the sofa ruffled under their hand as they held the arm tightly, seemingly ready to spring up at a moment’s notice. Weiss suddenly realized what they were so concerned about. Her breathing had grown quick and heavy, and her knuckles whitened from tightly clenched fists.

“You alright?” Blake spoke, a soft concern carrying through their voice.

Weiss wrested control of her breathing, but the ache in her chest grew in its intensity. “I’m fine,” Weiss lied.

Blake leaned over the arm of the sofa, sneaking a glance past Weiss at the contents of the whiteboard. “You know, going over it again and again isn’t gonna help.”

Weiss frowned. “There’s only ten minutes until the game starts, I need to—”

The stare which came from Blake was deadly in its seriousness and intensity. “There is nothing on that board that neither you nor we haven’t memorized by this point. We’re as ready as we ever will be, so just….” Blake’s expression softened as they tilted their head and gestured towards the other side of the sofa. “Take a breather.”

Weiss puffed her cheeks in frustration. How dare they give their captain an order.

…But, they’re right. I’m not getting anywhere with this.

She sighed before walking over to the couch and collapsing into it. With a deep exhale, she wondered— when had she become so exasperated?

Mm, surprisingly comfortable. A high quality piece of furniture.  

Myrtenaster leaned against the old and stained wooden coffee table on her side of the couch. She gently lifted it by its shining hilt and ran her fingers along the dull blade, her mind once again wandering aimlessly. She wondered if the ache in her chest was simply a result of her armor being too tight? 

She and Blake were both in their full battle gear. Weiss wore a similar outfit as she had during the team selection, white with red accents in the jacket. The primary changes were a more noticeable white-to-ice-blue gradient in the dress, a pair of white legging to protect from paintball impacts, a barely noticeable increase of girth around her waist thanks to the addition of light armor under her dress, and a stylish looking utility belt which could serve as a place to hold Myrtenaster and her new, exciting gadgets.

It wasn’t comfortable. Her father said it shouldn’t be, that comfort wasn’t the point. Still, Weiss envied Blake’s far simpler outfit, monochrome in its stylings and light on armor or fabric. Even if it meant they’d hurt like hell when hit, they would at least feel relatively unconstrained otherwise. The vest also looked nice, she noted.

Weiss wondered what Ruby’s outfit would look like— if she’d retain the typical gothic leanings of her fashion, or if she’d go for a more utility-focused style. She hoped Ruby would at least avoid a helmet. She knew helmets were probably the right call; Most of the high-level players wore them. They were both protective and proved to be an effective source of propaganda, judging by the popularity of Cinder’s flame-themed helmet. But if Ruby wore one, it’d mean no one could see her smile, or the way she blushed when she got a hit on someone in the arena, or—

“Okay.” Blake slid close the compartment of Gambol Shroud and laid it across the coffee table, narrowly avoiding knocking the other tubes of paintballs off. They turned around to face Weiss, their expression menacingly blank. “You’re doing it again.”

Weiss noticed her breathing had, indeed, gotten away from her once more. “Ah. Yes, it seems I am. Apologies.”

Blake squinted. “You’re freaking out about something.”

“W-what? Blake, a captain does not ‘freak out.’ My mind’s just… wandering. That’s all.”

“Uh-huh,” they said in a tone ripe with suspicion. “Well, stop thinking about the match if it’s going to make you totally-not-freak-out. ”

Weiss scoffed. “I wasn’t even thinking about the match!”

“Then what’s got you all… puffy?”

“Ru—” Weiss stopped herself a moment too late. Drat. The shock gave her pause as the colors in the room gently shifted, her mood shifting along with them.

No way she could tell Blake about what had been happening to her, right?

Blake glared at her with an eyebrow raised. “Ru… by?”

Ah. Looks like I don’t have a choice but to talk about it.

Weiss sighed. “Yes. I was thinking about Ruby. But there’s nothing weird about that, because I’m her captain and I have to manage her training schedule and—”

“Interesting.” Blake rubbed their neck.

“N-no, it isn’t. There’s nothing interesting about it!”

“Weiss, since I met you, you’ve been barely anything but apathetic towards anyone. The only real exception is Ruby, who you keep paying a weird amount of attention to. And now you’re getting all breathy when you think about her?” They leaned forward, once again narrowing their eyes. “Something’s up.”

“I— can’t you go back to being all quiet and moody?! Since when did you get so nosey?”

“I’m bored, I’m exhausted from training, I’m admittedly a little nervous about the match and I’m anxious about… other stuff. So, entertain me.”

Weiss held her hand to her chest and scoffed. “I am not your personal clown!”

Blake smirked.

Weiss pointed at them in accusation. “Don’t you dare say whatever you’re thinking, or I swear I’ll—”

“Weiss, have you ever had a roommate?”

The sudden change in topic threw Weiss off. She exhaled and sat Myrtenaster in her lap, recollecting herself. “W-well, no. I had a private bedroom back home.”

Blake rolled their eyes. “Just call it a bedroom, Weiss. Putting ‘private’ in front of it doesn’t make it sound any more fancy.”

“I’m just being descriptive!” Weiss said, defensively. Her defenses, however, seemed to be working quite poorly.

“Whatever.” Blake waved her off. “Anyway, I get that you like to keep it professional. You’re just my captain, and I’m just your teammate. But we’re also roommates. ”

Just barely, Weiss thought. Their experience being roommates thus far had mostly consisted of coming home exhausted from school and training, eating a quick dinner and crashing into the mattresses which still lay on their floor. Everyone had been so busy since moving in that they hadn’t even had time to unpack much of anything else.

Blake continued. “And there’s a certain contract that comes with having a roommate. You can talk to me about stuff you wouldn’t normally talk to other people about. I wouldn’t tell anyone, because if I did and you found out, it’d make the living situation unbearably miserable.”

Unbearably miserable? Weiss hoped otherwise. There was something that gave her pause, though. “...Well, you haven’t shared anything with me.”

Blake shrugged. “I haven’t wanted to. It’s not a requirement, Weiss. It’s an offer.”

Weiss stayed silent. An offer indeed, and quite an unexpected one at that. Blake hadn’t been particularly warm to anyone, let alone Weiss, and she couldn’t tell if this constituted or not. The question of whether to accept their offer was even more confusing.

Blake shrugged at the silence before pulling out a stylish black backpack from underneath their coffee table. They unzipped it and pulled out a book with a crudely drawn red horse on the cover, flipping to a bookmarked page and reading in silence.

The competitive side of Weiss yelled at her to stay quiet, to not reveal this weakness of hers. But Weiss couldn’t move past the notion, the hope, that Blake might somehow know how to help her with… the Ruby situation. She was entirely conscious of the fact that she’d lived a sheltered life, and Blake seemed much more rugged and well traveled. If anyone would know, it’d probably be them.

Besides, it’s like Ruby said. The more I open up to them, the more they’ll open up to me.

“...I’ve been having strange feelings whenever I think of Ruby,” she said, hesitance quavering her voice. “Which is a problem, because I can’t seem to stop thinking about her.” A part of her grew angry at the perceived self-betrayal of revealing such a ridiculous weakness.

“Oh. Huh,” Blake replied. They silently returned to reading their book.

“That’s all?” Weiss furrowed her brow in frustration.

Blake shrugged, not looking away from the words on the page. “Probably not something I should get involved with.” Weiss felt the air grow unpleasantly still. 

It flowed once again, however, when Blake sighed and unexpectedly continued. “...You move to a new town, and you don’t know a single person there. You’re angry and alone. Then you meet this amazing, radiant girl who refuses to let you be lonely, who wants to be your best friend and won’t take no for an answer, and she becomes this shining light in a sea of uncertainty.”

“W-what?” The words took Weiss by surprise. She could barely digest them.

Blake turned from the book and looked into Weiss’s eyes. Their expression was blank, but their tone soft. “It’s natural that you’d develop strong feelings for her, but you need to understand where they come from, and what they actually are. You’ve latched onto her, but you can’t mythologize her. She’s just as flawed and complicated as you are. So… let each other be complicated.”

Are they serious? What’re they trying to imply?!

“You’re talking as if I have a— a crush on her, or something! I’m not a—”

“I’m not saying that, Weiss. Attachment, in whatever shape it takes, can form quickly and easily. From my limited window into this? You’re holding onto her like a life raft. No matter what all those emotions you’re feeling turn into, whatever shape that attachment takes, you have to remember that her feelings are just as real, deep and valid as yours. So, just… be human together.”

A wave of emotions washed over Weiss, so intense that she almost felt as if she were drowning. The idea that her father would allow her to make mistakes and be complicated was a ridiculous one, and the notion that she saw Ruby as a— a what, a life raft , Blake said? What does that even mean? Ruby was just a teammate, and the only reason she paid any more attention to her than anyone else was just because… of….

Mm… .

She couldn’t understand why.

The possibility that Blake could be right about some of the things they said was there. Weiss had to admit as much. But as she considered which parts Blake could be right about, her ache grew deeper, louder, and ever more sharp.

Have I just… latched onto her? Like a lost puppy? Is that really all that this is?

Is that all I am?

“How—” Weiss started, keen to know something else. “How do you know all this?”

Blake didn’t turn from their book. “Been through it.”

Been through it? Through being alone, through meeting a girl like Ruby, through… whatever this is?

Weiss’s mind flashed like a bolt of lightning, and a connection suddenly formed. She spoke gently and with uncertainty. “Didn’t… didn’t you say you and Yang were friends, once?” Blake nodded. “Was she…?”

“Yeah.”

Oh.

Weiss gulped. Just one last question. One, truly terrifying question. “And did you two…?”

“What?” Blake asked.

“Like… like in Yang’s story. With that summer camp girl.”

Blake suddenly lowered the book and glared at Weiss. “Are you asking if Yang and I kissed?”

Shivers flew down Weiss’s spine. She couldn’t escape the memory of her wanting to kiss Ruby during their night at Calavera’s. She had to know— was that just a part of this? Of latching onto Ruby, of her being a life raft? Would that incessant, vivid mental image keep popping up until she finally broke free of her strange feeling for Ruby? She cleared her throat and closed her eyes before finally continuing. “...Yes.” It wasn’t exactly what she wanted to know, but… it also was.

Blake only chuckled before returning to their book.

What Weiss had done suddenly hit her. She shrunk into herself, feeling more embarrassed than she ever had before. Oh god, what was I thinking asking them about this?! Another part of her felt justified in trying to keep her from starting down this road. Weiss cursed whatever cannibalizing emotion this was. 

She deeply sighed.

I’m such a dolt.

No more than a minute later, she heard shuffling and talking from the other end of the locker room. She twisted around to see over the back of the couch, and in the distance spotted Ruby and Yang making their way towards her past the lockers and benches.

It was time.

Blake quickly stowed their book. They hurriedly sprung up, gathered Gambol Shroud from the coffee table, and gave Weiss a helping hand to get up. Upon lifting Weiss, however, Blake didn’t let go of her hand. Instead, they whispered something in her ear with a smirk.

“To answer your question, Weiss?” Their voice oozed with mischief. “Yeah. We kissed. Once, and then again, and a hundred times more.” Weiss froze in place, her face becoming paler than it already had been. Blake chuckled and gave Weiss a pat on the shoulder. They spoke with a smile. “It’s like I said, Weiss. No matter what form that attachment takes, just be human together. You’ll be alright.”

The faunus moseyed off towards Ruby and Yang, leaving Weiss to gather herself.

Her attempts to were practically futile. Only a single thought passed through her mind, repeating over, and over, and over.

Oh, God.

The utility corridor was dark, musty, and loud. A large metal gate stood before Ruby and her team, and from just beyond it they could hear music intertwined with the roar of the crowd. The announcer began reading off an introduction for Team Juniper and their members, which meant it would only be a few more minutes before it was their turn to enter the arena. 

Ruby held her own shoulders tightly. She looked towards Weiss standing next to her, who was staring down the edge of Myrtenaster and ever-so-slightly shivering. Yang paced back and forth, holding her hands behind her back. Blake stood perfectly still, smirking gently, seemingly at ease. How are you so calm?!

Ruby saw as Weiss suddenly stiffened and took a deep breath. She turned around to face her team, a determined look on her face. “We’ve been training nonstop for the past week. We have our strategies prepared. We’re ready.”

Blake gave a thumbs-up. “Yup.”

Silence took hold once more. Ruby knew she was right, but— the stakes of the match which she’d been suppressing up to this point, trying to not think too harshly about? They were now weighing on her immensely. Yang too, it seemed, judging by the fact that she was now pacing and sweating bullets.

Blake held a hand out to stop her, placing it on her shoulder. “Um, you okay?”

Yang gave a crooked smile. “Y-yeah! Totally!” Sounds real convincing, sis’...

Blake pursed their lips. “You look like you have the flu or something.”

“Really?! Do you think they’ll notice?”

“Who?”

“The twelve-fuckin’-thou’ people out there!” Yang suddenly exclaimed.

“Oh. That’s what you’re worried about? Seriously?”

“It didn’t even hit me until just now. Who even knows how many people are gonna watch it on TV! What, double? Triple the amount?”

Blake shrugged. “More, probably.” Yang nearly keeled over then and there. “Look, just pretend they’re not even there.”

Yang looked at them incredulously. “Yeah, I’ll be sure to do that the second I whiff a punch and the crowd turns on our entire team and we lose and can’t go to away-games and—”

Blake sighed. “You’re doing the thing.”

“What thing?”

“Yang-blaming,” Blake replied. Yang’s face immediately twisted into a more still and pale version of itself, and her shoulders sunk. Ruby walked towards her and took her into a hug, knowing just how bad a hole Yang could fall into. 

Weiss looked at Blake. “Yang-blaming? Is that something from when you two were, um… friends?” She finished with a strange intonation. Oh, Ruby wondered, did she finally figure out they used to date?

Blake nodded curtly. “Yeah. But it’s… it’s okay, Yang. Really, it’s all okay.” The sullen girl smiled mirthlessly in reply. Blake’s ears flattened and their brow creased in worry.

Weiss looked between the two and set her jaw. “We… we have to win this.”

“Not helping!” Ruby loudly whispered.

“What? We do. If we don’t, then we’ll just keep doubting ourselves.”

“But… Juniper has been running circles around us,” Ruby said in resignation.

“They have been,” Weiss nodded, “and we have some catching up to do. But that gets done today. The selection committee chose us to represent Beacon, the same as they did Juniper. We are just as good as them, and once our training pays off? We’ll be better.” She smiled menacingly, the determination clear in her voice. She walked over to Yang and stared the taller girl in the eyes. “Yang, you’re an important part of this, but you’re not alone. We’re a team,” she looked to the others, “all of us combined. We can do this, together.”

“Yeaaah!” Ruby exclaimed, now fully into it. Blake smiled, and Yang straightened up. The haze lifted from her face, replaced with a determined look all her own.

Through the rumble outside, the announcer roared.

“AND NOW, WE MEET JUNIPER’S SISTER TEAM, YET ANOTHER BAND OF BEACON’S MIGHTIEST CHAMPIONS. LET THEM HEAR OUR PRIDE, AND HEAR IT LOUDLY! I INTRODUCE TO YOU….”

The metal gate rolled open, and the light of Amity Arena now shone upon them.

“TEAM RWBY!”

Chapter Text

Weiss charged through the breeze as fireworks flared against an orange sky. The audience roared in harmony with the music, a symphony of noise and excitement electrifying the air. 

The stands were only a fourth of the way full, but the number of people in them was still overwhelming . Weiss looked to her team, walking alongside her as they marched their way to the endzone, the rhythmic banging of drums subconsciously guiding their steps. Yang waved to the audience, her previous anxieties now seemingly replaced with the same adrenaline surging through Weiss’s veins. Blake simply smiled.

Weiss stared deeply into Ruby’s eyes, the reflection of the fireworks dancing within them. Her innocent expression of awe and wonder enchanted Weiss, her heart now beating even faster than it already had been.

Even if I have just latched onto you, Ruby, I still….

Weiss shook her head. No, no, we don’t have time for this! We have to start strategizing.

She touched a button on the small black earpiece she’d equipped, establishing a direct line of communication with her team’s Guardian. “Penny, can you read me?” She had to practically yell over the crowd to even hear herself.

“Salutations, Captain! I can read you loud-and-clear!”

Her voice was somewhat tinny through the radio connection, made all the worse by her loud volume, but she was still legible enough. “Great. How long until they blind your view of the arena?”

“Four minutes, twenty-two seconds!”

“Okay.” Weiss paced with her hands clasped behind her back. “Lay it out for me. What are we working with?”

“It seems like a fairytale-themed forest! It’s much more dense than anything you’ve fought in so far, though. There is a huge amount of trees and bushes, many cobblestone walls blocking paths, and one small building on each side of the arena!”

Weiss studied the wall of colorful rubber trees and bushes beginning just past the endzone. Indeed, it was monstrously dense.

Penny continued. “I have mapped out some of the more usable pathways through the forest! They’ll still be difficult to maneuver through, but they will certainly be better than nothing. There is one weird thing, though….”

“Hm?”

“All of the paths are emanating from this strange… pod… thing? It is a black egg-shaped structure approximately ten feet tall, situated on the east side of the fifty yard line. I believe it to be of great significance, captain!”

“Noted.” Though Weiss didn’t yet know the objective of the match, she decided to make full utilization of Penny’s skills and give her some preparatory orders. If even only one of them ended up being relevant, it was still an advantage. “Find a good place for us to set up a defensive line near the pod, and figure out which path Juniper will most likely take to get to it”

“It will be my pleasure!”

Weiss looked up and noticed team RWBY’s arrival to the endzone displayed upon the jumbotron. The camera quickly zoomed into Blake. Weiss tapped their shoulder and pointed towards the screen, drawing their attention to the image. They rolled their eyes at the sight.

The roaring music lulled as the announcer spoke over the loudspeakers.

“AND NOW, DEAR AUDIENCE, WE MEET THE TEAM. HEAR THEIR NAMES, FRIENDS! HAVING EXPLODED ONTO THE SCENE WITH META-BREAKING TACTICS, BE FEARFUL TO MEET THIS MYSTERIOUS ALUMNI FROM LINCOLN HIGH… THE SHADOW OF TACOMA, BLAKE BELLADONNA!”

The audience cheered. Blake, conversely, crossed their arms and scoffed. “The announcer really butchered my last name for a bad rhyme. Great.”

Ruby suddenly widened her eyes in… shock? Concern? Weiss couldn’t tell.  “W-wait, they’re doing names?!”

The camera turned to Yang and Ruby. Yang pulled her sister into a half-hug, holding her arm over the smaller girl’s shoulder and giving a thumbs up to the camera. “It’ll be okay,” she said under a hushed breath only her team could hear.

“FROM ABERDEEN HIGH, HAIL TO THE DUO OF THE HEAVENS! SUN AND MOON, LIGHT AND SHADOW, FIST AND SCYTHE… RUN FROM THE COMBINED MIGHT OF YANG XIAO LONG AND RUBY ROSE!”

Ruby breathed a sigh of relief and waved to the camera. The white noise echoing through the stadium increased in volume as the audience thundered.

A live feed of Penny in the Icebox appeared, and she smiled widely and waved with incredible enthusiasm.

“FROM SEATTLE’S VERY OWN NOVA HIGH, MEET THE GIRL BEHIND THE COMPUTER, THE GUARDIAN ANGEL TO RWBY’S EARTHLY FIGHT, THE OVERSEER OF ALL THEIR MIGHT… PENNY POLENDINA!”

Ruby smacked her forehead. “We forgot to include her initials in the team name! Shoot, I knew we were forgetting something….”

“Doesn’t seem like she’s too torn up about it, though.” Blake observed. Penny awkwardly bowed before giving a double thumbs-up, still smiling all the while, and the crowd began to chant. PE-NNY! PE-NNY! PE-NNY!

Wait, why is she the one that gets a chant?

The display quickly flickered back to the outdoor skycam, its focus now squarely on Weiss.

Oh, great. Here we go.

“AND FINALLY, THE CAPTAIN OF THIS IMPOSING TEAM IS NO LESS FORMIDABLE HERSELF. HAILING ALL THE WAY FROM EXETER PRIVATE HIGH IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, BOW BEFORE HER MAJESTY! YOU WILL KNOW HER NAME, AS SHE IS ROYALTY AMONGST US, A QUEEN OF ICE WITH A HEART OF FIRE. SHOULD YOU SEE HER BLADE, YOU WILL KNOW THE UNBENDING MIGHT OF HER BITE… WEISS SCHNEE!”

Weiss grimaced. Why the royal theming?!

Yang erupted in a warm belly-laugh. “Man, they’ve really got you figured out.”

“What does that mean?!”

She smirked and shrugged in reply.

Ruby snickered. “Anyone else notice they used ‘might’ as a rhyme for three of our intros? Geez, who writes these?”

“YOU’VE NEVER SEEN A MATCH LIKE THIS ONE, PEOPLE!”

As the announcer spoke, a graphic representation of the field appeared on the jumbotron with a flashing red ‘x’ on the right side of the fifty-yard line. The animation zoomed into it as it faded away, replaced with a 2D representation of what Weiss presumed to be the ‘pod’ Penny spoke of.

“THE GOAL IS SIMPLE: YOUR TEAM MUST ACQUIRE A KEY TO OPEN THE POD AND COLLECT YOUR TROPHY.”

In the animation, the pod split into four quadrants, each one slowly lowering to the ground. Inside was a flashing graphic of a golden trophy.

“BUT, THERE’S A CATCH! I MEAN, ISN’T THERE ALWAYS, PEOPLE? THE KEY YOUR TEAM NEEDS TO OPEN THE POD… IS A FIGHTER FROM THE OPPOSITE TEAM!”

Yang raised her eyebrows. “Oh, shit.”

“SO, TEAM JUPITER AND TEAM RWBY: CAPTURE A MEMBER OF YOUR OPPOSING TEAM, BRING THEM TO THE POD, AND PLACE THEIR HAND ON THE SCANNER. ONCE YOU’VE DONE THAT, YOU MAY COLLECT YOUR PRIZE. SO, ARE WE READY, PEOPLE? CHEER ON BEACON’S VERY OWN AS THEY ARE FORGED IN FIRE, WEAPONS WHICH WILL PROTECT AND FORWARD OUR STATUS AS THE BEST SCHOOL FOR VYTAL FIGHT IN THE WORLD! SO, LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN!”

The audience cheered as a countdown appeared on the jumbotron, starting from 120 seconds. A song accompanied it, and the audience quickly began to pound their legs on the stands and clap their hands in tune.

♫ You got mud on your face, you big disgrace! ♫

♫ Kicking your can all over the place— ♫

Ruby and Yang launched into an unrefined and un-choreographed dance, vaguely following along to the song playing over the loudspeakers. Blake folded their arms and smirked at the two, enjoying it in their own way.

Weiss almost laughed at the sight, but she forced herself to look away. They couldn’t see their captain break face just before a match, and besides, she had a lot of new information to sort through. Two minutes to come up with a plan. No time for playing. She tapped her earpiece once again.

“Penny.”

“Captain!”

“That defensive line, scrap it. Start mapping scouting locations instead. After that, bring up that path I told you to find, the one Juniper will probably take towards the pod. Find good places on it to set traps.”

“Got it!”

Weiss whistled loudly to her team. Ruby and Yang stopped their dance, joining Blake in forming up around their captain. 

“Everyone, I’ve got a plan.”

Ruby threw her fist into the air. “Yes!”

“I’m treating this as an attack/defense match. Juniper's probably going to stick together and play defensively as a single unit. In response, we’re going with maneuver warfare. Our endgame is to split them up, isolate them, and pick them off until there’s only one left; Preferably Jaune or Nora. Yang, you’ll disarm whoever remains, and then we’ll take them to the pod.”

Yang punched her fists together, a devious smirk lining her face. “Sounds pretty damn fun!”

Weiss wanted to say that, no, it wasn’t fun— it was the most important game of their entire sports career, and any slip-up would have drastic consequences. She’d slowly grown to understand, though, that Yang had a particular parlance to her. ‘Fun’ was a concept applicable to far more things to her. That in mind, and not wanting to waste any more time, Weiss simply nodded. “Indeed.”

A guitar riff suddenly played over the loudspeakers, slowly swelling into something more and more grand. Weiss glanced at the countdown. Twenty-eight seconds left.

She hurriedly continued. “In the meantime, we’re going for a ladybug opening.”

Ruby looked towards Blake, wearing an uncertain expression. “That’s where you and I scout, right?”

Weiss quickly answered on their behalf. “Correct. Penny will tell you where to go, just tap on your earpiece once to get her attention. If you see any of Team Jupiter on their own, consult with Penny and I before you engage, understood?”

Everyone nodded.

“And one last thing. There’s every possibility that I could be wrong about them playing defensively, so keep an eye out for enemy scouts.”

Blake's ears pointed forwards attentively. “What are you and Yang doing?”

“We’ll be preparing the B-plan near the pod.”

The music swelled as the last few notes played, ending with a sudden burst of fireworks and the loudest roar from the audience yet.

Weiss cracked her knuckles. She couldn't tell them how much her body ached from the stress, or how much truly rode on the outcome of this match. All she could do was try everything she could to bring them to victory.

She took a deep breath, and looked Team RWBY in the eyes, one by one. “Okay, everyone has their orders. Let’s do this.”

“Now, go thirteen feet forward and then stop!”

