Hey everybody! It's been... quite a while hasn't it? For a long time, I actually considered dropping this story entirely, but I could never bring myself to actually do it. So, instead of making a comment about it, I went dark (which was unfair- and I apologize for that.) All that aside, I recently got the urge to rekindle the fire that I had with this story and set about writing this chapter. You'll all understand when you read through it but I decided to (possibly) begin anew, so while it's chapter 13, it's actually chapter 1.

I would really appreciate your responses on this chapter, whether they're reviews or Pm's since they will dictate how this story unfolds in the future.

Hope you enjoy your read through!


The moon hung low in the sky and cast a melancholic glow over the land, it's natural glow slowly but surely being devoured by the arrival of the joyous dawn light. The night was clocking out and Day was starting to rise, creatures all over the land began to rouse and get an early start on their daily duties. This warm, early light hit almost every nook and cranny… all except for one spot was illuminated

A single, small village was hidden away in the crevice of a cliff face still bathed in the moonlight, undisturbed by the sun. The village was dead silent, save for the crackling of wood and fire. As if shunned by the light of day this small village was lit only by the roaring fires within its walls, the people themselves lay motionless around the buildings that they once called home.

As if death itself had descended upon the unsuspecting village and its peoples, all that remained in the hellfire was ruin. In a scene that would send most warriors into a rage, a single girl could be found amidst the flames. She spoke in a calm, composed voice as if she were totally disconnected from the world around her. Like the atrocities that surrounded her were meaningless. The girl even wore a smile, innocent and pure, despite the splatters of blood that covered her body.

"Have you ever stopped to think about your world? I don't mean your own personal world, either. I'm talking about the biiig picture here, y'know, the big sphere that you run around on every day. I know I have, I've thought about both your world and my own world. There are some days where I even think about other worlds, cause there can't be the only two right?"

"..."

"If my friends from my world saw this… I don't know what they'd do. I'm sure they'd be very angry, without a doubt but would they punish me…? Is this sin really enough that it affected the entire world, was I so bad that there's no hope for forgiveness? I don't think so. After all, this is my nature and no matter how much I fight it off, I am who I am."

"..."

"Ugh, you know you're being really, really rude right? Just ignoring me this entire time… ah! Maybe you're just a really good listener? I mean, you haven't even blinked and I've been talking for a long time! Awh~ I really appreciate that, thank yo- hm? Who's there."

"S-She's a monster…" A young boy whispered from his hiding spot behind a broken carriage. He had been watching the young teen for a while now, his fear was what stopped him from running for she sat unperturbed in a cesspool of charred remains. It wasn't this young boys first encounter with the so-called monster, in fact, they were once friends.

"Mavi… you're scared of me now, aren't you? There's no point in hiding from me so just come out and face me, I won't hurt you."

"You're lying! T-They're all dead… because… because of you!" The young boy, known as Mavi, screamed in response to the teens claim. His sea-like eyes were darkened by the strain of crying, small droplets of water gathered and dripped off his chin, and no matter how much he wiped at them the tears wouldn't cease. "You killed them all! My family… my little sister! You took everything from me!"

"I didn't hurt them because I wanted to… it was a mistake! See, even your sister forgave me!"

'It's a lie… Dall is dead… she's dead. I found her body myself!' Mavi pulled his knees into his chest and bit down on his lip, which sparked a faint sense of relief, the pain he felt quickly overshadowed his fear and pulled his mind away from the scene beyond the carriage.

"Mavi, please don't ignore me."

"..." With his eyes now shut Mavi pressed his hands against his ears and muffled the sound of the girl's voice. 'M-Mommy… save me. I-I can't do this alone, I'm too scared! I'm not a man like big bro…!' His body trembled under the stress though he quickly went still, a sound coming from behind his back.

"I guess… this means we aren't friends anymore. Right, Mavi? If you ignore me like this, you must not like me."

The young boy didn't know why those words hit him so hard. The longing and poorly hidden desperation in her words, the sweet sound of her voice, Mavi wasn't sure which it was that led him to reveal himself. He pressed his hand against the carriage and lifted himself off the ground, his knees barely supported him, every step felt like he was weighed down.

Rocks and burnt wood were crushed underfoot, every step closer to the corner of the carriage made his heart beat faster as if he were walking to the gates of Hell themselves. Once Mavi reached the edge he swallowed his nerves and practically jumped out into the open. "That's enough, Shiro! Why are you doing this?!" With his hands clenched, Mavi finally confronted the source of his trauma. As he saw her up close, however, it felt as if the world itself was sent into a tailspin.

"Eh…? Don't yell at me like that, you scared me!" The teen known only as Shiro pouted, her ruby eyes narrowed into a small scowl. "But I'm glad you can still talk to me, I was worried that we weren't friends anymore."

Mavi dropped to his knees and covered his mouth, a futile effort to stop the coming expulsion from his stomach. Even as he threw up in front of her Shiro's pout never softened, if anything it harshened.

"That's not very nice of you, Mavi. I thought you knew better than this." Shiro sighed and approached the heap of a boy, the ground under her feet made a sickening squelch with every step, and she finally knelt down in front of him. "Young men and women that want to be hunters need to toughen up, you can't go around throwing up when things get a little messy. Look at Dall, she isn't even gagging."

In response to Shiro's words, Mavi looked up and forced himself to smile through the tears. Dall's hollow eyes reflected his own, her pale face and blue lips were indeed unmoving. "C-Can I hold her… Shiro?"

"Of course, you can. She's your sister after all." Shiro dropped her scowl and smiled, handing Dall over to her sniffling older brother. Once she was in his arms, he leaned in close and held her to his chest. "Alright, now make sure you get to safety Mavi! It's almost nightfall, the Grimm will be here soon. Go hide in your cellar."

"..." Mavi didn't respond and instead put his forehead to the ground, his lips trembled even under the force of his teeth. Small droplets of blood coloured the blackened gravel, his bottom lip ripped open.

