I Want to Line the Pieces Up (Yours and Mine)

by BlackLabyrinth07

Thrown into the mysteries of Kingdom Hearts, Team RWBY is charged with becoming the next Keyblade wielders in the war against the Heartless and their corrupt masters. Together Team RWBY must test the bonds of their friendships as well as themselves, while they travel across worlds, desperate to save their missing friends and Remnant from being lost to the darkness of the Heartless.

6. Welcome to Traverse Town

Author's Note: Good evening everyone! Thank you so much to those who commented on the last chapter; not only do your comments, questions, and theories make my day (sometimes week), but they also help me figure out the general direction this story will go in. TLDR: Feedback = :) IMPORTANT NOTE! I changed Ruby's age to be 16 at the start of this fic, instead of 15 as I had originally stated. I was using the RWBY wiki page to guess their ages at the start of Vol. 3 (which said 15 for Ruby for vols. 1-3), but the timeline would be confusing for her to be 16 for vol. 4-5 and suddenly be 17 by vol. 6 (which is only a few weeks long - if that). To avoid confusion, and to make their ages seem to be aligned with canon, I just aged her up a bit (so Ruby is 16 and WBY are 18). I changed this in the past chapters, so if you reread them her age should be correct now. As always, please feel free to leave a comment on here or come yell at me at blacklabyrinth07 on tumblr. I always love hearing from my readers. Special thanks to my Beta, mysteriesofthislife, who took the time during their work hours to help me edit this fic. You are, and will always be, perfect. Anyway, please let me know what you think! Enjoy!

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Welcome to Traverse Town

Ruby groaned as she blinked slowly into consciousness. Her vision was strained trying to make sense of the bright neon lights that surrounded her. The scythe wielder slowly flipped to her side, the stone tile pavement biting into her check as the young Huntress failed to get a better grasp on her bearings.

'Why am I laying on the ground? And where am I?' Ruby's thoughts seemed to slur in her muddled mind as memories of the events from before suddenly flooded over her: a stadium being ripped apart by darkness, screams that filled the air as a large spinning vortex sucked in Team JNPR, her team forming a human chain from being pulled in to the void, Weiss being hulled through the gateway by Ryu – rendered weak from her injuries…

"Weiss?!" Ruby yelled, her palms scraping against the rough pavement as she attempted to roll onto her knees, glancing around for her missing partner. "Yang?"

"Ugh… Not so loud, Ruby." Yang's pained comment came from the far side of the town's plaza. Ruby glanced around in her foggy state, her silver eyes taking in the slightly blurred colored images, that when blinked into focus, became each hunched form of her teammates.

Yang groaned loudly as she rolled over onto her back, starring up at the starry night sky and neon lights that shone overhead.

"Anybody dead?" Yang asked sarcastically.

Blake raised one limp hand, grunting in response not having the energy for words.

"I think you meant to ask if anyone was alive, Yang." Weiss replied as she picked herself up from the ground and wiped the dust from her no longer pristine white combat skirt and matching bolero.

Ruby blew a sigh of relief as her entire team was accounted for, although each girl was in various states of distress as they crawled from the ground to stand on shaky legs. It became increasingly apparent to the young leader that gateway jumping between worlds didn't agree well with her team.

"Nope. Definitely dead." Yang confirmed, ignoring Weiss' increasing agitation. The blonde brawler brushed off dust from her sleeves before using her fingers as a comb in an attempt to tame the wild mane of luscious golden locks. After fixing her appearance, Yang walked away from the small group of Huntresses to observe an eye-drawing mural that was displayed in the corner of plaza. The mural was a brightly lit water feature with an image of two dogs whose snouts where tenderly pressed together.

"Where are we?" Yang's voice was filled with wonder with a hint of reserve as she turned to observe her immediate surroundings. Large blood red banners with the number three depicted on each one were displayed around the high stairwells that surrounded the plaza square. Tall lampposts lit the area, each one displaying similar banners in the same deep red, giving the cold stone architecture a splash of bright color.

"I don't think we're in Vale anymore..." Blake chuckled slightly at her attempt of humor before walking over to join her partner who stood staring at a strange dog-themed mural. 'What a weird place…'

"This must be one of the worlds Team HART spoke of." Ruby commented, spinning around on the spot to observe the unfamiliar area.

Weiss cocked her hips, her arms crossed over her chest as she stared around at the unusual aesthetic of the town they were in. "Speaking of which, where are they?"

Ruby shook her head as she failed to spot their new companions. "I'm not sure… Weapons check everyone?"

Yang checked the shotgun rounds in Ember Celica before cocking them back into place, empty shell cases littering the floor from the movement. "Locked and loaded over here, Sis."

"Will it even make a difference?" Blake asked as she withdrew Gambol Shroud, the variant ballistic chain scythe glinted in the neon lights as she shifted the weapon into its katana configuration.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked as she unclipped Crescent Rose from her back and checked the sniper rounds before snapping the chamber back into place.

Blake hesitated as she stared down at her weapon in thought. "Well, you saw what it was like back at the arena. Our weapons are great for killing Grimm, but they're practically useless against those, what are they called again, Heartless?" She made a vague gesture with her hand as she spoke; her hidden Faunus ears could be seen twitching in response.

"Blake, you're planning for a scenario that might not even happen." Yang replied as she placed a hand on her partner's shoulder in reassurance. "Or if it will, we still have time to find Team HART to help us out. They seemed to be able to handle the Heartless without a problem."

"That's because they have Keyblades." Weiss stated as she checked the Dust levels in their chambers on Myrtenaster.

Blake nodded at the Heiress' words. "Haruka did say they were the only things capable of killing the Heartless."

"Then we need to find HART. Come on; let's try to get out of here." Ruby replied as she walked towards the nearest exit.

"Yeah, before we run into those creeps again." Yang scoffed as she followed her sister towards an alleyway, walking down to a large oak door emblazoned with a golden number two affixed to its front.

As if waiting for the girls to attempt to leave the plaza, the ground shook violently as wide stone pillars burst forth from the tile ground, blocking all the exists and trapping the girls in the square. A ring of Soldiers appeared, standing at the top of each pillar, taunting the Huntresses with their hypnotic dance-like movements.

"What was that?!" Blake shouted, gripping Gambol Shroud in a defensive position while widening her stance as she felt the floor shake with violent vibrations as the plaza alleyways were sealed off. Her amber eyes flickered to the Heartless that surrounded her teammates.

"We've got Heartless!" Yang yelled, pointing out the Soldiers that lined the plaza's high walls.

"You just had to jinx it, didn't you, Yang!" Weiss shouted as she flicked Myrtenaster to change cartages from red to blue Dust. The revolver clicked slightly into place as it landed on the desired Dust chamber.

"This is not my fault!" Yang shouted as she lifted her fists into the air, ready for a fight they had no hope of winning. The Soldiers jumped down from their posts to surround the Huntresses in their hypnotic dance. They were soon joined by a small swarm of Shadows whom appeared beside the Soldiers creating a wall of Heartless.

"Everyone quiet down!" Ruby called out as she spun Crescent Rose into its scythe formation. "We need to try to hold them off for as long as we can."

With a mighty yell Ruby surged forward, swinging her scythe in a deadly arch of steel. One powerful swing of her blade cut down four Shadows, each creature dissipating in a burst of black mist. Ruby jumped into a spin so that Crescent Rose cut through a charging Soldier, the armored Heartless meeting the same fate of its smaller brothers.

All around the young leader her teammates were fighting with similar rates of initial success. Each Huntress cut down the Heartless with apparent ease, only for the creatures of darkness to reform within seconds.

"Ruby! We can't hold them off forever, what do we do?!" Yang yelled between firing rounds of Ember Celica, each shot bringing down another Heartless in a burst of shadowy mist.

"I'm working on it!" Ruby yelled in response as she fired several sniper rounds at more Soldiers that had appeared above them on the high pillars blocking their path. Weiss was fighting on the defensive beside her, the Heiress relying on her partner to take the brunt of the work since she was physically exhausted and fighting without an active Aura. Ruby ground her teeth in frustration at their predicament. Without Weiss' glyphs, they couldn't scale the walls without risking serious injury, and they couldn't waste their ammo to try to shoot above the plaza's walls.