Ruby diligently followed Penny’s instructions, stepping carefully through the thick brush. The forest was one of rubber, plastic, styrofoam, cardboard and plywood. It made it no less troublesome to navigate as the colorful ‘vines’ below her feet turned the astroturf into genuinely hostile terrain. The trees, in their own unique shapes and shades of color, turned visibility into a precious commodity which Ruby was sorely lacking in.

She wondered how the audience could even see what was happening. Studying the environment closer, however, she found an answer. The trees quickly grew thinner as they rose, meaning visibility was likely only a real issue at ground level, and inset into the occasional out-of-theme looking tree were round domes of black plastic.

Cameras, she imagined, supplementary to the skycam which hung from large cables splayed across the stadium. 

Cool...!

There was something so magical to the stadium in Ruby’s eyes. The sheer thought, technology and logistical effort which went into maintaining and setting it up was incredible. She wondered who built the obstacles for Vytal Fight matches, who decided where to put them on the field, how they did it so quickly and how many people were involved—

All questions she’d love to ask Ozpin, if she could ever get ahold of him. The man proved elusive outside of predetermined meeting times, and Ruby herself had been incredibly busy training for the match. But eventually, maybe, she’d get to know.

She stopped, having exhausted Penny’s instruction.

…Actually, maybe there is someone she could ask who might have some answers? She decided to try, at the very least, starting with her most pressing question.

“Hey, Penny?”

“Yes, friend Ruby!”

“Um, do our matches also do that thing the NVFL matches do where we’re mic’d up so the audience can hear us?” She dearly hoped not, still somewhat self-conscious about her voice. Vocal training had done a lot, but there was still this slight twinge which frustrated her during her more dysphoric moments.

“Yes!” Penny paused for about six seconds before suddenly continuing. “Occasionally, a fighter’s microphone audio will be broadcast live into the stands and onto television feeds. It is mainly reserved for instances of strategic dialogue which are relevant, endearing moments, or for more informative interactions such as this! Our conversation is being broadcast right now, for instance!”

W-what?!

Ruby’s blood ran cold. Upwards of thirteen thousand people could hear she and Penny right now, a fact which nearly froze her in place.

Oh god, what if I have to sneeze?!

She slowed her breathing and waved towards the tree camera closest to her with a crooked, but well-meaning smile. Gotta be brave, gotta be brave… “H-hi, everyone!” She said in a higher pitch than intended.

She heard a rising noise from the audience, though most of the detail was muffled by the forest surrounding her.

“They say hello back!” Penny replied.

“C-cool! So, um, how do you know when your mic is on? Is there a way to tell?”

“Yes! Your earpiece has a light on it. You should be able to see the glow out of the corner of your eye. Blue means your audio is being broadcast to a member, or members, of your team. Red means it’s going to the audience, and purple means it’s going to both!”

Ruby glared out of the corner of her right eye, and sure enough, she spotted a faint purple glow. “Um, cool! I’ll try to, y’know, not say anything embarrassing, then….” Once again, she could hear a faint buzz from the audience, though it sounded higher pitched than the last one. The purple glow turned to blue, and Ruby breathed a deep sigh of relief. “Okay, phew. That was… a little terrifying!”

“Do not be afraid, Ruby! They seem to like you! And in case you are worried, Professor Goodwitch decides whose audio to broadcast and when, but I have direct control over our comm feeds. I block out any personal chat or otherwise sensitive conversations!”

“Um… I guess that’s not too scary, then? Yang swears a lot, though, so you might have to be a little careful with her.”

“Professor Ozpin banned her audio feed from being broadcast due to that very reason!”

Ruby chuckled. Geez, if that’s all it takes to get outta being mic’d up, then maybe I should start cussing too… she joked to herself.

“Um, I’m here, by the way. Where to next?”

“Now, turn thirty degrees left and walk forward twelve feet. Then, you will have arrived at your destination!”

Ruby carefully traced her steps as she avoided the thick vines. She suspected they were just painted pool noodles, but they were still just as easy to trip over. Nonetheless, she made it to her destination and kicked the vines out from under her, revealing the number thirty painted in white on the astroturf. The thirty-yard line marker.

“Penny, I'm here," she excitedly whispered, now cognizant of her volume level. 

“Wonderful! Now, it should be fourteen yards in front of you. Do you see it?”

Ruby pulled out Crescent Rose, telescoping out the stock and unfolding its sight reticle. She pointed it forwards and looked through the scope, peering past the colorful and odd-looking inflatable trees. Between them, she spotted it.

A small, five-piece one-room plywood building.

Ren stood outside of it, collecting styrofoam rocks from the treeline and stacking them to form cover. Jaune and Nora worked in tandem to haul an inflatable tree to the building, using it to block a side entrance.

But where’s…?

She gulped. “Um, Penny? We might have a problem. Can you patch me through to everyone?”

“Done! Ruby is on the line, team!”

Yang’s voice came through the earpiece. “‘Sup, Rubes?”

Ruby whispered, still hopeful her team could hear her. “Good ‘n’ bad news, guys. They are playing kinda defensively, gettin’ set up in this building over here. But… well, Pyrrha isn’t with them?”

“Interesting,” Weiss chimed in. “Perhaps she’s scouting?”

“Maybe? I don’t see her in the treeline, either, so she’s definitely for-sure not here.”

“Alright, we can use this. Penny, can you map where Pyrrha’s most likely to be?”

Penny responded immediately. “Already done! She is most likely to be somewhere between the twenty and forty yard lines on the west side of the arena, assuming she isn’t trying to flank you. Blake should be closest.”

Weiss grunted an acknowledgement. “ Blake, go on the hunt. Ruby, Yang, meet up with them. Once you find Pyrrha, I want the three of you to coordinate and surround her. Try to capture her unharmed. If we can do that? We’ll have won the match in a single stroke.” Ruby could hear her quiet, understated excitement even through the earpiece.

Her heart began to race. Could they really pull it off? 

I mean, Pyrrha has to be confident enough in her abilities to have been comfortable scouting alone, right? Shoot, and if we’re doing this, Weiss will be alone too….

She decided to voice her concern. “What about you? You’ll be alone against her if she’s heading to the pod.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Weiss replied. “I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve. This is the safest place I could possibly be.”

Blake raced through the forest, their feet finding perfect footing along the vines between each stride. Penny could scarcely keep up in her relaying of directions, though Blake, in truth, didn’t need them. They had a keen sense of direction, and a motive all their own.

God, I can’t wait to talk to her.

Their ears suddenly twitched, a sign of some anomalous sound Blake’s body had heard before they even processed it. They dug their heels into the astroturf and ground to a halt. Holding their breath, they listened intently for any sign of their prey.

They heard a faint rustling ahead of them.

Bingo.

They tapped their earpiece and whispered. “Got her.”

“Good job, Blake!” Penny replied. “Please be advised that Ruby and Yang are still a few minutes away! Recommended course of action is to shadow her until their arrival.”

Nope. 

“Got another plan. I can catch her off guard.”

A few seconds passed before Penny responded, uncertainty lacing her voice. “…I believe that to be a bad idea! But, I cannot stop you, so be careful! Okay?”

Blake found a rock lying by their feet. They picked it up and carefully circled around where they believed their quarry to be, orienting themself so they stood directly in her path but just out of view. They threw the rock high into the air, arcing it so it would land right behind Pyrrha. 

It landed with a thud, and Pyrrha twisted around to investigate.

Blake made their move, jumping through a bush and racing towards Pyrrha at lightning speed. The girl didn’t even realize what was happening before Blake gripped her, holding Gambol Shroud near to her throat. Pyrrha squeaked in surprise.

Perfect. This is gonna be fun.

The girl dropped her spear by her feet and looked down towards the sword at her throat. “Oh,” she exclaimed, “Blake! Hello~” Her tone was remarkably cheerful.

“Hey,” Blake smoothly replied.

Their captive gently grabbed hold of the back of Gambol Shroud, not a move of defense but of playfulness. For whatever reason, one of her gauntlets was in a different, iridescent-white style in contrast to her typical bronze.

Maybe a spare? Or a new piece of prototype armor? Blake wondered.

Pyrrha looked at Blake out of the corner of her eye. “Interesting spot we’ve found ourselves in, don’t you think?”

“Yeah.”

“Are your friends with you?”

“Nope. We’ve got a few minutes to talk.”

“It’s been a bit since we’ve talked, hasn’t it?”

“...I texted you, like, two hours ago.”

Pyrrha broke into a hearty laugh. It was deep, warm, smooth, and it so often proved a comfort to them. “I mean in person, Blake!”

They smiled. “Two weeks, yeah. I’ve been missing you.”

“I’ve missed you too.” Pyrrha’s tone grew softer. “I’m sorry we didn’t end up on the same team. Really. Nora’s been sad about it, too.”

Blake was glad she’d caught Pyrrha from behind. That way, she couldn’t see Blake’s ears lay flat as she responded. “...Yeah. This team is nice too, though, really. Interesting group of people.”

“Oh, that’s good to hear! Are you making friends?”

Blake kept themself from sighing. God, what a question. She’d been wanting to tell Pyrrha about it, though, even if it was a complex subject to broach. “…Actually, uh, remember the girl I told you about? From my old high school?”

“The loud blonde?”

Blake chuckled. “Yeah. That’s actually her on my team. Her sister, too.”

The girl released her grip on Gambol Shroud, now crossing her arms. “I— I see.” She fluttered, halfheartedly. Her tone quickly rose again. “Well, it seems it’s one of those wonderful coincidences life brings! Isn’t it a good thing you’ve been reunited?”

“Yes,” Blake hesitantly replied. “…No. I don’t know. Doesn’t seem like either of us were ready for it. She’s handling it better than I would’ve expected, but sometimes she seems anxious. On edge. I think she has spells of feeling guilty about everything that went down.”

“That’s her,” Pyrrha delicately responded, “but what about you? ”

“...Also feeling guilty. But I’m happy to see her again. Really happy.”

Pyrrha hummed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad. I’m proud of you, Blake, for being as brave as you are. You’re doing just as well as you can be, and that’s really admirable!”

Blake felt a fluttering in their chest. Always the charmer.

“Now, um,” Pyrrha tapped the underside of Gambol Shroud. “Are we fighting, or flirting?” She teased.

A sly chuckle escaped from Blake. “Both. Hey, I’m free tonight. Do you wanna hang out afte—”

“Blake!” Ruby shouted, she and Yang suddenly bursting onto the path.. 

It was apparently enough of a distraction. Pyrrha made her move. A small shield suddenly folded out from her iridescent white gauntlet, blocking Gambol Shroud from making contact with her neck. She pushed forward with all her might, escaping from Blake’s grip and grabbing her spear all in one smooth motion. She held it towards them and their teammates in a defensive stance, her legs bent to lower her center of mass.

She gave a genuine smile as she surveyed the scene. “Hello, everyone~!”

Ruby waved. “Um, hi!”

“Let’s not waste any time, shall we?” Pyrrha winked at Blake before charging forward. Ruby was the first to respond, flinging Crescent Rose towards her as it naturally extended into a scythe. It knocked her spear off target, but she smoothly transitioned into a pirouette, moving past Ruby and nearly striking Yang in the chest.

In response, Yang grabbed the spear and swung her fist towards Pyrrha, but her target ducked low. Pyrrha lept, gaining some distance from the three, and reached to tap her earpiece.

Oh, fuck.

Blake sprung into action. They pointed the tip of Gambol Shroud towards Pyrrha and pulled a trigger on the hilt. The upper half of the sword detached and launched forward. As it soared, a spring-tensioned mechanism made a segment of the blade fold out, forming it into a sickle. It was attached by the bottom to a cord stemming from the weapon’s other half. It sailed towards Pyrrha, forcing her to abandon her call and hurriedly dodge out of the way. 

Yang shouted. “Wave!” Code for one of the team’s practiced tactical movements.

Blake moved simultaneously with Ruby and Yang, encircling Pyrrha and guaranteeing her no escape. Blake grabbed the scythe and stared their flame-to-temporary-foe down, waiting for any movement. She once again tried to radio her team, but Blake swooped in, hooked her spear with her sickle, and deftly ripped the earpiece from Pyrrha’s ear.

Their quarry was surrounded, outnumbered three-to-one, and without any means to communicate with her team. They’d won.

Everyone stayed still for a moment. Yang opened her mouth to speak, but Pyrrha suddenly grabbed her spear by its end and held it to her own chest.

“Wait!” Ruby shouted, to no avail. 

Pyrrha dragged it along her chest, leaving a streak of bronze paint across it.

...Oh. Huh.

So that’s why she was okay with scouting alone. She had a backup plan in case she got caught.

“Damn it!” Yang exclaimed. “That would’ve been such a cool way to win….”

Pyrrha chuckled, still looking upbeat. 

Yang shrugged. “Sorry about that. Nice to not-really-meet-you again, though! Hopefully we’ll get to actually talk before too long?”

She’s trying to get along, Blake happily realized.

Pyrrha smiled and silently nodded in response, unable to speak after being eliminated according to the rules. She gave everyone a parting wave before wandering off into the forest, now presumably heading back to the locker rooms.

Ruby lowered Crescent Rose and her shoulders sunk. “Man, I really thought we had that in the bag.”

Yang sighed. “Yeah, me too. She’s good, though.” She tapped her earpiece. “Hey, Penny, can you get Weiss on?”

Blake stared at Pyrrha’s earpiece resting in their palm, having realized a minute too late that they probably should’ve given it back to her.

…Wait.

Something flashed in their mind. Something clever, something they could use.

They spoke up. “Actually, patch me through, too. I think I may have an idea.”

The sky grew darker, and the temperature colder. The floodlights of the stadium kept everything perfectly visible, but little helped against the bite of the night chill that had now settled on the city.

No matter, Weiss figured, we’ll get to go home in ten minutes.

She pulled two small plastic discs from her now nearly-empty utility belt. The discs had adhesive on the back and domed waxed paper on the front. She attached one to an inflatable tree,  walked a few more steps down the narrow, winding path, and placed her final disc on a small styrofoam rock.

Certain that neither Ruby nor Yang could see her face from this angle, she allowed herself to impishly smile.

I can’t believe I’m finally getting to use these.

Returning her face to that of an appropriately stoic and strong captain, she sprung up and twisted around. Ruby and Yang stood before the pod, waiting patiently for Weiss to finish her final preparations. Thankfully, they wouldn’t have to wait any longer.

“Alright, everyone, we’re all set.” She tapped her earpiece. “Blake, status report?”

“They’re still camping out in the building. Seems like they haven’t noticed Pyrrha is M.I.A. yet.”

Weiss raised an eyebrow. “That’s odd. Penny, can you take a peek at their guardian? See what they’re up to?”

“Abso-lutely! Please, give me three seconds!” Weiss could hear shuffling sounds as precisely three seconds passed. Uncanny. “It appears Oscar is pacing across the room. He’s still wearing his headset, but he isn’t monitoring his computer.”

Oscar? So that's their Guardian's name.

Blake chimed in. “I saw Nora shouting into her earpiece a while ago. Inter-team drama, maybe?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Weiss declared. “It just means we can do this on our own terms. Ruby, Yang, get ready.”

Yang took a deep breath. She extracted the earpiece from her pocket, and held it forward between she and Ruby. The precious and vitally important item lay on her palm, dormant. “I’m still not sure about this. I’m an awful actor, y’know?”

Ruby shrugged. “Don’t sweat it, you don’t even gotta act! Just lie a little.”

“Isn’t that just what acting is, Rubes?”

“Pfft, nah. There’s more to it than that. But don’t freak, you’ll be fine!”

Weiss cleared her throat. “Time sensitive, you two.”

Yang sighed before tapping the small button on Pyrrha’s earpiece, now broadcasting live audio to this 'Oscar.' Yang spoke with hesitancy. “So, uh… now that we’ve caught her, what do we do?”

Ruby instantly jumped into the role. “Well, it’ll only take a couple minutes to drag her to the pod! And then? We’ll win!”

“Wait…” Yang acted, now seeming to enjoy herself a little. “Is her earpiece on?”

“Quick! Get rid of it!”

Yang, apparently having gotten too into the role, threw the earpiece onto the metal steps leading up to the pod and crushed it with her boot. 

Ozpin’s going to make us pay for that, isn’t he?

Weiss tossed the thought aside, content to let her father foot the bill. “Alright. Good job, you two. I think you sold it.”

“Hell yeah we did!” Yang cheered, she and Ruby turning into a spirited high-five. 

Weiss smirked before tapping her own earpiece. “Penny, E.T.A?”

“Two minutes and fifty seconds minimum, captain! Assuming they’ve mapped out the paths, that is.”

“We’ll assume they have. Okay, everyone, positions!”

Ruby quickly scurried away from the clearing around the pod, hiding behind a bush along the path. Yang went further down and hid behind a collection of styrofoam boulders she had assembled earlier. She was far enough ahead and away from the path that, when the time came, she would be able to flank Juniper without being seen.

Weiss kneeled behind a styrofoam cobblestone wall which she had Yang punch a hole through earlier. She could see down the length of the entire path while still in full cover.

Perfect.

Her earpiece suddenly came alive, the sounds of an exasperated Blake on the other end. “Bad news. They spotted me. I took out Ren, but Nora’s—”

The audio suddenly cut out.

Drat.

“Penny, you got anything?” Weiss hurriedly asked.

“Well, Oscar just jumped out of his chair and went ‘Yes!’”

Ruby grimaced. “Um, thaaat doesn’t sound good.”

“Yeah,” Weiss agreed, narrowing her eyes. “Let’s operate under the assumption that Blake is done for. If Ren’s out of the game, though, that means it’s three versus two. The plan doesn’t change.”

Ruby nodded, though her faint grin seemed unsure at best. 

Weiss raised her voice so her teammate further down the path could hear her. “Yang, it’s just like we talked about at the start. You disarm whoever’s left. Ruby and I will be your backup.”

“Got it!” She saluted.

Ruby held a finger to her earpiece. “Wait, um, real quick. What happens if we accidentally knock everyone out?”

“Well as per the official rules, we would be launched into an immediate rematch!”

Weiss groaned. “Let’s not do that.”

Ruby and Yang nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

Weiss took a deep breath as she once again knelt down below the wall. She unsheathed Myrtenaster and unclipped a small metallic remote control from her utility belt.

So help me, this thing better work.

Little time passed before she saw Jaune and Nora rapidly running down the path, looking exasperated and panicked. Jaune, curiously, wore one mismatched bronze gauntlet.

Isn't that Pyrrha's gear?

Minor curiosity aside, there was a more significant problem. He and Nora were too close to one another. If they stayed like that as they ran into the danger zone, Weiss couldn’t use her trap. She gripped the remote tightly and moved her thumb over one of the four red buttons, hopeful that the other part of the trap would solve that little issue.

Three….

Jaune tripped on the fishing line Weiss had strung across the path. Nora didn’t stop to help, instead overtaking him. Perfect.

Two….

Weiss could feel beads of sweat forming on her brow. Nora was almost in the right spot.

One….

With an impish smirk, she pressed the button. Chaos suddenly erupted. A loud ‘pop!’ Marked the eruption of six discs she had placed along the path, red paint spewing from them in a thick red cloud. As the unexpected mist quickly dissipated, Nora slowly looked down, raising an eyebrow. The fox faunus held her arms out. Her eyes went wide and her ears twisted back at the sight. She was covered, head to toe, in specks of red paint. She broke into lighthearted laughter and began to snort. Weiss couldn’t imagine what she possibly found so funny, but she didn’t need to. Nora moseyed into the forest, her Guardian presumably telling her the way out.

Jaune looked at her sudden departure with a shocked expression, still not recovered from the chaos. “W-wait, Nora! Oh, god,” Jaune touched his earpiece. “Am I alone?”

“Eh, not exactly.” Yang replied, rising from behind the rocks. She walked towards Jaune slowly and crossed her arms “Wassup, bud!”

Weiss saw the color drain from Jaune’s face. He slowly turned around to face Yang, his knuckles whitening around his sword’s hilt.

Ruby slowly rose and quietly walked towards Jaune, out of his view and keeping her distance. Weiss quickly did the same, walking faster than Ruby to place herself between she and Jaune.

“Um, h-hey, Yang!” He squeaked out. “So, uh… how are things?”

Yang smiled widely and shrugged. “Pretty good, yeah! I’m really getting settled in! Been a fun week. Oh, you were right about the arena being big, by the way. I mean, just look at this thing!” She made a sweeping gesture around her. The audience cheered, though it was muffled by the forest to a dull rumble. Yang chuckled and raised an eyebrow. “And the people are amazing! I mean, isn’t Seattle just the greatest city in the world? ” The audience roared twice as loudly.

Jaune nervously laughed. “Eeyup! So, uhm… I don’t suppose I could just… squeeze past ya, there? Regroup with my team?”

Once again, Yang folded her arms and spoke with a sly smirk. “Oh, uh, about that. Pyrrha kinda beefed it a while ago, so yeah, in that sense, you really are alone. Sorry.”

He sighed in response, his shoulders sinking low. “Awh, man. I had a dream it would end this way.” Ruby began to snicker before quickly covering her mouth. Luckily, it seemed as if Jaune hadn’t heard her. He drew his sword and walked wearily towards Yang, ready to make his last stand. “Just don’t hit me too hard, okay? Because I remember that one time you hit Khaki and she totally—”

Jaune suddenly tripped on Weiss’s fishing line again, sending him rolling and his sword flying through the air. It smacked against Yang’s jacket, leaving a trail of white paint.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise before slowly peering down. Upon seeing the streak of paint, her mouth hung open. “Oh, you’ve got to be fu—”

“Oh, god, I’m so sorry!” Jaune clamored up from the ground. “Did I hurt y—” He laid eyes on Yang, his vision drawn to the paint. “O-oh. Oh. Oh! Oh, wait, oh my God! Did I just—?”

Yang chuckled to herself as she unceremoniously waltzed into the forest.

She'd been eliminated.

Jaune threw his hands into the air, shouting in excitement. “Yes!”

Weiss cleared her throat. He turned around to find Weiss staring at him and Ruby pointing Crescent Rose’s barrel directly at his chest.

The smile faded from his face. “Awh.”

Weiss couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of accomplishment as she holstered Jaune’s sword into her own utility belt. She, Ruby and their captive now stood a distance before the pod.

Ruby shared in Weiss’s happiness as she grinned ear to ear, practically bouncing as she made her way forward. Weiss followed, climbing up three small metal steps which led to a ‘hand scanner.’

Time to claim our prize.

The ‘scanner,’ curiously to Weiss, was just a piece of paper with someone’s hand traced along it. “...Uh, is this right?”

Ruby giggled. “Must’a spent all their money on this egg,” she said, knocking her knuckles against the all-metal, hollow-sounding pod.

Jaune nodded. “I guess they’ll just open it remotely when I touch it? Kinda lame.”

“Mm,” Weiss hummed, “I’m inclined to agree. Nonetheless, let’s do this together." She looked to Ruby.

Weiss had secured her team's victory, and it only just began to hit her as the adrenaline from the match slowly wore off. After everything— Moving to a new college, learning to deal with her team, studying for her regular schooling, training incessantly for her sport, and after feeling... whatever it was she had been feeling? She no longer had the energy, nor the will, to hide her wide and earnest smile from the girl who stood before her.

Ruby gently grinned back, a faint blush beginning to fill her cheeks.

“Are you, um… ready, Ruby?”

Ruby sweetly nodded, her eyes half-lidded and her tone gentle. “I’m ready, Weiss…!”

“I’m ready, too!” Jaune proudly declared. Weiss snapped back to look at him with annoyance in her eyes. Ruby, in contrast, looked at him in confusion. “S-sorry, just wanted to be a part of the fun.”

Ruby giggled before looking at him more kindly. “Together, remember?” She placed her hand on the ‘scanner’ and looked to Weiss once more, silently pleading for a small kindness. Weiss rolled her eyes, though she kept smiling.

Fine, we can let her have this. No need to spoil the moment, right? 

Weiss gingerly placed her hand atop Ruby’s, and the unexpected warmth sent shivers down her spine. Ruby’s hand was a little larger and more coarse than her own, two things which she enjoyed an unexpectedly large amount. She dreaded to imagine the extent of her blush. Nonetheless, she looked towards Jaune, keen to grant Ruby this little kindness in making the man feel less downtrodden. “Together.”

“Awh, you guys…” he smiled widely, and his eyes grew softer. “Okay. Together.”

He placed his hand atop theirs.

Fireworks blasted, splaying across the night sky. Red, purple, yellow, white; their colorful shine sparkled above and painted the entire stadium in their light. The pod began to creak and rumble, and the audience roared. They chanted, their words loud and clear even through the dampening of the forest. RWBY! RWBY! RWBY!

Weiss heard the announcer explode into celebration over the loudspeaker, the purple glow of her earpiece fading away. Now, finally, she could breathe a sigh of relief. The match was over. Or over enough, at least, that she didn't have thousands of ears hearing every word she said. The pod began to slowly fold down from the top into four quadrants, and fog spewed from the seams. They stepped back to give it the space it needed to open, and to bask in their moment of victory. 

But there was one person in particular Weiss wanted to share the precious moment with. She walked towards Ruby, and Ruby walked towards her. Weiss didn’t know what she would say to Ruby, but... she knew what she wanted to say.

They both opened their mouths to speak simultaneously.

“Ruby—”

“Weiss—”

Ruby giggled, and Weiss smiled in reply before speaking. “You first, Ruby.”

