Edit 5/16/19: Fixed a continuity error. Winter is supposed to be in Mistral at this point, so there's no reason Jacques would invite her to the concert.

The door to the lab slid open and General Ironwood was immediately assaulted by a wall of pure sound.

Reflexively, his hands flew up to his ears to ward off this cacophony as he took in the scene before him. Marion Polendina was working on a backpack with various tools vibrating next to him from the sound. He didn't seem that bothered on the count of the heavy-duty noise-cancelling headphones he was wearing. On the other side of the table his daughter was dancing. She was moving her arms in circles to a beat with her eyes closed in contentment.

Even with the sound muffled slightly by his hands, Ironwood still felt as if his ears were about to explode. He was, however, able to hear the sound more clearly and realize that it was music that was threatening to make him go deaf.

THIS WILL BE THE DAY WE'VE WAITED FOR!

THIS WILL BE THE DAY WE OPEN UP THE DOOOOR…

Ironwood marched forward, realizing that no words he could say would get through to the Mad Genius. Marion noticed the movement out of the corner of his eye and looked up. He grinned and lifted his welding goggles from his eyes with one hand, holding a comically large wrench in the other. He said something, but Ironwood could only see his mouth move and heard nothing over the music.

"WHAT?!" Ironwood screamed. Marion realized the problem and went back to the backpack, flicking a switch and turning off the offending noise. The general lifted his hands from his ears, thinking that they would probably be ringing for hours after this. He could still hear the singer's tune.

Then he realized that wasn't his imagination and turned toward Penny. The android was still humming along to the music that was no longer playing while still dancing. Then she opened her eyes and froze.

"Awww, why did you stop?!" she asked, her voice still raised as if she were shouting over the music. Then she noticed the guest in the room and smiled. "Oh, hello General! It is very nice to see you!"

"Penny!" Marion shouted. She looked to her father and saw him lowering his hands as a signal to keep it down.

"Right, sorry Father," Penny said, staring down at her feet and suddenly looking very sheepish.

"Sorry about that," Marion said, removing his headphones. "Penny and I were just testing a new device of mine."

"A sonic weapon?" Ironwood asked dryly.

"No, it's something I asked my father to build for fun!" Penny said, instantly cheering up and not picking up on the general's sarcasm. "I wanted to get better at dancing, so he's installing a music player in my backpack so I can dance wherever I go!"

"It's sure to be a hit at parties, eh General?" Marion asked, grinning just like Penny. "I wonder if we can find some way to develop it for commercial use. We'd make a fortune!"

"We'd call it the Polendina Power Pulser!" Penny suggested. Marion beamed with pride and shared a high-five with his daughter.

"Speaking of parties," Ironwood said, turning to Dr. Polendina. He took a deep breath. "Doctor, I am obligated to remind you of the concert tomorrow."

Marion's expression immediately soured, and he waved his hand back and forth dismissively. "Yes, yes, I am aware. It's not like the SDC hasn't emailed me every day reminding me of the honor."

Penny looked back and forth between her father and her mentor. She was completely clueless as to what they were talking about, but it was clear that it distressed both of them greatly. She could tell from Dr. Polendina's narrowed eyes and General Ironwood's stern expression. Well, he always looked stern, it was just that today he looked very tired as well. In fact, James Ironwood was looking more and more tired every day. There were wrinkles beginning to develop on his face. The gray streaks on the sides of his head had always been there, but they seemed to have grown in recent months. He was developing a stubble.

Of course, Penny had no way of knowing that these were fairly recent changes to the general's features. As far as she knew, he had always looked like this.

"It's a gesture of goodwill," Ironwood said, sounding as if he were trying to convince a toddler to let go of their favorite toy. "The SDC wants to help show the world that Atlas is willing to move on and help those that suffered a year ago."

"You are aware, of course, that I don't buy into that BS for a second, right?" Marion asked.

Ironwood sighed. "Just once, I'd like you to talk like you have a PhD."

"Two PhD's, General," Marion corrected. "Neither of which are in etiquette."

Ironwood narrowed his gaze, and Marion suddenly felt very awkward. He was getting the sense that now was not the time to be bragging.

He put a hand on Dr. Polendina's shoulder and bent down to meet the rather short man's gaze. This was his patented "listen to what I say, or you'll be doing drills for twenty-four hours straight" look that he typically reserved for students who misbehaved enough to have the dubious honor of receiving his attention. Usually, a certain cat-tailed girl was on the receiving end of it, but it tended to work on adults just as well as teenagers due to his rank.