"Come on, Ruby… Think… THINK!" Ruby muttered out loud as she gripped her head with her right hand, trying to drown out the noise of the fighting around her.

Her pleas for aid seemed to go unheard, until Crescent Rose began to vibrate violently in her left hand of its own accord.

"What the…" Ruby was cut off by a cry of pain as suddenly the metal shaft of the scythe became too hot to hold, the burning metal clattered to the ground as Ruby released her precious weapon from her grasp out of instinct. A quick glance around to her fellow teammates showed that the same strange phenomenon had occurred to each Huntress. Their weapons shaking and burning with intense heat to the point where Blake and Weiss had also dropped their weapons, Yang going so far as to rip Ember Celica from her arms as the heated metal had bypassed her fire-resistant Semblance with ease. The shotgun vambraces had left large angry welts on her wrists that were gradually beginning to heal.

"What's going on?!" Blake yelled as she clutched her hurt palm, her Aura already healing the sudden burn. Meanwhile, the Heartless were using this distraction as a way to slowly advance on the now unarmed Huntresses.

But before Ruby had a chance to answer, her palm tingled as if all the static electricity in the air was dancing across her calloused skin. Ruby let out a contented sigh as sudden calming warmth flooded through her body and converged in her chest. A low hum filled the air as a bright flash of white light emitted from a mysterious weapon that had materialized in her hand.

Ruby stared in awe at the gleaming blade that rested in her grasp, the black leather grip contrasting harshly with her white skin. The weapon resembled a giant bronze skeleton key, the polished shaft ended in a rectangular sheet of bronze with the shape of a crown cut from the metal to form the teeth of the blade. At the base of the weapon was a decorative strip of black metal that rested above a crimson double-sided hand guard. A silver chain dangled off the end which hung a small metallic symbol that resembled Ruby's crest of a red rose.

"Are these Keyblades?!" Weiss shouted as she stared down at a silver weapon that had appeared in her hand, the blade matching Ruby's in design, but Weiss' cross guard was royal blue with a white leather grip. She smiled in approval at the small white Schnee snowflake that hung from a simple silver chain, marking the weapon as her own.

"One way to find out!" Blake shouted, swinging her own weapon at the nearest Shadow that had jumped at the waiting Huntress. The metal shaft of her blade looked like hardened obsidian as the black colored steel weapon cut through the Heartless with apparent ease. Blake smiled with satisfaction as a glowing heart-like entity floated up from the black mist, which was all that remained from the defeated creature.

"It's the real deal, guys! We can finally take out the Heartless!" Blake called to her team while admiring the violet cross guard and white leather grip of the Keyblade that rested in her hand. A matching black stylized nightshade flower symbol hung from a silver chain, her family's crest a reminder of all she had left behind on Remnant.

"Then let's show them what we got!" Yang yelled as she launched herself at the nearest Soldier. The golden Keyblade flashed in the neon lights as the blonde berserker smashed in the face of the Heartless, using the russet brown cross guard as make-shift brass knuckles. The force of the blow causing the Soldier to burst into dark mist, the tell tale glowing heart leaving the creature's dissipating body.

"Yang, that's not how you are supposed to use your Keyblade!" Weiss chided as she slashed at the nearest Heartless, twisting her body into the sweeping strike. While her Keyblade was perfectly balanced, it was a heavier and bulkier weapon compared to Myrtenaster. Weiss grimaced as she realized that her trademark fighting style of quick jabs and refined counter-attacks would not work with this new blade.

Yang scoffed as she used the flat side of her Keyblade to knock back a Heartless that had jumped down from the plaza's walls like her weapon was a baseball bat. "Like you know any better, Ice Queen. This seems to be working perfectly fine!" The blonde let out a yell of pride as she adjusted her grip on the black leather handle so that she could punch out a lingering Shadow.

"Yang, less bashing – more slashing!" Blake yelled as she used her Semblance to doge a lunging group of Soldiers, only for the Faunus to reappear directly behind the Heartless and take them out in one swipe of her Keyblade.

"No can do, Blakey. It doesn't really go with my aesthetic." Yang smirked as she thinned out the ranks of Heartless relying on her rather unorthodox fighting style of using her Keyblade's russet cross guard and hilt as brass-knuckles. Shadows shrunk into the ground, still visible to the naked eye but unable to be hurt, as they ran from the crazed brawler who had switched her grip on her Keyblade as a two-handed bludgeon to knock back a creeping Soldier.

"YANG!" Ruby yelled as she gripped her Keyblade with both hands, quickly switching her fighting style into a two-handed sword wielder. The young leader was lucky that Uncle Qrow had started her out with basic sword fighting techniques before switching Ruby into the more advanced style of wielding a scythe. While she was admittedly rusty, she was able to transition almost seamlessly into the other weapon's style. The Huntress became a crimson blur as her bronze Keyblade cut down the back ranks of the Heartless swarm that had fallen from the plaza's walls.

"Sorry, Ruby!" Yang yelled back as she cart-wheeled away from a slashing swipe of razor sharp fingers by a small swarm of creeping Shadows.

Within a few minutes of adjusting to their new weapons, with various degrees of success for each Huntress, Team RWBY was finally able to stop the swarm of Heartless as Ruby sliced through the last Shadow that had scurried around the tile floor before materializing enough for the leader to defeat it.

"Did we do it?" Weiss asked as she lowered her blade to her side, every word laced with tiredness as she struggled to keep her grip on the silver and royal blue Keyblade.

"I… I think so. Well done team." Ruby remarked as she let out a breath of air, her shoulders sinking from the strain of holding her new weapon. While Qrow had taught her the basics of fighting with a sword, the Keyblade was best wielded using both hands like a long sword. It was quite the work out, and a quick glance around at her team informed Ruby that everyone – with the exception of Yang – was gasping for breath, muscles shaking in fatigue.

"You've got to be kidding me?!" Yang yelled as a giant creature fell from the sky and crashed to the tiles below, causing the ground to shake from impact. Weiss had to dodge out of the way in a barrel roll to avoid being hit by a large hourglass shaped armor piece that was spinning in the air as a set of armored legs and arms attached itself to the purple and black floating body. A few seconds later a round knight's helmet attached to the main body, each limb floating and twirling in the air of its own accord. The large black and red symbol blazed across its chest marked the creature as a Heartless.

"What do we do now, Ruby?" Blake asked as each girl fell into their fighting stances. Ruby glanced around at her team, taking note of their exhausted states, the leader running out of options.

"We fight!" Ruby yelled, raising her bronze Keyblade high over her head as she charged the floating Heartless who now stood in her way. Her teammates joined her in her charge, Blake and Weiss to her sides while Yang brought up the rear.

Before Ruby could complete a side swipe to the Heartless' side, she was interrupted by a high pitched cry as a young woman jumped over the walls surrounding the plaza, the girl throwing a handful of spiraling shuriken at the Heartless' helmet. The ninja stars struck home, the Heartless armor vibrating harshly as the projectile weapons pierced the thick plated metal of the head piece.

Team RWBY's attention was drawn above their heads by a loud cry that cut through the air, as a young man with a large sword jumped from a stone pillar, his blade thrusting down with the momentum of his movement. The grinding screech of steel cutting through metal made the girls cringe as the man drove his sword through the main body of the Heartless. For a few tense seconds nothing seemed to happen as the man withdrew his blade, the revolver-like handle shined in the dim lamps' lighting as he tossed the weapon to be attached over his shoulders.

The purple armored Heartless glowed bright white, light flooding through the gaping hole left in its chest from the sword strike as the Heartless shook violently. As suddenly as the movement started, the Heartless became motionless; a bright light formed within and grew until it escaped through the gaps in the armored pieces to create a glowing heart that soared into the night's sky. The giant Heartless suit of armor dissolved into a large cloud of black mist, leaving the plaza peaceful once more.

The stone tower pillars that blocked the pathways out of the square rumbled as they slid back down into place. Only the off-color tiles that now stood before each alleyway hinted at the stone walled trap that was no longer activated.

The young woman smiled brightly as she turned to look at the stunned faces of the tired Huntresses, the girl's short black hair swaying in the wind. "There you are! You must be Team RWBY. Ryu and Titus were looking all over for you in the Second District."