“'Kay! Weiss, um… thank you.”

“W-what for?”

“I dunno! I mean, I guess… thank you for being our captain, and thank you for being on the team, and…” she gulped before continuing in the sweetest and most genuine tone Weiss had ever heard her use. “Thank you for, um… for being my friend, Weiss. I'm really, really glad I met you.”

“Uh, guys?” Jaune interjected, but he was nothing more than mere background noise, the same as the audience, and the fireworks, and the music. Weiss’s world— her entire world— was wrapped in the eyes of one precious Ruby Rose. She could see the bright and shining colors of the fireworks reflected in them, dancing in the depths of her beautiful gray eyes and illuminating her radiant and blushing face.

It was hard to think reasonably in the face of such an amazing girl.

They grew closer. “Ruby….” The image that flashed through Weiss’s mind at Calavera’s came back to her, and her gaze slowly turned to Ruby's lips. W-what if I...? Would she...?

Wait, what am I thinking?! The thought interrupted her. I-I’m not interested in women! I can’t be! Besides, what if Blake is right? What if I’ve just latched onto her? What if that’s all this is?

But… would that even be a bad thing?

She hadn't entirely let go of reason, she decided. She wouldn't change everything tonight, not when her brain was flooded with so many disparate emotions. Still, there was something she did want to do, as horrifying as it was. Something she could maybe find the courage for, on a night like tonight, when they were standing together on top of the world.

She wanted to be honest with the only friend she had.

“Ruby…." Her breath quivered and her chest fluttered. “There’s something that I…  want to tell you.” She wondered, in that moment, if she could really bring herself to say it— to explain that she had clung onto Ruby, out of the thousands of people at Beacon, to carry her through it all... that she couldn't look at the girl with the same indifference she looked towards everyone else with.

She searched for comfort in Ruby's eyes. There was so, so much kindness in them. Kindness, and… and something else. “You can tell me anything, Weiss. I promise.” Ruby reached forward and held Weiss’s hands in her own. Weiss almost instinctively flinched away from her touch, but… but it was Ruby, and Ruby wouldn’t hurt her. “It’ll be okay~”

It really will be okay, the bravest and kindest part of Weiss finally admitted to herself.

You can tell her.

The world won’t end. She won’t hate you.

Even if you've just latched onto her. Even if it's something else.

You can tell her.

In that moment, she decided to trust completely in the heart of the girl who stood before her. “Um… Ruby, I… I can’t stop thinking about you.” The shorter girl's eyes began to shine, and her blush grew even deeper. “And I don’t know wh—”

“Guys!” Jaune shouted.

Weiss whipped towards him in anger, only to find him staring at the pod with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open. He looked horrified.

She followed his gaze, peering into the fog.

And through it, Weiss bore witness to a monster.

The woman was cloaked in a terrible flame.

A red-orange iridescent inlay framed her masked visage as if her charred skull were set alight, now the symbol of rage and vengeance.

The flame design snaked around her bodysuit, black as night, grabbing hold of her to keep her from climbing out of the very depths of hell. Yet here she sat, atop a marble pedestal, holding a trophy of gold, and a curved needle, so tall as her, of shining silver. Along its edge dripped a deep crimson, a memory and a warning.

It was the weapon of Vytal’s Flame, the Queen of Fury, the Executor of Will.

The Butcher of Beacon.

Cinder Fall.

Chapter Text

The fog billowed around Cinder as she sat atop a marble pedestal. The blaze of the fireworks reflected in her pitch-black visor, and the elegant inlaid acrylic flame design of her helmet caught the light, almost seeming to flow and wave as Cinder steadily looked between the people before her. In one hand she held a golden trophy in the shape of an angel wielding a sword, and in the other, she held a blade. Ignis, the five-foot tall, slightly curved and penny-thin weapon of Vytal’s Flame. It seemed to use a vaguely similar mechanism to Myrtenaster, crimson paint flowing out of small channels along the metal cutting edge.

Weiss narrowed her eyes. Ruby and Jaune stood beside her, silent and with frozen expressions, waiting for whatever came next.

The woman rose from her pedestal slowly. Methodically. The audience gradually roared into applause at the woman’s unexpected entrance, launching into the many disparate and chaotic chants Cinder had accrued over her career. The lights on everyone’s earpieces flashed to red, indicating a live audio broadcast to the audience. Neither Weiss, Ruby or Jaune made a single sound.

Cinder spoke in a slow, dulcet tone.

“Two things.”

Weiss quickly tapped her earpiece, hopeful that Penny was still at her station and could listen in. She knew the Vytal Fight Champion had a cruel and dangerous streak after their prior meeting, when she bullied Ruby and threatened Weiss herself. Cinder had given her ‘one warning’ for stopping her harassment of Ruby, and it was a warning she’d paid no heed to. Whether Cinder had payback in mind, or something else, Weiss still wanted backup at the ready.

“The first?” Cinder continued in a melodic voice. “I wanted to offer my congratulations on your victory.” She tossed the trophy. As it landed at Weiss’s feet, the angel’s sword snapped. “The first of many, I’m sure.”

Penny’s voice crackled through the earpiece. “W-wait, is that Cinder? She isn’t supposed to be there! Weiss, you must be careful, she—”

“The second?” Cinder continued. “I’m prepared to accept your apology, Weiss.”

Weiss gripped Myrtenaster’s hilt tightly, scowling at the intruder. The cold night air and steadily settling smoke from the fireworks made the clearing in the arena feel ever more hostile. Weiss felt cornered, and all the more annoyed because of it. “Apologize? For what, exactly?” Weiss wasn’t going to let Cinder trample all over her and Ruby. No way in hell. “You disrespected Ruby! You spoke down to her and tried to make her apologize for nothing. The exact same thing you’re doing now, it seems.”

Cinder lowered Ignis, resting the blade’s tip on the smooth metal floor of the pod. “Oh, on the contrary. I have an impeccable reason.” She began to slowly walk forward, her blade leaving a streak of dark crimson paint along the floor, and she spoke in a soft, condescending tone. “You interrupted my moment with our precious Rose.”

Precious Rose? What the hell are you talking about?

Penny spoke through the earpiece again, her voice rising in concern. “Weiss, Cinder causes more injuries than any other fighter on record— if she has a grudge against you two, you need to get out of there! Now!”

Weiss set her jaw and released her grip on Myrtenaster’s hilt. Need to get Ruby out of here. She bent down and grabbed the broken trophy, still keeping an eye on Cinder all the while. She spoke with a faux-uninterested finality in her voice. “I’m afraid we’ll have to agree to disagree and go our separate ways, Cinder.” She turned her back to the imposing woman, casting a glance toward Ruby and Jaune in an unspoken signal to follow her. “We have business to attend to. When you finally decide to apologize to Ruby, though, feel free to send her a letter.” They began to walk away. Weiss could feel Cinder’s eyes on the back of her neck, but hoped, dearly, that she’d ended the confrontation.

A moment passed before Cinder spoke again. “Wait… you don’t know, do you?”

Weiss took another few steps forward, refusing to turn back. “I don’t care. Whatever you’re talking about, I really and truly do not care.”

“But you’re missing something important, Weiss.” She spoke with a slow and deliberate inflection, dripping with what almost sounded like disgust. “You don’t know about… him .”

Ruby stopped dead in her tracks.

“Sh— shoot!” Penny yelped. “Blocking comms!” Everyone’s earpieces suddenly darkened.

Weiss raised her eyebrows in confusion. What’s all this sudden fuss about? She looked back to Ruby and found her face growing pale as she stuttered towards Cinder. “H-hey, wait—”

“Come on, Ruby,” Weiss spoke gently, “don’t engage with her. She’s just saying random stuff she thinks will get our attention. Let’s just go.”

Cinder scoffed as she stepped off the floor of the pod, leisurely walking along the astroturf and towards the group. She closed the distance as she spoke. “ Making stuff up? Oh, not quite, doll. You see, our little Rose has a secret. He’s neglected to tell you, it seems~”

He? Who is the ‘he?’

Ruby’s face twisted into one of horror, tears beginning to form at the corners of her eyes. She held her hands out towards Cinder as if to block whatever was coming next. “Please, please no! I—”

“Ruby!” Weiss yelled, concern lacing her voice. She grabbed Ruby by the shoulder, placing herself between she and Cinder. Weiss tried to look her in the eyes, searching for any answer as to what might be wrong, but Ruby only averted her gaze. Whatever Cinder was saying, it was hurting her.

And that was unacceptable.

Weiss looked towards the bully with a snarl. “Whatever you’re saying, you’re hurting her.” She spoke firmly and deliberately, her eyes sharp in anger. “Stop, or I will compel you to do so.”

Cinder laughed once more. “Oh, god, you really think you could? I admire the tenacity—” Jaune suddenly tore his sword from Weiss’s belt and rushed forward, entering into a swing. In one fell swoop, Cinder pulled a pistol from behind her and shot Jaune in the chest, crimson paint flowing from the impact. She reholstered the pistol just as quickly. He stepped back, silently, but didn’t turn to leave. “—But I don’t believe you’re understanding me, Weiss.” She spoke in an almost jovial tone, not missing a beat. “ Ruby isn’t even his real name, you know.”

What?

“I noticed it when I was on the freshman selection committee. I vouched for his admittance into the program when I realized what was happening. I just had to see it for myself~”

Ruby clung onto Weiss’s arm, her tears now flowing uncontrollably and her face contorting in pain. “Weiss, I— I was going to tell you! I swear! I was just trying to find the right time and I was scared and—” Her voice was shaky. Broken. Ruby’s joy and comfort had been replaced with true, unadulterated fear. Weiss dropped the trophy as she grit her teeth, her chest growing tighter by the second.

“Oh, it’s quite convincing,” Cinder continued. “I can understand how you’ve been fooled for so long, Weiss. He is such a pretty little flower~” Her voice quavered unsettlingly.

Ruby fell to her knees and clutched her chest. She looked between Weiss and Cinder both. “I’m… I’m sorry…”

Why?

Why are you apologizing… 

…to the woman who’s hurting you?

Weiss heard the words Cinder said, but they might as well have been worthless, no more thought provoking to her than gibberish. She took only one meaning from them. One cruel, horrific, rage-inducing meaning. 

That Cinder was hurting Ruby. 

Intentionally. 

Maliciously. 

Without a single goddamn reason.

She stared into the void of Cinder's helmet with all the hatred she'd ever felt: the hatred for her mother after she died, the hatred for her father as he tortured her, and now a fresh and acute hatred for Cinder, who hurt the girl she’d grown so attached to. She stepped forward and spoke with a calm fury in her voice. “You’re hurting her.”

“Weiss, wait!” Jaune pleaded, but the only sound Weiss could focus on was that of Ruby’s cries.

“And you really think—” her voice shook as she pulled the trigger on Myrtenaster’s hilt, light red paint flowing along the blade. “—That I would just let that happen?! ”

Cinder clicked her tongue. “Oh, sweetie, you’re in denial aren’t you? Oh, well.” Cinder pointed the obsessively long blade of Ignis towards Weiss. “Let’s get some of that anger out, shall we? Perhaps you’ll be more willing to listen, then.”

She launched into an all-out attack, jumping forward and bringing the curved blade down towards Weiss’s head. Weiss jumped to the side in response and swung Myrtenaster towards the fighter’s torso. With just a small twist of her wrist, Cinder repositioned the long blade into Myrtenaster’s path, blocking it with ease.

From that angle, though, Weiss saw the gun Cinder had used to shoot Jaune holstered in a compartment on the back of her jumpsuit. Useful. She pushed Myrtenaster against Ignis with all her might, using it as a distraction while she reached for the gun. Cinder seemingly noticed, quickly breaking away and twisting into a swing. Weiss’s instincts told her to jump back, but Ignis was too long for that to be viable. Instead, she fell to the ground as the air whooshed above her from the swing. 

She’d only just made it in time. The longer a blade was, the faster its tip would travel during a swing if one appropriately used their wrist. Not only was Ignis one of the longest melee weapons in the sport, but Cinder had also trained her entire career for using its advantages to their fullest. Each and every swing of her blade felt as if it were an insurmountable challenge for Weiss to avoid. She realized if she kept fighting like this were a normal melee matchup, she wouldn’t make it through two more swings.

She had to somehow use the length of Ignis against her, and the best way to do that was by denying it its effective range. 

She had to stay as close to Cinder as possible.

From her position on the ground, she quickly launched into Cinder’s stomach, holding onto it for dear life. She whitened her knuckles around Myrtenaster and chose the spot she’d target: Cinder’s neck, a place Ignis couldn’t easily defend. She pulled Myrtenaster back and took aim—

The pain was blinding. 

Cinder had slapped her across the side of the head, holding back none of her significant strength. Weiss fell to the ground as her ear began to ring, louder and louder, building in volume.

She could only just hear Cinder’s words through it. “I’ve met your father, you know.” The mention of him made the anger in Weiss’s heart grow deeper and louder, but her body failed to react as the pain radiated through her head. “Quite a few times, actually. The Schnee NXT Company is one of my sponsors. The money that feeds you is the same money that built my blade.” She held the tip of Ignis near to Weiss’s cheek, the light shimmering strangely off it. “So really, Weiss, I think we should make peace. Perhaps we could even be like sisters one d—”

Jaune suddenly swung at Cinder’s blade with all his might, nearly knocking it out of her hands. Cinder used the momentum he’d given her to twist around him, bringing a fist into his side at incredible speed. Jaune grunted before falling to his hands, rasping for air.

Cinder looked down upon him gasping, and sighed. “Little Jaune, little Jaune, the pathetic little fighter whose only victories are those he finds by accident. Do you know who your namesake is?” She asked rhetorically, as Jaune slowly craned his neck to look at her. “Jeanne d’Arc, champion of her faith and the defender of Orléans.” She placed her boot upon his chest and leaned down, speaking with disappointment lacing her voice. “I would change your name if I were you, child. You don’t deserve the comparison.”

She released her hold on him and turned to Ruby. The girl looked upon the scene in horror, still trembling and crying, but with a different emotion in her eyes from before. Her sadness had been replaced with an anger all her own. As she stood and unfurled Crescent Rose, Cinder only laughed. “Oh, dearest little Rose, I would never hurt you. As a matter of fact, all I want is to conclude our business from before. You said you wanted my autograph, didn’t you~?” She spoke with a strange melody.

Weiss’s anger surged once again. She fought through the pain and sneakily began to crawl towards Jaune. Silently, she motioned for his one remaining iridescent white gauntlet, a silent request to borrow it. He wrested control of his breathing as he removed it. Unlike the one Yang said Pyrrha had seemed to borrow, this one didn’t have a built-in shield mechanism, or anything particularly useful aside from some light padding. The padding, however, would be all she needed.

Her plan bordered on breaking some of the more granular rules of Vytal Fight, but what did that matter? Ruby was more important. She slipped the gauntlet onto her right hand and slowly stood to her feet. Ruby’s eyes flashed to her. Even that small, barely imperceptible sign was enough for Cinder to pick up on, suddenly abandoning her approach towards Ruby and craning her neck to look at Weiss.

Ruby made use of the distraction, swinging Crescent Rose towards Cinder with a powerful fury. Cinder twisted into a pirouette, grabbed Crescent Rose by the hilt and shouldered Ruby, pushing her to the ground. Cinder studied the scythe in her hands. “Interesting weapon, little flower. Good utility, and well designed considering your budgetary limitations. But you’re in the real game now, my dear.” She threw Crescent Rose to the ground and stomped on it with all her might, shattering the mechanism at the head of the Scythe and snapping the staff in two. “Plastic won’t get you very far.” Ruby looked to the debris of the weapon and clutched her chest once again, her breathing growing heavier.

The light on Weiss’s earpiece suddenly flickered to life, a faint blue glow at the edge of her vision. Penny’s voice came through. “Weiss! Don’t worry, help is on th—” She tore out the earpiece and tossed it into the forest. With one ear still ringing, she’d need the other if she was going to do this.

She cleared her throat. Cinder looked back over her shoulder and found Weiss in a fencing stance, rage cast over her face like a shadow. Weiss spoke deliberately, her voice slowly swelling. “I’m not done.”

Cinder chuckled. “I know.” She began to run towards Weiss with shocking speed. Weiss didn’t move. She didn’t need to. She was going to use Cinder’s own strategies against her, and all it would take to work was the right timing. 

As she finally closed the distance, Cinder reeled Ignis to the side, ready to swing horizontally. Weiss twisted around to face the incoming blade, and held her gauntlet-equipped hand in front of her. She braced. With a hard thump and a shocking amount of force, the blade stopped against it. 

A moment passed in silence.

The two traded a quick glance. Weiss couldn’t see Cinder’s expression under the mask, but she satisfactorily imagined it as one of sheer shock.

She folded her hand tightly over the blade and slid down the curved length of Ignis, keeping it firmly in her grasp as she closed the distance between her and Cinder. It stung deeply, a sudden warmth spreading through her gauntlet, but Weiss in all her adrenaline just did not care. She’d finally had Cinder within reach, and she could finish this once and for all. With her other hand, she swung Myrtenaster with all her might.

It hit. 

The blade splattered light red paint across the side of Cinder’s black bodysuit.

She’d done it.

Stillness lingered in the air. Cinder slowly looked down at the paint. Weiss released the blade, a satisfactory smile slowly creeping along her face. She’d beaten Cinder and shown her that neither she nor Ruby could be pushed around.

There was only one problem. One horrifying problem. A stinging pain began to creep up Weiss’s arm. The gauntlet she wore slowly felt warmer, and warmer still. Wet. 

She numbly brought her hand up to look at it, and the problem became evidently clear. A hole had appeared across the palm of the gauntlet, and through it, she saw her own palm had been sliced open. The pain hit her all at once, as if observing it had brought it to life. She fell to her knees. It felt like her entire arm had been set alight, with no way to put it out. She grit her teeth in pain and her breath began to shudder, dropping Myrtenaster unceremoniously and taking a firm hold of her wrist. She couldn’t contain the yell.

She bit her lip and looked along Cinder’s blade, searching for any answer as to what happened. As Cinder idly moved the blade, her chuckle slowly turned into a full-blown menacing laugh, and Weiss noticed something terrifying.

The blade shimmered strangely in the light. 

She’d noticed it before, but the implication hadn’t struck her until it was too late. The outside paint-ejecting edge of the blade was dull. But the inside of the curve, and the tip…?

Sharpened.

Cinder came down from her laugh and stared at Weiss, blankly. “You’ve made a couple mistakes, haven’t you?” Weiss once again looked into her foe’s visor, but this time, she could just barely make out the faint outline of her fiery orange eyes. “For one, it seems you’ve misunderstood exactly why I’m here.” She spoke with a twisted enjoyment lacing her words. “This isn’t just a game, little girl. This is as real as it gets~ ”

Ruby ran towards Weiss, skidding to a stop next to her. She leaned down and took Weiss’s hand into her own, gently looking it over. Her own hands became bloodied because of it, but she didn’t seem to care. Weiss looked into her eyes, bloodshot from the tears and full of terror, and Weiss began to feel her own heart ache. Ruby’s voice quavered with fear. “Weiss! We— We’ve gotta get you to a doctor, okay?” She looked towards Cinder with pleading in her eyes. “We’re sorry, okay?! Please, just let us go!”

“Tsk, tsk,” Cinder replied. “It’s not an apology from you I’m after, my little dove. It’s one from her. ”

An apology…? No. You just want me pacified so you can torture Ruby all you want.

Weiss gripped Ruby’s hand tightly, and spoke firmly with only one motive. She had to get her out of danger. “Ruby… you have to run.”

“W-what?”

“Run!”

Ruby opened her mouth to protest, but Weiss gave her no time to. She fought through the pain to get back on her feet, and pushed Ruby behind her. 

Weiss threw herself towards Cinder hoping to be a good enough distraction, but she’d grown slow from the exertion and pain. Her enemy sidestepped out of the way with ease.

Cinder didn’t follow up with an attack, instead simply staring at the two with a blank incredulity. “Weiss,” Cinder spoke calmly, “you realize you’re doing all this for a… a disgusting little crossdresser, don’t you? It’s not worth it. Why don’t you just sit down, take a few deep breaths, and apologize?” The anger which surged through Weiss was blinding in its intensity. She was too exhausted, in too much pain and drowning in too much rage to have any complex thought. But, she only needed the one.

Go to hell.

Weiss launched forward.

Cinder twisted Ignis around in her hand, unceremoniously swiping the sharpened side towards Weiss.

The sensation stopped her dead in her tracks. Her face suddenly went numb. The vision in her left eye slowly turned to a hazy red, blood beginning to pool on her face. It slowly dribbled down, drops soaking into the white fabric of her dress. She reached up and gently touched her face, inspecting the damage. As she pulled her hand back, she realized it was futile. She couldn’t tell which blood came from her hand and which came from whatever had happened to her face.

Did it matter?

The pain was blinding, but did it matter?

Cinder began to chuckle. Weiss couldn’t even begin to hurt her, but did it matter?

No.

Weiss walked a few feet backwards and bent down to pick up Myrtenaster, trying everything she could to control her breathing and ignore the overwhelming pain. Jaune was missing. Ruby looked on in horror, trying to put herself between Weiss and Cinder, but Weiss simply moved past her. She stood in front of Ruby, making sure Cinder’s blade couldn’t reach her friend without going through her first. 

Time started to feel hazy. Sensations faded away. She felt tired. Nonetheless, she held up Myrtenaster, ready to defend Ruby.

Cinder sighed, slowly holding up Ignis in turn. “Fine. If you want a few more scars, then who am I to deny you?” They stared daggers through each other, and the silence was deafening. The audience was quiet. The wind had died down. No birds sang. No clocks ticked. Cinder reeled her blade back, and Weiss braced. 

Okay. A few more scars.

A styrofoam rock suddenly sailed past Cinder, missing her by a mere foot. Weiss and Cinder looked to the source in unison.

Jaune stood strongly, holding yet another rock. And besides him? A high-fashioned girl with a beret, a minigun, and a pissed-as-hell attitude.

Coco Adel.

The audience roared into applause.

Her minigun began to spin up. Ruby quickly dodged out of the line of fire, and Weiss ducked to the ground. No more than a fraction of a second later, the gun roared to life like a dragon, its flame a horrific and unrelenting spray of tan paintballs. They pelted against Cinder’s bodysuit, their combined force hitting hard enough for paint to spray across the clearing. A single paintball on its own was a mere sting, but a dozen of them hitting someone in a single second?

Weiss felt a twinge of satisfaction at how much it must have hurt Cinder.

Cinder dove behind a tree before Coco pulled her finger off the trigger, the whirring sound of the gun coming to a quiet crescendo. Her voice teemed with anger as she spoke. “Cinder, you are fucking done. You hear me?”

A quiet chuckle came from behind the tree. “Oh, Coco… to think that my biggest fan would talk to me that way~” She suddenly lurched out from behind the tree and sprinted towards Coco. In response, Coco dropped her minigun to the ground, presumably knowing it wouldn’t spin up and time, and extracted two things from her stylish belt. A small paint-membrane dagger, and a segment of metal chain.

As Cinder swung at her, Coco twisted into a pirouette and wrapped the chain around Ignis, bringing the weapon to a halt. She used all her weight to leverage the sword around, forcing Cinder to spin with it lest she lose the blade from her grip. After spinning together two full rotations, Cinder suddenly let go of the blade and used the opening to tackle Coco into a tree. She wrestled the blade from her before Coco responded with a swift kick to the chest, knocking the wind out of her senior opponent.

Jaune, for his part, threw his second rock. It smacked Cinder in the helmet, bouncing off harmlessly.

Cinder stared at him incredulously, still trying to regain her breath as she spoke. “Are—” She puffed. “Are you done?!”

He smirked. “Yep. But, I’m not sure she is.”

Coco lunged forward and grabbed onto Cinder’s waist tightly. She lifted with all her shocking strength, hefted Cinder above her, over her shoulder, and slammed her into the ground as hard as she possibly could. 

Cinder grunted loudly in pain, but somehow recovered quicker than most would from such a brutal suplex. She rolled away from Coco’s attempt to bring the dagger down on her, and sprung to her feet, clutching her injured-looking shoulder. She ran for the long blade she had accidentally thrown further into the forest, but Coco tackled her.

Their fighting moved further and further into the forest, the sounds of their scrapping slowly growing quieter.

Weiss gave a pained chuckle. She clutched her hand to her stomach and carefully tried to stand. Ruby rushed to her side and helped her to stand, acting as someone for her to lean on.

Jaune looked at Weiss, and his eyes slowly widened in shock. “W-Weiss, oh God. You look… you look bad.” She tried to roll her eyes, but the pain in her left one made it too difficult a task. She used her one good hand to carefully touch the area around it, trying to inspect how bad the damage was, and realized her ponytail had come undone at some point. 

Weiss leaned against Ruby, using her shoulder as support. She spoke with a hoarse voice, weakened from the exhaustion and yelling. “Where—” She cleared her throat. “Where did Coco come from?”

“Uh, I dunno, actually. I snuck off during the fight to try and find someone who could stop the game or get her under control, and when I got to the gate, I found Coco in her full kit. So, I guided her through the paths to you guys.”

If you hadn’t guided her, Weiss realized, it would’ve taken her way longer to find us.

Clutching Ruby tightly, she mustered as much gratitude into her voice as she could. “Thank you, Jaune.”