"Don't make me order you to go," Ironwood said. "If you're not there, Jacques will notice. You know what will happen then."

Marion held Ironwood's gaze and nodded. "I know, James."

This satisfied the general and he turned to leave. The door slid open, but he didn't leave right away. Instead, he turned around and nodded at Penny.

"It's good to see you again, Miss Polendina," he said in a much gentler voice.

Penny seemed confused, but she nodded. She rose to stiff attention and saluted in a rather exaggerated fashion.

Ironwood smiled, turned around, and left the lab.

When the door closed, Marion sighed and returned to adjusting the speaker in Penny's backpack. She walked up to him and began patting him on the back. But since this was Penny attempting the action, her arm made very jerky movements as she attempted to replicate something she understood to be comforting.

Most people would give Penny a weird look at her odd behavior. Marion Polendina, already being a little odd himself, just smiled at his daughter.

"What seems to be the problem, Father?" Penny asked.

"Oh, it's just some pretentious SDC event that I have to attend," he replied, turning back to his work. "I would like nothing more than to stay here tomorrow and do something productive rather than stand around making idle gossip with millionaires and their trophy wives. But Jacques Schnee is even more temperamental lately than he usually is, and guess who provides all the Dust I use for my research?"

"Who?" Penny asked, tilting her head quizzically.

Marion paused his work and made ineffective hand motions. "Well, uh, that would be Jacques Schnee."

"Oh, of course," Penny said realizing her rhetorical question blunder. "I could understand why you wouldn't want to offend him."

"For the good of Vale… the only thing that event will be good for is his image." Marion said, talking more to himself than Penny as he continued his work. "Then again, it is genuine charity, and every lien counts when it comes to repairs. And I would certainly like to do anything I can to make up for the Fall of Beacon."

Penny had heard of the Fall of Beacon a few times in the past weeks that she had been active. Beacon was a Huntsman academy in Vale, but it had recently become overrun by Grimm released into the city by a terrorist organization called the White Fang. Many had lost their lives in the attack, her father had told her. Penny couldn't help but think that Vale could have used someone with her skills that day every time she thought of that story.

She suddenly thought of something and a smile creeped onto her face. "I know one way you can make this event more tolerable."

"And what's that?" Marion asked.

"I could go with you."

Marion paused and looked up. Penny could practically see the gears turning in his head.

"Yes, the invitation did say I could bring a plus one," he said. "And most things are made better with family involved." He turned to Penny and grinned. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

"Only every day," Penny said, wrapping Marion in a huge hug. Marion put his tools down and reciprocated the embrace.

Dust, I missed this so much, he thought.

When they arrived at the Schnee manor the following day, Penny's first thought was that if there was a blizzard, the place would be practically invisible.

The Schnee manor was built like a castle from a fairy tale, complete with towers and courtyards. The walls were white along with varying shades of blue. The architecture may have been from a time long gone, but the tech responsible for the upkeep of the place was modern. It was a fitting home for a family with history that still had a presence in today's society.

The concert itself was taking place in a separate building from where Jacques and his family held residence. The theater was small in comparison to the rest of the manor, which meant that it could hold three Bullheads, all the troops within them, and their weapons, and still have enough room to move about.

Penny and Dr. Polendina were dressed in their finest. Atlas was cold, but the season was still relatively warm, so Penny felt just fine in her bright green dress that reached her knees. Her father was looking rather uncomfortable in his tuxedo; he kept adjusting his bow tie, which he referred to as a "neck trap" for some reason. In comparison, Penny didn't seem to have much trouble walking in her high heels, which she lovingly referred to as "lady stilts."

Check-in was a smooth process. Marion had the receptionist scan his Scroll and they were allowed in. Though Penny couldn't help but turn her head back as they walked inside. The receptionist wouldn't stop staring at her. His eyes were filled with shock and confusion.

They found their seats on the ground floor towards the back. While they patiently waited for the concert to start, Dr. Polendina and Penny talked about who might be performing. They had a good laugh envisioning a meeting between Jacques Schnee and the band Smooch, though Penny only remembered who they were when her father called them the Lunatic Jester Brigade.

Then the lights dimmed, and they fell into silence along with the hundreds of others gathered in the theater.