"You're lucky we found you when we did. Most people don't survive an encounter with a Guard Armor Heartless." The young man turned to face the students from Beacon, his dark eyes lingering on the Keyblades that were clutched in their hands. "Not that you seem to need saving."

"Wow, you're all Keyblade wielders… Zyun was right. Haruka will be so pleased to hear that the Keyblades have presented themselves to all of you. We were expecting one or two of you being future Keyblade users, but all four of you…?" The girl's tone implied her wonder as she turned to face her more stoic companion.

"It's almost unheard of." The man finished as he crossed his arms.

"Not to be rude, but who are you?" Yang asked as she gestured to the unexpected fighters.

Blake nodded at her partner's question, turning to face the unusual pair to make an inquiry of her own. "Why did you save us and how did you kill the Heartless without a Keyblade?"

"How do you know who we are?" Ruby asked, curiosity getting the better of herself leaving no time for the fighters to explain themselves.

"And where in Oum's name, are we?" Weiss finished as she mirrored the man's defiant stance of crossing her arms and arching an eyebrow as she scanned the deserted plaza for more signs of life.

The girl adjusted a cannery yellow scarf that hung about her neck before giving the girls a mocking bow. "I'm the great ninja, Yuffie, of course! And tall, dark, and brooding over here is my friend, Leon. The real question is who are you?"

"I'm Ruby Rose," Ruby explained as she took a step forward and placed a hand on her chest before gesturing to her friends. "And this is the rest of my team – my partner Weiss Schnee, my sister Yang Xiao-Long, and her partner Blake Belladonna. We're Huntresses in training from Beacon Academy, but I have a feeling we're not on Remnant anymore." Ruby gestured vaguely with her left hand to the city around them.

"I'm sorry, this must be so confusing for you." Leon spoke softly as he gestured with his thumb to an alleyway behind him that ended in a large oak door with the number two etched on its surface in golden lettering. "Why don't you follow us to our safe house, we'll do our best to answer any of your questions once we get back."

"Leon's right, it's dangerous to stay out here by ourselves. District Three is always crawling with Heartless. We need to fall back and regroup while it's quiet. Let's grab your other weapons and get out of here." Yuffie explained as she bent down to grab Crescent Rose that was lying off to the side. Ruby made a sound of protest, but was surprised to see that the self-proclaimed ninja was not harmed upon contact with the red painted handle of her baby.

"Here," Yuffie walked over to Ruby, taking an educated guess that the red weapon belonged to the matching red cloaked warrior. "We don't want to leave these behind."

Ruby reached out with her free hand, the smooth metal of the neck of Crescent Rose felt cool to the touch under her fingertips. The young Huntress gasped in surprise as once she held Crescent Rose, her Keyblade disappeared from her hand leaving the girl to wonder where the weapon had gone.

Yuffie laughed at the red fighter's surprise and concern. "Don't worry about it. Your Keyblades will appear when they are needed. Overtime, you will be able to summon them at your will."

"So this is a normal occurrence?" Yang asked as she bent down to grab Ember Celica, locking the golden weapons onto her wrists in their bracelet form. "Having girls drop out of the sky and giant keys appearing out of nowhere?"

"Well you didn't actually fall out of the sky..." Yuffie explained as she watched the monochrome colored duo gather their own weapons, their distinctly colored Keyblades fading from sight upon their palms' contact with the grips of their old swords.

"You're one of the lucky ones. Ryu's gateway allowed you pass through the void into this world without much injury." Leon explained as they followed the stoic man through the winding alleyway out of the plaza and through the oak door into what seemed to a larger section of the town.

"Welcome to Traverse Town!" Yuffie exclaimed as they were met with a stunning sight before them.

The second district was very much like the third, in that it was built so that there was a central plaza that ran the length of a city block while several staircases on the sides led to a raised second level. This raised level was lined with shops of various occupations, each building consisting of architecture that reminded Weiss of the buildings found in Vale, although here all the buildings had matching red roofing. The overall effect gave the place a sense of small town charm that contrasted heavily with the neon lights of store fronts and signage that hung over their heads. To the South entrance of the district, in the direction they were currently walking, a tile mosaic mural depicting spring flowers was featured above a small water fountain that formed a half circle at its base.

Weiss placed a gentle hand on the lower back of her stunned leader, guiding her younger friend towards the rest of the group noticing Ruby had stopped to admire the stunning architecture of the surrounding buildings – although Weiss suspected that one structure in the district stuck out to the young Huntress. Sure enough, Ruby was staring open-mouthed at the large clock tower that was decorated with impressive stained glass windows that lined the front of the imposing white structure. The impressive building towered over the cobblestone plaza on the far Northern end of the district, reminiscent of the soaring religious structures found in Atlas. Weiss felt a dull ache in her chest as she stared at the familiar sight – would she ever see the spiraling towers of her home again?

"Make sure you don't wander these streets alone as the Heartless have made their way back here in District Two. It's not so bad in the day time, but once it reaches twilight this place is infested with those creatures. You will find that the only truly safe area in this town at the moment is District One, so keep that in mind in case you go on any late night strolls admiring the city's sights." Yuffie explained as she led the small group of fighters away from the main plaza and towards a building, whose lights shone brightly on the upper level of the plaza.

"After you…" Yuffie held open a door that led inside the building, once again bending into a small mocking bow as she smiled around at the girls' looks of interest as they entered the living room. Leon rolled his eyes at his friend's exaggerated movements as he gently shut the door behind them.

They were greeted with the sight of small living room that housed a couch with matching chairs which were facing a large fireplace that was currently lit, casting everyone in its warm glow as their eyes adjusted to the low lighting. Sitting in a pair of matching oak chairs on either side of a small round table were Haruka and an older man with a shock of bright golden hair that stood out over green welding goggles which rested on his brow. His kind eyes twinkled in the dancing fire's light as his gaze turned to face the new comers.

"Looks like you found the kids, then. Good work, you two. Better call back the search party." The man grunted as he gestured to the door leading to the shopping district that they were warned would soon be overwhelmed by Heartless. "Took you long enough."

Yuffie flashed the group a smile as she bounced back toward the door. "Hang tight, everyone. I'll go find them." Team RWBY watched the ninja run out, and after a gesture from Leon towards the open seats around the room, each Huntress settled into a waiting chair or open couch.

The man reached up to adjust an unlit cigarette that hung loosely from his lips, his mouth set in a smirk. "The name's Cid – Traverse Town's resident engineer and accessory shop keep. If you need a medical kit, protein bars, or your gummi ship fixed up, I'm your guy." He pointed with his thumb as his broad chest, his smirk widening at their growing confusion.

"Do you really not know what a gummi ship is?" Cid asked in exasperation as he ran a hand over his face at the group's general lack of response. "Amateurs, the lot of you…"

Haruka sighed heavily at the older man's dramatics. "Don't be rude, Cid. This has got to be a tiring experience for everyone." She walked over to the far corner of the room that housed a modest kitchen, the leader of Team HART reaching for a turquoise tea pot. "Would anyone like a cup of tea while we are waiting?" After a general consensus of desire, the tanned skinned girl poured each Huntress a small mug of the amber liquid.

Blake took a tentative sip of the offered tea with hesitation, only to slip into a small smile as the bitter herbs soothed her by means of their familiar taste. Apparently tea was tea, no matter what world she was on. It was a small comfort amongst the constant confusion that had been the last hour.

Haruka glanced over at Leon who had leaned against a small bookshelf that was pushed off to the side of the room. "Where did you find them?"

Leon cast his eyes down to avoid the girl's amethyst eyes, although it did not seem to be a gesture of disrespect, but rather one of contemplation. "District Three. Ryu knew they couldn't have gotten too far, but I doubt that he thought they would have been displaced by a whole district."

Haruka turned to face the young Huntresses, concern softening her features. "Are you all alright?"

Ruby nodded for her team as she took a small sip of her tea. "We're fine… More confused and tired than anything."

Cid nodded in understanding. "You'll get your answers soon."

Leon broke away from his thoughts to glance up at the red cloaked girl. "Ruby, why don't you and your team start by showing that little party trick of yours?"