He smiled earnestly, seemingly surprised at the gratitude. “O-oh! Heh, yeah, don’t mention it!”

Ruby spoke with a quiet urgency in her voice. “Jaune, can you go find someone who can patch her up?”

His eyes suddenly widened. “Right! Should I bring them here?”

Weiss shook her head. “No, no. We’ll be along shortly. Tell them I’ll need stitches.” Jaune nodded, suddenly looking a little more green. He grimaced as he looked Weiss up and down once more. Right, I probably look worse off than I am. “Oh, and find someone to fetch me a new set of clothes. I’m not walking out of the arena covered in blood.”

“Got it!” He waved goodbye and broke into a jog, heading into the treeline.

And then, they were alone.

Weiss took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The wind had begun to flow once again, gently breezing past and waving her hair. The noise from the audience, so faint as it was, remained in the air as a soothing white noise. Off in the distance, she could hear the chirping of a cricket as the night had firmly set in.

She felt a hand gently touch her shoulder, and she opened her eyes, looking into the face of the woman she leaned on. Ruby seemed exhausted, her face pale and her eyes bloodshot and still full of fear and uncertainty. She smiled nonetheless, straightened her back, and spoke with as much reassurance as she could muster “W-Weiss, you’re gonna be okay, okay?” Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes, and her voice quivered. “We’ll getcha h-home, and w—”

Weiss removed her arm from Ruby’s shoulder, backing away from the girl and looking her silently in the eyes. Ruby’s attempts to be strong for Weiss slowly began to falter. Her tears flowed freely as her breathing became shallow, and she began to tremble. With what little strength she had left, she spoke. “W-Weiss, I’m… I’m sorry…” she clutched her chest. “I r-really… was going to tell y—”

Weiss suddenly brought her into a strong and affectionate hug.

She held the girl sweetly, stroking her hair and closing her eyes in comfort. With more tenderness and compassion than she knew she was capable of, she spoke the most meaningful and important words she had ever said. 

“Ruby… I’m so sorry she hurt you.”

The girl tightened her grip around Weiss, holding onto her for protection in a moment of complete vulnerability. And Weiss, for the first time in so, so long, finally felt like she belonged somewhere. Right there, just where she was.

In Ruby’s arms.

There, together, on that horrific and beautiful night, they embraced each other…

With all the love in the world.

Chapter Text

Four Hours Later

The Dominoes Began to Fall

Winter was always cold.

It was no surprise. No one in her family was able to escape the chiliness which seemed so inherent to being a Schnee. Perhaps it was a general lack of body fat, or maybe their long spindly limbs? The reason, Winter supposed, didn’t ultimately matter. Not when the result was so keenly felt.

She cupped her hands over her mouth and exhaled, and a pleasant warmth engulfed her face. It passed after only a second. The thick woolen fiber of her uniform kept her core warm enough, but there was little helping her extremities. Outside of her small vice, that is.

She held a hand above the airplane’s cramped window seat and waved down a passing stewardess. The woman spoke with well-hidden exhaustion lacing her smooth voice. “How may I be of assistance, ma’am?”

“A coffee. Decaffeinated. No additives.”

With a mumbled reply, the stewardess took a small paper cup from the bottom of her cart and filled it from a dented aluminum carafe. She wrapped a napkin around the steaming cup and reached it across the two empty seats. Winter carefully took it into her own hands and silently nodded in thanks before the stewardess moved on.

The warmth radiating from the cup quickly found its way through Winter’s hands, easing the uncomfortable bite of the plane’s chilly air. As she sipped the overly-bitter and poorly made drink, she idly stared out of the window. The city stared back. 

The skyline was alight with the golden-orange glow of a city in the midst of its nightlife. Red lights perched atop the tallest buildings rhythmically blinked, and cars scurried around the roads like ants. A long train snaked its way along the tracks of the industrial district. 

The sight hadn’t changed since Winter first came to Seattle, all those years ago. The feeling had. What was once a warm and welcoming place of opportunity and hope had now become something far more sinister: The arena of the hungry, the vengeful, the cruel. 

Over the past year, as Winter had settled into her job on the NVFL’s Outreach Advisory Board, she began to get a sense of just how deeply things had changed since her time as a fighter. Everything was so much bigger. The headquarters in San Francisco had quintupled in size and extravagance, and the amount of money which passed hands for advertising and merchandise deals completely dwarfed where the sport was six years ago. There was actual money to be made now, quite unbelievably. And where the money lay, buzzards hunt.

Maybe that’s why…?

Winter received the call from Ozpin four hours ago. Two hours after that, she’d boarded her plane. And throughout the entire flight, she had been thinking about why a player like Cinder existed. Anyone with even a passing interest in west-coast NVFL matches knew her reputation. She was the mean girl. Her competitive style was ferocious. Every opponent she fought against would walk away with at least one story of some horrific mind game she played on them or some other borderline rule-breaking trick she pulled from her sleeve. But, her aggression wasn’t limited only to words. Her strength and fighting ability far exceeded most of her contemporaries, and pulling punches wasn’t a luxury she afforded her enemies. It led to her being one of the top injury-causers in the entire League, and fans loved her for it. It was a gruesome, ghoulish kind of fanbase she had built, and it was also extremely lucrative. 

Maybe… Winter reasoned, maybe that’s why she’s still allowed to play, despite all the penalties she’s accrued. Those penalties, in Winter’s day as a fighter on the Ace Operatives, would’ve been enough to get a player permanently banned from the sport. But if Cinder and her teammates are bringing in more money than the League can afford to lose….

Winter sighed and took a sip of her coffee.

The reason doesn’t matter, she told herself. Not when the result is so keenly felt.  

Lucrative or not, Cinder wouldn’t be in the NVFL for much longer now. She’d brutally attacked Winter’s sister, sure. But even more importantly than that, she’d attacked the daughter of one of Vytal Fight’s major shareholders and Executive Board members. Knowing her father, Jacques’s rage would be unquenchable, and it would know only one target. Winter hadn’t been on speaking terms with him since she left for the military all those years ago, but on this, they were almost certainly of one mind. Wordless cooperation between the two would be tolerable enough if it meant she could help to hammer the final nail into the coffin of Cinder’s career. 

In Ozpin’s call, he had explained what happened in loose detail, and his explanation came with a request. “I need you here.” The reason had gone unsaid, but she could read between the lines. In the few times she and her old coach had spoken over the last few years, he had routinely brought up his frustration with his superiors. More and more frequently, he’d find himself bound to unjust rules and orders, and disobeying them came at the risk of breaking his contract and being fined a financially ruinous amount. It followed, Winter figured, that a concerned third party who just so happened to align with Ozpin’s views could stand to involve herself when he met those barriers.

Why it was on this occasion he chose to employ her abilities, however, was a mystery. It was a cut-and-dry player safety infraction, wasn’t it? What barriers could he possibly meet when Cinder’s rampage was caught live, on camera, in front of so many people?

While it piqued her curiosity, it didn’t really matter. She would’ve flown to Seattle anyway. This was her sister that had been attacked, and hell would freeze over before she allowed that to go unpunished.

She closed her eyes and calmly took another sip of her coffee, growing ever colder. 

The advisory board can go without me for a few days. This is a job too important to leave to anyone else.

Why the fuck am I even here? Qrow wondered as he listlessly stared at a bottle of kiwi-flavored wine. Eugh.

“And then Coco suplexed her! But she just got right back up and—” Penny rambled, dutifully retelling the events from earlier in the day for no less than the third time since his ‘investigation’ had begun. It wasn’t how he planned to spend his night.

Ozpin’s request was the same as the previous times he’d summoned Qrow; He wanted him to investigate potential breaches of player safety protocol by Cinder. It had become routine, at this point. Cinder would injure someone severely enough to warrant a closer eye, he would come in and try to prove the obvious intent behind it, and then his investigation would be killed in the crib before he could even truly begin. Dead ends, intentional misleads, fizzling trails.

No, he told himself, I just didn’t do enough. I should’ve tried harder to find something, some crack in her defensive wall, or… or something. It was his fault, he’d decided, that she hadn’t been kicked out of the sport yet. 

It was his fault that she had finally hurt someone he loved.

Ruby hadn’t been hurt physically, maybe, but her tears in the match footage spoke for themself. Most of the conversation was muted, and Penny, wisely, refused to say what caused the fight… but Qrow had a pretty damn good idea. He felt a deep ache in his chest. Fury at himself for letting it all happen. Frustration. Hopelessness.

The fairytale life of a safety inspector, he depressively mused. He sunk into Ozpin’s overly-cushy office chair and twisted the bottle of wine around in his hands, staring at the liquid’s ebb and flow inside. Tempting, but he had one last lead to chase. “Kid,” he cut Penny off, “I’ve got two questions.”

The girl suddenly stood to attention. “Sir!” She just had too damn much energy for everything she’d been through today, by Qrow’s estimation. He longed for the days he could take that much emotional turmoil without breaking down, but those days were long past and never to return. 

“Cinder’s weapon,” he croaked. “Ignis. What happened to it? Who has it now?”

She suddenly froze in place and squinted her eyes. Deep in thought, maybe? Many of her habits were somewhat unordinary, but none were disarming. She reminded him of Ruby, in a way, though this girl certainly had a more structured system of communication. While she seemed to dig through her memories, Qrow read the back of the bottle in his hands. Non-alcoholic. Damn.  

“Aha!” She suddenly exclaimed. “Memory recalled! One of the two men who have been following her around took it and left the stadium. I’m unsure what happened to it afterwards, but he returned at around nine.”

Qrow looked at the old and damaged gold-plated alarm clock on Ozpin’s desk. Fifty-seven minutes past midnight. The weapon would be long gone by now, well out of his reach. The one lead he had hopes for had been ripped from his hands once again.

Killed in the crib.

There really is no point to me being here.

“Question number two,” he asked with his enthusiasm at what felt like an all-time low. He set the kiwi wine down on Ozpin’s desk with a loud thud, and Penny jumped at the noise. “There someplace a guy can get a drink that isn’t dogshit around here?” It was a rhetorical question, moreso a goodbye than anything. No way a teenage kid as timid as this girl would know of any decent bars—

“Oh, I am so glad you asked! There is an establishment named Calvera’s just down by the shore, and I highly recommend it! Ms. Calavera makes an excellent rum and coke! I went there with your niece and everyone else on the team some time ago, and it was simply wonderful!”

Qrow froze in his tracks, wondering if he had misunderstood somehow. “…Wait. You and Ruby went to a bar.”

The girl’s eyes suddenly grew wide in realization at what she had said. She frantically flung her hands in front of her as if she could physically wave off any suspicion. “Oh, no, you misunderstood! It— it’s a grill, too! A bar and grill! We were just there for the ribs!”

“Uh-huh. Which is why you know they have a… what was it you said? An excellent rum and coke?” He quizzed with an impish amusement lacing his words.

She buried her reddening face in her hands. “P-please don’t tell the Professor!”

Qrow could only chuckle. “Whatever. Just don’t go drinking again, got it?” She nodded profusely, the worry still wrinkling her nose. His joints ached as he stood from the chair and made his way to the door, wrapping his hand around the handle. “I think I’ll go try that rum and coke myself, though. I won’t tell ol’ Ozzy about your thing as long as you don’t tell him I left early. Deal?”

Penny tilted her head. “But, Mr. Branwen, what about your par—”

The handle twisted in Qrow’s hand a mere moment before the door smacked into his cheek. He swore as he backed away and readied himself to yell at Ozpin for the careless entrance.

“Partner…” Penny hesitantly finished.

In Ozpin’s place, Qrow found someone else entirely. The woman wore a sharp light-gray woolen suit jacket.The thin-striped white blouse beneath it complimented the elegantly designed birch cane she leaned on. Her dark blue dress pants terminated in large boots of the same color. Her stark white hair was tied in a bun, providing a clear view of her tired eyes and the frown which slowly snaked its way along her face.

“Jesus, lady, haven’t you ever heard of knocking?” He snarled. It wasn’t a surprise to him that the ever-so-famous ex-heiress and retired fighter would come to visit her sister after the fight, but why the hell was she barging into Ozpin’s office at this hour? 

She didn’t dignify him with a response, instead looking past him and towards Penny. “I’m here for Ozpin”

“Salutations, Ms. Schnee! Um, I am terribly afraid to report that the Professor is still busy interrogating Cinder. He has left me with a message for you, however.” Oh God, Qrow lamented to himself. Considering what Penny said as the door smacked into him, he had a pretty good idea of where this was going. “He has ordered Mr. Branwen to conduct an inspection into potential infractions of player safety conduct by Cinder Fall, and would like to offer you the compensated position of acting as co-investigator—”

“No fuckin’ way!” Qrow retorted. “I am not having the Ice Queen hover over my shoulder for a week while I do mindless paperwork that won’t even lead to anything!”

Winter sighed. “…So, you know of me. Well, for my part, I still feel a great deal of pleasure in finally meeting you, Mr. Branwen. Your work as an early pioneer in the sport hasn’t gone unnoticed or unappreciated, and it’s very likely that without your influence, the NVFL never would’ve been founde—”

Qrow held a hand towards her, stopping her speech. “Just Qrow, alright? And stop the damn lip service. I just liked having an excuse to fight people. I’d bet every rotten cent this job gets me that the same is true for you, so let’s not glamorize it, ex-Heiress .”

She narrowed her eyes and spoke in a dulcet tone. “My reputation may precede me, Qrow, but it appears the context behind it doesn’t. Don’t presume to know me, and I won’t presume that you’re the sad, old man you appear to be.”

Qrow cocked his eyebrow in disbelief. “Old?! I’m only forty!”

“And I’ve never enjoyed fighting. Understood?” She finished with a harsh intonation.

He scoffed in reply, folding his arms and looking between Penny and the Intruder. “Oz never mentioned this to me. What, I don’t get a say in it?”

“Well, um…” Penny scratched her ear. “He did tell me to relay a few things! Ms. Schnee, he said that you’re under no obligation to accept the offer.” She silently nodded. “But he also said that he doesn’t have much hope for anything getting done if you don’t. Um, he didn’t tell me to say that part, but I wished to anyway.”

She frowned. “I see.”

“Bullshit,” Qrow retorted. “I don’t need help.”

Penny smiled widely. “He said that everyone needs help sometimes!” 

Christ, how many times had he heard that by now? How many people, friends, family, thought that doing his laundry or some shit would magically fix his problems before they gave up the second they realized it was more complicated than that? Qrow felt another ache deep within his chest.“And,” Penny continued regardless of his hopelessness, “he asked you to at least try working with her, should she accept the position! He said that she was the only person he trusted as much as you to care about getting the job done.”

“Because we both have family that she’s hurt,” Qrow said resignedly.

“Yes, but he also said it’s because you both realize the reality of the situation! I am uncertain what he meant by that, though.”

Where Penny was lost, Qrow understood perfectly. He was part of the first generation of Vytal Fight, back before it even had a name, before there were any official rules or organizations, when it was just a fun hobby where one could design a crude little weapon and play with it on a soccer field. They’d started calling it Vytal Fight a few years in simply because they thought it sounded cool. 

Winter, as he understood, was part of the third generation. After a loose conglomeration of teams had formed up and started a full-coast League, they quickly found themselves moving up in the world. What had begun as a not-for-profit organization that could enable larger and farther-reaching tournaments had just begun its exponential growth. Soon after it went public and formed a board of investors, one of them had apparently reached out to Beacon. Supposedly, the leadership at the school had been illuminated to the sport’s bright future, and began to put some money and elbow-grease into it. Winter would’ve been one of the first to fight in what was then known as the Amity Football Arena.

They had both seen the sport at two separate versions of its height, and had both seen the steady change in its priorities— From hobby, to sport, to practically unregulated theater where danger was encouraged and went unpunished. Qrow imagined Winter probably also knew just how bad things could get if players like Cinder pushed further against the boundaries and found nothing pushing back. 

He knew it was too late for them to change the course of the sport. But, maybe…

Maybe they could at least take out Cinder.

Qrow sighed.

Ah, what the hell. 

Might as well try one last time.

He folded his arms. “Fine,” he relented. “I’m willing to work with you on a trial basis. Let’s just see how tonight goes. Maybe a fresh pair of eyes would do me some good. But, if you end up being useless, I’m going home.”

Winter only nodded.

Winter stared through the window and into the makeshift interrogation room. It was a simple conference hall, but as the fluorescent lights illuminated Cinder under the barrage of hours-long questioning, it took on an entirely different feeling. She sat at the far end of the table, legs folded and helmet removed. Her hair was disheveled, and her lip was busted. Her black bodysuit with the snaking flame design was covered in shots of dried tan paint, and a red streak was visible along her side. Winter couldn’t figure out if it belonged to Weiss’s or Cinder’s weapon. They were too similar a shade.

Cinder’s clearly evident exhaustion made her smile seem even more sinister than usual as Professor Goodwitch hounded her with the same questions over and over again. The two suited men who loomed behind Cinder stood as still as statues, and Ozpin lurked in the corner, wordless, dour.

Professor Goodwitch slammed her fists down onto the table. “Why, Cinder? What, did they say something to you? Hurt your ego? Challenge you?”

Winter heard Qrow sigh from beside her.

The man wasn’t exactly what she’d expected. She had watched the only recorded match of his during her early days as a fighter— hoping to study it and learn anything she could from the professionals before her— and in it, he seemed like an entirely different person. He was full of life, and energy. He laughed, he fought, he won. The man who stood before her couldn’t possibly have come from that. 

He was older, of course, clearly evident by the wrinkles around his eyes and the unordinary white strand of hair. Aging was natural, but that couldn’t account for every change. He almost seemed thinner than her, despite being significantly taller, and his skin was ashy and pale. His voice had grown coarse, and his demeanor sour. His posture had taken a turn at some point, and he now lugged himself around as if he were too heavy to carry. She almost felt as if he should be the one with the cane, rather than her. Her gunshot wound would disagree, of course. 

He almost seemed… dusty, Winter realized. It was the only word in her mind that could all-encompassingly describe him. She couldn’t imagine him ever smiling like he had in the video, so earnestly and excitedly. And in that, she could relate.

“So,” Qrow spoke under his breath, “A rookie team wins their first match and goes to collect the trophy. In its place is Cinder Fall. She’s a Beacon alumni, captain of an official NVFL team named after herself, and one of the better fighters on the west coast. A crowned champion after her team won the twenty-ten cup. She’s a fan favorite because of her reputation as a ‘butcher’ who has a hard-on for giving her opponents injuries. So, Cinder attacks one of the rookies, and gets questioned for hours afterwards as to why the fight began.” He looked directly into Winter’s eyes and spoke with a seriousness she’d yet to see from him. “What’s wrong with this picture?”

“It’s the wrong question,” she answered instinctually.

“Bingo. What started the fight is irrelevant. The real question is—”

“Why was she even allowed into the arena in the first place?”

Qrow smirked. “Here’s how the story goes. She walks into Ozpin’s office earlier today, says she’s going to give whoever wins the trophy. Declarative, not suggestive. He says no. Minute later, the phone rings. Word from on high is that Cinder gets to do it, and if Ozpin doesn’t let her, then Beacon has its license for hosting NVFL matches revoked.”

Winter folded her arms. "That's an entirely unproportional threat for what I assume was intended as a simple photo opportunity."

“No kidding. I mean, Cinder’s a pretty damn good fighter, and I’m sure she makes the NVFL plenty of money, but….”

“But she’s getting the sort of treatment one would only expect for the elite few fighters at the top of the sport. Someone like The Blacksmith, or Marrow.”

“Exactly. It's a hell of a red flag. So,” Qrow spoke with curiosity teeming in his voice, “what do you make of it all?”

Winter grit her teeth as the realization came to her. If she were right, it would explain why everyone was so on-edge, why Ozpin called her specifically, and why Qrow thought the investigation would take longer than a night. As she spoke each word, it felt like more and more weight bearing down upon her shoulders.

“She has friends in high places.”

Qrow’s lips became thin. He didn’t reply, instead turning his gaze back to the conference room.

A question struck Winter, one which she didn’t have the information necessary to answer herself. “Why does Professor Goodwitch keep asking her what started the fight?”

“Good question. She thinks that finding a common thread between this and her previous assaults might give us something to go off of. A way to prevent any more.”

“Previous assaults? I know she’s injured a lot of people, but do you mean—”

“This is the fifth time it’s been bad enough that I’ve had to do an investigation.”

Winter’s stomach dropped. “And she’s still in the sport.”

“…Yeah,” Qrow spoke deflatedly. She wondered if she had hit a nerve. 

One of the looming men’s phones began to ring. He reached into his pocket and put it to his ear. Cinder seemed to notice, and her smile grew just a hair wider. “I’m betting you’re about to see why,” Qrow growled.

After a few seconds, the looming man silently walked over to Goodwitch and handed her the phone. As she listened to whoever was on the other end of the line, her face grew pale. She calmly handed the phone back to the man and spoke with a poorly restrained anger. “Cinder, you’re free to go.”

The weight on Winter’s shoulders grew tenfold.

“Friends in high places,” Qrow whispered in resignation.

Winter realized something. Ozpin didn’t just call her here because she was Weiss’s sister, or because she knew how far the sport had fallen.

 It was also because her father was on the Executive Board. 

Even if she were shunned, disgraced, and viewed by her father as little more than a nuisance… she was still the closest connection Ozpin had to the top.

And that could be how far we’ll need to go.

Cinder stood from her chair, picked up her helmet, and walked towards the door. Her shadows followed closely behind. Thinking quickly, Winter reached into her pocket and extracted her camera phone.

Cinder opened the door and began to walk down the hallway, ignoring Qrow and Winter entirely. Winter broke that facade of hers as she called out to the prowling menace.

“Cinder!” 

The woman suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned to look at her. She frowned. Winter snapped a quick photo and checked it to make sure the woman’s injuries and paint marks were visible. Cinder looked as if she’d been through hell, and had somehow come out of it as its new queen.

Satisfied with the results, Winter blankly stared at Cinder. “For the records.” Cinder moved as if she were about to say something, but seemed to think better of it. She frowned before turning back around and wordlessly continuing down the hallway.

“You’ve started evidence collection,” Qrow noted with amusement.

“I have. We’ll continue tomorrow with interviews.”

“Heh. Not bad, rookie.”

“Mm,” she mumbled. She couldn’t take it as a compliment.

She knew there was a deep-seated problem with the culture and administration of Vytal Fight, but only now had she realized that the worst she thought to fear had already come to pass. Someone, somewhere, looked upon Cinder’s deeds and saw them as something worth protecting. Worth enabling.

She wondered why. Why someone could be so twisted, how it could even happen in the first place, why Cinder had to hurt Weiss of all people….

Whatever, Winter decided. Knowing the answers wouldn’t excuse anything, wouldn’t lessen her resolve to make Cinder answer for her actions and bring to light whoever it was that protected her. 

No, the reasons didn’t ultimately matter. Not when the result was so keenly felt.

Qrow looked at her with an eyebrow raised. “You okay there, kid?” She’d apparently started breathing heavily. God damn it. God damn it all.

As her anger warmed her blood to a boil, she grit her teeth and spoke with a fire-like resolve.

“We have work to do.”

Chapter Text

As Weiss opened her eyes, she was met by an ever-more familiar sight. The gentle glow of Blake’s night light illuminated the ceiling in a rolling glow of blue and green, intertwining with the orange haze of a street lamp outside the window. The night itself was completely quiet, save for the rustling of sheets as Weiss exhaustedly turned to look at her alarm clock perched precariously atop a cardboard box.

1:32 a.m.

A small sigh escaped her lips, though it quickly turned to a rasp. Her ribs burned and her entire body ached dully, proving to be far too distracting for her to find any more comfort. No, sleep wouldn’t come so easily as it had when she’d crashed a few hours ago. She cast a glance towards Blake’s side of the room, finding her vision strangely blurry but still clear enough to realize Blake was curiously absent. No need to be quiet, then, she figured.

Despite her body’s complaints, she hauled each leg over the edge of her mattress, still sitting bare on the floor a week and a half after moving in. Everyone had been so busy with school and training that unpacking and setting everything else up proved to be a luxury they couldn’t afford. It was something Weiss finally found the time to regret as she clumsily tried to stand. Her legs nearly crumpled from under her, but she stood all the same.

Finally on her feet— despite the pain and dignity it had cost her— she started carefully walking over to the large mirror her roommate had set up, dodging the boxes of Blake’s stuff that were still strewn around the room. It made Weiss feel pretty thankful she hadn’t had any personal belongings she cared to bring with her from Los Angeles, save what she’d need for school and—

And for Vytal Fight.

“Ah.”

Having made it to the mirror, all it took was a flick of an old and yellowed light switch to make the ceiling light flicker to life. It was maybe a mistake. Weiss sighed at the upsetting state of herself.

Her hair was a tangled mess, and her face hadn’t fared much better. A light bruise had begun to form on her upper cheek, near to her ear, a painful reminder of the fierce slap she’d taken. It felt like little, though, in comparison to the rest. A stitched and bandaged cut ran from her brow to her cheek, and the bandage itself had become bloody. The exact details of the injury were difficult to make out, though, as half of her vision was fuzzy. She tried blinking to rid herself of the blur, but all it did was sting.