"Hah, do what you'd like then." Shiro sighed and turned away from the hunched over Mavi, her eyes set on the cloudy horizon. "I've got to head back now, but don't worry! I'll come back to play once I'm free again, I promise!" She spared one last glance back at Mavi and waved to him, "See ya, Mavi! It was fun today!" With that as her goodbye, Shiro started to run down the path. Her back shrank until she was finally out of sight.

"AAAGGHHHH!" Mavi wailed into the gravel, tears poured from his eyes and snot from his nose. To his back was the smouldering remains of what was once his hometown, a small mountainside village disconnected from the four kingdoms. His family, his friends, his neighbours… they were all gone. All because of that girl. The only reminder he had of his past life was the head of his sister, which he held firmly in his arms.


A Resonance Between Worlds


"Haaaaaaah~ Mmn…?" A young girl stretched her arms out in her bed, a look of confusion etched across her gentle features. She looked around her room and eyed the other three beds in the small dorm. "Where are they…?" She wiped away the tears from her yawns and threw the blankets off her body.

Once she was up, she dropped off the top bunk and wandered over to her dresser. With a light shake of her head, she shook her bangs from her face and grabbed the clock. "10:06…? I slept in today, huh?"

The clock made a gentle tap when she set it back down. After she turned the radio on the girl spun away from the dresser. Carried by unwilling legs the girl wandered into the shared bathroom and stripped free of her pyjamas. Unhindered by the thin shower curtain she stepped into the tub and turned on the shower, a sigh of pleasure escaped her lips as the hot water warmed her body.

After a quick shower, she stepped out into the open and strode up to the mirror which was fogged up by the steam. "Hmm hm hm hm~" Her head bounced side to side as she hummed along to the song on the radio. Some toothpaste was squeezed out onto her toothbrush and she wiped the mirror down to see herself better. 'I wonder if I should get a haircut…?' She played around with her dark red bangs while she brushed her teeth, eventually giving up on her hair and finishing up in the bathroom.

With her pyjamas in hand, the girl rushed over to her dresser and scrambled for a pair of clothes, the cool air of the dorm sent a chill up her exposed spine. She opted for a pair of grey track pants and a fluffy long sleeved shirt, a rather simple choice- but possibly one of the most comfortable.

"Climb the stairs up to my room, Sleep away the afternoon…" No longer freezing the girl grabbed a brush and straightened her hair out while singing along with the song in the background. It wasn't often that she was alone in the morning. "W-Wait a second…" She froze in place and looked down at the clock on her dresser, three green letters shone in the corner of the display. "Mon…? AH. MONDAY! I SLEPT IN!"

The brush in her hand took to the air, and she ran out of her room. A loud bang echoed throughout the floor as her door slammed and an angry yell quickly followed it, "OI, SHUT UP!"

"S-SORRY!" She quickly replied and sprinted out of her residence. The morning sun beat down on her and lit her way to class, which was usually crowded, though due to her circumstances it was totally clear today.

"Ah, you're late today, Ms Rose!"

"Y-Yeah, sorry I can't stop by for a snack today. I'll come by for lunch!" The girl stopped briefly to greet the old lady whose shop she always visited on the way to her classes.

"You'd better! I'll serve you twice as much to make up for missing breakfast, now get goin' you'd better not skip!"

"I won't, thank you!" With a wide smile, she waved to the lady and resumed her run. As a huntress in training, she made full use of her semblance and crossed the upcoming bridge in a flash. She couldn't help but chuckle at the exclamations of surprise from the passersby as she shot between or by them. The doors were right in front of her now all she had to do was sneak into the back of her class and everything would be fine. That was the plan at least.

In her way stood a girl slightly taller than her, with long white hair and blood-red eyes which were currently wide in surprise. 'P-Pretty… AH. I'm gonna hit her!' She made a sudden turn and tripped over herself, her eyes squeezed shut on instinct, as the ground rushed up to catch her. The impact that she braced herself for never came, instead, she felt her body get pulled back and held up.

"Good morning, I must say this is the most creative way somebody has ever approached me." The white-haired girl giggled as she let go of the girl, "Are you okay?"

"I'm Ruby Rose! I mean, I'm okay!" The one known as Ruby stammered and put some distance between her and the taller girl. 'If she's anything like Weiss I'm in for an earful now…'

"Ruby, is it? I'm glad that you're okay. You can call me Shiro, I'm a third-year student here." Having introduced herself, Shiro smiled down at Ruby and crossed her arms. "What's got you in such a rush?"

The younger of the girls stared quietly up at Shiro for a time, surprised by her doll-appearance. In addition to Shiro's long snow-like hair and striking red eyes, she also sported a rather pale, yet fair complexion. Unlike most other students, Shiro wore casual clothes similarly to Ruby herself. Her outfit consisted of a white tee under a black, zipped up sweater and a pair of light blue jeans. From what Ruby could tell, Shiro also had a decent body though it lost out to her older sister.

"I-I'm a first year." Ruby quickly nodded her head in respect before she flinched, "I'm now... super late for class. I slept in this morning and none of my friends woke me up."

"Ahaha, you'd better hurry up then. I shouldn't keep you any longer." Shiro motioned for Ruby to keep on going and moved aside, "Try not to sleep in again, it'll become a habit."

"I promise I won't, thank you for catching me and sorry for almost running into you! I'll get going now!" With a faint blush, Ruby stepped forward and began her run for the third time, now beyond the homestretch, and entered the lecture hall where her class was held.

"What a carefree girl." Shiro mused and turned toward the source of the Academy's name, Beacon Tower. While not by his side the girl knew that they could see each other. Her eyes were locked on the large window in the nearby tower, and the man that she knew was standing behind it. She raised her arm up high and waved at him before she started to walk towards it. "What could the headmaster want from me this early in the day, I wonder? It probably has something to do with that police report..." Her question went unanswered, and she began the long trip to the headmaster's office.