Cid tilted his head to the side in intrigue while removing the cigarette to rest between his finger tips. "Party trick? What are you getting at, Leon?"

Before Leon could elaborate on his comment, the door to the safe house swung open to reveal Ryu and Titus, with Yuffie in tow. To everyone's surprise Titus sprang forward and enveloped Yang in hug. The brawler's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected gesture before she relaxed into the hug.

"I'm so glad you're all okay." Titus murmured into her shoulder before springing away and turning to frantically search Blake for any injury. "Everyone alright? We didn't expect to be separated from you with the gateway jump." Blake appeared a bit flustered at the sudden attention, an equally shocked face on her partner at the sudden display of affection from the younger boy.

'Oh great, he's a hugger like Yang.' Blake thought with amusement as she witnessed Yang recover from being on the receiving end of a surprise hug for once.

Ryu nodded. "I apologize for any anxiety I caused during our team's separation. When not in the proper mindset, the connection between the worlds can cause displacement after materialization."

Titus smiled around at the group of Huntresses. "Basically, we're glad we found you before you ran into any more Heartless. What did we miss?"

"You're a bit late there…" Leon gestured to Ruby and her team with a slight frown on his face. "Team RWBY is about to show everyone what sparked this whole mess. Why don't you give it a go, Ruby?"

"Well, you see… I don't think I can do it on command." Ruby prodded the tips of her pointer fingers together in her awkwardness as she stood up from a wooden chair to face everyone in the room. "But I'll give it my best shot."

Ruby closed her eyes in concentration as the Keyblade wielders' attention focused on the red cloaked girl. Holding out her left hand she summoned the power of her Aura and focused the life-preserving energy into the palm of her hand. Feeling a sudden tingling across her skin, Ruby smiled in glee as her Keyblade appeared in her grasp in a flash of light.

Titus' hazel eyes widened in wonder. "Wow! You're a Keyblade user too?!"

"We all are." Blake answered as she nodded to her other teammates. "The weapons appeared to us while we were in the Third District during a run in with Heartless."

Ruby didn't realize his eyes could grow any wider as the young boy joyously jumped in place. "You're all Keyblade wielders?! We thought it might just be Weiss, but this is great news!"

Ryu stepped forward, his open-toed sandals echoing on the wooden floor as he reached out to clasp a hand on his partner's shoulder. "Is it though? There must always be a balance between the wielders of light and darkness across the worlds. The presence of more Keyblade users generally means that the forces of darkness are gathering in strength."

Haruka nodded, placing a fist into an open palm in determination. "Then the more the merrier. We'll need everyone to fix whatever is happening between the worlds to cause this sudden spike in Heartless activity. But before we start, how about we answer some of your questions?" The tanned woman smiled openly at the four Beacon students, urging them to inquire about recent events without reservation.

"Okay then, let's start with the basics. Where are we?" Ruby asked as she gestured around her to the curtained windows that overlooked the shopping district.

"You are in Traverse Town." Leon explained, as if his comment answered their question without furthering their confusion.

"But what does that mean?" Yang asked as she leaned forward in her seat, her lilac eyes narrowing at his answer.

"It means you are on a different world…" Haruka stated, her voice unwavering as she stared out at the Huntresses.

"So all this talk of worlds when I was fighting Aloy… It's all true?" Weiss asked as she gazed down at her full cup of tea, the amber liquid having gone lukewarm over time.

Haruka crossed her arms and nodded. "Yes, it is not common knowledge to most, but there are countless worlds that exist at the same time. Not much is known on how this came to be, as each world has its own sets of physical and natural laws, people and creatures, as well as timelines."

"What do you mean by timelines?" Yang asked as she arched an eyebrow at the tanned Keyblade wielder.

Ryu beat his leader to an explanation by providing an example for the blonde brawler. "Time is not linear among the different worlds. For example, what we would consider the year 2019 on this world, might be 1407 on your world."

"Hence why, when crossing to other worlds, we must adapt accordingly. But enough about that, I can see you are still confused about parallel worlds. Allow me to explain this in the most simplistic of terms." Haruka moved toward the fireplace, so that her back was facing the room as she continued in her serious explanation. "Some worlds' differences are unrecognizable to another, with the only difference being a small change in what is recognized, or perhaps something drastic in history has been altered beyond recognition."

"The multiverse theory." Blake stated as she watched the leader of Team HART stare at the Faunus in curiosity.

"That is correct." Haruka stated as she flashed a smile at Blake. "I am glad to see that Remnant had some concept of this theory."

"Does that mean that right now there is a world where Remnant is whole and Beacon didn't fall to the Heartless?" Ruby asked as she gazed the bottom of her empty tea mug.

Haruka tilted her head in thought before answering the younger girl. "Perhaps, but discovering such a place is almost impossible to find compared to the ease in which traveling to a world that is more drastically different. The likelihood of discovering a new world is better than finding a sister world of your own."

"Even if such a place existed, one should not look for it." Ryu spoke in lower tones as he leaned against the door frame that led to the other rooms in the safe house.

"Why not?" Ruby asked in sincerity. "If such a place exists, why can't we take refuge there? Maybe try to change things so that they don't meet the same fate."

"I'm sorry, Ruby but you can't." Titus spoke, his normally cheerful face looking crestfallen as he spoke up. "Even if you can find such a place, you could accidently cause more harm than good. Whatever was meant to happen on your world, no longer will be – that timeline no longer exists. Besides, it wouldn't even be your world. You would be living a lie."

"Titus is right." Ryu agreed as he nodded to acknowledge his somber partner. "Going to a sister world of your own can be life threatening. The most common example is that you always have the risk of meeting yourself from that world and that timeline. Doing so can have drastic consequences, which may even result in your copy's death or your own insanity – the human mind being simply unable to process seeing the same soul in two people."

"Besides, who is to say that you are not the copy? How would you handle knowing that you were never meant to exist? But that a simple choice or action on one world resulted in your existence on another…" Haruka trailed off as she turned to gaze back into the depths of the fire.

"Some questions and curiosities should never be answered." Ryu finished as he stared down at his sandaled feet, the older boy clearly lost in thought.

"But enough of this sad talk, you asked where you are. This world is called Traverse Town and it is home to travelers, as well as those who have no home to return to." Titus turned to gesture towards the door that lead out into the city.

"I have a question. How did we get here?" Ruby asked as she moved to face the older boy with his hair in a top-knot. "I assumed it is because of whatever door you made during our last stand in the stadium."

Ryu nodded. "You assumed correctly. My Semblance allows me to access a gateway, or rather physical doorways, which lead to different worlds. I can access a gateway entrance with my Keyblade. It is my powers that allow my teammates and I access to the different worlds. That is how you got here; I used my Semblance to create a gateway to Traverse Town and pulled you all through it. However, during the jump you all lost consciousness resulting in you letting go of our human chain, which made you appear in a different part of the world then where I had tried to place you. Which, had fate not had other plans, would have been right in this living room."

"So if we arrived here because of Ryu's powers, which I am still wrapping my head around, then how did everyone else come here? You said this place was a world of travelers, right?" Yang asked as she stood from her place on the couch next to her partner to pace the wooden flooring in thought.

Ryu ran a hand over the yukata that hung on his waist, smoothing out the orange and black silk that had become wrinkled in the last few minutes. "Some have the means to come here using technology from their worlds, or powers of their own. Others stumbled upon this world by accident. The opposite can be true as well where they sought out this world. And some are displaced by the void of darkness – the very thing that is swallowing your world whole as we speak."

"If people can appear here by accident, then is there a chance that people from our world are here right now?" Ruby asked, jumping to her feet in apprehension as the memory of Team JNPR being swallowed by the growing void of darkness that had torn apart the arena.

"It is entirely possible, but not always the case. Your loved ones could be scattered anywhere amongst the different worlds… That is assuming they survived the journey." Haruka murmured as she turned to face the rest of her companions, just now noticing their various expressions that ranged from shock to horror at the woman's words. "But not all hope is lost. In fact, we believe we have found one of your companions, as she has not stopped asking about you, Ruby."

Ruby looked startled at this reveal. "Me? But who…"

The girl's words where drowned out by the sound of heavy footsteps that rushed down the hallway, before the unseen person skidded into the room with a screech of metal boots caused by the sudden friction against the wood flooring.