The doctor said she’d been lucky, that if Cinder had struck even a fraction of an inch closer then Weiss would’ve lost her vision permanently. That she made it out with only a scratched cornea and two deep cuts was “better than the worst case,” according to Velvet, but it scarcely felt like it. Weiss had never considered herself a vain person, all-in-all. The makeup, clothing and careful crafting of appearance was always a requirement of being a Schnee, not of being herself. Still, that she would carry this scar with her for the rest of her life? The scar she’d received from her? It was more disheartening than infuriating. At the same time, though, it almost felt more… honest that she should carry a scar. It just made sense after everything she’d been through, didn’t it?

“Mm.” A frown fell on her face.

She carefully peeled off the dirtied bandages along her cheek and eyebrow, tossing them into the little black trash can beside the mirror. The bandage on her palm stung a little more, but she removed it all the same, wincing through the pain. A drop of blood fell from the scar-in-waiting along her eye and it soaked into the black fabric of her hoodie, turning the shade askew. She hurriedly grabbed a tissue from Blake’s nightstand and dabbed at the wound. It seemed she still bled some, despite the stitches.

She grit her teeth as she inspected the hoodie. It was two sizes two large and had a cartoon bunny emblazoned on the front, an odd fashion choice by Jaune. She’d have to wash it before she returned it, the only problem being that she didn’t know how. Washing clothes was something the maids back home had always taken care of for her. While she wasn’t opposed to learning, she couldn’t even begin to guess where to start. Maybe her teammates knew how? She could easily pester Yang into doing it, or maybe R—

Ruby.

Oh.

The hairs on her arms stood straight, and a warmth unintelligible in its meaning flooded her cheeks. She leaned forward and touched her forehead to the bitterly cold mirror, cursing under her breath.

“Oh, God, Weiss… what are we doing?” She whispered to herself.

The events of the previous night replayed in her head, and of everything that happened— good and bad— one thing towered above the rest in how much it shook her to the core.

She’d told Ruby her feelings.

After the match, but before the fight, as the fireworks were blasting and the audience was blaring… well, the excitement and adrenaline had gotten to her, it seemed. When she stared into Ruby’s eyes in that moment of pure bliss after winning, she just couldn’t help herself.

Ugh, what was it I even said? Weiss looked into her own eyes, so close as they were in the mirror, and tried to recall the words. ‘I can’t stop thinking about you, and I don’t know why.’

A chill ran down her spine. It wasn’t a confession, per-se, but that didn’t make it feel any less intimate. She wondered how on Earth she could possibly explain it were Ruby to ask, but, would she even remember after everything else that had happened to them? Besides…

Does it even matter, now?

She sighed, and the mirror fogged up from the warmth of her breath. The reflection of her face turned into a pale blur. 

She pulled her forehead from the mirror and walked back over to her mattress and gracelessly fell into it. Learning to work around the ambient pain, she grabbed her pillow and held it tightly to her chest. She’d hoped holding it would help ground her, make her feel like she had some foundation from which she could consider the questions on her mind without buckling. It didn’t help. The questions loomed large all the same, with one in particular weighing her down.

How could I possibly help Ruby?

For what felt like the dozenth time that week, Weiss buckled under the weight of having lived a sheltered existence. She’d heard the words Cinder had hissed, and quickly pieced together the meaning. It hadn’t really come as a surprise, oddly enough, and it hadn’t made her uncomfortable either. There wasn’t any reason to be uncomfortable. It’s just Ruby, after all. Seeing the fear in her eyes as Cinder spoke it aloud, though— it hurt to remember. Weiss cursed herself for not knowing the words to calm Ruby, to reassure her that she didn’t care she was…

…was what, exactly?

Weiss immediately came to a few solid conclusions: Friend, teammate, fascination. She’d held no doubts on those fronts any longer, but Ruby was more than that, too. She was an entire person with an entire life, and Weiss had only the smallest sliver of insight into it. She’d been so preoccupied with preparations for that ridiculous match that she hadn’t even asked Ruby the most basic questions about herself. She hadn’t even realized Ruby was… well, like Penny, it seemed. She was the only point of reference Weiss had, but she knew even less about her.

She didn’t know what precisely to think, nor did she know where to even begin. The general idea was understandable enough, but there was so much about it that eluded her; Why someone would want to switch genders, how one was supposed to act around them, how they even did it. That last one was of particular interest. Penny seemed a little scruffy, but Ruby was so… not. The image of rubbing Ruby’s back flashed across Weiss’s mind, and a warmth flew down her spine.

At least I’m not a lesbian, Weiss mused to herself.

…wait. Is that how that works?

She pursed her lips and looked towards the ceiling. Too many uncertainties. She couldn’t even recall the terms she was dealing with.

Yet another drop of blood fell on her hoodie, and she grit her teeth in annoyance. She reached for the stylish blue backpack laying near her bed and pulled it closer. Unzipping the front pocket, she reached inside in search of fresh bandages. Unexpectedly, she felt her hand brush against some pieces of waxy paper. Huh?

She felt a small spark of happiness as she pulled them out and realized what they were: Her team’s name tags, from their inaugural match together. Blake’s, Yang’s, and… oh.

Ruby’s.

A quiet realization struck Weiss as she studied it. Where everyone else’s name was written by the University staff, whatever had been on her tag had been scratched out, and “Ruby” written in small print along the margins. She’d noticed it before, when she first took it from her on the way to their first match, but only now had the meaning truly sunk in. 

Something about the sight ached. That she’d have to work around such a small thing… what must the rest of her life be like? How deep did those little challenges go? As Weiss creased her brow in sympathy, another drop of blood fell. She grumbled, placing the tags on her nightstand and finally extracting the bandages from her bag.

It took a few excruciating minutes to clean her wounds and apply the bandage, and each one of those minutes were still full of recursive thoughts without solutions and unplaceable anxieties without end. Training, she finally decided. Can’t keep thinking in circles. If I'm not going back to sleep, I’ll begin preparing for the next match. Whenever it is. Whatever it is.

Launching up with a newforged tolerance for the pain, she donned tennis shoes, a white jacket and a red scarf, grabbed the keys she’d need to open the Outpost’s training gym, and quietly opened her door. She took each step through the hallway cautiously, keenly aware that the old house she and her team had been stationed in had a habit of reverberating noise. Past the bathroom door and into the dimly lit living room she went, finally finding Blake. They were comfortably asleep on the couch, an open book precariously sitting on their stomach. Their hand was stretched out across the couch’s arm, narrowly avoiding knocking over a glass of water on the table.

Curiously, however, something stood out to Weiss’s eye. Across the bannister leading to the open kitchen, an open carton of strawberry ice cream sat on the counter.

Weiss rolled her eyes. At least clean up after yourself before you pass out, Blake. She snuck past the sleeping faunus and put the lid back on the ice cream, thankful that it hadn’t seemed to have melted at all. After putting it back into the fridge, she snuck back past Blake and put her hand on the front door handle, finally ready to get back to work.

Blake suddenly snorted in their sleep. Weiss looked back towards them, noticing they were starting to shiver a little from the cold.

Lord. Fine.

She tip-toed over to the couch and carefully removed the book laying on Blake, inserted a paper towel to mark their page, and sat it on the coffee table across from the couch. Blake’s shivering made the glass of water move precariously closer to the edge of the table, so Weiss sat it on the coffee table too. Finally, she grabbed a fuzzy purple blanket from the floor and carefully covered the now cozy faunus, purring in their sleep.

Weiss smiled gently, satisfied with the job she’d done.

… Wait, where’s their ice cream?

She looked around for a bowl, but there was none to be found. The ice cream hadn’t melted, so it would’ve been recently that they ate it. But if they put their bowl back, surely they would’ve noticed the carton being left out?

There’s one other possibility, she figured. She took a glance up the stairwell that led to Yang and Ruby’s room.

Sure enough, something was amiss from the previous nights she’d been up late. The stairwell light was on.

Someone else was awake.

Ruby hummed a tuneless little melody, happily eating a spoonful of her strawberry ice cream as she sat on the porch steps. Thankfully, Yang remembered to get the kind without chunks. While chunks of strawberry might have been seen by many as a fun or fancy thing, Ruby, well… despised them. The texture mismatch was the stuff of nightmares.

She also had some interesting takes on time and temperature. Most would consider eating ice cream outside at 2 a.m. in 56 degree weather to be less than ideal, but to Ruby’s mind? It was the coziest . It also happened that she didn’t really have anywhere else she could work on the shattered Crescent Rose without waking someone up, save for the wildly unappealing option of using the Outpost’s workshop. And at this time of night? That was a no-go.

There was also the third and truly inconceivable option of going to sleep, but…

Naaah! She’d decided. No time like now to fix the ol’ girl up, right?

Placing her bowl of ice cream beside her, she turned her attention to the box of scattered red, black and silver parts sitting at her feet. Cinder sure didn’t go easy on the ol’ gal. Jeez.

Crescent Rose was a relatively minor casualty of the fight, but it was at least one Ruby could do something about. It was also, coincidentally, one of the only things she could think of without… well, freaking out. Engineering work had always proved a good escape for her, and maybe that was part of the reason she’d grown so attached to her weapon. She lost a few iterations of Crescent Rose during her time in Aberdeen High’s Junior Vytal Fight team, and had cannibalized a few more to use for parts in prototypes and upgraded models. Having to let go of specific versions of her weapon wasn’t usually a big deal. This time, though, it felt a little different.

This version of Crescent Rose was the one that had helped to bring her team together. Remembering that first match, an ache shot through Ruby’s chest, and a terrible thought came along with it.

What else… what else did Cinder break? She held the box tightly to her chest, staring listlessly into it. Weiss didn’t seem upset with me when she found out, but… 

But if she were, if she did abandon Ruby, it wouldn’t be the first time she’d lost someone dear to her because she was trans. It was the thought she’d been avoiding the entire night. No, the thought she’d been avoiding for years now, trying to silence it every time she began to grow even remotely close to anyone. 

Ruby shook her head. No, no, no, no! Work time now. I’m working. No thinking! Working.

Running from her feelings. Trying not to think about it. It was all she could think to do. Some days, if she were very lucky, it even worked.

With a deep breath, she looked into the box and started sifting through the parts, putting salvageable ones on one side and broken ones on the other. Co2 canister is still good, unfolding spring is shot, blade is shot, handle is shot. Her recounting of the parts’ condition took on a grim tone. Feeding tube is shot, trigger is shot…. She nervously chuckled. At least now I have an excuse to build that range selector, I guess. Some other improvements too, maybe?

A weak smile spread across her face, her cheeks ablush from the cold. A light breeze swayed her hair to the side, and an old wooden swing hanging from the rafters of their team’s townhouse porch swung gently. Ruby, bundled comfortably in her PJs and a cozy black hoodie, took the cold in stride. Her mind was entirely focused on Crescent Rose, at least for the moment.

Making the construction stronger would prooobably be smart. Tight budget until that weapons grant comes in, though, and I’ve only got a week before the next match, if that’s still happening.

And Ruby kind of got the sense that it would. She was able to piece together a bit of what was going on while the team stayed with Weiss as she got patched up, and she learned a little more when some journalists hounded them on the walk home. Cinder’s appearance had apparently been pretty darn exciting to people, and seeing Weiss, a college-league rookie, actually score a hit on her? The match went from a kinda minor event to being the talk of the entire community in just a couple hours, with clips and speculation apparently flooding the VF Forums if the journalists were to be believed. The Vytal Fight League would probably want to capitalize on that, so no game delays, even if they were warranted. One of the journalists also mentioned that Cinder had been taken in for an interrogation.

And that? That terrified Ruby. Thirteen thousand people in the arena was already an almost paralyzing amount, but now Ruby had who-knew-how-many discerning eyes trying to figure out what really happened during the fight. The idea of them finding out she was trans….

A shiver flew down her spine.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Whuh?” Ruby turned around to face the townhouse’s front door. I guess Blake wants to check on me? Why the knocking though? “Blake?” She asked, uncertain. “The door isn’t stuck or somethin’, right?”

“Um—” a distinctly higher pitched voice than Blake’s called back. “It’s Weiss. I was wondering if I might intrude for a moment.”

The hairs on Ruby’s arms suddenly stood straight. Her gaze widened, and her heart began to race. Not ready, not ready! She shouted internally, unsure of what to say and so totally not ready to see Weiss be upset or uncomfortable around her. She was at least hoping she’d have until the morning, but….

“I can leave you alone, if you’d like,” the voice consoled. “Whatever you need.”

Alone, alone, alone. The worlds swirled around in Ruby’s head like dark clouds ready to storm. I… I don’t want that, either. She gulped and turned back around to face the quiet neighborhood street, cloaked in the warm orange haze of the streetlights and lined with townhouses just as old as theirs. The peaceful place around her felt so completely at odds with her own thoughts, going so quickly and frantically as they were, but… one calm, collected and true thought eventually emerged from within that storm.

She was scared of what Weiss might say, but in that moment, there was no one she wanted to be with more.

With a deep breath, she looked back towards the door. Her words shook as she spoke. “N-no trouble! Come in! Or, um, out, I guess. Eheh.”

The handle slowly turned, and the door creaked open. Weiss poked her head out with her unbandaged eyebrow raised and an almost goofily quizzical look on her face. Ruby would’ve chuckled on a different night.

“Hey,” Weiss muttered, stepping out and closing the door. 

“Heya, cap’n.”

Weiss wasn’t looking her best. She’d cleaned up some since they had gotten home, but she still looked as exhausted as she probably felt. As Ruby’s eyes wandered from bruise to bandage, a deep ache struck her chest.

It’s… it’s my fault she got h—

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Weiss suddenly declared. “Trust me. Wearing a corset for my father’s ridiculous board meetings hurts more than this. I’ll be over it in a couple days.”

“But, your eye, the doctor said it’d scar—”

“And thanks to that, I’ll never have to go to those ridiculous board meetings ever again. My father’s far too vain to have his precious shareholders see his trophy daughter with a scar on her face. So, it worked out, really.” Ruby really tried to believe it, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to. She weakly smiled before pulling a random plastic part from the box, twirling it around in her hands and blankly looking over its details. Weiss continued. “Ruby, I was— well, I wanted to check on you.”

“Oh! Um, thank you, Weiss. I’m okay, just workin’ on…” she vaguely gestured towards the box, drawing Weiss’s good eye to the assortment of parts. “All this. The bad news is that she’s totally kaput and I can only salvage a couple parts. The good news is that the Co2 canister is still in one piece, and that’s like twenty bucks saved! The other-bad-news is that I’ll have to figure out how to work that plexiglass cutting machine in the workshop, and buy the plexiglass to go in it which’ll be like fifty bucks, but—”

Weiss stepped forward, and the careful tone in her voice betrayed the almost stern expression on her face. “Mind if I sit?”

“Oh! Um, totally! As in I totally don’t mind! Eheh….” She placed the box on the step below her and took her bowl of ice cream into her hands. “Ya want some strawberry?”

Weiss stared blankly at the bowl. “You only have one spoon.”

Wah! Didn’t mean it like that! Ruby could only hope the cold masked her rising blush as she quickly reached for the first response her brain gave her. “A-um, in China, during the Shang Dynasty, they used spoons made outta bones! Cool, right?” 

… Not cool! Why would she care?! Oh, God.

Weiss tilted her head. “Interesting.” She left it at that, a silence slowly creeping between them. It was broken only by the sound of the light breeze, of a cricket in the distance, of the faint rumble of cars far away.

“Ruby.” Weiss finally continued. Ruby could feel her gaze running deep into her own eyes, though the thought of returning it was far too terrifying. She stared towards the night sky instead, finding clouds hiding the stars. “I wanted to tell you that I—”

“Um!” Ruby suddenly blurted out. She shot up, leaving her ice cream behind and quickly skipping down the stairs. “Ice cream isn’t good enough so I’m gonnagogetaslushy—!”

She’d made it to the streetlight by the sidewalk before a hand clasped her shoulder.

Ruby twisted around, and there Weiss stood. Ruby couldn’t avoid her gaze anymore, and in it, she saw something she hadn’t allowed herself to expect. Her eyes were glassy, and her mouth ajar. She looked really, truly worried.

“Ruby,” she quivered.

“W-Weiss?”

“If you want to go, I understand, I just… I don’t want you to go any longer without hearing what I have to say.”

Oh. Ruby’s heart sank. She couldn’t delay it any longer. She couldn’t keep up the faint hope of Weiss sticking with her, of being okay with her, for those precious few extra hours that she so dearly wanted. No, she wouldn’t be so lucky.

“Okay,” she resigned.

Weiss placed her other hand on Ruby’s shoulder, holding her gently. “Ruby, I… I’ve never met anyone like you. In any way. You’re completely unique to me, and I admit, I haven’t been dealing with it as eloquently as I’d like. Your existence, your presence in my life, has caught me thoroughly off guard.”

“S-sorry.”

“No, no, that’s—” Her words hitched. “Just keep listening. No one has ever tried to be my friend despite my objections to the idea. No one has ever cared about if I feel uncomfortable or lonely. No one has ever tried to tell me that I’m enough, just as I am. No one has ever made me feel happy just by being around me, or made me smile behind their back, or made me feel excited to see them again. No one besides you.”

“…Wha?” Ruby heard the words, but… what? Had she misheard something?

Weiss closed her eyes and sighed. “Remember what I said to you after we won the match?”

Ruby searched her memory, and found the words had been silently traveling with her all this time, a tiny spark of hope. “You… you said you couldn’t stop thinking about me.”

Weiss nodded. “Blake said that I’ve latched onto you, and God, she’s probably right.” Weiss’s words sped up, and that unplaceable emotion in her eyes only grew stronger. “But I don’t know what else I could possibly do. Nothing feels the same since coming here, since meeting you, and I have no idea how to deal with it, I just—“

Ruby felt tears well up within the corners of her eyes. Weiss’s breath grew shallow as her pace quickened even more.

“I just want to stay with you, Ruby. As long as I can. I want to keep feeling cared for, and— and I want you to feel cared for, too. All those things you make me feel, that safety and comfort, you deserve that too, and I know I’m not the best at… at any of this, at being vulnerable or open or anything, but I keep finding myself wanting to try for you because you’re important to me and I don’t want my father to take me away from you because I think I—“

She paused suddenly, tears now forming in the corners of her own eyes. Whatever thought she had was left unsaid, nothing filling the void. Ruby stood in shocked silence, one moment turning into another, and another. Weiss’s eyes grew wider with a cloud of fear creeping into them. She lowered her hands from Ruby’s shoulders. “I— I’m sorry, it seems I got away from myself. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’ll do better at keeping my composure—“

“You—“ Ruby hesitated, trying to wade through the haze of shock. “You don’t care that I’m trans?”

Weiss replied without missing a beat. “Ruby, you being trans is just another precious thing that makes you so unique to me. I admit, I’m somewhat lacking in knowledge on the subject, but—“ She held her hands together and gave her most earnest smile. “I hope you'll tell me about it.”

Ruby, still processing it all, lowered herself and sat down on the concrete curb. Weiss joined her, offering her hand for Ruby to hold. Ruby’s gaze traveled to her captain’s face, flushed and scared and happy and hopeful. She braved the eye contact, looking so deeply into their beautiful pale blue expanse, and found nothing in them but true and caring compassion.

It was a long moment before Ruby took Weiss’s hand. Her cold fingers quickly found warmth as they interlocked them, both sharing a precious and knowing smile.

“Ya really don’t hate me?” Ruby softly asked, simply wanting to hear her captain’s affections once more.

Weiss rubbed Ruby’s hand gently with her thumb. “Dolt. I told you once, remember? I don’t think I could ever hate you. You’re far too wonderful for that.”

Ruby beamed widely and giggled, finding a fraction of her joy once more. She leaned her head on Weiss’s shoulder, the older girl making a funny little gasp in response. For this brief moment, she felt like she had finally refound a place for herself in the world. “Thanks, Weissey.”

Weiss squeezed her hand just a little harder. “Of course, Ruby.”

“Whaddabout you? Are you okay?”

She took a deep breath. “Yes,” she sighed, her relief palpable. “I am now.”

“Hehe, good. Um, whenever you have a question, just ask, okay?”

“Okay.” She curtly nodded. “What on Earth is a slushy?”

Ruby stared at her blankly, waiting for the punchline. None came. “W-wha? I kind of meant questions about me being trans, but… you really don’t know what a slushy is?”

“No idea. I didn’t know if you slurred your words or what—“

Ruby suddenly stood up and lifted Weiss to her feet along with her. “The Mini-Mart’s open 24/7. If you’ve still got some energy left—“ she dawned a sly smirk, excited by the mere idea— “we could go get one?”

Weiss rolled her eyes, but she was entirely unable to hide her smile. “At this hour? You’re ridiculous, Ruby.”

“Well, okaaay~” She let go of Weiss’s hand and began to walk away. “Guess I‘ll just go get one all by myself, then!”

“Ugh, fine, fine!” Weiss called, “Wait for me!”

She rejoined Ruby’s side and took her hand into her own once again. “Can’t have you running off anymore,” Weiss claimed, the blush in her cheeks clearly visible. 

Ruby only giggled, silently hoping she was right about the truth behind her captain’s blush. “‘Kay. Don’t worry, Weissey. I’ll stay right here beside ya. I promise.”

Chapter Text

Yang smirked as she pressed the play button.

Oh man, she thought, they’re gonna love this.

An energetic piano came to life through the tiny speakers, followed quickly by a spicy saxophone. The team glowered at Yang in judgmental silence as she turned around to flip a slice of sizzling bacon.

“Just wait,” Yang chuckled. “Trust me. It gets good.”

Weiss looked at Blake inquiringly. Blake shook their head. Finally, the lyrics hit.

“Stumble outta bed and I stumble to the kitchen

Pour myself a cup of ambition

And yawn and stretch and try to come to life!”

“Oh, God.” Weiss groggily despaired, drawing a giggle from Ruby.

“Jump in the shower and the blood starts pumpin’

Out on the street, the traffic starts jumpin’

The folks like me on the job from Nine to Five!”

Yang began a little dance to the chorus, only disappointed she couldn’t pull out her sickest moves. As much of a necessity as her ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron was for making her team’s breakfast, it was a little constricting in the whole dancing department. Weiss looked at her jig wide-eyed before turning back to Ruby and Blake. “It really is cowboy music. You two were completely right.”

Blake nodded in a pyrrhic victory. They’d won the bet, but the cost of having to listen to Yang’s favorite song for no less than the hundredth time in their life seemed to weigh heavily on their shoulders. “Told ya.”

“It’s just some upbeat classic country!” Yang protested. “And I mean, c’mon, it’s Dolly Parton! Who doesn’t like Dolly?” Blake and Weiss raised their hands in unison. Ruby, in contrast, folded her arms with an intriguingly neutral expression. “Heh. How ‘bout you, Rubes?”

A smile started to crack across the smaller girl’s face. She looked at each of her friends around her, everyone curiously awaiting the verdict. She sighed before lowering her arms and moving to stand beside Yang. “Workin’ nine to five!”

“What a way to make a livin’~!” Yang followed up, the two breaking into dance together and singing in unison. 

“Oh God,” Blake facepalmed. “Weiss, we’re the only sane people here.”

Weiss sighed in reply. “It would seem so.”

Yang only laughed before turning back around and flipping another piece of bacon, still singing all the while.

Another good morning, she sighed in relief.

Despite everything.

The hot water rushed across Yang’s plate as she scrubbed it clean, full from a nice morning ration of bacon and eggs. Not the most gourmet of meals, really, but she was proud enough of her work. Her cooking had definitely improved since she first started making breakfast for Ruby back in high school, and it was now apparently good enough to sate the ever-so-refined palette of a Company Heiress.

She chuckled to herself. The truth was that she had tried a lot harder than usual, all so Weiss and Ruby would have a nice breakfast after everything they’d been through the day prior. It was such a small thing, but… It’d make a difference if it were me, she felt.

Last night, she’d already started heading to Calavera’s— their designated post-match meeting spot— by the time the real fight had begun. It was only when she arrived and saw the look on Maria’s face that she knew something had gone wrong. She raced back and found Ruby and Blake in the arena’s technical area staying by Weiss’s side as a nurse stitched her up. She was apparently unwilling to go to a hospital, mumbling something about appearances. After everything she’d been through, no one was going to argue. It was a scary enough night.

Yang had spent the rest of the night trying to make sure Ruby was okay, though she mostly stayed quiet. She couldn’t get an explanation as to what actually caused the fight, but… it wasn’t too hard to fill in the blanks.

“Hey,” Blake tapped Yang’s shoulder.

“Oh! Hey,” Yang replied, laying her plate in the sink.

Blake held out their own plate. “Mind dealing with this for me?”

“Chef Yang’s on the job!” She took hold of it and began scrubbing once more.

Blake tilted their head, a quiet giggle escaping their lips. “This is certainly an interesting new career path.”

“Eh, less of a career path and more of a hobby. I’m a woman of many talents, you know.”

“Sure,” they chuckled. “Hey, um,” their voice lowered, “how is Ruby holding up? Have you been able to get a read on her?”

Yang turned the sink faucet off and ripped a paper towel from the roll to dry her hands. “Mm, not really? It usually takes her a while to open up about this stuff, but…” she looked over the kitchen bannister towards Ruby, who was sitting with Weiss on the couch and talking blissfully about whatever show they were watching together. “I think she’s doing a hell of a lot better than she was last night. Weiss, too.”

Blake turned their gaze to the pair, now smiling at each other over who-knew-what. “Huh.”

“Something on your mind?” Yang quizzed, walking over to the trash can to discard her used paper towel.

“Just that they seem to have really warmed up to each other.”