Lecture Hall C, Beacon Academy.

Ruby kept her head low as she shuffled into an empty row in the back of the hall, the professor by the podium didn't notice her entrance or at least he didn't acknowledge it. Now in class, Ruby slumped into her seat and struggled to keep her head from hitting the desk.

'Wake up late, miss out on breakfast, embarrass myself in front of a senior… what a start.' Ruby huffed and paid little attention to the lecture itself, caught up in the events of the surprisingly 'exciting' morning. 'She was really pretty though, I wonder if she's a foreigner? I'll ask Yang if she knows her later. It'd be really cool to have her as a friend. It'd be plus one more friend… maybe that'll put me safely in the positive.'

"Remember to read up on the next two chapters and review the readings up till now, your first midterm is next class!" The professor spoke loudly and jolted Ruby from her thoughts, "Don't sleep in for the midterm, if you're late it's an automatic fail!"

Despite him not making eye contact with her, Ruby couldn't help but sink into her seat with a bright blush on her face, "He totally noticed… It's okay though! Tomorrow is a new day, I'll be up earlier than anybody!" Unable to contain herself she jumped from her seat and clapped her hand against her fist, the students in front of her flinched and stared back at her with a disapproving look. "Gah… Sorry."

The other students shook their heads and packed up while Ruby fell back into her seat. From the front of the hall, she could see her sister and friends start to make their way towards the exit. It seemed like they noticed her, or at least her older sister did. "Ah! You decided to wake up, eh Sleeping Beauty? Good Morning!" The bubbly and teasing voice of Yang easily carried itself around the room and was met with stifled laughter from the other students.

'Nnn it's days like today that make me wish my semblance was to just… vanish.' Ruby sighed and pulled the collar of her shirt over her head to try and escape the stares from her peers. She welcomed the respite until her elder sister glommed onto her. "Ah! Yang, I'm gonna fall!"

"Haha, don't worry about it! I gotcha!" Yang exclaimed and separated herself from her younger sister. Unlike the red-haired and small-in-stature Ruby, Yang Xiao-Long was vibrantly blonde and well-endowed. She wore her academy uniform, which consisted of a red plaid skirt, a dark brown jacket and a white dress shirt underneath that.

"Feeling a bit better now, Ruby?" The question came from behind the blonde, specifically from Blake Belladonna. Like Yang and most of the other students, she wore the academy's uniform, however, she also sported a black bow on top of her head. Similarly to Yang, Blake had long and wavy hair, though she was dark-haired.

"Of course she is! She slept for an absurdly long time, we shouldn't have worried about her. We were almost late!" The sudden exclamation came from Weiss Schnee. Opposed to Yang and Blake's long and loose hair, she had her white hair pulled back into a neat ponytail. "I hope you take responsibility for the rush you caused this morning."

"I-It's not my fault! You should have just ignored me if it was that big of an issue!" Ruby retorted and met Weiss' pale blue stare with her own silver glare.

"Hmph." Weiss quickly looked away and forced the conversation to a halt. Blake and Yang shared a look before they sighed, used to the bickering between the two girls.

While they'd become more amicable since they were forced into a partnership a few weeks before, Ruby and Weiss were still very much like oil and water. The hyper and eager Ruby constantly got on the nerves of the so-called 'Ice Queen' heiress, by now Yang and her partner Blake learned to enjoy their spats from the sidelines and only stepped in when things got too out of hand.

"Soooo, little sister." Yang drawled and sparked the conversation once again as she positioned herself between Ruby and Weiss. "I'm surprised you decided to come in during the end of the lecture. That takes some real guts."

"Nngh, don't remind me…!" Ruby groaned and buried her face in her hands, "I wouldn't have been so late if I remembered what day it was when I woke up!"

"Ah, the imaginary long-weekend. A brutal affliction… I'm afraid it's an incurable dear sister. From here it will only get worse, and you'll wind up like Dad!" Yang latched onto Ruby again and smothered her with her chest.

Ruby flailed in Yang's embrace before she pushed her back by the shoulders, "There's nothing wrong with being like Dad! He's cool!"

"He also gets excited when Uncle Qrow says be might drop by."

"What's wrong with that?!"

"That's… anyway! I'm feeling pancakes. Let's go get pancakes." Yang changed topics like a switch was flicked, much to the chagrin of her somewhat offended younger sister.

"Don't ignore me, Yang!"

"Hahaha, okay okay! Sorry." Yang laughed and held her hands up in surrender. "Nothing wrong with Dad, I'm just teasing ya."

"Hmm…" Ruby narrowed her eyes and reluctantly let her sister escape the situation. "Back to me sleeping in, I really am sorry."

"It's fine, Ruby. You obviously needed the sleep." Blake smiled and pulled her book out from the bag she held at her side. "Here, I took the notes for you, Weiss did as well so just let her know if there's something you don't understand in mine."

"B-Blake!" Weiss snapped and her pale face turned beet red. "I-I didn't take them because I was worried about you, I just want to uphold my reputation." She pulled her own notebook out and handed it to Ruby, who took it with a bit of hesitation. "After all, we can't have the team leader falling behind. Right?"

Ruby flipped through both books and smiled, "Aww, thanks to you two. This really helps me out!" She moved to put the books in her bag and remembered that she didn't bring it with her. "I'll just hang on to these for now."

"You'd better not lose my book, Ruby," Weiss warned and looked down at the smiling teen. "What is it? Is something funny…?"

"It's nothing, I'll your book safe don't worry." Ruby shook her head and stood up with a renewed vigour. "You mentioned pancakes, right? I promised that nice grandmother I'd stop by for lunch. Let's head over there."

"Ooo~ look at my little Ruby taking the initiative!" Yang teased and glanced at the other two members of their group. "Well, you are our leader so… lead the way!"