"Friend Ruby! You're here!"

"PENNY?!" Ruby was as shocked, as she was filled with joy, Ruby's face showing her bewilderment as the ginger haired girl launched herself into Huntress' short arms, the force of the hug knocking the breath out of the scythe wielder. "Penny… Can't… Breathe."

"Ruby! Friends! I am so glad to see all of you again." Penny smiled brightly as she finally let go of Ruby who had slowly been turning blue in the face from the lack of oxygen.

"Penny, how did you get here? And how did you find us?" Weiss asked as she pulled her partner near her to help rub out her sore muscles from the enthusiastic embrace.

"I went to help General Ironwood with the evacuations of Amity Colosseum once the alarms for Grimm activity were triggered. One minute I was fighting a group of Ursa that had broken through our defenses, and the next I was being sucked into that weird portal in the sky. My programming shut me down until I was found by a nice man named Geppetto who had Cid help reboot my system from the fail-safe shutdown. I've been here for almost a week!"

Penny ignored the looks of confusion on everyone's faces as she continued with her conversation with her friend.

"A week?!" Ruby shouted in surprise. It seemed like only earlier tonight they had been ripped away from her beloved home. "But we've been only gone for a few hours."

"Five days, twenty-three hours, thirty-six minutes… and twelve seconds to be exact!" Penny held up a finger as she corrected her friend. "Time is funny on this world." The ginger-haired girl chuckled at the memory before turning to face the rest of the team from Beacon.

"Honestly, I was surprised by being sucked into the vortex. I am quite heavy after all." She gave Ruby a quick wink that went unnoticed by the rest of the occupants in the room.

"You're not heavy, Penny." Yang tried to reassure the girl, not wanting the Huntress in training from Atlas to be swallowed in body image related self-esteem issues.

"Of course I am, silly. My entire body is made of metal." There was a momentary pause as everyone in the room took in this new information from the smiling ginger.

"WHAT?!" There was a chorus of shocked voices as most of the people in the room were unaware of the Aura producing android that stood before them… Most of them in various states of surprise except…

"Ruby?" Yang turned to stare at her sister in surprise, having noticed the lack of reaction from her leader. Ruby was always well known for being open minded and accepting, but even this was too big of a reveal for the scythe wielder to not have some sort of reaction to the news.

"Uh… Surprise?" Ruby asked as she shrugged her shoulders and looked sheepish at Yang's affronted gaze. "Look, I found out right before the tournament and I promised Penny I wouldn't tell anyone. It wasn't my secret to share."

"Thank you, Ruby. But I believe my programming might be more beneficial to everyone if they knew of my uniqueness." Penny responded while clapping Ruby in the back in thanks, the action sending the smaller girl sprawling into the body of her blushing partner.

"What do you mean by that, Penny?" Blake asked the bow on her head twitched as she tilted her head in curiosity.

"My brain and senses are basically a super computer and scanner that are normally used for navigation and problem solving skills – things that all help me appear human. That, and I am the first android using artificial intelligence that can create its own Aura. But it's my more computer-based origins that matter. While everyone was out looking for you, I've been working with Geppetto and Cid to create an Aura sensing algorithm that can be sent across the different worlds for spikes in Heartless activity." Penny explained proudly as the members of Teams RWBY and HART stared at the ginger in awe. "Besides that, I've been exploring the town. It's quite an amazing world, is it not?"

"Indeed it is. You will find many hidden treasures and all sorts of people here in Traverse Town. The world is as unique as the people who settled here." Haruka explained as she gestured to everyone who was standing in the small living room.

Cid nodded, a smirk gracing his lips as he played with the unlit cigarette that was in his hand. "We are a self made community here. We have our own hospital, library, clothing and supply stores, and a hotel. It's all run by volunteers since Traverse Town is a world made of travelers and the worldless. But we took this place and made it our home - a safe refuge for those who need it."

"Most people who live here have no homes to return to, are world jumpers themselves, or just need a place away from the chaos of the Heartless." Leon remarked, the man leaning against the wall still not looking at up from the floor as he spoke.

"It's not a lot, but its home." Yuffie smiled at the statement. "Leon and I have been on this world for years now. When the worlds were closed off from each other after the last outbreak of Heartless, Leon, Cid, and I decided to stick around town. We've been clearing out Heartless from the different districts to create safe zones for travelers as well as the regular villagers."

Haruka nodded at the ninja's cheery comment. "Leon and Yuffie's effort have allowed us, and countless others, to use this world as a safe zone between worlds when needed. Everyone needs a place to lay low and rest. Likewise, Cid uses his gummi ships to take people home if their worlds were recovered or found again."

Haruka turned to face a clock that stood on the wall, its hands reaching way past midnight. "It's late and you've all had a long day. My team and I will stay here with Cid and the gang, but we'll put up your teammates for the night in the hotel. Don't worry about payment there; we'll take care of it for you. For tonight, take some time to rest. We'll meet back up in the morning to discuss our next move."

Penny turned to smile at her friends. "And I'll stay here and work with Cid on boosting my signal for my algorithm. If I can find where the Heartless are converging, it might be a clue as to where Team JNPR went or how to save our home."

Ruby nodded as she pondered over her thoughts. "That sounds like a solid plan; I believe I speak for my team when I say we could all use the rest. But before we go, can I ask you all a few more questions?"

"Some I'm sure can be left until morning, but if you have any pressing questions I can do my best to answer for you now." Haruka stated as she turned to give the young leader her full attention.

"And I believe that's our cue to leave." Cid sighed as he placed his unlit cigarette back in his mouth. "Leon, Yuffie, I think it's best if we leave them alone to talk. Penny, you can stay if you want but we should try to get some coding done on that algorithm if we want faster results."

Penny smiled and nodded, already turning to the hallway where their rooms were to give the others privacy. "That's alright; I already had a chance to hear everything earlier. I can be filled in on the important stuff later. I need to work on boosting the tracking signal across the worlds." Penny grabbed at her chin in thought. "Do you think we'd get a better signal if I set up one of my radar dishes on the bell tower?"

Without waiting for an answer, Penny waved to her friends in farewell before following Cid and the other fighters out of the main room and into the depths of the house.

After watching her friend go, Ruby placed her hand on her chin while she thought over all of her burning questions that had plagued her mind since she had woken up in the plaza of District Three. "Why was your team on Remnant? And did you know that the Heartless were going to attack that night?"

Haruka held her gaze for a brief second, taking in the girl's confusion and look of pain as Ruby thought of her home that was being consumed by darkness as they spoke. "We arrived on Remnant because of my brother, Zyun. You see, before we traveled to your world he was part of our group of Keyblade wielders. Together the five of us would travel across the different worlds, protecting everyone from Heartless and sealing away their Keyholes so that no more Heartless could appear on that world."

She paused to allow her words to sink in to the new comers, seeing everyone's looks of confusion she continued on in her explanation. "Zyun's power, or Semblance as you call it on your world, allows him to sense the amount of light and darkness in people's hearts. With this ability, Zyun can predict if someone has the potential to wield a Keyblade, even if they had not yet been chosen by Kingdom Hearts. He could also sense the whereabouts of the Princesses of Heart – seven women whose hearts are so pure that they can be used to open the doors to Kingdom Hearts."

"Opening the doors of Kingdom Hearts would flood the worlds with either pure light or darkness." Titus took over the explanation, tapping his fidgeting fingers against his brown cargo pants. "While this is not the only way to access Kingdom Hearts, it is the main way that the people who control the Heartless know how to flood the worlds with their dark creatures. Which would be very bad."

"Zyun could also sense who the masters of the Heartless were too, making him a target to those who wished to seek this power." Ryu spoke up, gaining the attention of the Huntresses. "There has always been a balance of good and evil – light and darkness – in this universe. But Zyun's Semblance allowed him to tip this balance in favor of one side or the other. Luckily for us, he has always sided with the light. Which is what led us to you."

Weiss raised her hand to interrupt, causing Ruby to giggle at her proper social etiquette. "I have a quick question, you talk about light and darkness as if they are… well, alive. Why?"