“Heh, yeah, I was kind of getting that sense—” As Yang tossed her trash into the can, she noticed something odd. “Blake,” she whispered, “did you go get a drink from the Mini-Mart with someone last night?”

“What?” They walked over and saw what prompted the question. A Mini-Mart cup with two straws in it. After a second, they seemed to piece it together. “… Oho. Seems like someone had a late night out.”

Yang’s gaze traveled back to the cozy pair on the couch, now noticing the bags under both of their eyes. She exclaimed a little too loud. “Holy—” 

“Shh!” Blake hushed her. It hadn’t drawn the pair’s attention, thankfully.

Yang rubbed her neck and chuckled. “Sorry, sorry, just… color me surprised. Our fearless leader hasn’t exactly been the warmest person in the world.”

“Tell me about it,” Blake chortled. “People find friends in the strangest of times.”

Yang saw Ruby poke Weiss’s shoulder to get her attention, grinning when their gazes met. The gears in Yang’s mind turned. “Are we, uh… completely sure that it’s just ‘friends’?” Yang half-joked. Sure, Ruby has a crush on her, but, no way it’s already progressed, right? 

Blake didn’t reply, instead glancing between Yang and the pair.

“…Wait, do you know something?”

They quickly shook their head. “I couldn’t say—”

Yang laughed in disbelief, excitedly whispering. “Oh my God! There’s really something going on there?! You’ve gotta tell me whatever you know, this is way too juicy!”

They narrowed their eyes and flattened their ears. “I… I really shouldn’t say. It’s their own business. We shouldn’t gossip about it, right?”

Damn it, why do they always have to make sense? “Gah, yeaaah,” Yang relented, “when you’re right, you’re right.” 

A quiet moment passed as they stood next to each other, Yang deep in thought about the surprising matchup. Blake finally broke the silence. “…Besides, I promised Weiss I wouldn’t tell.”

Wait. Then that means… “Hah!” Yang loudly exclaimed, drawing the two girls’ attention. They turned back to the TV just as fast with little more than a puzzled expression, and Yang made sure her tone was far more mellow as she continued. “So, Weiss has a little somethin’ she needs to keep confidential, huh?” Blake rolled their eyes as Yang mischievously grinned. “Well, I guess she and Ruby have something in common, then~”

“The team dynamic just got a lot more interesting,” Blake mused as they leaned back on the counter and folded their arms. “We might even need to switch bedrooms soon.”

Yang started choking. “You’re—” she coughed. “You’re kidding, right?!”

They chuckled. “Probably.”

She gulped, saved from pondering the implication only as her phone beeped. Blake’s quickly followed suit, right alongside Ruby’s and Weiss’s. She pulled out her slightly outdated but ever-so-charming yellow smartphone and saw a text alert.

“Dear Friend Yang,

The Professor is calling for an emergency meeting at the auditorium at 10:00am.

He says it is very important, so I hope you can make it. I am very excited at the prospect of seeing you allヾ(＾-＾)ノ

-Penny Polendina, Guardian.”

Yang groaned. “Fuckin’ seriously? Not even a day's rest?”

Blake, looking at their own worn and beat-up iPhone, shared the sentiment. “And on the single day of the week we don’t have classes or a match. God.”

Ruby spoke up from the couch. “Hey, did you guys just get a text from Penny with a really cute little happy dude in it?”

“Yup,” Yang replied. She and Blake walked over to join the pair on the couch. Weiss was staring at the message on her phone intensely, staying strangely quiet.  “So, Weiss,” Yang gently questioned, “we going? If you wanted to stay and take the day off, I don’t think anyone would mind—”

The white-haired woman stood up without a word, stretching out her arms and neck. She held her bandaged hand as she spoke, her tiredly jovial tone from earlier now replaced with one far more serious. 

“This is important. We’re going.”

The team walked through the auditorium lobby in a brisk silence, as they had done the entire journey there. It was clear to Yang that something had changed about Weiss’s energy the second she’d seen the text, as if her switch flipped. The serious business switch. It was a term she’d first coined when she noticed it happen during one of their earlier training sessions. Whenever things got complicated, or when conversation shifted to certain topics, the somewhat endearingly grumpy and awkward Weiss would be replaced with a woman who looked exactly like her, but was altogether more intense, acting almost like a soldier. She’d never seen her like this outside of fighting or match planning, though. This was entirely new territory. 

But, to be fair, it wasn’t exactly unexpected. She was about to be the center of some pretty uncomfortable attention, after all.

As they arrived at the double-door entrance to the very same old and dusty auditorium they’d first met in during their inauguration, Yang unsteadily placed her hands on the door handles. She stopped short of opening them, as an important question lingered in the air. “Before we do this, do we have any idea what’s actually going on here? Like, do we need a game plan?”

Weiss looked to her with a stern expression, though Yang could feel she wasn’t its true target. “Honestly? I don’t know what to expect. For now, just treat it as a standard team meeting. Follow my lead, and don’t make waves.”

Ruby smiled awkwardly. “Kiiinda feels like the waves are already here.”

Blake nodded in agreement, and Yang felt the same. Even a quick peek at the Vytal Fight Forums when she’d first woken up had overwhelmed her. She couldn’t count the sheer number of posts about Weiss and Cinder’s fight if she tried. She was just thankful that the comments mostly chalked the cause of the fight up to Cinder hazing the rookies, rather than the true reason. The phrase “fucked around and found out” had come up quite a few times.

“Well,” Yang gulped, “We’ll be fine.”

In her heart of hearts, she knew they would have to be. Things had to get serious, and they had to be prepared for it.

As she pushed the doors open, the yelling of nearly a dozen people washed over her.

Yang and her team watched wide-eyed as Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, Oscar, Coco, Velvet, Sun, Neptune and a scarlet-haired stranger stood amassed towards the front of the Auditorium, speaking angrily and loudly enough to drown out any of what they were actually saying. 

“Every team at Beacon but the Cinders,” Blake said under their breath.

And everyone on those teams except…

“Oh!” Jaune exclaimed, looking from behind a back-row chair he was slumped into. “Hey, guys!”

“Jaune!” Ruby bubbled. He was there with Ruby and Weiss when the fight started, so he probably knows Ruby’s trans, right? But, neither of them seem uncomfortable. Maybe she’s already sure he’s chill about it? “So, uh, what’s going on here, bud? Kinda feels like we walked into a hornet nest.”

Jaune sighed, scratching the back of his neck. “It’s the statement. Everyone’s up-in-arms about it.”

Weiss narrowed her eyes. “What statement?”

“Oh, God, you don’t know? Geez, okay, um—” he pulled his phone from his pocket and swiped over to an already-opened article. “It was posted on The Cinders’ website and signed by—” He gulped. “Well… the Board.”

Yang and her team squeezed in tightly to read what appeared to be a scanned copy of a letter. Most of it was roundabout corporate speak, but the final paragraph stood out.

“While we await the results of our internal investigation on Cinder Fall’s alleged safety conduct breach, we wish she and her team all our best during their upcoming Coastal Fire Championship.

Signed,

The National Vytal Fight League Executive Board.”

On the bottom of the letter were the signatures of each Board member. Yang’s eyes stilled on one.

Jacques Schnee.

“Wait,” Yang wondered, “Weiss, is that—”

“My father,” she confirmed. Her demeanor was stone-cold, her expression conveying none of the rightful rage she should have been feeling. She simply stood, completely still, drifting once again into silence.

Jaune frowned. “It’s almost exactly the same letter they released the last few times Cinder beat someone up.”

“Meaning,” Blake posited, “that they’re hoping the storm will blow over and they can just keep ignoring the problem.”

“…Yeah.” His shoulders slumped.

Weiss folded her arms and turned around, staring coldly at the doors they had entered from. Ruby looked at her with worry clear in her eyes, and tugged gently at the glowering woman’s shirt. “You okay, Weissey? You wanna head back home?”

“The door didn’t close.”

“Huh?”

Weiss marched over to the double-doors, where Yang finally noticed one of them hadn’t shut the entire way. Weiss suddenly slammed it closed with all her might, the thunderous sound cracking through the entire auditorium and shaking Yang to her bones.

The entire audience, shocked into a complete silence, collectively turned to look at her.

“The door didn’t close,” Weiss growled under her breath.

Oh, Yang thought, the rage finally hit.

A few people suddenly turned to walk towards her, presumably to check on Weiss and to give their apologies, but their advance was quickly halted by a static crackling through the auditorium’s speakers. 

“Welcome, Everyone,” Ozpin’s voice rang out as he appeared from behind the stage curtain holding a microphone. “Thank you for coming. If we could all please have a seat.”

Everyone grouped up with their teammates and sat down together, filling the first row of the auditorium. Weiss moved ahead of the rest of RWBY, sitting in the third row. Yang followed her, sitting between her and Blake, with Ruby on the other side of Weiss. The tension that had grown in the room began to flow, giving the air a bitter taste.

Ozpin placed the microphone in its stand. His hair was uncombed, his jacket missing, and his shirt ruffled and untucked. The bags under his eyes proved an explanation why.

“Well,” he cleared his throat, “Good morning. While having an all-hands meeting on a Sunday is quite unusual, I am sure you can all appreciate the importance of doing so today. We have a lot to go over—”

Nora raised her hand.

“Ms. Valkyrie, I was hoping to save any questions for after the meeting—”

“Nope!” The foxlike faunus cut him off. “We’re doing questions now! And my first one is,” her voice hardened, “why the hell are they not punishing Cinder?!”

The audience mumbled in consensus. The question was a good one, and it loomed large. Ozpin cleared his throat again before continuing. “I can assure you all that the issue is under investigation. If she is in violation of safety protocol, then—”

“She’s in violation of the law, ” Ren suddenly stood. “She literally assaulted Weiss and Jaune. There were thousands of witnesses, and she just gets to walk it off?”

“As we are all painfully aware, injuries are unfortunately a common consequence of the sport. The consent forms each player signs when joining a team encompass an extensive set of circumstances which are to be handled in-house in accordance with—”

“Bull,” a yellow-haired monkey-tailed faunus spoke up. Yang remembered fighting Sun during a training match, albeit briefly. He’d been a member of Team Elemental along with Coco, Velvet and Neptune since their freshman year at Beacon, and had been in plenty of contact with Cinder. His words meant something. “What the hell are you doing, man? You’re seriously going to bat for Cinder now? After how many years of you two being at each other's throat? Where’d your damn integrity go?”

Ozpin moved to speak, but Velvet cut him off. “Professor, you saw how badly Cinder hurt Coco during our first year.” Coco sat beside her, expressionless, rubbing the frame of her sunglasses. “Please, we have to do something, this can’t keep happening!”

Ozpin stood quiet for a few long seconds, his eyes closed and his hands gripping the microphone tightly. Eventually, he spoke slowly. Cautiously. 

“There are many moving parts to this situation. All I can do, at present, is offer an apology and an affirmation that I am the same man I have always been, through hard times and through good. Please,” he looked over each and every member of the audience. “Trust in that.”

Yang looked to Weiss. She stayed silent, though her chest heaved with heavy breathing.

“I think,” Ozpin continued, “That we will call this meeting here. I was going to discuss the details of the upcoming tournament matches, but I believe that may be something best gone over in a day or two, once we’ve all had more of a chance to reflect and recover from last night’s match. For now, please know that next week’s match is still on, and that you should all begin preparations. With that said, please enjoy the rest of your weekend.” 

All teams but RWBY began to stand up, with frustration-tinged whispers overtaking the crowd. Yang’s own frustrations were flaring, a heat beginning to billow in her chest.

So fucking unreal.

Yang always had a deep sense of justice, one so deep that it had gotten her in trouble more than a few times. Even small injustices could set her off when she was younger, and despite yelling rarely seeming to fix much, it still felt so warranted. She’d learned to restrain the urge for Ruby’s sake, but God did she want to let it all loose. Seeing Ozpin and the entire damn structure just turn their back on Weiss, her captain, her friend, was so monstrously cruel and unfair. And she hadn’t seen a single reason for it. 

Things need to get serious. It was the thought she kept returning to the entire day, slowly seeing more and more people disregard the fight as something exciting but ultimately unimportant. This was an injustice too large to just be ignored. And if no one was going to hear them out, then she’d just have to start yelling again.

“Oh,” Ozpin suddenly continued, “And if Team RWBY could come backstage for a quick word, I would be much obliged. Thank you.”

…Maybe the yelling wouldn’t be necessary.

Every member of the team looked at Weiss, waiting to hear what she thought. She simply closed her eyes, stood up, and began to walk.

The curtains began to close behind Yang and her team as they stepped onto the stage. Ozpin held his hands behind his back, staring at them, waiting patiently for the curtains to close completely before saying a word.

“So uh, what’s up, Professor?” Ruby nervously chuckled.

“Follow me.”

He turned and began to walk further backstage, through another curtain. The team followed, but an uneasiness swept over Yang. The cloak-and-dagger was pretty damn weird.

Passing through the curtain, she found herself surrounded by stage props. Large crates, painted two-dimensional buildings, plastic flowers, styrofoam animals and even a few familiar looking inflatable trees… all covered in dust. A fake fireplace stood in the back, the top lined with skulls and books, and in front of it sat a table with eight chairs. Curiously, one of them was occupied by someone Yang hadn’t expected to find in such a strange and dingy place.

“Penny!” Ruby beamed.

“Salutations, team!” Penny smiled widely in return, though her eyes were as baggy as Ozpin’s. Had they both stayed up the entire night? The last Yang had heard from Penny, beside her text, was when she popped by as Weiss was getting bandaged the night prior. She’d said she was “gathering data” and “helping the Professor put out some fires,” but didn’t elaborate beyond that. Had it been an all-night process?

Ruby stood on her tip-toes and rocked back and forth, clearly excited to see the girl again. “I really liked the little dude you sent in your text! Could’ya show me how you did it?”

“Absolutely! I have a wide selection of emoticons to choose from, as well! I would be delighted to show you how to use them later.”

Weiss cleared her throat. “Later indeed. We have something we’re here for, yes?”

Blake chuckled slyly in agreement, their eyes shifting between Ozpin and Penny. “You want to elucidate us on what’s going on here, Pen’?”

“Oh, may I explain, Professor?”

Ozpin walked over to one of the chairs and took a seat. He spoke as he folded his hands together. “Yes, I think it’s time.”

Penny nodded once, a smile crossing her lips. “Oh, that is most excellent! Well,” she looked to her team, “After a terribly long night of organizing, interviews, investigation and planning, we have formed a proposition for you all!”

Weiss raised an eyebrow. “A proposition.”

“Yes!” Penny nodded. She reached under the table and brought up a three-ring-binder stacked full of papers. “If you are interested in hearing the proposition, I might suggest having a seat? As you can most likely tell, it’s a rather detailed one. We have been ever so busy!”

A coarse voice came from behind a prop house. “Ain’t that the truth.”

Wait… was that…?

Yang looked at Ruby, and saw the same slowly dawning excitement on her face. 

A dusty old man walked out from behind the facade of a home, a bottle in one hand and a suitcase in the other.

“Uncle Qrow!” Ruby and Yang shouted in unison, buzzing with joy. Yang nearly ran up to him, but halted in her tracks when she saw someone else join his side. A white-haired woman that looked suspiciously like…

“Weiss.” The woman spoke in a deep voice. “We have a lot to talk about.”

Yang gulped. She didn’t know entirely what was going on here, but one thing was clear. 

Things were about to get serious.

Chapter Text

“Uncle Qrow!” Ruby shouted in unison with Yang, abuzz at the excitement of seeing the ol’ guy again. How long had it been? A couple months?

She nearly ran up to hug him, stopped only by a strange voice intruding the air. “Weiss,” a mysterious woman emerged, “We have a lot to talk about.”

Wait, that’s…

Ruby was quick to deduce the mystery woman’s identity. White hair, a cane and an intimidating aura were all the clues she needed.

“Winter!” Weiss shouted brightly. She ran forward and slammed into her big sister with a bear-hug, grinning from ear to ear. Ruby knew she really looked up to Winter, but actually seeing it in person? It made her heart grow so much warmer. The same was true for Yang, apparently, judging by her gently nudging Ruby’s arm and giving her a warm smile.

Winter seemed happy to see Weiss too, in her own way. She closed her eyes and hugged her sister back, sighing in relief. She wasn’t smiling, but she didn’t really seem the type to anyway.

“I’m so, so excited to see you!” Weiss beamed, squeezing the life out of Winter. “I have so much to tell you! I don’t even know where to start, I—”

“Weiss,” Winter croaked while struggling to breathe, “As curious as I am, we have work to do—”

“Oh!” Weiss interjected, suddenly letting go of her sister. Winter took the opportunity to take a deep and much-needed breath. “Introductions!” She reached over to Penny, who just so happened to be the closest to them, and held her hand towards the girl as if she were presenting a prize on a game show. “Meet P—”

“Penny Polendina,” Winter finished on her behalf. “Your team’s Guardian and I have grown well acquainted over the last few hours.”

“We’re friends!” Penny proudly declared.

“Mm,” she mumbled in reply. Qrow couldn’t contain his snicker. “I have also familiarized myself with the other members of Team RWBY.” She redirected her gaze to Ruby’s group. “Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long. You’ve both had quite the history.”

Yang’s eyes suddenly grew wide, her cheeks and ears growing flush. “W-whhhuh… professionally! You mean professionally! With our win records and all that! Heh, yeah, we really have! Totally, for sure!”

Blake looked at her as if she were insane.

“Mm.” Winter left it at that. “And then there’s you, Ruby Rose.”

For a moment, Ruby wondered what she knew. It wasn’t an anxiety she stewed in for long before the woman was standing right in front of her, a stage light illuminating her from behind.

Woah.

The light made her seem even taller and more imposing than she already was. She cast a silent gaze down upon Ruby, her piercing blue eyes seeming familiar and altogether different in equal measure. She frowned, and Ruby felt smaller. The woman towering above her seemed more-than-human, somehow. Not in a faunus sort of way, but something else entirely. She couldn’t find the words.

This— this feels a little too familiar. Ruby felt a sweat forming on her brow, unsure of what to do. The woman’s jaw clenched, and Ruby instinctually braced, images of last night flashing through her head. Still, nothing happened. The longer the silence lingered, the smaller Ruby felt, until it was as if she were an ant standing before a…

Oh. That’s what she reminds me of. The words finally came to Ruby. Winter wasn’t more-than-human. She wasn’t human at all.

She was a mountain.

A huge, unshakeable presence, one which could only be gazed upon and never truly influenced. Vast. Beautiful. Dangerous.

This… this is what Weiss’s family is like? The thought shook her.

Winter sighed. She slowly kneeled down, being careful with her injured leg, and softly placed a hand on Ruby’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry.”

W-wha?

Winter spoke gently. “I’ve learned about you too, Ruby Rose. I’m sorry for what you went through last night. What Cinder put you and Weiss through— it was horrible. There’s no way to soften the reality of that.”

Ruby sighed in sweet relief. Winter looked a lot more human from this angle. “It’s… it’s okay. I’m okay. Weiss protected me. Your sister, she’s um… she’s pretty amazing,” she awkwardly chuckled. Weiss’s eyes grew a smidge wider at that.

“She is,” Winter curtly nodded. “I look forward to better knowing you all. For now, we have business to attend to.”

Professor Ozpin, sitting slumped in a chair on the far side of the table and looking like he hadn’t seen a bed in far too long, suddenly brought himself to speak up. “Indeed. If everyone could please have a seat.”

As Winter and Blake settled into their chairs, Ruby and Yang both ran over and gave Qrow a quick hug. Yang lightly punched him in the arm. “Whatcha been up to, old man?”

“Heh, not a damn thing. I did meet this waiter, though, and—” Ozpin cleared his throat, staring daggers through Qrow with a level of impatience Ruby had only ever seen from Zwei before he got his breakfast. “…Eh, I’ll tell you kids later. Someone is a little high-strung today,” he said, discreetly pointing his thumb towards Ozpin.

Yang chuckled before finding a seat, and Ruby was left to stew in the suspense of wondering about this mysterious waiter. All the same, she and everyone else apart from Penny found a chair.

A cautious air slowly took hold of the room as Ozpin flipped through a thick three-ring binder on the table. Ruby looked around as she waited, her eyes drawn to strange props littering the backstage. A wooden giraffe loomed behind Blake, and off in the corner was a cage and a giant cross. That was to say nothing of the numerous boxes, crates, prop buildings, inflatable trees and technical stage equipment littering the floor, all lit by only a few dim stage lights.

It was the kind of disrepair only afforded by the sheer oppression of time. It was so beautiful, below all the dust; nothing like the squeaky-clean and garish designs of the auditorium’s lobby and the Outpost. She imagined they probably both came from the same pile of money that Vytal Fight brought in, and if the lobby had recently been redesigned, then the auditorium itself would probably follow suit before too long.

It was a little sad.

Ozpin found the set of pages he was looking for and passed the binder to Penny. “So,” he began, “The reality of things.”

Geez. Scary start.

He looked between Weiss and Ruby, and a dimness fell over him. “I… have failed you.” He cleared his throat, though it did nothing to deter the hoarseness in his voice. “The amount of mistakes I have made to allow last night’s attack to happen are beyond counting, and beyond regrettable. I would say I never should have allowed Cinder on the field last night, but the truth is that I never should have allowed her on the field at all. ”

Yang raised an eyebrow, though neither she nor anyone else interjected.

“Cinder joined Beacon’s Vytal Fight Program as a Junior four years ago. That was the same year Winter graduated and joined the Ace Operatives, to give you some idea, Weiss. It was a long time ago, but even then, she had some… well, let’s call them warning signs. Aggression, hyper-competitiveness, a constant dissatisfaction in she and her team’s performance. I kept her in the program thinking she would find some kind of relief after winning a few tournaments. As it turned out, however, I was terribly wrong. After she graduated and formed her own team for the NVFL, something happened. A switch seemed to flip, and her sadism became her driving motivation, unchecked and undeterred. Even enabled. ”

“Enabled?” Ruby questioned.

Ozpin bobbed his head towards Qrow, spurring the man to sigh and shakily stood up. “Hand them the pages, kid.” Penny nodded and pulled some sheets from the binder, handing them out to everyone. Ruby’s eyes grazed the header as she received hers, and felt a lump in her throat. “Incident Reports Involving Cinder Fall - 2007 to 2011.”

The list was longer than she’d imagined it could be. Every line of text her eyes traced along made her feel just a little more queasy. Most of the reports were the minor injuries she’d given people during her matches, those small brutalities she was so famous for. Some listings, however, stood out from the rest, bolded and highlighted in red. 

2007 - TRIVIA VANILLE

INJURY: Bruises on throat, stomach, and sternum. Internal damage caused to throat.

VERDICT: Prosecutable. Victim refused to press charges.

2009 - COCO ADEL

INJURY: Bruises on stomach and face. Damaged kneecap.

VERDICT: Covered by waivers. Unprosecutable.

2010 - TRIVIA VANILLE

INJURY: Lacerations to arms.

VERDICT: Covered by waivers. Unprosecutable.

2010 - ROANE ASHWOOD

INJURY: Lacerations to arms and torso.

VERDICT: Covered by waivers. Unprosecutable.

Ruby’s breath hitched as she read the final entry at the bottom of the page.

2011 - WEISS SCHNEE

INJURY: Unrecorded.

VERDICT: Covered by waivers. Unprosecutable.

NOTE: Intended target was Ruby Rose.

“…Shit,” Blake muttered under their breath.

Qrow grimly nodded. “A hundred and forty-three incident reports, five of them ending with severe injuries. I was the safety inspector assigned to investigate every single one of those instances, and every single time, I fought to have her contract terminated.”

Weiss spoke in a strained tone. “And every single time, she went unpunished.”

“Well, not exactly. She usually gets some light slap on the wrist. Decreased pay, retraining, whatever. This time, they’re doing some bullshit ‘internal review’ that’ll let her get off scot-free. So, practically? Yeah,” he grunted. “Unpunished.”

Blake closed their eyes and rubbed their forehead, looking more exhausted by the second. “You’re seriously telling me everything she’s done is just… allowed? There’s no hard rules, it’s all up to whoever-the-hell to decide her punishment unilaterally?”

“Congratulations, my faunus friend. You’ve tapped into the scary side of this.”

As if it weren’t already scary enough?!

“Hey, kid,” Qrow spoke to Weiss, “she cut you with the sharpened side of Vytal’s Edge, right? That stupid fucking sword of hers, I mean.”

“Yes,” Weiss replied, her voice sounding distant, and with a quiet rage only those close to her could see in her eyes.

“Well, after her first fight that ended in someone getting cut, I tried to get my hands on it. Simple enough to sequester it from the League and prove it had a sharp edge, right? That would’ve been plenty to get her kicked out, because, yeah, having a real weapon is one of the biggest fuckin’ no-no’s there is. So, I submitted the inspection form. Two months later, I get a response from some nameless pencil pusher saying her weapon already passed inspection and that they couldn’t ‘accommodate’ another one due to her ‘rigorously busy schedule.’ Annoying bastards.”

Ruby felt this anxiety slowly encircling her, this unplaceable and inescapable feeling of being trapped. “How? Why?” The words left her involuntarily.

Winter grit her teeth before replying. She spoke only a single word. “Money.”

“Christ,” Blake groaned.

“Cinder may not be the most talented or famous player, but few others bring in the amount of money from merchandising as she does. She is an asset the board of directors are unwilling to part with, no matter the costs.”