"In that case… Team RWBY, roll out!" Caught up in her sister's wave, Ruby pointed straight ahead and made her declaration a confident one.

Violet's Cafe and Confectionaries, Beacon.

Ruby's earlier confidence was almost immediately shattered as the old lady made good on her promise. What she had expected to be a nice, filling meal of sausage, eggs, toast and orange juice wound up to be a meal fit for a king.

"Looks like the only one that'll be rolling is you, little sis." Yang grinned at the despaired Ruby.

"I guess Mrs Violet has her own way of punishing a tardy student." Blake mused and took a bite of some of her scrambled eggs, a small pang of pity shot through her in the presence of Ruby's predicament.

"Don't eat too fast, Ruby. She'll give you more." Weiss whispered matter-of-factly as she cut into her French toast.

"S-She wouldn't… this is enough food for a group." Ruby shook her head in disbelief and nervously glanced over her shoulder to see the menacingly kind Mrs Violet. She waved at the group so Ruby instinctively waved back to her.

"Of course, she would. She most likely thinks that you slept in because you're sick, and seeing how most students eating habits are atrocious she would expect you to be eating just as poorly." Weiss set her fork down and explained, "Eat fast, and she'll think you're starved."

"Ah… I guess you're right." Ruby nodded and stabbed her fork into a steaming sausage, the juice spilt out onto the plate around the prongs. "I don't wanna sound rude, but are you okay Weiss?"

"Pardon? Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, I mean… you've only yelled at me once today. Are you sick or something…?" Ruby asked cautiously while she took a bite. On the other side of the table, both Blake and Yang had to stifle their laughs.

"Why you…!" Weiss glared down at the younger girl and grit her teeth. "Ahem, Mrs Violet? Ruby thinks she'll still be hungry after this! Could you please throw on some more for her?"

"Aye! I knew the little one's been looking pale lately." With pep in her step, Mrs Violet retreated into the kitchen and let Ruby bask in her dread.

"Weiss! That was uncalled for… I won't even be able to finish this!" Ruby whined and slid down in her seat, robotically continuing her meal.

"Hmph. Maybe next time you won't say anything." Weiss brought the cup of freshly steeped tea to her lips and sipped some. "As for you two… I'm sure Mrs Violet would gladly cook some more for you as well. Just say… well, anything."

"Our lips are sealed." Blake pinched her finger and thumb together and drew them across her lips, Yang nodded and mimicked her action.

"Good." Weiss nodded and looked down at the mound of food in front of Ruby. After a bit of a debate with herself, she gave in and took some of the food off of the younger girls platter. "Don't say anything."

"..." Ruby nodded and focused on eating. Yang and Blake reached across the table and took some for themselves as well, their plates filled once again. "Guys…! I knew I could count on–"

"Eat up, Sweetheart! Hope ya feel better soon." Mrs Violet reformed Ruby's mound of food and pat her head. "You have such good friends, lookin' out for yer health and all. Today's meal is on the house!" She exclaimed and waved at the group before she moved to serve another customer.

"You…" Terrified by the sheer mass of food that lay before her, Ruby held her hands together and turned to her team. "A-Anybody want seconds?" Ruby asked sheepishly and was brutally ignored. With no other option, she steeled her resolve and apologized to her stomach before she dove into the monster of a meal.

The team ate quietly for a few minutes, mostly out of pity for Ruby's seemingly insurmountable task, a comfortable and peaceful silence surrounded the group now. Save for the clinking of utensils on plates and the taps of mugs on the table, it was silent.

Much to the surprise of the older three, it was the challenger herself that broke the silence. Ruby wiped her mouth off and swallowed before she settled her eyes on Yang, "Hey, I ran into somebody today. I was hoping to see you knew who they were."

"Hm? Me?" Yang tilted her head to the side and drank a mouthful of coffee while she motioned for Ruby to continue. "I might, who was it?"

"Her name was Shiro, and she said she was a third year here in the academy." Ruby elaborated and felt her heart sink as Yang adopted a pensive expression. "We met while I was hurrying to class."

"I can't say I know her! Sorry, Sis." Yang apologized and looked at both her partner and Weiss, "What about you two?"

"I have no clue, sorry Ruby." Blake shook her head and all eyes fell on Weiss, who seemed to have withdrawn herself from the conversation.

"I only know of her, little more than rumours." Weiss finally answered when she turned her attention to the group. "Hardly anything for you to base an opinion off of, Ruby."

"No, no! Anything is fine, tell me!" Ruby quickly shook her head, the sudden action made Weiss recoil, "Even if it's something suuuper boring, I'll listen."

"Why are you so interested, Ruby? You rarely take interest in other students in our year." Blake drew her eyebrows together in curiosity, "Now you want to know about a third year?"

"Oh hush, Blake! It's clear our little team leader has a crush." Yang grinned at the now furiously blushing Ruby. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I'm just happy you're trying to make friends, Ruby. Blake does have a point though… wouldn't somebody in our year make a better start?"

"I have all of you guys, and I have Jaune's team as well! That's… six whole friends!" Ruby said as she stuffed her face, "An I dhon care wha he dosh. I won mahe frehns wif Carin!"

"Pardon?" Blake tilted her head in the face of Ruby's muffled speech.

"Mmng...!" Ruby swallowed the food and repeated herself. "I said, and I don't care what he does. I won't make friends with Cardin!" She grabbed her glass and took a sip of juice, "I don't like bullies. Now, Shiro, on the other hand, was nice. So if I can make friends with her, I'll have seven whole friends."

"Don't you mean eight?" Weiss interjected and shook her head when Ruby visibly flinched.

"I'll have eight whole friends! Sorry, Weiss, I'm not used to it yet…" Ruby quickly apologized and Weiss was thrown for a loop. She wasn't sure if she should be offended or appreciative.

"I'm sure…" Weiss opted for a neutral answer and sighed to herself. "I wasn't lying when I said I only know rumours, okay? It's not much."