There was a series of clicking noises in the darkness, like heels against a hardwood floor. Penny had to resist the urge to turn on her night vision.

The spotlight turned on and revealed who was standing in center stage.

It was a girl who looked about Penny's age (though perhaps it would be more appropriate to say Penny looked about her age?). She had white hair tied to one side in a ponytail, dressed in a floor-length blue dress that gradually turned white closer to the ground. Penny knew that this had to be Weiss Schnee, heiress to the SDC. She had never met the girl in person; the Schnee family as a whole were rather reclusive, the only exception being Winter.

A soft piano melody began to play.

Then the girl started singing and Penny found herself captivated.

Mirror, can you hear me?

Do I reach you?

Are you even listening?

Can I get through?

It would be a criminal understatement to say that this girl was a good singer. She was downright beautiful. Every inflection of her voice, every subtle hand movement and sway of her body lent to the performance. She was pouring all her emotion into every lyric. And the more Penny listened, the more she felt as if the rest of the world was fading away.

There's a part of me that's desperate for changes,

Tired of being treated like a pawn.

But there's a part of me that stares back from inside the mirror,

Part of me that's scared I might be wrong,

That I can't be strong.

It was just Penny, Weiss Schnee, and her song. Everything else was irrelevant.

Marion glanced away from the stage and frowned with concern at his daughter. She was literally on the edge of her seat, leaning forward as far as she could go without falling off. She had her hands clasped together in front of her mouth. Her eyes were unwavering. Penny was staring at Weiss Schnee as if she held all the answers to life's questions. Her eyes widened when the song reached its climax and the rest of the orchestra in the pit joined in.

I'm not your pet,

Not another thing you own!

I was not born guilty of your crimes!

Your riches and your influence can't hold me anymore!

I won't be possessed,

Burdened by your royal test!

I will not surrender,

This life. Is. Mine!

The echoes of her voice mingled with the fading noise of the orchestra and created an otherworldly and unique sound. It was only after the theater fell into silence that the audience began their applause, and a standing ovation at that. Penny blinked when the clapping started, as if she were snapped out of a trance. She too stood up and applauded as a smile slowly returned to her face.

Weiss bowed and looked around, though Marion couldn't help but notice that her gaze lingered on one of the balconies. Following her gaze revealed who was taking up her attention: her father seated with a boy who must have been Whitley Schnee, his only son. The boy was standing up and clapping politely, the picture of someone who was measuring exactly how much emotion they showed every second.

Jacques was seated, his hands clasped together neatly in front of him. Unmoving.

When the applause faded and they returned to their seats, Marion leaned towards Penny.

"Are you okay?" he whispered.

She gave him a look of confusion.

"You seemed really intense just now," he elaborated.

Penny nodded, smiling again. "I really liked the song."

Marion stared at her for a moment longer before nodding. They both turned back to the stage as the next act replaced Weiss. Marion couldn't help but think that the heiress would be a tough act to follow.

Penny did not pay attention to this song. Or any song that came after it. In fact, the rest of the concert passed by in a blur of instruments and voices. Penny's mind was consumed by one thought.

She knew Weiss Schnee.

The concert lasted for about an hour. The after-party was held in a reception hall in the Schnee's residence building. Someone was playing piano, but the android couldn't see the instrument anywhere. At the back of the room were a few art pieces up for auction, from which the proceedings would go towards the Vale relief fund.

Penny and her father were among the first to enter. As the minutes passed, Penny quickly realized that the majority of the people who attended the concert were not attending the reception. Whereas hundreds were gathered in the concert hall, only dozens were milling about engaging in conversation and enjoying the refreshments. Penny, essentially an optimistic person, gave these people the benefit of the doubt and assumed they had prior engagements. Marion Polendina, who had acquired a bit more cynicism in his old age, knew that these people thought they had better to do than give money to those who needed it.

Penny looked around, trying to find the person she waned to talk to. She was startled a bit by a hand on her shoulder and turned to her father.

"Are you okay?" Marion asked. "You've looked distracted since the concert."

Penny bit her lip. There was a debate within herself as she wondered if she should ask Marion about the strange feeling of familiarity that had coursed through her when she saw the Schnee heiress. At this point, Penny was about 90% sure that she had never met the girl in person. It was that outlying 10% that concerned her. She didn't have any memory of meeting Wiess Schnee, so why was there a margin of error?