“That’s our leading theory, at least,” Penny added.

Yang set her jaw and leaned against the table with her fists clenched, a fury seeming to billow through her. No one spoke, as everyone collectively tried to wrap their heads around the situation— around just how dire it was.

Ruby lowered her head as an unbearable weight began to hold her down.

This… this isn’t the game I wanted to play.

Some of her earliest memories were of Qrow showing her recordings from his matches. The way he swung his sword to block attacks, and how he turned it into a scythe to hook people with… the way he smiled and his team celebrated whenever they won. That was the game Ruby wanted to play. 

But that’s not really what happened at Beacon, was it?

It was all so different from her high school matches. Intense training, a huge audience, real injuries and a woman out for blood….

What am I even doing here?

Ruby knew there were players better suited for Beacon than she was. Yang fit in fine, and when Ruby first received the acceptance letter, she suspected they were just impressed with her finishing her studies early and didn’t want to split the two of them up. But, seeing all this? Seeing what Beacon is really liked, how cutthroat the game was there? No, that couldn’t have been all it was—

Cinder.

She’d almost missed it during the chaos of the fight. Just another one of a dozen horrific things she’d said. Ruby tried everything she could to avoid remembering any of it, but now, in the cold reality of things she’d found herself in? There was no ignoring her words anymore.

“I noticed it when I was on the freshman selection committee. I vouched for his admittance into the program when I realized what was happening. I just had to see it for myself~”

Cinder was the reason she was accepted. The only reason.

The world grew distant. Ruby felt parts of herself fade. Her strength turned to ashes in her mouth.

The encroaching feeling of being trapped had now overwhelmed her. Encaged. Nowhere to go.

Lured.

Trapped.

Devoured.

Her captor’s presence was inescapable, burning Ruby’s every thought. Images from the prior night circled through her mind's eye. The fireworks went off, the smoke lifted, and there the Butcher of Beacon stood, the void of her helmet enveloping her whole. Her words echoed again, and again, and again. “My little Rose~”

Lured.

Trapped.

Devoured…

…

“…I want to win.”

The words came from some deep part of herself, and she spoke them as a matter of fact.

Everyone turned towards her, surprised looks all around.

Ruby suddenly found herself back in reality, her arms wrapped around herself, tears welling in the corners of her eyes. Her blood ran cold, but her heart kept beating all the same. She searched for wherever those words had come from, and found that the memories of Cinder weren’t the only ones she kept from the night prior. Because, for every terrible thing she’d said, Weiss said something too.

“All those things you make me feel, that safety and comfort, you deserve that too.”

“I want to keep feeling cared for, and— and I want you to feel cared for, too.”

“I just want to stay with you, Ruby. As long as I can.”

Sitting there, under the haze of a street lamp in the cold, bearing their hearts to one another. Walking to the store together, holding hands, just to spend a little more time with each other. Cuddling on the couch, watching some awful show, trading sweet little glances at one another’s blushes.

Someone cared about her.

She looked over to Weiss then, sitting next to her with concern and attention on her face, and reached out for her hand. Weiss allowed her to take it, and they stared into one another’s eyes, one of the only people Ruby could bring herself to do so with. Weiss smiled.

All her life, Ruby had people who loved her. Yang and Taiyang had done so much for her, had loved her so unendingly and completely. Summer had too, before she passed.

“You’ll never be alone, sweetheart. You’ll always have someone there for you, even if it isn’t me. I promise.”

Her mom had kept her promise. She’d never really been alone, no matter how it felt when people like Cinder tried to tear it all away.

Maybe it was the sense of justice Yang had instilled within her, or the passion of finding someone new to care for. Maybe it was everything. Maybe it was none of that. The reason didn’t really matter. All Ruby truly knew, all she could feel, was rebellion. Rebellion against the loneliness Cinder tried to instill within her, rebellion against her poisoning the game, and, more than anything, rebellion against the pain she’d caused Weiss.

“I want to win,” she repeated, sure of heart. “I know it’s dumb, I just… I don’t want her to hurt you again, Weiss. I don’t want her to hurt anyone.”

Weiss paused for a moment, staring blankly in thought. It was only a heartbeat before she nodded, an impassioned smile on her face. “Agreed.”

Qrow pumped his fists, brimming with pride and excitement. “Heh! That’s what we were counting on. Yang, Blake, you in?”

Yang slammed the table. “Hell yeah I am!”

Blake looked her over and grinned. “Of course.”

“Excellent,” Ozpin nodded.

“Now,” Weiss spoke, “what exactly did we just agree to? What’s the plan?”

“Ms. Polendina, hand them the folders, if you could. It’s time to tell them in earnest.”

Weiss opened the folder, sitting comfortably on the couch back home. Important to re-review the details, even if it was for the fifth time.

She flipped through sheets upon sheets of data— player personality profiles, previously collected evidence, timelines and possible contingencies— and the thought hit her once again. This is reckless. Dangerous. Unbelievably risky. Not that there was much of an alternative, of course. 

Even still. It could end up getting someone hurt.

Ruby let out a little sound as she slept with her head on Weiss’s lap. She’d said she “needed to catch up on Z’s” and was “too ‘eepy to walk back to bed.” Weiss thought that was ridiculous. All the same, she didn’t argue. She pulled the girl’s blanket up a little more and tucked it around her, making sure she was as comfortable as possible. For a second she felt a smidge nervous, wondering if her thighs were too boney to be comfortable, but thought better of overthinking it. Ruby didn’t mind.

She just hoped the girl would wake up before Blake and Yang returned from the store. She couldn’t explain why, exactly, but being seen in this position would’ve felt just a little too embarrassing. At the same time, she’d prefer them back as soon as possible. The earlier they could get started on writing the invitations, the better. For now, though, it’d be better to focus on going over the broad strokes of the plan.

The Cinders were composed of five members: Cinder Fall, Roman Atwood, Emerald Sustrai, Mercury Black, and Neopolitan, also known by her legal name of Trivia Vanille. She was… particularly of interest. She was the only victim of Cinder’s who had been attacked twice, and arguably the one that had gotten it the worse, losing her ability to speak after the second attack. And yet, they were still on a team together. Utterly bizarre. Whatever the story was there, it would be a likely source of tension within the team.

And tension would be the key to taking down Cinder.

There were many unknowns about the woman, in terms of both her personal history and her motivations. But, throughout her entire recorded career, there were two engrained traits of hers one could always and unfailingly rely on: That she hated losing, and that she was sadistic to the point of recklessness. Combined, it meant that she consistently lashed out either whenever she found a new ‘muse,’ or when she felt her status as top dog was under threat. It hadn’t happened often, but on the rare occasion that it did, she would usually get serious. Few matches had truly challenged Cinder, with her usually bringing only about half her effort to the table. But if she felt like she had to get serious to win a match, she wouldn’t hold back, effortlessly winning the match by crushing her opponent and leaving them some bruises to remember her by.

For the plan to work, Team RWBY would have to make her feel completely cornered, like The Cinders would have zero chance of winning in a match between them.

That’s how they would make her lash out outside of a match, and thus outside the legally binding waivers that protected her.

Weiss sighed.

She tried to keep her breathing slow and controlled. Laying her hand on Ruby’s arm helped, some.

It was an insane plan. Dangerous. Really, genuinely dangerous. There was no way to rationalize out of that. Winter, Qrow and Ozpin all stressed that they didn’t have to do this, that they could find some other way of taking Cinder down if necessary.

A lie of courtesy. There was no way to deal with Cinder from within the system. It protected her far too effectively.

There was also the fact that there was no real way to avoid Cinder anyway. Weiss had promised Winter, her father, her team, herself, that she would become a truly amazing fighter just as her sister had before her. Her team hadn’t said it out loud, but she imagined they felt just the same, considering how hard they worked during training. If they kept going like they were, they could become something truly special . Weiss trying to do anything less would feel like she was forsaking her promise.

And, if they truly excelled at the sport as Weiss hoped— even expected — then they would have to fight Cinder eventually, anyway. Better to do it with a plan, and with as much extra help as possible.

There were four matches left in the Autumn Tournament. If Team RWBY ended up winning more of those than any other team, and took the tournament trophy, then they would technically be eligible to issue a challenge for The Cinders’ West Coast Championship Title.

A team sweeping a tournament on their first try and then going directly into a championship challenge was something that had only ever been attempted a small handful of times, and never successfully. The skill gap between College-League and NVFL-League tournaments was huge , and even most NVFL-League teams aimed for winning at least a half-dozen tournaments before eyeing the Championship.

But. No rule actually specified that as a requirement. And that was something Weiss would leverage.

They would make it known that was their intention after a couple more wins. Then, Cinder would start to feel the heat turning up, and it would just keep getting worse the closer they got to winning the tournament. Whether or not Team RWBY could actually beat The Cinders was… well, saying it was uncertain would be putting it lightly. If they tried right that instant, they would be crushed, and they’d probably be left with some especially bad injuries to boot. The path to believably threatening Cinder’s title would be a hard one, and they would have to think outside the box. It would involve some showmanship, some trickery, and some truly extreme effort.

Meanwhile, Winter and Qrow would both investigate Cinder and her team from outside of the game itself. They’d try to find potential weaknesses and new areas to create the tension they so relied on. On top of that, their most important role of all would be keeping tabs on Cinder’s movements, and being prepared for whatever her retaliatory move would eventually be.

If everything worked, if it all paid off and Cinder truly believed she couldn’t win in the Championship match, then she would try to stop it from ever happening in the first place. She’d retaliate, try to hurt them, and it would all be caught on camera, with witnesses, outside of the arena and without any of the protections she’d previously relied on. From there, it would either go to prosecution, or to the media, depending on how exactly it went down. It would force the NVFL’s hand either way, and Cinder would be done.

There was no question in Weiss’s mind. The plan would work. Cinder would snap.

The question was if they would be prepared for it.

Weiss reached over and grabbed her blueberry slushy that she’d picked up on the walk home. It had nearly melted now, but somehow it still tasted pretty good. She’d have to be careful to not get addicted to these things. Two days in a row was already pushing it. She sat it back down and went back to her notes.

All this planning, all of these steps that had to go right, first relied on her team actually winning their matches. Their next match in six days would be an easy one; Team Cardinal was notoriously terrible. RWBY would probably win fast enough to have the audience second-guessing if the price of admission was even worth it. The match after that one, though… that would be the first true hurdle.

Team Funky.

Blake was a strategist’s darling in part because they broke the meta at every opportunity they could back. Their weapon was completely unique in the sport, and no real response to it yet existed. Back during their matches before Beacon, nearly every win they scored was unconventional, explosive, gossip-inducing.

Funky was a team composed entirely of Blakes. Their home was Las Vegas, and they took the city’s flashiness and gambling obsession and funneled that into their very strategic core. No two matches of theirs were the same because of it. All of this to say, they were extremely annoying. Weiss couldn’t even hope to plan for every possible contingency with them. She’d have to think more abstractly. 

Having Blake on the team would help to elucidate at least some of Funky’s methodology, but she needed more data. Most preferable would be eyewitness accounts from people with first-hand experience fighting them. Luckily, she wouldn’t have to go far to find that. Team Elemental, Coco’s team, had fought them a half dozen times. They’d even won a time or two.

Blake and Yang had gone shopping for the supplies necessary to write a party invitation— a serviceable enough medium through which she could establish that dialogue. Blake and Yang tried to talk her into just texting them the invitation, but that wasn’t how a Schnee did things. Impressions were everything, after all.

She also planned to send Blake out tomorrow to invite Team Juniper, too. The more allies they had at Beacon, the better their chances of dealing with Cinder’s eventual retaliation, whatever it may be.

Tick, tock, tick.

Weiss took a long, deep breath.

They had a plan.

An insane one. A risky one. But a plan nonetheless. And all she had to focus on, right that very instant, was getting ready for next week’s match and the party that would follow.

Weiss looked down at Ruby, peacefully sleeping, and felt herself grow just a little more sure. She would protect her, and knew that Ruby would protect her in turn, no matter what.

They were ready.

Chapter Text

Sometime Later, on a Quiet Evening…

One lingering thought forged a destiny anew.

Geez, what am I missing?

Jaune looked into his reflection and wondered where he went wrong. Cool iridescent white armor, a wooden practice sword, a suave as anything haircut… yeah, he had everything he wanted, didn’t he? But even still, his reflection felt wrong somehow, as if something were missing. He just couldn’t place his finger on what.

Maybe it was the lighting? Or the mirror itself?

Or maybe she just got in my head about something I can’t actually change.

Sigh.

He turned his back to the full-body mirror and flopped into Pyrrha’s bed, unsure of just what to do with himself.

It was a quiet evening after a quiet day, the first inklings of sunset just beginning to touch the horizon. The string lights Pyrrha hung above her bed glowed warmly, softly illuminating her old track-and-field promo posters taped to the wall above her desk. Jaune looked at the antique black vase atop it, full of hyacinth and peonies, and felt a small respite of thankfulness for having her as a roommate. Her little touches definitely kept the vibes up.

His side of the room, well… it wasn’t quite so cozy. He hadn’t really gotten any furniture yet, apart from a pretty uncomfortable bed and some plastic laundry hampers, one of which he turned upside-down to serve as a makeshift table. His lack of decoration wasn’t for a lack of trying, though— he just couldn’t find much of a chance to do normal life stuff for himself. Beacon was exhausting on the best of days, and unbelievably chaotic on the worst. And a couple days prior, when the whole Cinder thing went down? Yeah, that was definitely one of the worst. His ribs still hurt like hell from where she punched him.

Sigh. That was then, and this is now, he decided. And in-the-now, he had a reflection to fight. With his determination still hanging by a thread, he got back out of bed and walked over to the mirror. He lifted his sword and pointed it forwards, widened his stance, and held his hand firmly behind him. Please, please work.

He cautiously looked into his reflection, and…

…Yeah, this one wasn’t a winner.

It was the fourth pose he’d tried that night, and the fourth failure. His reflection still felt empty. No matter what he tried, he still just looked like… well, himself, the same ol’ guy with the same wrong reflection. He put so much thought and hope into this new “grand plan” of his to fix his life, but he couldn’t even get past the very first step. The rest felt so monumentally far out of his reach.

He wished it surprised him. But it didn’t, not even in the slightest. Cinder said a lot of godawful stuff to Ruby, Weiss and him when they were fighting, but there was one heart-shattering thing he couldn’t disagree with her on.

He really did only ever win by accident.

It was the curse that followed him his entire life. He couldn’t remember the last time something ever worked out because he made it work out. Winning his high school matches, being accepted into Beacon, surviving his team’s training sessions, somehow ending up with friends… whenever things went the way he hoped, it was never truly because of him. He just seemed to be in the right place at the right time.

But that was to say nothing of the times things didn’t work out for him, and holy hell were there plenty of those. He was about as in control of the hard times as any others. More and more frequently, it felt like his entire life was just passing him by without him ever truly being in control of it— let alone getting to live it.

Things just… happened to him. Not like Jeanne d’Arc.

He always understood she was his namesake, but it took Cinder’s comparison to truly pique his interest in her beyond the vague knight-theming he used for his Vytal Fight armor. And after a couple nights of impassioned Wikipedia diving on her history, he came to one solid conclusion: That she was awesome.

Jeanne d’Arc took control of her destiny and changed the world. She found her purpose— no, she made her purpose, and she fought with all her passion to fulfill it, no matter how bad things got. She went through battle after battle to help the people she cared for, and fought for them to the end. To Jaune’s mind, she was incredible.

Jaune himself, though? Ehhh, not so much.

He looked back into the mirror, but it wasn’t any easier of a sight. A part of him wanted to give up, to avoid looking into his reflection ever again. But that would just be him submitting to his destiny, wouldn’t it? And thus was born the crux of his project: If he could find some way to feel more confident, and more sure of himself and who he was, then maybe he could be just a little bit more like his namesake. Maybe he could change his destiny and escape this endless cycle of inaction he found himself in. 

Maybe he could start living again for the first time since he was a child.

Maybe.

… He wasn’t terribly used to thinking in such dramatic terms. When did I get so cool?

With his resolve at least somewhat renewed, he struck another pose, with his arm outstretched to the side and his sword menacingly crossing his face. He put on his most serious expression, and—

He heard giggling from the doorway.

“Gah! Pyrrha!” He yelped, dropping his sword. “Not what it looks like!”

Pyrrha keeled over in laughter, holding her hand to her mouth in a failed effort to control it. “I couldn’t even say what it looks like, Jaune!” She asked through her giggling. “Were you admiring yourself?”

He gave her a grimace, scratching the back of his neck. “Uh, kind of the opposite, actually.”

His roommate’s laugh mellowed to a warm smile. “Well goodness, that doesn’t sound nearly as fun.” She walked over to him and looked over her own reflection, wearing a black blouse covered in red flowers and matched with black jeans. “Hmm.” She held her wrist above her head and stood on one leg, striking her own statue-esque pose with an ease only an athlete could achieve.

Geez. Why can’t I look that cool?

She curiously glanced at him over her shoulder. “Jaune, you know I would happily give you some modeling tips. If you’d like that, I mean?” She grinned widely, almost pleadingly.

“I don’t know that I’m modeling, exactly. I’m kinda just trying to, uh…” he paused, trying to think of the coolest way to phrase it. “Reforge my physical form.”

…Agh, God, that sounds so much less cool out loud.

Pyrrha dropped her pose, very courteously trying and failing to hold in a laugh. He appreciated the effort, at least. “Are you already tired of your new haircut, Jaune?”

“Yeaaah,” he sighed. “I’m kinda regretting it now. I think I liked it longer.”

“Well,” she chuckled, “at least that’s a problem that will solve itself! In just a few short months, you’ll have your style back.”

“I guess. But honestly, even if I had it back now, I don’t think it would really help that much. It’s pretty dire.”

She tilted her head at that. “The problem is bigger than just your hair.”

He puffed his cheeks out and released every bit of air in his lungs, contemplating just how much bigger the problem really was. “Yeah.”

Pyrrha seemed to contemplate something, but quickly came to some unstated decision, giving herself a curt nod. “Tell me all about it on the way, Jaune?”

He scratched his head, feeling like he’d missed something. “On the way to… where, exactly? Oh God, don’t tell me I forgot another training session—”

“Oh, no, nothing like that! I thought we might visit University Village?” It was the outdoor shopping mall right next to campus, if Jaune remembered correctly. “Blake is going to pay us a visit in a few hours, and I thought we might make use of the Labor Day sale by getting them a gift? The stores should still be open for a bit longer.”

“Huh, that’s nice of you.”

“Oh, it’s just a little thank-you gift for their friendship!” She chuckled, sounding almost unsure of the thought. “I also thought it might be a chance for us to get out and have some fun together! You know, as the wonderful pals we are.” She slapped him on the shoulder a little too hard, seemingly forgetting her strength.

“Huh.” Despite the bit of physical pain the suggestion brought him, Jaune was still pretty happy about it. He and Pyrrha had really hit it off over the past few weeks, but they hadn’t exactly gotten much time to just hang between training, matches, school, and whatever emergency-of-the-day fell on their shoulders. “Yeah, I’ll tag along. Ren and Nora coming?”

“Nope! They’re busy. Just us too goofballs,” she nervously chuckled. Where the nervousness came from, though, he couldn’t begin to guess. She seemed so socially invincible around everyone, but she always seemed like she didn’t really know what to do with herself around him.

“Yeah, works for me,” he replied, pushing the thought aside. Pyrrha nodded with a smile before lingering by the doorway, just kind of staring at him for a moment longer than normal. “Do you, uh… mind if I change out of my armor real quick? Not exactly a girls night out look, y’know.”

She blankly blinked at him before suddenly widening her eyes. “Oh! Yes, of course!” She playfully slapped her forehead. “I'll just be waiting downstairs~!” She dashed through the door, leaving Jaune in no one’s company but his own.

She’s so strange sometimes, he mused, wondering further about her awkwardness around him. As strange as it was, it was a wonderful role-reversal from his own unassailable social anxiety. Maybe she’s just not used to talking to people who aren’t interviewing her or competing against her? It had only been around six months since she quit all athletics but Vytal Fight and slashed her fanbase to an eighth of the size in the process. Maybe she just hadn’t gotten used to a slightly quieter life yet, and to the slightly quieter people that could now occupy it. Then again, it could be literally anything else. He had no idea, but it wasn’t a big deal at the end of the day. Even if she was a little strange sometimes, he didn’t mind for a second. 

He took another peek into the mirror before getting ready. Maybe one more for the road? He pointed finger-guns at the mirror and smirked. “Pew, pew!”

…Okay, yeah, that’s the lamest thing I’ve ever done. I’ll stop now.

Pyrrha couldn’t help but chuckle, drawing the passing gaze of a few other passengers. “Jaune, you’re comparing yourself to a fifteenth century patron saint who was burned at the stake when she was nineteen. I’m not sure it’s entirely fair.”

“I—” Jaune stammered. “Okay, yeah, maybe you have a point. But, still.”

“She inspires you. I get it, I promise.” Finally feeling fairly caught up, she couldn’t help but feel enamored with it all. In the few weeks they had known each other, she had become utterly fascinated with her roommate, now sitting quietly and comfortably in thought with her on the bus. He was the first person— apart from Blake, of course— who treated her entirely regularly despite her previously modest fame. Even Nora could be uncomfortably excited about her career history, but never Jaune. It didn’t come from a place of dismissiveness, either. He simply had this strange trust in her, as if he believed from the second they met that she was one of the “good guys.” He never questioned or glorified her decisions, her motivations, her life. Not even once. He simply accepted her exactly as she was, without her ever having to provide even an ounce of justification.

She felt a warm smile cross her face as she looked over the comfortably awkward boy who occupied so many of her thoughts. And as the bus hummed along, passing old buildings and bouncing along potholes, she felt like there was no one in the world she wanted to be with more in that moment than him. Maybe it was that appreciation that set off an alarm in her head: That there was an injustice hanging in the air, and she had to do something about it. That true and full-hearted trust of his— it wasn’t just her he extended that trust to. It was everyone.

Everyone but himself.

And Pyrrha wasn’t going to let that last.

“This is our stop, right?” He asked, glaring out the window.

Pyrrha snapped out of her thoughts and took a look outside. “It is!” She and Jaune shuffled out of the bus and found themselves near to the entrance of University Village’s plaza, so gorgeous as it was. The trees bloomed with pink and white flowers, and sparkling lights were strung throughout them, illuminating the leaves just beginning to turn for fall. Antique-looking streetlamps lined the elaborately tiled sidewalk, framing the elegantly designed red-brick boutiques around them. The plaza splintered off into side-alleys at its edges, each one leading to even more shops and plazas and fascinating little spots yet to be discovered. It was a veritable maze that Pyrrha could never quite get enough of.

The crowds didn’t seem too bad this late in the day, and that was perfectly fine in Pyrrha’s book, figuring she’d be less likely to be recognized. She wouldn’t mind fans stopping her for autographs on most days, but today? Today would be all about her muse, who stood behind her quietly taking in the scenery.

“Jaune,” Pyrrha wondered aloud as they started their walk into the plaza, “you don’t mean to tell me you’ve never liked your appearance in the mirror? Not even once?”

“Eh, not really? I mean, maybe when I was a kid or something, but…” he trailed off. “I thought that was normal?”

“Mmm, I don’t know that I would call it ‘normal,’ per-se.” She laughed, but it was more out of concern than anything. She tugged at his sleeve and led him into an alley she’d yet to explore during her previous expeditions. They passed under a brick archway as they entered it, and the sight they were greeted with was just as wonderful as the plaza’s was. String lights of a dozen different colors hung between the buildings above them, casting a gentle rainbow glow through the otherwise shadowed alley.

A small crowd had gathered around a ramen stand a little further down, eagerly awaiting their dinner. A light breeze carried the wonderful scent of soy and broth. Pyrrha loved it, even if she wasn’t hungry. “Jaune, you do know you’re attractive, yes?”

…Oh, did that slip out? Her filter tended to fail her, on occasion.

“W— what?” He asked. She looked at him with a neutral expression, waiting for his answer. Just because it was an unfiltered question didn’t mean she regretted it. He placed his hands in his pockets with a wry and listless smile. “I guess?”

“But that doesn’t help you feel any more confident?”

He shrugged, looking more than a little unsure of himself. “Is it supposed to?”

Pyrrha stopped in front of a rustic candle shop and looked at him, trying to discern if he was joking or not. But, no, it wouldn’t be like him to joke about something like that. Maybe it was normal to not like one’s appearance, and she was simply clouded by her own personal biases? She knew as well as anyone that she was a conventionally attractive athlete, and she’d spent years being surrounded by people who only complimented her, much to her existential exhaustion.

Except… he was so handsome. Didn’t that count for something?

“Uh, Pyrrha,” he hugged his hands to his sides, “You wanna check out this candle place? It’s getting kinda chilly out here.”

“Oh!” She suddenly jolted out of her thoughts, realizing the evening cold was beginning to settle in. “Good idea, Jaune. This could be a good place to find a gift for Blake, too.”

A bell rang as they entered, and they were met with dozens of wonderful scents in the air, no single one overpowering any other. The shop’s interior was as cozily rustic as its exterior, with dark carpet lining the floor beneath rows of old-looking wooden shelves stock full of every manner of candle one could imagine. The place had an air of history to it, reinforced by the old woman behind the counter who nodded at them with a smile.