"That's totally fine! I'm all ears!" Ruby exclaimed and turned to face her moody partner. "Thank you!"

"Eh… it's fine. Don't worry." Weiss couldn't help but smile, an action which the other two girls made note of.

'She loves this…' Yang and Blake shared a unified thought as Weiss played off Ruby's appreciation. Finally, the heiress told Ruby what she was so excited to hear.

"Well, the most popular rumour about her is that she's some sort of foreign heiress from a faction unaligned with any of the four kingdoms." Weiss began and held her finger up in front of Ruby, "They say that Headmaster Ozpin has her enrolled her as an international student in order to start a relationship with the king of that land."

"Ooh! So, she's a princess?!" Ruby exclaimed, her eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation. "What else is there?"

"She could be. These are all rumours, remember Ruby? No hard fact here." Weiss corrected her partner before she continued, "The runner-up for most popular is that she's actually an instructor parading as a student since she always spends so much time around the other staff members, especially Headmaster Ozpin."

"If, she's actually a staff member… that means that Ruby turned herself in." Yang drawled and gave her sister a pitiful look, "I'm kinda hoping she's an instructor."

"Y-Yang!" Ruby snapped and threw a small piece of crust at the blonde. "Please go on, Weiss… I really hope she isn't a teacher though…"

"Things from here on get a little weird–" Weiss began but was quickly interrupted by Yang.

"The weirder the rumour the more possible it is!"

"Yes, I suppose that's one way of looking at it. Anyway, other rumours say that she's actually a Grimm because of her bright red eyes and appearance. Some go so far as to say she's an alien." Weiss counted the rumours off on her fingers before she finally stopped, "My personal favourite is that she's actually somebody's Semblance."

"That's a weird favourite to have, why pick that over an alien?" Ruby questioned and Weiss perked up. It was her time to shine.

"Simple! She is too perfect. She's kind, pretty, strong, top of her class, and she's on an advance team that scouts the wastelands. No human is that perfect, prodigy or not. Everybody has a flaw." With a smile, Weiss explained her reasoning and was met with a round of suspicious stares, "What is it, did I say something weird?"

"A little yeah, you gave practically gave us Shiro's life story." Yang leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. "What happened to only knowing a few rumours, huh? Some of that information sounded preeetty hard to come by."

"Gah… w-well you see… I may have looked into her a bit when I thought she was somebody of respectable lineage! My personal investment doesn't matter here, Ruby's the one interested in her!"

"Seems like she's not the only one~"

"Stuff it." Weiss snapped and pushed a slice of toast into Yang's mouth, which effectively silenced the blonde. "If you want my honest opinion Ruby, I'd be careful around that girl. The more perfect a person seems the more secrets they're usually hiding… if you want an older friend I'd look elsewhere."

"I appreciate the concern Weiss, I really do." Ruby smiled and took a bite of yet another sausage, "But I'm going to try. If she says no, then I'll drop it, but something about her makes me want to be her friend. It's the same thing I felt when I met you and Blake."

"Naivety?"

"That was harsh…" Ruby pouted and stared at Blake, whose amber eyes shone playfully. "Ah! You're teasing me now too?!"

"Guilty."

"Is it 'Everybody pick on Ruby day,' today?" With a bit of a huff, Ruby stabbed her spoon into the egg and ate a spoonful. "I will make her my friend, I'm determined to do this, and as your leader, I want your support!"

"Being determined and all is fine, but how are you going to find her? I hate to bring it up, Ruby, but you can barely find first-year classes- let alone third year ones." Yang chimed in once again and Ruby immediately held her finger up as if she was expecting the question.

"Easy! I'll wait for her by Ozpin's office. She spends a lot of time there, right? So, I'll just ambus- I mean wait for her there. I don't have any other classes until the afternoon!" Ruby smiled and remained steadfast in her decision despite the bewildered look on her friends' faces.

"What…?"


A Resonance Between Worlds


Ruby made good on her claims in the diner and made her next destination the lobby of Beacon Tower. She was alone, Blake had taken her books for her so that she wouldn't have to worry about them while waiting. Those nearby watched her constantly, so much so that she had actually started feeling unwelcome. Just as she started to lose her nerve she felt a familiar bosom press into her back.

"Ah! Yang? I thought you went home with the others!" The younger of the two sisters tilted her head back and stared up at the blonde, "Why did you come back?"

"Oh like I'm gonna miss out on seeing my baby sister step out of her shell? Don't be ridiculous." Yang said with a teasing grin and released Ruby before she plopped down on the bench behind them. "Blake and Weiss wanted to come as well, but we decided it'd be too conspicuous. At least, that's what they said."

"Ha, so they abandoned you?" The anxiety that Ruby had felt was suddenly gone, as were the stares from the people around her. Even as Yang trapped her head under her arm, Ruby was comfortable. 'You always have the best timing, except when you don't… then it kinda sucks.' She thought to herself and slipped free from her sister's clutches.

"No luck with Shiro, huh?" Yang questioned and leaned forward, "Why not just drop into Ozpin's office and say hello?"

"I-I couldn't do that! What if they're having some super secret meeting or something? I don't wanna walk in on something like that!" Ruby shook her head and held her arms up in the shape of an X.

"Oh come on! If they were having a meeting it wouldn't be in the headmaster's office, it'd be somewhere much cooler." Yang laughed and pushed Ruby's arms down. "Stop being a chicken and just go."

"The headmaster's office is exactly where they'd have a secret meeting…" Ruby said with a pout and turned to face the pristine-looking elevator. "Nn… Fine. I'll go up there, and if she isn't there I'll just leave, go home, and study."

"That's the spirit, now go on up!" Yang cheered and pushed Ruby forwards. "R-Ruby…?"

"I just need like… a day or five to prep myself." Ruby smiled shyly as she dug her heels into the floor, "I'll go up once I'm prepared!"