But she had suspected for a while that her father wasn't being totally honest with her. He omitted certain details about the Fall of Beacon that should have been meaningless. He had simply said that there was an accident during the Vytal Festival that triggered a wave of negativity and that was what allowed the White Fang to so easily herd Grimm into the city. He refused to go into detail about what that accident was. And to be honest, there were gaps in Penny's memory other than those regarding Weiss Schnee. She suspected that her father knew about these gaps.

And then there were the dreams.

Penny took a deep breath, steeling her nerves. There was no time like the present.

"Father," she said, then hesitated. "I've been meaning to ask you –"

"Dr. Polendina."

Who else would it be but Jacques Schnee himself? Dressed as sharp as always in a white jacket with matching pants and shoes, a blue shirt and a lighter blue tie. His son was with him and dressed more or less the same, though he wore a vest instead of a jacket, and black pants, shoes, and tie. Whitley was standing ramrod straight with his hands firmly clasped behind his back. Were it not for his breaths and his blinking, one could easily have mistaken him for a statue. Jacques, by contrast, was relaxed and perfectly in his element. Scheming while engaging in empty chatter was his forte, after all.

"So good to see you getting out of the lab for a change," Jacques said. He was smiling by the minimum definition of the word. "I know that even I get a little stir-crazy locked up in my office all day."

Marion knew this was a bald-faced lie. He and Penny exchanged a glance, and he sent the android a look of concern mixed with reassurance. The message was clear: they would discuss what was bothering her later.

"I have to respectfully disagree, Mr. Schnee," Marion said. "If one loves their job enough, one finds themselves happily able to work for days."

"If only everyone were as enthusiastic about their work as you are, Doctor," Jacques said. He turned to Penny and regarded her as if this was the first time he noticed her. "And is… that who I think it is?"

"Ah, forgive my manners," Marion said. "You remember my daughter, Penny, I'm sure?"

Penny frowned in her mind. She certainly didn't remember meeting Jacques Schnee.

"But of course," Jacques said. "Who could forget how much her father loves to talk about her? His favorite creation."

That made more sense. Her father simply talked about her. Nevertheless, Penny added this exchange to the long list of Dr. Polendina's slips of the tongue that triggered her suspicion.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Mr. Schnee," Penny said, smiling as always.

Jacques regarded Penny with a look of mild amusement. "Likewise. Now, at this point it would be rude of me not to introduce my own son, Whitley." He used the same tone of voice to introduce his son that one would use when showing off an expensive watch.

Whitley stood a little straighter when his father mentioned his name.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Whitley," Penny said, offering her hand to shake. She was proud of herself. So far, she was remembering everything her father had told her about how to act around a Schnee.

Whitley looked at her arm as if it might explode the moment he touched it. He glanced at his father for instruction, and Jacques simply nodded. Quickly, as if to get the ordeal over with as soon as possible, he shook Penny's hand and took his own away.

"Forgive me for asking, sir," Penny said to Jacques, "but I am aware you have a daughter as well. Do you know where she is? I wanted to complement her on her performance today." This was not technically a lie. She genuinely was impressed by Weiss's singing.

Jacques's expression seemed to sour a bit. "She said she was going to get a drink."

"Thank you very much, sir. Enjoy the rest of your night." She turned to Marion and nodded. "Excuse me, father." She walked off towards the refreshments. Jacques's tone had made it blatantly clear that he hadn't believed his daughter, but it was a start.

Penny was so focused on her end goal that even if she were in earshot, she likely wouldn't have reacted to the conversation that followed.

"You didn't correct her."

Jacques turned to Marion in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"Penny said you have a daughter. You didn't correct her and remind her you actually have two," Marion elaborated.

Jacques shook his head. "Now, now, Dr. Polendina. Let's not sour the mood by bringing up… undesirables."

Marion nodded. "Ah, yes. Your falling out. My apologies, it's just I see Winter so rarely that it never comes to mind." He was lying through his teeth. He was required to meet with Winter once a month to show the progress on his research and development when it came to Atlesian weapons.

"Winter has always been a bit of a problem child," Jacques said. "Nothing at all like your Penny. And might I say, I'm impressed with how well you've trained her."

"She's not a pet, Mr. Schnee," Marion said. "I raised her the same as anyone else would raise their own children."

He couldn't decide if he wanted to laugh or frown at the look of utter confusion on Whitley's face.