Haruka nodded in understanding. "While the light and darkness are not alive like you and I are, they do exist as powerful opposing forces that can influence the fate of the worlds. They may not live and breathe, but make no mistake that they are very much alive, and unfortunately, at war."

"That's… concerning." Weiss stated as she remembered the old stories of the brother Gods of Light and Darkness from the fairytales she was told as a child by her butler and trusted friend, Klein. From her understanding, something similar was happening here but on a grander scale than just Remnant. No wonder they were scared by the appearance of more Keyblades. That would only mean the darkness was growing in size and power too.

"Indeed it is. About a month ago Zyun felt the light choose new Keyblade wielders on your world, specifically in Vale, as well as the darkness seduce people all over Remnant. We did not know at the time who or how many people had been chosen in this war between the light and the darkness, but we couldn't leave this up to fate. Because of this, we decided to travel to your world and try to find the Keyblade users, as well as seal away the Keyhole before those who could now control the Heartless made their move. But before we could leave for Remnant, Zyun vanished." Haruka sighed, lost in memories of the night when she discovered her brother was missing without a clue of his whereabouts.

She sighed again before continuing in her tale. "We suspected the Heartless users had taken him, but we had no proof or confirmation of this fact until we came to your world and a woman named Cinder appeared to Aloy during the tournament."

Ruby's eyes widened as she was hit with a vivid memory. "Wait a minute! I remember seeing Cinder talk to Aloy before her fight with Weiss. She showed your partner something on her scroll minutes before the match."

Haruka nodded. "Indeed. It was only after talking to Aloy once we had arrived here that she confirmed what we had suspected. The masters of darkness had taken Zyun, threatening to kill him unless Aloy tried to hurt or kill Weiss. We suspect they kidnapped him for his powers, or rather to tip the scales in their favor by locating future Heartless users. Likewise, we can assume they threatened Aloy and wanted to hurt Weiss as a distraction for our team so that they could trigger the world's end before we had a chance to seal away the Keyhole and keep everyone safe."

Ryu nodded as he listened to his leader's explanation. "Unfortunately for us, their plan succeeded. We traveled to your world, hoping to blend in and take our time to get a feel for Remnant before finding the Keyhole. We had hoped that by entering the tournament we could seek out the Keyblade wielders, since your world is very open about carrying and using weapons, it would have been easy to spot them. It was our own naivety that made us unprepared for everything that happened."

Ryu paused as he lowered the collar of his skin-tight shirt that normally hid his lower face. In the soft light of the fire, worry lines could be seen etched on his face. This made the boy appear older than he was, as Ryu sighed deeply closing his slanted amber eyes at the action. "We thought we had weeks before their plans could be carried out, but in reality we only had hours. I am sorry for the pain and trouble that has befallen on your world because of our mistakes."

"You didn't do this. Cinder did." Ruby stated as she gripped her hands into fists in her anger. "Stop blaming yourself for what happened to Remnant. We were just as powerless to stop it."

Yang cleared her throat, catching the attention of the story tellers. "Speaking of power... Why were we chosen by the Keyblades? After all, we're just kids. I mean, don't get me wrong, Team RWBY is awesome… But honestly, we're no more special than half of our school."

Haruka scoffed at Yang's boasting, before her smile slipped into a more serious expression. "While we were in Vale we were able to access your school records and it was very impressive: Top of your class, your team managed to stop a destructive sociopath and violent extremists, multiple run-ins with local gangsters, and helped stopped a Grimm invasion – all great feats of heroes. But what stood out to us most was something that could not be written in those reports. You are all true of heart, willing to put your lives on the line for what you believe in and helping others, and always wanting to do the right thing all in the name of justice and peace. I suspect that is why all four of you were chosen. Although, I wonder if even the light can make a mistake." Haruka shot a glare at the white-haired Heiress, ignoring the loud sighs from her teammates.

Weiss let out an affronted, 'Hey!' at the passive aggressive comment. But before she could shoot back a retort, Blake interrupted her.

"Where is Aloy, anyway? We didn't see her during the battle at Beacon." The Faunus' bow twitched as she glanced around the room, half expecting the silver-haired woman to appear from out of the walls.

Titus jerked a thumb over at the hallway to their right. "Ryu brought her here before coming back to get us. She's resting in one of the guest bedrooms."

"Would it be alright if I were to talk to her briefly?" Weiss asked looking at the other members of HART, Titus shrugging in reply. "I never got to speak with her after our match."

"I don't see why not, I'm sure she would like to catch up with you too. She was asking about you earlier." Titus smirked, watching his leader roll her eyes and avoid Weiss' questioning gaze.

Yang stood up from her chair, gaining the attention of everyone in the room before locking eyes with Haruka. "I do have one question… Our home… Remnant… Is our home gone? Or can it be saved?

Haruka briefly glanced at her teammates before turning to lock eyes with the blonde brawler. "I would not give up hope on saving your home world, although doing so might be difficult. We still don't know what caused this outbreak of Heartless to arise so quickly and in such numbers. From my understanding, Heartless are spreading to the other worlds with enough numbers to cause another world to collapse. Even if we found the cause for this spike in Heartless activity, without knowing who the new Heartless masters are, they can just continue to wipe out all the worlds and yours with it."

Ryu nodded at his leader's words. "Haruka is right. Our first priority is finding the cause of the Heartless attacks and who was behind the attempt of your world's demise. We still have time before your world is consumed, and if we act now we can stop the Heartless and those who control them long enough to find a solution to this mess."

Ruby hummed in agreement before standing up and clenching her fists in resolve. "Then it's settled. Tonight we rest up and heal… It's been a long day and we need to let our Auras recharge. But tomorrow we start our journey and travel to these other worlds to find out what's going on with the Heartless. And while we are out searching, we can look for people from our world – loved ones, friends, even strangers and bring them back here until it's safe for everyone to return home."

Yang tilted her head and frowned at her sister's sure resolution. "We need to make sure they have a home to return to first, Ruby."

Ruby slammed a balled fist into her palm in emphasis. "If we all work together then I know we can save Remnant."

"Aren't you forgetting one small detail, Ruby." Blake mentioned as she gestured vaguely with her hand in the air. "Travelling to another world is fine and all, but how would we get there?"

"With my help, of course." Ryu simply stated, his expression remaining withdrawn despite the questioning looks he was receiving from the Huntresses. He glanced over at his leader who nodded in return, gesturing at the taller boy to continue. "While there are many ways to travel to the other worlds, my gateways will make the traveling time faster than even taking one of Cid's gummi ships. Besides, you need someone who is familiar with the other worlds and world jumping to help you on your journey."

"Ryu is right. We will join you on your mission." Haruka smiled faintly before her amethyst eyes scanned over the young Huntresses who were stunned at the offer of help. "Luckily for you, my team is well experienced with traveling to different worlds, and our abilities allow us to adapt to their cultures better than most. Besides, this partnership would benefit us all. You need to find your missing friends; the ones we saw sucked into the void in the arena, and save your home. And my team needs answers about the Heartless gathering, we need more Keyblade users to keep the balance in this war, and we need to find my brother. If we travel together we have a better chance at success on all fronts."

Titus looked around at Team RWBY with a solemn expression, something that looked out of place on his normally cheery disposition. "I'm sorry you're being dragged into this mess. The Heartless, the war between the light and the darkness, losing your home… All of it."

Ruby stepped forward until she was close enough to clasp a hand onto his shoulder in reassurance. "Don't apologize. We're Huntresses, Titus. Saving the world and getting into crazy adventures is what we're trained to do." Ruby smiled and glanced back at her team before she turned to face the other leader. "We'll gladly accept the help. Thank you, Haruka."

"Don't thank us yet. We have a long way to go before things start looking up." Haruka replied as she took stock of her teammates, her heart clenching knowing that two other people should be standing with them. Aloy was simply out of commission because of the extent of her injuries, although how that would affect their group dynamic was one she had hoped they would never have to experience again. And as for Zyun… who knows how that loveable dork was doing alone, holding his own against his captors.

Haruka bit her lip and felt her eyes become misty as her thoughts lingered on her friends and missing family. 'Hang in there, Brother. We're coming for you.'