"You'll have graduated by the time you're prepared… now move!" Yang groaned and forced her reluctant sister so move ahead, two trails of black were left in the wake of Ruby's shoes from being dragged over the white tile.

"Waaait! I'm not ready…!" The red-head exclaimed and managed to flip herself around in front of her sister so they were face to face. "What if she doesn't like me! What if I'm annoying… ah… what if she's like Weiss?!"

"Everybody likes you, you're adorable," Yang argued and looked around before a faint blush formed on her face. "You are annoying, but fun annoying. And that's mean, Weiss has been very nice to you today!"

"You're right, the Weiss comment was too much." Ruby nodded and tried to step behind Yang, "Let me go apologize to her!"

"Ruby, you decided to do this yourself! Don't back… down!" Yang exclaimed and shoved her sister backwards. Ruby stumbled a bit before she tripped and fell down. Her hands felt a metallic ground so she looked down and her skin ran white.

"Yang wait…!" She scrambled to her feet and rushed for the closing elevator doors, which had previously opened behind her at some point. Her hands banged on the closed doors for a few seconds before she resigned herself to the situation and crossed her arms. "Fine, I'll just sit in this corner until Yang leaves."

Her shoes softly tapped on the floor of the elevator until she sat down in the back corner. Ruby pulled her knees up to her chest and crossed her arms around her legs. With a sigh, she laid her head down and stared at the wall for a little while.

"If I open those doors all I'll find is Yang. She'll force me to go up, I know it." Ruby shifted her gaze to the elevators control panel and eyed the number for Ozpin's floor. She debated whether or not she should just bite the bullet and go through with it, but her anxiety won out. The harsh beating of her heart led her to devise a plan, one that would let her slip right by Yang and escape. "Once I press the button, the doors will open. I'll use my semblance and blow right by Yang, she won't be able to stop me."

With her heart and her mind resolute, Ruby stood up and approached the panel on the wall. Her finger pushed in on the 'open doors' button and she heard the first screech of steel on steel. She narrowed her eyes and got into position, ready to burst into the open as soon as the path was clear.

"A little more…" She whispered and dug her shoes into the floor. Light flooded into the compartment and she kicked forward, her semblance activated immediately which pushed her to speeds far beyond that of a human. She smirked when she saw the look of surprise on Yang's face, though she didn't understand why she was so concerned.

She got her answer shortly after she left the elevator in the form of a sudden stop. Her feet left the ground and her vision was filled with the sight of the high ceiling. Time seemed to stop as she went airborne and her stomach rose to her throat, dizziness overcame her.

"Holy shit…" Yang stood awestruck, her eyes glued on the girl that just halted her bullet of a sister with almost no clear effort. 'You can't just do that right? How fast do you have to be… no. What do you have to be?' She couldn't take her eyes off the sight.

Ruby was in a mid-spin and the culprit wore a stoic expression as if she hadn't done anything impressive. Held up by only her wrist, she quickly fell to the ground on her stomach with a soft thud. It was then that Yang broke free of her amazement and rushed to her sister's side.

"Ruby, are you okay?!" She grabbed Ruby's shoulder and flipped her over onto her back. When she saw that Ruby was just dazed and unharmed she let out a sigh of relief and stood up. "What the hell was that?! You can't just go around flipping people like that!"

"It was only an accident, I meant no harm by it."

"Accident my ass, you knew exactly what you were doing." Yang hissed and glanced down at Ruby, still concerned for her well-being "You can't catch something going as fast as she was, especially not on accident."

As Yang argued on Ruby's behalf, Ruby herself lay stunned on the floor. 'T-They caught me. They weren't even unsure… it's like… that was what was meant to happen.' She fought off nausea and sat up, wincing slightly when she put pressure on her wrist. Yang didn't seem to notice and continued her tirade unabated, much to Ruby's embarrassment.

"If Ruby hadn't launched herself towards me at high speed, I would not have thrown her."

'Huh…? I know that voice…' Ruby looked up and her heart dropped to her stomach. "S-Shiro…!"

Just as Ruby exclaimed upon seeing the offending party, it was none other than the third-year she'd been trying to build the courage up to track down all afternoon.

"Hm? Ah, how are you doing, Ruby?" Shiro smiled and knelt down to help Ruby get to their feet. "I hope I didn't hurt you? This is becoming a habit of yours."

"No! I'm sorry for running into you… again. It's my fault." Ruby pulled her hand away and moved to her baffled sister's side. "I'm fine though, thanks!"

"I'm glad." Shiro stepped back and looked to Yang, who still wore a serious expression. "I've apologized, and been forgiven by Ruby. What more must I do to earn your forgiveness as well?"

"Nothing. You're fine." Yang sighed and looked around, "Well Ruby, you found your crush so go talk to her in private. We've got a lot of eyes on us unless you're into that sorta thing?"

"I'm not!" Ruby quickly denied her sister's suggestion and took note of their surroundings. Yang hadn't exaggerated at all, the trio managed to draw quite a bit of attention to themselves in the wake of their little spat.

Yang stared wide-eyed at Ruby, taken aback by her speedy denial. 'I-I'm not sure she understood what I meant… I hope not at least.' She joined Ruby in looking around before she sighed, "Shiro, was it?"

"Yes, and you are?"

"Yang, Ruby's older sister." She answered quickly and pulled Ruby into a one-armed hug, "How's a third year like you know my baby sister?" Yang already heard the truth from Ruby, but something about Shiro made her test her.

"Ruby? I met her this morning when she tried to tackle me, this incident marks her second attempt." Shiro glanced down at the younger girl who shied away from her, "As well as her second failure. Though she came much closer this time."

"You call that close? I think she missed by a mile," Yang drawled and took hold of Ruby's wrist. "She was on the ground before she even knew what happened! You're pretty skilled if you can catch Ruby when she's using her semblance."

"So I've been told." Shiro narrowed her eyes slightly, "I won't deny that luck also played a large factor in what happened. Even a God can be dispatched because of a pebble if they aren't careful."