"Well, surely not exactly the same?" Jacques asked with a hand gesture that indicated the point was an obvious one. "I mean, after the Fall of Beacon, it must have been difficult working with her. I'm no psychologist, but even I know that memories of your own death would be harrowing indeed."

"I am doing everything in my power to make Penny happy," Marion said. His voice was taking on a darker edge.

Jacques stared at Marion for a moment longer. Then there was a flash of triumph in his eyes. "You mean she doesn't know?"

"I'm trying to put the past behind me," Marion said. "Isn't that supposed to be the theme of this little get-together?"

"My, my," Jacques remarked. He took a sip from his drink while he stared at Marion a moment longer. No doubt to let the Mad Genius take in how inferior he was compared to Schnee. "But, I suppose it can't be helped. You were never one to face trouble head on."

Marion did not reply, as he did not trust himself enough to not say something monumentally stupid given his current state of emotion.

"Still, how easy it must be as well to raise someone like her," Jacques said, turning to gaze around the room as he talked. "If she misbehaves, you can always reprogram her. If she breaks, you can fix her. If she is beyond repair, you can always build another one. Just like you've done recently."

Jacques turned back to Marion and nearly reacted to the old man's face. His eyes were filled with the most genuine anger Jacques had ever seen. Jacques was both intimidated at the Mad Genius and angry at himself for letting himself be bullied by a man almost half his height.

"With all due respect, Mr. Schnee," Marion said, "shut the hell up."

Their conversation ground to a screeching halt. Whitley looked between his father and Dr. Polendina with eyes so wide it was a wonder they didn't pop right out of his skull. All the while, the empty conversations around them continued unimpeded by the sudden brick wall of tension.

"What did you just say?" Jacques said, his voice dangerously low.

"My daughter is not an appliance," Marion said. It was taking every ounce of self-control in his body not to snatch that drink from Schnee and throw it in his pale face. "She is not a tool to be discarded if there is no use for her. She is not a weapon to be tossed aside when she's broken. She is a living, thinking, feeling person. She has a personality. She has a sense of self. She is alive. Do not ever insult her again by assuming otherwise. I will not be happy if I find out that you have."

Jacques paused for a moment, taking in Marion's deceptively calm rant. "Are you threatening me?"

"Trust me, Mr. Schnee," Marion said, his lips twitching into a grin that did not reach his eyes. "If I wanted to make a threat, you would know."

Penny did not find Weiss at the punch bowl, or anywhere else along the refreshment table. She asked the servers, but none of them remembered the heiress asking them for anything. She (politely) pushed through the crowd, tuning out their conversations and just trying to find that shock of white hair, that distinctive extra-long ponytail. More than that, she listened for Weiss's voice. That song just would not leave the android's mind. It demanded her attention, begged that she listen to the heiress's voice, pleaded that she find out where she had heard it before.

"… breaking the ice. How am I doing so far?"

"You are leaving a lot to be desired."

There you are! Penny thought, excitement coursing through her circuits. She turned towards the sound of Weiss's voice, finding her legs moving without her telling them to. She was moving towards the collection of art pieces towards the back of the room, and the crowd was slowly thinning out. Finally, Penny broke through.

There she was. In the flesh.

"Well, I've always appreciated honesty. Henry. Marigold."

"… Weiss Schnee."

She was talking to some boy Penny had never seen before. They shook hands and their conversation continued. Even someone with no social skills whatsoever could tell that Henry Marigold was striking out big time. Weiss's arms were crossed and her feet pointed away from the boy. She wouldn't even meet his gaze. Everything about her body language broadcast the knowledge that she would rather be anywhere else right now.

"Yeah, kind of pricey for a painting." Henry remarked.

Penny blinked. She had been so busy staring at the heiress that she hadn't even been listening to their conversation. She took a deep breath. No time like the present.

"It's to raise money," Weiss said.

"For what?" Henry asked.

"For what?!" Wiess demanded in disbelief.

"Pardon me for interrupting," Penny said, "but do you mind if I have a word with you, Miss Schnee?"

Weiss turned around, ready to give a biting retort that would be sure to have whoever else wanted to get on her nerves running for the hills.

She froze in place. Her words died on her lips.

Penny Polendina was standing right in front of her. Very much alive.

Admittedly, Weiss hadn't known Penny very well at all. Aside from the two chance meetings in the streets of Vale, they hadn't even met face to face. But Weiss could never forget her face. She remembered watching the android get pulled apart by her own strings like it had happened yesterday. Everyone who was there at the Fall of Beacon remembered the life leaving her eyes, turning them cold and dead.