The Keyblade wielder was distracted from her thoughts as Ruby raised her hand, drawing the eyes of everyone in the room before clasping her hands together. "I have one last question before we call it a night, if that's okay?" She smiled sheepishly at everyone gathered in the room, knowing full well how exhausted everyone had to be from the night's events.

"Of course, Ruby. What do you want to know?" Titus asked, his lips turning into his signature grin as he watched the girl fidget with the hem of her black combat skirt before speaking.

"Well if we are going to work with your team, I think we should know what your weaknesses and strengths are in a fight. Such as an explanation of your Semblances and any limitations you might have. We will, of course, fill you in on our fighting styles and Semblances too. Although our fighting techniques will need some work since using a Keyblade is very different then what we are used to."

"Don't worry, Ruby. We'd be happy to show you the ropes." Titus smirked as he tapped Missing Ache from where it rested on his back. "These babies still have a few tricks up their sleeves, and while learning to use them properly will take time, it's well worth it. I promise." He flashed his smirk at Yang, knowing full well that as a hand-to-hand close combat brawler, she would have a hard adjustment period.

Haruka leaned away from the wall to stand at attention before the group of girls around the room. "A necessary discussion to have, I am sure. But on that will take time to discuss. Fortunately, those are questions that can be answered at a more reasonable hour. Go to the hotel and get some rest, I have a feeling you're going to need it. Now if you will excuse me, I need to have a quick word with my partner before you speak with her." Haruka shot the Heiress a glare. She turned with a swish of her half-cape, the chains of keys rattling from her abrupt departure from the living room and into the connected hallway.

"Well, that was a thing." Yang commented sarcastically as she watched the leader's dramatic exit. "Why is she so upset with you, Ice Queen?"

"No idea…" Weiss sighed as she pondered what she had done to affront the woman, but came up empty.

Ruby moved so that she could share a small smile with her own partner. "Yang, Blake, and I will go set up our rooms at the hotel. When it's ready, I'll come back to get you – aright?"

"Thanks, Ruby." Weiss gave Ruby a small crooked smile in return.

The red cloaked girl's smile widened into a full grin before she ushered her teammates out of the house, leaving the Heiress to wait a few minutes in silence to give the women some privacy before searching the safe house for Aloy. Weiss held her head high as she believed it was time for a much needed chat.

[-][-][-]

Aloy sighed as she heard the murmured voices of multiple people coming from the living room down the hall. The distinct ticking of a cuckoo clock filled the tense silence that sat between them like a heavy cloud as Aloy processed what Haruka had just explained.

Aloy shifted on the bed as she adjusted the bandages that wrapped around her torso before locking eyes with her partner. "Are you sure about this?"

Haruka nodded, a deep-set frown on her face. "My visions have never been wrong, Aloy. You know this."

Aloy hummed in acknowledgement as she broke off their stare and turned to examine a painting that sat on display on the far wall. The silver-haired woman became lost in thought as she observed the pastel oils on canvas. "Are you sure you aren't taking out of this what you want to see? You know that sometimes things are not always what they appear."

Haruka sighed deeply. "I don't see how it can possibly be anything else. I know what I saw… This isn't one of those visions that we can just ignore."

"But why not? I see no reason to worry about this unless the situation presents itself." The injured woman waved off her friend's worry with a vague gesture of her hand.

Haruka's eyes widened in shock and waved her arms in anger. "No reason? NO REASON?! Aloy, you can't be serious right now. How can you expect me to ignore this when she will constantly be a reminder of it. Aloy, I'll have to see her everyday…"

Aloy arched an eyebrow at her friend's theatrical reaction, before opening her palms facing up in a pacifying gesture. "And I am here, safe and sound in Traverse Town. What could you have to possibly fear when we will be worlds apart?"

Haruka shook her head slowly, her words spoken in a slow cadence. "I don't understand how you can just choose to ignore this."

Aloy shrugged at her partner's words. "I choose to trust her."

"Then you choose death." Haruka spoke harshly, her amethyst eyes flashing in the dim lighting of the spare bedroom.

Aloy scoffed at her words, clutching her hurt ribs at the action. "Don't be so dramatic…"

"Being concerned for the safety of my friends is not being dramatic." Haruka stated with a roll of her eyes.

Aloy's icy blue eyes harden into cold steel, the injured woman crossing her arms and squaring her jaw in anger. "No, being dramatic is forcing me to stay behind while you leave to save the worlds."

Haruka mirrored her partner's stern gaze, her voice dropping into a dangerously low tone. "Aloy, you weren't thinking clearly during the tournament, and because of your actions, you almost died! You know full well that you need stay here because of your injuries…"

"And if I have to remain in the only place in the universe where it's safe from harm, it's all for the best?" Aloy snidely remarked before her face hardened in anger. "Is that all I am to you? Someone to control?!"

Haruka's eyes flashed darkly, her face falling into shadows. "Aloy, I know you. Think about what you are saying. You know I would never…"

Aloy's face contorted in rage. "You don't know me at all… I don't even know me!"

"Aloy!" Haruka's shout finally broke through to the injured girl. Aloy's face fell as she realized what she had said, hiding her shame behind her hands as she placed her face in her palms.

"You know that has never mattered to me, Aloy. It has been an amazing experience watching you discover who you are and defining yourself through our adventures. But I have never judged you for your lack of past." Haruka paused, her voice softening into low murmurs. "I know you're frustrated about your circumstances and being injured. Needing to remain on this world on top of everything must be beyond painful for you, I understand. But it's time you stop focusing on what you don't have and focus on what you do. I know you want to go with us, but there is still so much you can do here to help."

Aloy lifted her face from her hands, her steel-blue eyes red rimmed as she held back tears of shame and frustration. The older woman took a deep breath through her mouth and slowly released it through her nose until her heart rate slowed. "You're right… I'm sorry."

"I know." Haruka gave her partner a small smile before reaching out to hold one of Aloy's bandaged hands. "And I'm sorry, too. For making you think I'm forcing you to stay on this world. I just want you to get better, Aloy. When you're well again, we'll come back to get you, or you can borrow one of Cid's gummi ships to join us. But what matters is that I do expect you to join us again, but only when you are well enough to fight without re-opening your wounds. I don't want you to think I'm abandoning you, Aloy. I almost lost you on Remnant… I just want to make sure you're fully healed before you jump back into the fray."

"Okay… Thank you." Aloy sighed and used her spare hand to rub at her irritated eyes, before shyly glancing up at the brunette in apprehension. "Haruka, are we good?"

The woman smiled softly before squeezing Aloy's hand while still being mindful of the cuts that littered her skin under the bandages. "Yeah, we're good."

"Good." Aloy fidgeted in her bed before deliberately avoiding Haruka's gaze. "You know, we never did talk about what happened to me during the match. What I saw… Or what I thought I saw with your brother. I knew he wasn't there, and yet I saw him before me covered in blood, begging me to help him. Goading me to kill Schnee so that he could live… Something we both know he would never say, and yet I saw him clear as day before me. One minute it was just Schnee and I in that arena and the next, Zyun stood before me… Am I crazy?" Aloy's eyes flashed with fear at the notation of losing her mind as well as her memories.

Haruka pursed her lips in response. "Is that what's bothering you so much? Aloy, you're not crazy. You are forgetting that I see things all the time." Haruka raised an eyebrow at Aloy's sheepish demeanor.

"You know that it's not the same." Aloy replied, her shoulders hunching in worry.

Haruka hummed in agreement, but then closed her eyes in thought. "I am finding out quickly that the world of Remnant is a rather unique place with people possessing a variety of rare abilities… I believe that you were correct in your original assumption that someone else was manipulating you during your match… So indeed, you are not crazy."

Aloy paused to ponder her predicament before nodding to herself. She locked eyes with her partner, giving her a serious stare. "Then be on your guard. Whoever was making me see those things is still out there."

"I'll be careful." Haruka rolled her eyes at her partner's concern. 'Oh how the tables had turned…'

"You better be." Aloy smirked as she leaned over to playfully nudge Haruka's shoulder with her own. The small movement made the stitches on her back sting from the pull of the puckered flesh, but it was worth it to see Haruka smile.

Aloy's attention was drawn away from her friend by the sound of someone knocking on the door frame.