Pyrrha nodded back before choosing an aisle to go down, absently glancing at each candle with an otherwise occupied mind. “So~” she hummed, “what might an attractive man look like to you, Jaune?”

“Geez, we’re still going with this?” He asked in a hushed voice, despite them being the only ones in the store. Apart from the old woman of course, but she probably wasn’t too interested in their personal lives.

…Unless she was, Pyrrha mused, in which case they had plenty of material to keep her entertained. She chuckled at the thought and continued playing her role for her audience of one. “Humor me, Jaune! I’m curious.”

“I’m not into guys,” he softly countered, his hushed tone turning into a whisper.

“I’m aware~” Pyrrha purred, briefly stopping to smell a peach-scented candle. “But most people can still look at someone they aren’t attracted to and identify if they’re an attractive person, Jaune.”

“Well, I guess I’m different,” Jaune huffed with a surprising amount of emotion in his voice. “Can we talk about anything else?”

“Oh.” Pyrrha froze. She looked back to Jaune and found him wearing the same listless and wry smile as before, realizing it a little too late as his sign of uncomfort, insecurity. “I went too far. I’m sorry, Jaune.”

They stood together in silence, save for the faint noise of a rickety ceiling fan twirling overhead.

“…Aah. I’m not upset, really.” He leaned his head against a wooden shelf and sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t have to like how I look to be happy, do I?”

“Are you happy, Jaune?” It was a hard question. She braced for the answer, whatever it may be.

He moved his gaze away from her, staring off into a distance that wasn’t there. “Sometimes. I’m happy when I’m around other people.” He looked into her eyes with a gentle and reassuring smile, so much more sweet than his last. “I like being with you.”

Pyrrha erupted into a full-blown belly laugh, shocked by the sudden show of sweetness. “I never knew you were so sentimental, Jaune!” She was left to hope, dearly, that he couldn’t see the blush now burning her cheeks.

“Yeah, yeah,” he playfully rolled his eyes.

She breathed a sigh of relief, slowly regaining her composure. “Well, for what it’s worth, I think that is a truly wonderful trait.” 

He grinned and shrugged in reply.

They were both okay, Pyrrha realized. She started to breathe just a little easier.

As her heart settled down, she started looking around the shop in earnest, sorting through the candles in search of the perfect one. Jaune looked around too, seeming to gravitate towards the woodsy scents. Pyrrha’s eyes eventually landed on a tall, light-purple candle with black lines of wax spiraling down its sides. It was already Blake’s style, but after smelling it, Pyrrha grew even more happy with the find. Lavender, perfect!

She grabbed it and looked for a price, finding only a little yellow sticker on the bottom. Hmm. It probably wouldn’t break the bank no matter the cost, so she decided to get it for Blake anyway. It just suited their tastes too perfectly to give up. She turned to Jaune and happily presented her newfound gift. “I think I found just the right one~” She hummed. “Lavender has always been their favorite scent.”

Jaune raised an eyebrow. “Their favorite scent? Geez, how do you remember something like that?” She shrugged. It never really occurred to her that remembering someone’s favorite scent was strange, but she supposed Blake and Nora were something of a natural exception to the norm. “You two are pretty close, huh?”

Pyrrha reminisced as they walked towards the front counter, and a warm feeling grew to occupy her chest. “Oh, certainly!” She chuckled. “Nora introduced us right after senior year began. They had only just transferred schools and didn’t really know anyone. Nora, being her wonderful self, made sure that didn’t stay true for long and introduced us. We all started spending time together, and after a few late nights of talking and bonding, we—” her words caught as she found herself unsure of how precisely to word the rest. As much as she trusted Jaune… well, fewer details were probably still better. “Yes, we became very close,” she smiled. “Were it not for their influence, Nora and I wouldn’t have tried so hard in Vytal Fight, and we wouldn’t have all made it to Beacon together! They really do hold a truly special place in my heart."

She placed the candle on the old woman’s counter, and the lady quickly peeked at the sticker below. Slowly and steadily, seeming to mind her joints, she wrote out a little message on a sticky-note. ‘Yellow stickers— 30% Off.’

Yes! Pyrrha silently pumped her fist with a smile. Fate shines brightly upon me!

She gave her thanks, paid for the gift, and bagged it with a sense of accomplishment. She and Jaune left the store and walked back into the alley, the smell of ramen still lingering in the air. A small distance away, a crowd had formed around a guitarist as he sat atop a wooden stool, playing a slow song on his warm acoustic guitar. The music flowed around Pyrrha, and she made sure to hear and appreciate every note she could as they began to walk away.

“Ren and Nora,” Jaune mumbled, breaking a silence between them Pyrrha hadn’t noticed was there. “They’ve been close for years too,” he spoke with an unmistakable forlornness lacing his words.

“Only their entire lives,” Pyrrha worriedly chuckled. Jaune stared into space once again, the color draining from his cheeks. “Why does that seem like it’s upsetting you, Jaune?”

His pace slowed, and the crowd began passing around them. “If… if you all worked so hard together to get into Beacon, then that means you wanted to be on the same team,” he sighed. “I messed that up.”

Pyrrha stopped dead in her tracks, dropping the bag carrying Blake’s gift. The world seemed to slow down as she processed what he was saying. The rainbow lights grew more dull, the music faded into the distance, and the breeze grew still.

I won’t accept him feeling like this. It was a simple declaration she made to herself, but a firm one. She turned to him with a passion billowing through her, and took both his hands into hers. 

“Jaune, do you believe in destiny?”

“Des— what?” He spoke, surprise clear in his eyes.

“When I was younger, I spent so many years feeling so lost. I didn’t know what was missing from my life. I didn’t even know what to look for. I took up hobby after hobby, realized I was good at sports, and started winning medal after medal. But they never helped me feel any more real.”

“Uh—”

“But things changed when I met Nora and Blake. A lot of things. I realized…” her throat hitched. She powered through it. “I realized what it was that I had been waiting for. It was destiny, Jaune .”

He started softly holding her hands back, the search for warmth bringing them closer together. “You realized what your destiny was?”

“No. I realized the nature of destiny.” She took a breath. “Destiny isn’t some straight line with one destination, Jaune. Destiny is a revelation. It’s the answer to a question you have been asking your entire life, but never truly heard. Some people’s revelations are happy, and others are sad. Some people have them right before they die, and others have an entire life left to live after finding their answer. But, one thing is certain, Jaune. Everyone has a revelation waiting for them.”

He stared into her eyes, not turning his gaze for a moment. “What was yours?”

“I don’t believe I know just yet. But, everything…” she tightened her grip around his hands, “and everyone that I encounter in my life leads me closer to finding out. And that includes meeting you, Jaune,” her voice fluttered. “If you are to be a part of my destiny, then I am honored to have you in my life, and on my team. Please, never doubt that for even a moment.”

Heartbeats passed. Jaune spoke softly through a smile.

“…Geez, and you were calling me sentimental.”

Pyrrha erupted into laughter again, the world’s joys rushing back to her. “Hah! Like I said, Jaune, it is a truly wonderful trait.” He got the message, and she was so, so relieved.

She picked the bag back up off the ground and happily continued their walk, unburdened and unafraid.

They began to explore the place one alley at a time. Five minutes passed, and then ten. Pyrrha stopped keeping track of it at some point, choosing to simply enjoy Jaune’s company, one conversation topic at a time.

Before too long, however, a topic came up that she hadn’t known to expect.

“It’s kinda weird," Jaune pondered. “Yang seems a lot quieter than she was when we went to school together. Which I realize is saying a lot, considering she’s pretty darn loud, but there’s a difference.” Pyrrha had nearly forgotten he was a part of the Aberdeen High lot, along with everyone on Team RWBY. He was probably the closest she would ever get to hearing about— “Blake seems happier than they were back then, I think? Thanks to you and Nora, I’m guessing. I only went to school with them for a couple years before they transferred to your school, but they seemed pretty darn stressed towards the end.”

Blake had never really told Pyrrha the full details of what happened back in Aberdeen, but that sounded about right.

“Ruby, though… she’s barely recognizable.”

That’s Yang’s sister, I think? She vaguely recalled. “I don’t know much about her, outside of a few things Blake mentioned here-and-there. What could be so different about her?”

“She’s really come into her own, you know? I mean, she still seems a little shy, but she feels comfortable enough to wear dresses in public now. That’s a heck of a lot more than she ever managed in high school.”

“Ah, I see!” Blake had clearly left out some details, but the gaps quickly filled in. “That is so wonderful to hear! Good for her.”

“Yeah. She’s a trooper,” he mumbled, staring into the distance once again.

Pyrrha tilted her head at that one, this time fully lost on what had gotten him so forlorn. Simply asking could have come across as blunt, but blunt was fine in her book. “Jaune, is something wrong? Did that upset you?”

“Huh? No, why would that upset m—”

A connection suddenly formed in her mind. “Does it have anything to do with Cinder?”

She wished her filter had been up for that one. Jaune hadn’t seemed terribly keen to speak on the details of the fight, leaving her only to assume it was a sensitive subject.

Jaune paused and narrowed his eyes, seeming to consider his answer in earnest. After a moment, he relented. “Yeah. I’m starting to think she kinda got in my head about some stuff. I’m feeling… I don’t know, a little disconnected from my life, I guess.”

“Disconnected? Depressed?”

“I don’t think so? Well, maybe, but it feels more specific than that.” He scratched the back of his neck. “This is kinda what I was alluding to on the bus. You ever feel like your life is just passing you by, and you never get to actually be a part of it?”

A cold and gentle breeze flew through them, ringing some wind chimes hanging from one of the nearby shops.

“Once,” Pyrrha answered after a beat. “That was how I had lived my entire life, before Nora and Blake.”

Jaune glanced at her, a subtle curiosity clear on his face. “…How? What was it that they changed? You, uh, don’t have to answer that if it’s too personal,” he’d somehow picked up on the sensitive nature of the question.

“They—” she paused, wondering how exactly to word it. “They deepened my understanding of the world, and of myself. They taught me to be honest with myself, how to be brave and live truly and freely.” It was as specific as she could bring herself to be. She trusted Jaune so much, but the full story wasn’t hers alone to tell.

Jaune listlessly smiled in reply. “That’s the thing. I thought I was already doing all of that.”

She took a hold of his hand as they walked. “I thought I was, too. But the questions we must ask ourselves to fulfill our destiny are often the ones hiding where we’re not quite prepared to look.”

“Yeah,“ he sighed. “Just wish I knew where to start looking.”

They kept walking together in silence, the seconds between nothing slowly feeling longer. Pyrrha’s mind began to wander, trying to find some throughline to all of Jaune’s emotions, trying to crack this insecurity of his. She replayed every moment she could think of in the theater of her mind, looking at it from every conceivable angle.

Jaune’s self-image problem, those thousand-yard stares, how alienated and un-present he felt in his life, how frustrated and lost he was. The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortably and uncannily familiar it seemed to those days that passed her by before she accepted her true self. Before she fell in love with her best friends.

Their situations weren’t exactly the same, though. She certainly never experienced self-image issues to the full extent he seemed to. That thing he said on the bus, about how he was trying to find his look so he could grow some confidence, maybe there was something there? It didn’t seem like a particularly hopeful venture of his, though, considering he seemed to write off any interest in masculine presentation entirely.

… Wait.

Could it really be that simple?

The way he zoned out when he brought up Ruby— maybe he was longing for more than just a similar degree of personal growth. Maybe…

No, no, stop. She waved the thought off. That isn’t any of my business to speculate about. It’s not my question to ask.

Except the question had already come to her, and that was a box of contemplation impossible to close again. A wave of anxiety washed through her as she felt like she was breaking some sort of boundary.

But, were it not for Nora and Blake opening up those same deeper questions of identity to her, she would have still felt just as alone and distant from the world as Jaune was. 

And she didn’t blame them for a second. Hell, she loved them for it.

Jaune probably knew on some level that he could re-evaluate how he presented himself, be it broadly or more specifically, but had he ever truly considered it? Considering he felt so lost on where to begin, she imagined not. A part of her still felt anxious, wondering if it was her place to even think about the idea, but… but a makeup boutique sat just a couple stores ahead of them, and a collection of warm memories resurfaced. 

Those early days in her, Nora and Blake’s relationship, those little exploratory nights and precious moments made together born from sheer and absolute trust— she wanted that for Jaune, too, if there was any possibility it could help him find the same joy for life that she had.

She made up her mind. She’d offer a gentle suggestion, and if he wasn’t interested, then she’d leave it alone.

“Jaune, would you mind if I perused that makeup store for a few minutes?” She hummed.

“Oh. Yeah, sure, go for it.”

She took a deep breath before heading towards it, trying to think through what he could conceivably need or enjoy. A simpler selection would likely be better for his first time, assuming he accepted the offer. She’d know when they got home. They would probably have around an hour to kill before Blake arrived, so, what better way to spend the time?

Yeah. This would be okay. She could handle this just as tactfully as Nora and Blake did with her, right?

Surely.

“Y- wh- what?!” Jaune struggled to string his words together, trying to parse if he understood Pyrrha’s proposal correctly. Is she serious?! She’s not serious. There’s no way.

She gave her most reassuring smile as she scooted closer to him, her bed squeaking under her advancement. “Keep calm, Jaune, it’s okay! I just thought it might be something interesting that we could experience together! Like going to the mall together, you know?”

“This is different!”

“What’s so different about it? Plenty of guys are into this, I assure you!”

“That— that doesn’t mean I have to be!” He pleaded, surprised by the amount of emotion carrying through his own voice.

“No, no, of course you don’t have to be, Jaune! But…” she scooted even closer, their legs now touching as they sat. “Couldn’t we give it the ol’ ‘college try,’ as they say? I mean, what else are these years of our lives for if not experimenting and learning?” With a pleading smile, she thrust the bag of makeup out in front of her.

“Guh!” He suddenly flinched back, bumping his head against the headboard. “Jesus, Pyrrha, what the hell—”

Her eyes shot wide in shock and confusion. “Jaune, it’s just makeup! It can’t hurt you,” her voice mellowed. “I promise.”

“I— I know! I know. I’m just good, okay? I’m good—”

“Jaune,” she said a little more firmly, grabbing his attention from the flurry of emotions overtaking him. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. I promise. But just calm down for a moment and really, truly consider it, okay?”

What on Earth is there to even consider?! He pleaded in his mind, feeling so thoroughly out of his depth.

…Still. It was Pyrrha suggesting this. 

He knew he could trust her, just… geez.

After a moment of trying to calm down, he took a deep breath. “Okay,” he wearily replied. “Fine. I’m considering it.”

Pyrrha nodded with a smile. “On the bus, you told me you were searching for your ‘look,’ yes?” He nodded slowly. “And then, in the candle shop, you couldn’t imagine what traits might make a masculine person look attractive.”

“Wait, that’s your thought process?!” His mouth hung open. Was she seriously suggesting what he thought she was?

“I don’t mean to imply anything in particular, Jaune! Just that… perhaps some deeper experimentation with your presentation might help you find your way? Not to say you aren’t attractive and that you couldn’t find happiness in that, but if that hasn’t worked so far, then why not ‘widen the net,’ as they say?” She shrugged. “What’s the harm in trying it?”

“The… the harm? Seriously?”

“Seriously, Jaune. It’s just you and me here, no one else. And I would never judge you, in just the same way you have never judged me. So, really and truly, what is the harm in living some new and scary experiences together?”

…Geez.

He buried his face in his hands. “You’re really invested in this, aren’t you?”

Pyrrha took on a lightly pained expression, moving her gaze towards the floor. She suddenly collapsed back and laid down, clutching a pillow. “I’m sorry, Jaune. I didn’t intend to be quite this pushy. I suppose I just see a great deal of my younger self in you, and I’m not handling it as gracefully as—”

He laid down next to her, reached over, and gently grabbed her hand. “Don’t worry about it, Pyrrha. It’s no big deal.”

So why did he feel like it was one? He couldn’t say ‘well, because it’s weird,’ because he honestly and truly didn’t believe it was. He couldn’t tell her it was because he didn’t know her well enough to do this stuff with her either, because, well… he liked her. A lot. And he really did trust her.

Even still, he was scared, and he didn’t know why. If she were wrong, it could end up a smidge awkward, sure. But Jaune had been through plenty of awkward situations, and it had never been the end of the world before.

…If she were right, though?

Uh. Well.

She wasn’t. Jaune was absolutely, completely, one hundred percent certain. So he didn’t have a single thing to worry about. Surely.

It was just some makeup.

…Thinking about it like that made him feel more than a little silly about his reaction. He still wasn’t quite the cool and collected guy in control of his destiny that he wanted to be, but, oh well. Maybe one day.

Pyrrha leaned up to get out of bed, but Jaune spoke before she got the chance. “Let’s do it.”

She whipped her head around with her eyes wide and intense, her eyebrows raised in question. “The— the makeup?!”

“Yeah. Let’s try it.” She suddenly smiled a big, toothy grin. “My one condition is that you’ve gotta do a good job, alright?”

She pumped her fist. “Yes! I will happily accept that deal!” She quickly stood up and re-grabbed the bag of makeup, looking through everything she’d bought. His heart raced for a half-dozen different reasons, and he didn’t know whether to worry or laugh about it all. Pyrrha beat him to the punch, warmly chuckling as she looked at him. “Are you ready, Jaune?”

He took a deep breath. “Ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s try this.”

Pyrrha sat atop his stomach, her thighs pressing lightly against his ribs. It hurt some, but… he didn’t care to complain. She hummed a soft little melody as she brushed a light pink powder along his cheeks, one of the final parts of the process in their little experiment.

“So, ah, what’s this one do?” He asked, trying and failing to keep track of all the steps. There were just too many of the darn things.

“An excellent question, Jaune! You’ll need to learn all of this for when you try it on your own, after all.”

He half-jokingly grimaced. “Yeaaah, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

“Of course,” she chuckled. “This is called ‘blush.’ It adds some color to your cheeks,” she impishly smiled, “not that you need much help on that front~”

Geez, are they really that bad? The openness about the warmth running through his cheeks threw him just a little off guard, though he wasn’t the only one clearly enjoying the process. “Well, you’re looking as red as I am. So, draw?”

“I can agree to a draw,” she warmly laughed as she finished applying the powder, placing the brush onto her nightstand. “There’s just one more step before we’re done~” She reached into the bag and pulled out… wait, what is that?

“A shower cap?”

“A wig liner, Jaune.”

“Y-you’re going to put a wig on me?”

“Don’t worry, it won’t hurt~” she winked. He braced as she snapped it up and over his head, tucking in a few loose strands to finish it out. It really didn’t hurt, surprisingly, though it did feel incredibly weird. She looked him over, her eyes seeming to trace along the lines of his face, and nodded. “Perfect! Now it’s time to tie it all together~!” She reached into the bag and pulled out a fancy-looking cardboard box. Unsealing the front and lifting up the top, she pulled the wig out, its luscious blonde strands falling into place.

Jaune eyed it suspiciously. “Pyrrha, it… it looks like a dead animal.”

A belly-laugh boomed out of her. “It does, doesn’t it? It will look better once it’s on you, though, I promise. Speaking of,” she sweetly grinned. “It’s time for you to close your eyes~”

“C’mon, do we really have to go that far?”

“I didn’t put in all this work just to skip the grand reveal, Jaune!” She looked at him with pleading in her eyes.

“Okay, okay, fine.” Here goes nothing. He closed his eyes, the warmth of their room fading into darkness. He felt Pyrrha lift herself off him and the bed, and felt her hands reaching for his after a moment longer. They interlocked their fingers and she pulled him up, guiding him past the bed.

“Jaune, stand there and keep your eyes closed until I say it’s time, okay?” Her voice was laced with anticipation.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Mmm, good!” He felt her begin to settle the wig on his head, the strands swaying along his neck. He hadn’t been able to get a good look at the style before she pulled it out, but he crossed his fingers for a braid or two being in it. He always liked a nice complementary braid.

“And now, Jaune,” Pyrrha hummed. “Open your eyes~”

…

“Oh.”

As his eyes readjusted to the light, he slowly made out someone in the mirror. They stood with their eyes wide in surprise, partially obscured by the bangs of their luscious and long blonde hair. Wispy strands swooped past their ears and back around the side of their head. The longest strands in the back were tied into a voluptuous braided ponytail trailing down past their shoulder blades. The way the blonde of their hair captured the light of the sun and seemed to shine so deeply— it… it was beautiful.

Jaune slowly reached over his shoulder and took a gentle hold of the ponytail, running his fingers along its soft strands.

It’s… it’s really me.

It was hard to believe. The person standing before him… was him, and simultaneously someone so completely different.

“Jaune?” Pyrrha softly spoke up. “Are you okay?”

“I, uh… yeah, the wig looks better than I…” he trailed off, unwordable thoughts swirling around him. He skittishly stepped closer to the mirror, and the deeper details of the stranger’s face slowly became more clear. A blue eyeshadow sparkled above their dark eyelashes, framing the deep ocean-like blue of their eyes. H-have they always been so pretty? Their skin, too, was almost unrecogizably smooth and soft, a gentle pink blush filling their cheeks.

He swept a few wispy strands of hair back behind his ear, and felt a warm and sweet sensation shiver through his body.

A gentle smile crossed his lips. He wasn’t sure why.

He placed his hand against the mirror, only to find a thin pane of glass still separating him from the person on the other side.

Some pit in his chest seemed to grow just a little wider, and then wider still, his breath slowly being taken from him. He moved his hand away from the mirror and slowly walked backwards, bumping into Pyrrha’s bed and collapsing to take a seat. He buried his face in his hands as his eyes welled up.

Tears gently flowed.

He felt Pyrrha’s hand lightly touch his shoulder, her grip tightening as she sat down on the bed next to him. “Jaune? Is it too much? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable—”

“It’s not that,” he croaked.

“Then, what?”

He tried to search for the words to explain it, whatever these emotions were, but… he couldn’t. He just couldn’t. It felt so new. So fundamentally different to everything that came before.

There was one thing, though, that he felt sure of.

“You did a good job, Pyrrha.”

“I— what?” She leaned forward and looked him in the eyes. “Jaune, do you mean that?”

He nodded.

She seemed as if she would jump in excitement for a moment, though she seemed to hold it in, merely smiling in reply. “I’m so glad you think so, Jaune.”

A yell suddenly echoed from downstairs, Ren’s voice from the sound of it. “Blake spotted!”

Pyrrha yelped. “Shoot!” She suddenly jumped up from the bed, looking more nervous than Jaune knew she could be. “Oh, um, Jaune? I have a teensy little favor to ask.”

“Yeah?”

“I meant to ask it earlier, I just got so caught up in this—” she looked between him and the makeup laying scattered on her nightstand. “Um, would you mind getting out and doing something with Ren? Nora and I were kind of hoping for some alone time with Blake. To catch up, I mean! Between us friends! Sharing stories and other friend-y stuff, nothing weird! Yes, just normal things—”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” Jaune cut her off, hoping to avoid getting trapped in another one of her over-explaining loops. “That’s cool with me.”

“Wonderful!” She gave him a bear hug, nearly squeezing the life out of him. “Thank you, Jaune, you are a truly magnificent friend. I need to go downstairs and prepare a few things, but there’s some makeup remover in the bag—”

“Yeah, can I keep it on a little longer?”

Pyrrha suddenly froze in shock. “You… you want to?”

…Wait, did he? He’d asked without really thinking about it. But, well, as he stared into the mirror once again… he just couldn’t imagine taking it off.

“Uh, yeah,” he continued. “Just a few more minutes, if that’s okay.”

She walked in front of him and squatted down, taking his hands in hers. “Of course it is, Jaune,” she smiled with all the warmth in her heart. “It is your makeup, after all. I got it as a gift for you.”

“Um. Thanks.”

“Always.” Her hands lingered on his for a moment before she stood back up and walked towards the door. Just before she left, though, she turned with that same wonderful smile. “I’m very proud of you, Jaune.”

“But, I haven’t done anything.”

“That’s not true, Jaune. You tried something new, something scary, and for that I think you are incredible.”

He didn’t know what to say. She left him with a final smirk before opening the door and heading downstairs. 

And then, he was left in the silence of his room, with only his own company. The night had finally come, only a faint haze of moonlight shining through the window. He stood up again and slowly walked back towards the mirror. As he looked into it, a smile crossed his face once again.

He couldn’t remember the last time he smiled at himself. He couldn’t even remember if it had ever happened.

Maybe that didn’t matter quite so much as the fact that it was happening now.

Part of him wanted to believe he hadn’t had any big revelations from this whole experience, but… no. He wouldn’t let this pass him by like the rest of his life had. He had taken a step forward, and he wouldn’t dare to diminish that.

Still, he wouldn’t put the specifics into words. Not just yet. There was still so much he didn’t know, so much left to still truly consider.

For the time being, though…

He stood in the light, looked in the mirror, and smiled. 

Hi, me.

Jaune would have a dream later that night. It was so very simple, and so very quiet— the kind not remembered for years until the very moment it was needed most.

A knight stood in a field of red hyacinth, stretching forever into the distance. The horizon slowly turned from blue, to yellow, to orange.

She was alone.

All she had was a feeling: That when the horizon turned black, some invisible beast would come, hungry and all-consuming.

And it would devour the world.

She prayed. 

It went unanswered. 

There wasn’t a chance of victory.

…

But it didn’t matter.

For no matter the chances, and no matter the cost, she would fight.

Because her strength was the answer to her question, and her hope would never die.