Faced with a ghost from her past, Weiss could do nothing but stand stock still, mouth hung open and eyes wide.

Penny frowned. Had she done something wrong? "Are you feeling well?" she asked the heiress. "You seem to be upset."

"Excuse me," Henry said, stepping between Weiss and Penny, "but we were in the middle of a conversation."

Weiss was snapped out of her daze by the rather annoying boy's attempts to push Penny away. But before she could say anything, Penny beat her to the punch.

"Oh, I noticed," Penny said, nodding vigorously. "I couldn't help but also notice you weren't getting anywhere fast, so I thought I'd step in and save you from any future embarrassment." She smiled sweetly, completely oblivious to the fact that she had just insulted this boy. "May I please speak to Miss Schnee now? It's a matter of utmost importance."

Henry Marigold stared at Penny Polendina for a moment longer. Then he scoffed and walked off, not even trying to look disappointed at his loss.

"My thorough analysis of your body language and context clues led me to believe that Mr. Marigold was giving you unwanted attention," Penny said, turning to Weiss and smiling. "In a situation like that, is it not proper to try and 'save' you from such advances?"

Weiss couldn't help herself. Her face broke into a wide grin and she leapt forward, wrapping Penny in a tight embrace. Penny, unsure of what else to do, returned the favor.

Weiss held Penny tighter. She needed this. She needed this reassurance that her old life at Beacon hadn't been some glorious dream cut short by a horrible nightmare. She could feel the weight of the year she had spent at the Schnee manor lift from her shoulders with every second they stood there. For the first time in a long while, she could finally breathe.

It was after most people would get uncomfortable by the prolonged display of affection that Penny killed the mood.

"Wow, you must like hugs even more than I do!" she remarked.

Weiss laughed. Her first real laugh in almost a year. She stepped back and looked at Penny's face. "I guess I never realized it until now."

"So, do you often hug strangers who save you from flirtatious boys?" Penny asked with genuine curiosity.

And suddenly, Weiss's heart began to sink.

"W-what?" she asked.

"I said 'do you often –'"

"Penny, don't you remember me?" Weiss asked, cutting off the android. "The Vytal Festival? Beacon?"

"I've never met you before," Penny responded. "I think. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. You seem quite familiar with me even if I don't know you."

Weiss knew it was too good to be true. Just when she thought she finally had some fragment of normalcy back, it was snatched away from her. Her expression became one of disappointment and sadness.

She still had to be sure.

"Well, to be honest we never really talked much," Weiss said. "It was Ruby you were friends with."

"Ruby?!" Penny suddenly shouted. "You know Ruby Rose?!"

Weiss stepped back, startled by the sudden increase in volume. "She was my partner at Beacon. We were on a huntress team together. Team RWBY?"

"That's odd," Penny said at normal volume. "Why would she name a team after herself?"

Weiss opened her mouth to clarify the confusion (one that surprisingly had not come up very often during her time at Beacon from what she could recall) when she froze again.

A fragment of a conversation had drifted their way.

"… but really, does it come as any surprise what happened to Vale?"

Weiss looked past Penny. The android suddenly looked concerned. "Miss Schnee?"

"They had it coming if you ask me!"

That woman. Blond hair. Tan that was probably fake. Expensive dress and jewelry. Standing rather close to the man that had to be her husband. The very definition of a trophy wife. Penny followed Weiss's gaze and began listening as well.

"Honey…" Her husband tried to put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

"What? You said the same thing last night!" Trophy Wife said with that ridiculous smile on her face. She shoved aside her husband's arm. The man, for his part, could do nothing but smile nervously. "If they're so arrogant to think they can get by without proper kingdom defense, then I say good riddance!"

"Shut up!"

The entire hall fell into silence. People's heads were turning towards them. Servers froze in place, unable to stop themselves as they too began craning their necks to find the offender.

It didn't take long for Jacques Schnee to notice what was happening and push his way closer. Marion looked to his own daughter with a concerned and questioning gaze. Penny just shrugged and gave a nervous smile.

"Weiss," Jacques said in a low voice. Everyone heard him. A pin could have dropped, and the entire reception hall would have heard.

"You don't have a clue, none of you do!" Weiss continued, ignoring her father.