"Oh? Comparing yourself to God now, huh?" Yang smiled and pat Ruby's back, "Must make my sister one hell of a pebble then!"

"Actually, I fit the role of a pebble here better than Ruby." With a kind smile, Shiro threw the blonde's words back at her which drew a look of surprise from her. "That aside, what brings the two of you here?"

"Well that's–" Ruby began, fidgeting before Yang cut her off.

"We came to find you, actually! Ruby wanted to make it up to you for this morning, and I suggested we invite you to the dorm for some girl talk." Yang's words surprised Ruby and even Shiro to an extent, "Of course Id understand if you said no, third years must be really busy after all. Unlike us first years."

"Yang…!" Ruby hissed and pinched Yang's waist, an action that drew a laugh from the older girl. "She must be on her way to see Ozpin, don't make her feel bad!"

"What? Like a third year never ditched something important before! I skip things all the time and I've only been here for a few weeks!" Yang distanced herself from Ruby to defend from any more pinches.

"What has gotten into you, Yang?" Ruby tried to grab onto Yang but couldn't get a solid grip on the blonde. The sisters were stopped in their tracks by the sound of Shiro's reserved but amused giggles.

"I don't have a problem with accompanying you to your dorm," Shiro accepted Yang's invitation, a decision the blonde hadn't anticipated, and pat the satchel that hung off her waist. "The headmaster and I have nothing scheduled today, and my classes are finished as well."

"Is that so…?" Yang drawled while she pushed Ruby off her. "Then why are you here if it's not to see the Ozpin?"

"I'm here to pick up the results of my practical exam, that's all. We third years go through a similar exercise that you first years do, although ours dictate whether we enter our fourth year." Shiro explained neutrally and called for the elevator. "I'll only be a minute, do you mind waiting?"

Shiro watched the two sisters closely, not moving even when the elevator chimed on arrival. It wasn't until Ruby and Yang agreed to wait for her that she broke eye contact and boarded the elevator car. She waved bye and vanished from sight when the doors closed between the three of them.

"Why'd you have to pick her, Ruby? There are hundreds of other third years students here you could've latched onto." Yang questioned in a monotone voice, her violet eyes locked on the rising elevator floor numbers.

"You make it sound like I'm some kind of bother!" Ruby complained and felt a surge of concern roll through her at the absence of a retort from Yang. "Hey, what's going on?"

"There's something…off about that girl." Yang whispered and took Ruby's hand to lead her over to the sitting area once again. "I can't put my finger on it, but she really gets under my skin."

"Maybe it has something to do with you yelling at her on your first meeting…?" Ruby suggested and was quickly silenced by her sister's glare. "Guess not…"

"Ah, Sorry, Ruby. I'm not mad at you or anything, just on edge." Yang quickly apologized and scratched her chin.

"On edge…? What for?" Ruby scooted forward in her seat and leaned into the table that separated the two sisters, her head held up by her palm. "We're in the academy, it's safe here. You told me that yourself!"

"Hey, don't go throwing my words back at me!" Yang snapped and flicked the centre of Ruby's forehead, a loud thunk followed the impact. While Ruby nursed her wound by rubbing her forehead, Yang answered her. "I guess I'm anxious because I've never actually seen you get caught when you're using your semblance. Shiro not only caught you but she totally disabled you and acted like it was nothing special. You of all people should know how fast you go… you might as well have been walking to her. Don't you find that concerning, like, at all?"

"Yeah I do... third years really are scary, huh? To think somebody could react faster than I moved!" Ruby smiled giddily and squeezed her eyes shut. "Ooo~ I wonder what kind of weapon she uses!"

"Ruby..."

"She's small so it must be something light, like a rapier." Ruby's hands stretched out across the table while Yang's voice fell on deaf ears. "No! Nora uses a hammer… nah, Shiro doesn't seem like the type to use a heavy weapon."

"Hey, Ruby."

"Maybe she uses a scythe too! Oh, that'd be sooo cool! Her, Uncle Qrow and I could compare notes and take each other's weapons apart and-"

"Shiro's back."

"Ah! Nothing!" Ruby flinched and spun around to greet Shiro although all she saw was a bustling lobby. The source of her interest was nowhere in sight, "Yang, that wasn't funny…"

"I don't know, I got a kick outta it." Yang shot Ruby a toothy grin and winked, "Stop stressing about her, Sis. I'm sure you'll learn all about this later, so just be yourself. We both can't be uptight around her, we'd get nowhere with her like that."

"You're right. I'll just relax and be totally cool." Ruby nodded and leaned back in her chair, eyeing the elevators in anticipation. "Cool as a cucumber… like ice."

"T-That's the spirit," Yang said slowly, trying to hold back her laughter at the sight of Ruby's trembling body. Her sister's excitement was clear as day and she was horrible at hiding it. "I'm sure she won't be much longer."

Headmaster's Office, Beacon Tower,

"You understand that I can't just let this go, Shiro."

"You already chewed me out about this, Ozpin." Shiro looked down and rubbed her arm bashfully. "You really won't believe me will you? I'm not the one that burnt that village."

Beacons Headmaster, Ozpin, sighed in response to Shiro's defence. His silver hair was in disarray and dark bags were under his usually brown stoic eyes. Soot and blood could be seen across the surface of his white dress shirt, the same could be seen on his black pants. "It isn't a matter of believing you, Shiro. We have a witness account that places you at the scene, it even points you out as the perpetrator."

"I explained myself this morning, I even have an alibi that puts me here at the time of the attack!" Shiro frowned and leaned forward, her hands gripped the edge of Ozpin's desk. "This is completely unfair… you and I both know exactly what happened there!"

"I'm aware of that, but my hands are tied. It was a struggle just to keep your face from spreading through all four kingdoms, I can't let you off without a punishment." Ozpin rose from his seat and walked around his desk to confront Shiro upfront. "Please understand. The truth is something that we can't reveal to the public, they're already panicking about the increase in Grimm attacks."