The Trophy Wife finally seemed to realize that the angered shouts were directed at her. "Excuse me?!"

The heiress continued her tirade, turning to address every individual in the room. She poured an entire year of sorrow and frustration into every word she said. "You're all just standing around talking about nothing! Worrying about your hair, your money, your stupid 'problems' that don't mean anything!"

And through it all, Penny just stared at Weiss. The heiress's demeanor had completely changed. Her hands were balled in fists clenched at her sides. Her voice was rising in volume with every word. She was beyond annoyed. It was all so…

Familiar.

"Blaaaaake!"

There it was again! The voice of that girl she had met two days ago! And if she wasn't mistaken, she was calling for one of her teammates. The Faunus with cat ears, that was the one!

Penny rounded the corner and found them. Red, Weiss and Yellow, but no Black. Red and Yellow seemed to be arguing with Weiss about something. Maybe she could help ease tensions between them? Let's see, what was a good conversation starter?

"It was just an idea!" she heard Weiss say in annoyance as she approached. None of them seemed to notice her yet.

"Yeah, a bad one," Red said as they continued down the sidewalk.

"Weiss, I think we should hear her side of the story before we jump to any conclusions," Yellow said.

"And I think that when we hear it, you'll realize that I was right," Weiss insisted.

"And I think Weiss's hair looks lovely today!" Penny said.

All three turned around in surprise. "Ah! Penny where did you come from?!" Red shouted.

"Hey guys!" Penny said with a wave. "What are you up to?"

"Uhhh," was all Red could manage to say. It seemed she was still getting over Penny's sudden appearance. Wait, what was it the General told her? Not to sneak up on someone if you aren't battling them?

Oops.

"We're looking for our friend, Blake," Yellow explained.

"Ohhh," Penny said with realization. "You mean the Faunus girl!"

They blinked at her. "How did you know?" Red asked.

"Uh, the cat ears?" Penny said, pointing to the top of her head. Didn't they notice the very obvious and out of place body parts on their teammate?

"What cat ears? She wears a… bow." Yellow became quieter as she realized how silly they had all been.

There was a long silence. A gust of wind blew a tumbleweed past them. All of them were too distracted to question what a tumbleweed was doing in the middle of the city.

"She does like tuna a lot," Red whispered, more to herself than any of them.

"So where is she?" Penny asked, speaking the question that was on all of their minds.

"We don't know," Red said. "She's been missing since Friday."

Penny gasped. She speed-walked up to Red and grabbed her arms in what she thought was an acceptable grip. Red didn't have the heart to tell Penny that she nearly broke her arms. "That's terrible!" Penny stepped back. "Well don't you worry, Ruby, my friend! I won't rest until we find. Your. Teammate!"

Red gave a nervous laugh. "Uh, that's real sweet of you –"

"– Penny!"

Penny opened her eyes slowly. She smiled when she found out who she was talking to.

"Sal-u-tations, father! You too, General!" she greeted.

Marion sighed with relief and held a pocket flashlight up to her eyes, waving them back and forth. She squinted against the light.

"Reflexes are fine," Marion said, "nothing seems to have been broken. Penny, how do you feel?"

"A little dizzy, but other than that I'm fine," she said with a nod.

"Penny what's the last thing you remember?" General Ironwood asked.

"Well, I was walking down the street when I saw Ruby and her friends looking for their teammate," Penny said. "So, I of course offered my assistance and –" She hummed in thought. "Well, it all gets fuzzy after that."

They were looking at her in confusion now. "You mean you don't remember anything about the concert? The after-party?" Marion asked.

Penny narrowed her eyes in confusion. She opened her mouth to ask what concerts were planned for the Vytal Festival because she couldn't remember any off the top of her head.

Then she took in the full meaning of her father's words. She looked around. People were standing around, looking very panicked and a bit shell-shocked.

Then it all hit her.

The concert. Weiss. The rest of the concert. Looking for Weiss. Meeting Weiss's father. Looking for Weiss. Meeting Weiss. Weiss losing her patience.

The Schnees were nowhere to be found.

And Penny's heart sank.

A/N: Alright, now we're getting to the good stuff. Not to say that none of what's happened before now hasn't been good, I've just been getting more and more pumped up with every chapter I write. Can I just say that it is a ton of fun writing dialogue and inner monologue for Penny? She's just so aggressively cheerful.

Next time: Penny finally confronts her father about her "past life," then decides she needs an outside opinion.