"So I'm a scapegoat?" Shiro narrowed her eyes with her arms crossed unhappily.

"Unfortunately."

"..."

"I'll hold off until at least the end of the year, but then you'll have to be brought before the council on charges of war crimes." Ozpin handed Shiro a scroll and leaned against his desk.

"What's this for? I already have a scroll." Shiro held the small device up in her hands and peered through the display at Ozpin. "I can barely afford the one I have with the pittance you call a pay."

"B-Bills aside I want you to use that scroll from now on." Ozpin looked away as Shiro glared him down, "You have an entire year before your trial so gather evidence proving your innocence without exposing the truth. If you can manage that, I'll persuade the council to drop the charges against you."

Shiro sighed and tucked the new scroll into her pocket before giving Ozpin her own. "If you look through it-"

"I won't." Ozpin quickly denied his students worries and crossed his arms, "I believe it's time for you to get going. Those two sisters are waiting on you after all."

"Yeah." Shiro nodded and grabbed her bag off the chair beside her. The two of them nodded at one another and she turned to leave, though she stopped once she was at the door. "Hey, have you made any progress with her since last night? She is the cause of all this."

"None. She hasn't stirred since she fell asleep, I promise we're working as much as we can on her." Ozpin shook his head and looked to the side. A locked door that was almost flush with the wall of the room was his object of interest. "Don't worry and get going, Shiro. Also, don't tease Ms Rose too much, Qrow will complain."

"I won't, I won't." Shiro glanced at the door herself and left the room. Once she was alone, Shiro reached into her pocket and gripped the scroll tightly. 'Why the hell would I let myself be blamed for something so atrocious…' She thought to herself and grit her teeth, 'If I can't prove my own innocence I'll lose everything… I'll lose to her. I can't let that happen.'

Caught between feelings of anxiety and determination, Shiro wandered over to the elevator and called for it. She hadn't even looked at the results of her examination yet. As the door opened, she almost expected Ruby to come barreling out again but she was spared the assault.

"I'll just check it out at their dorm, hopefully, it's nothing embarrassing." She mused and pat her satchel. "I've gotta look cool in front of my juniors after all." The elevator shifted downwards and brought her back to the first floor.

When she arrived, she stepped out into the open to look around for Ruby and her sister, eventually finding them in a far corner of the lobby. From what she could see Ruby was depressed about something, though her sister Yang quickly brought her back up. Shiro's curiosity got the better of her and she wandered away from the elevator in order to listen in.

"-third years are scary, huh?"

'Oh? Did I scare Ruby somehow…?' Shiro tilted her head and leaned up against a wall to the side of the sisters. "I'll need to make sure I remedy that quickly. I can't have any enemies right now." She tuned Ruby and Yang out for a while, thinking to herself.

Her hand reached into her pocket and pulled the scroll out, the display lit up when she pressed the button to activate it. With a serious expression, Shiro began looking through the contacts and files. The names of her 'teammates' were listed under her favourite contacts while a few other miscellaneous names were listed under them.

There weren't any files that stood out as particularly suspicious to the third-year with the exception of the copy of the witness statement, 'I'll go through that later on…' Shiro glanced up at the ceiling and frowned. 'Oh well, I won't worry much about that for now. It's time I made my entrance.'

She looked over at the sisters that had fallen silent and were watching the elevators, waiting for her return. Shiro couldn't help but smile and snuck up to the table they were seated at.

"Do you think she ditched us, Ruby?" Yang crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, her eyes flicked between her sister and the still closed doors of the elevator.

"Of course not! She said she'd be back, so she'll be back." Ruby answered with a smile and held her fist up excitedly. "When she gets back I'll make her tell me about her weapon. I'm sure she'd warm up to me that way! But don't worry, Yang, I'll do it all cool like."

"Hm~? It'll be my first time seeing you act cool, I'm excited!" Yang grinned and sat up straight in her chair, "Gonna wear dark shades when ya do it? 'Shiro, bare your everything to me!' Say something like that?"

In the background, Shiro smiled and moved to stand behind Yang. Ruby's eyes widened but before Yang could say anything Shiro wrapped her arms around her neck and leaned down. "If it's you, Yang, I wouldn't mind letting you see~"

"Ah! What the- when did you get back?!" Yang exclaimed and separated herself from the older girl. She quickly moved to stand protectively in front of Ruby, who was overwhelmed by Shiro's suggestion.

"I got back a little while ago, around the time Ruby was talking about third years being scary." Shiro said with a sweet smile.

"Eh? That means you heard everything!" Ruby jolted out of her chair and stared at Shiro with hopeful eyes. "If so, what's your weapon?! What do you use? How about your semblance!"

'I guess she's calmed down.' Shiro laughed to herself and gave Ruby a nonchalant shrug. "Let's talk about it at the dorm, these are private things after all. Don't you agree, Yang?"

"Whatever." Yang grabbed Ruby by the arm and pulled her into her side, "let's just get going. Ruby's seen enough action for today…" Even though Ruby protested Yang's appraisal of the situation, she didn't stop her from leading her out of the sitting area.

"Ah! Hurry up, Shiro!" Ruby reached out and grabbed Shiro's hand dragging her along with them.

"I'm coming, you don't need to pull me." Shio jogged to catch up to the sisters and had Ruby release her hand so that they could all walk normally alongside one another.

Ignoring Yang's suspicion, Ruby had already seemed to take a liking to Shiro. Whether it was out of need or on a whim didn't matter to her, it was somebody else that she could bring to her side and that meant everything to her right now.


And that's that! I hope you all enjoyed it!

Regarding an upload schedule- as of right now it's fairly non-existent. Reasons being both trying to find a job and general life duties like... waking up before one in the afternoon. As time progresses this will change and I should have some semblance of a schedule at the very least!