Weiss cleared her throat and shifted her eyes away from the duo, grabbing at her right arm in awkwardness. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I was hoping to have word with you, Aloy, before it gets too late tonight."

Aloy smiled, before nodding to her teammate in reassurance – the other woman having shot Aloy a glance of concern. "Of course, Schnee. Come on in. I'm sure you have a lot of questions since we didn't get a chance to talk after our match."

Weiss nodded in her thanks as she stepped forward into the room, while still hovering away from the pair.

Haruka's eyes narrowed as she watched the Heiress fidget off to the side of the room before the tanned woman sighed and turned to address her hurt partner. "I'll leave you to it then. Good night, Aloy. Give a shout if you need anything, I'll be right next door." She squeezed her partner's wrapped hand once more before letting go.

"Good night, Haruka. I'll be sure to see you all off tomorrow." Aloy smiled as she watched the brunette stand from her bedside chair and turn to leave the two girls to their privacy.

Haruka smiled her thanks before moving to the doorway, managing to glare at the fidgeting Heiress before making her way out of the room, her purple and silver cape vanishing around the corner in a flash of color and rattling chains.

The tension released from the Heiress' shoulders as she felt the amethyst eyes that had burned into her disappear down the hallway, leaving Weiss alone with Aloy for the first time since their battle back at Beacon.

Had it really only been a few hours before? It felt like their match had been days ago. Her concussion probably wasn't helping with her perception of time. Weiss scrunched her nose briefly knowing full well that she smelled of blood, sweat, and traces of vomit since she had yet to take a bath. Although now was not the time to be concerned with presentation and social etiquette. Weiss just wanted a chance to speak with the older Keyblade wielder before she would have to leave Traverse Town, not knowing if the silver-haired woman would be physically well enough to join them on their mission exploring new worlds. Although a quick glance at Aloy's form showed a distinct lack of IV fluids and blood bags, the equipment must have been left behind during the Heartless attack.

"I'm sorry if I did something to upset her…" Weiss began her apology only to be stopped by a hand gesture from the injured woman.

Aloy waved off Weiss' concern with a roll of her eyes and an easy going smile of her own. "Haruka has always been a bit over-protective, to the point of abrasiveness. Please pay no mind to her actions. She'll cool off eventually."

Weiss nodded, although she wasn't entirely convinced by Aloy's crooked grin. "How are you doing?"

Aloy sighed and smiled tiredly. "I've been better, but I've also been worse. Yourself?"

Weiss tilted her head as she considered her current health. "I'm alright. I just have a nasty concussion, but that will heal once my Aura comes back in full."

"As much as I appreciate the sentiment, I assume you wanted to speak with me about something other than my current condition. Isn't that right, Schnee?" Aloy smirked at the lightly blushing Heiress at being called out.

"You're right." Weiss took the spare chair that lay to the left of Aloy's bed. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt and crossed her legs in a lady-like manner before tilting her head at the injured woman. "But first, why do you call me Schnee?"

Aloy raised an eyebrow in surprise, before she shrugged. "Because you have a last name, one it sounds like you should be proud of."

Weiss scoffed as she picked at the sleeve to her white bolero. "It's more of a cage than anything else."

Aloy nodded slowly. "True… But it's still your name. After all, a name is only what you make of it."

There was a pause as Weiss considered Aloy's words before the Heiress fidgeted in her seat, uncertain on how to best approach the subject.

Noticing Weiss' discomfort, Aloy sighed before smirking at the awkwardness between them. "Just speak your mind, Schnee. What it is?"

Weiss took a deep breath before looking down at her clasped hands. "I'm sorry for making it feel like you couldn't trust me enough before the match to explain that Cinder had threatened Zyun and blackmailed you. If I had known you were struggling so much with what was asked of you, then I could have tried to help you figure out a plan of action before we were in the arena."

Aloy looked surprised, straightening up in her bed so that she was in a sitting position. A baize blanket slipped down from her torso to lay pooled at her waist.

"You have nothing to apologize for." Aloy shook her head slowly at the Heiress' words. "You had no idea what had happened. How were you supposed to know what was going on?"

Weiss tilted her head in thought. "Still, I am sorry."

Aloy locked eyes with the white-haired girl. "Very well, I will accept your apology only if you can forgive me for what I put you through. I believe that fault is none but my own. I thought I could handle it by myself and clearly I was wrong. And during the match I did not have the strength to control my Darkside, and as a result, I almost got you killed."

Weiss shook her head. "Don't be so hard on yourself. We were placed into an impossible situation. And because of this, we did the best we could."

"But I miscalculated the seriousness of our situation and that almost cost us everything… I'm sorry." Aloy's shoulders slumped as she sighed and glanced around the room before resting her gaze on the Heiress once more. "I should not have gotten so emotional when I learned of Zyun's fate. He might be Haruka's biological older brother, but he acted as a big brother to all of us. He was our strategist, always getting us out of whatever trouble Titus had accidentally gotten us into. And he had one of the biggest hearts of us all."

Aloy smiled, chuckling to herself as she got lost in her memories. "He was the first person Ryu opened up to on the team, finally getting the kid to talk after everything that had happened to him. We used to joke that Haruka and Zyun adopted the team, basically acting like a mother and father figure to us in most situations; always acting wise beyond their years. But Zyun was our group's confidant. You could sit with him for hours and talk and he would just sit there and listen, never asking anything in return. It's been hard without him and it's taking a toll on our team."

Weiss let a small smile grace her lips. "I think I understand. Yang is the same way for our team - a real mother hen. Probably because she basically raised Ruby on her own for most of her life and Yang never really left that role when she was placed on our team. Rather she adapted and took us all under her wing. I can't imagine what would happen to our team if she was taken from us."

They sat in silence for a few moments, both women lost to their memories as the soft ticking of the clock broke the otherwise tranquil moment.

"Thank you for understanding." Aloy whispered in hushed tones as she ran a bandaged hand over her arm.

"We'll find him, Aloy…" Weiss' voice trailed off as her gaze lingered on Aloy's body, taking in her injuries and her appearance as this was the closest they had become since their match. The Keyblade wielder was still in her crisp white pants, her feet hidden by a soft blanket that was draped around her waist. But what caused Weiss' unabashed staring was that Aloy was most definitely not wearing a shirt, their close proximity allowing Weiss to observe the severity of Aloy's injuries.

Aloy was incredibly well fit, her muscled form impressing the prudish Heiress as a faint blush rose to Weiss' cheeks as she observed the injured woman's body. But what truly drew Weiss' focus was the myriad of scars that littered Aloy's skin, which were only partially hidden by thick white bandages. Weiss held her breath as her fingertips hovered over the scars, her curiosity drawing her closer to the injured woman before her. With her hand outstretched reaching for Aloy's skin, the inquisitive Heiress remained just on this side of respecting the Keyblade wielder's personal boundaries.

Weiss' cool gaze traced the maze of scarred tissue, reading the tapestry and topography of Aloy's history as inscribed on her body, as easily as ink on parchment written in a book and waiting to be read. Thick ropy scar tissue lined the woman's muscled back, smaller nicks and cuts that crawled up from her lithe fingers and up along her forearms, and a jagged puckered scar that rested on the silver-haired woman's right abdomen.

Weiss was startled out of her focus by the teasing tone of Aloy's voice, breaking through of her intrusive thoughts and making Weiss jerk her hovering hand back as if she had been burned.

"It would be easier to take a picture, Schnee." Aloy teased as she shamelessly smirked at the white-haired girl, her steel eyes flashing with a hint of mischief.

Weiss balked at the lewd comment. "I beg your pardon?"

Aloy chuckled at the Heiress' prude attitude before smirking at her companion. "I just figured you would want a photograph of my body since you can't help but stare, I'll even flex for you." She winked as the light blush that had dusted Weiss' features blazed into a fiery inferno.

"Are you always this flirtatious?" Weiss asked, her voice slurring into a drawl as she rolled her eyes at the woman's shameless display.

"I just like seeing you flustered." Aloy's smirk widened before she broke into a barking laugh while Weiss' blush deepened. So much so, that she was in danger of lightheadedness as all the blood in her body rushed to bloom across her cheeks, across her neck, and seep down her chest.

Ruby cleared her throat loudly, her silver eyes down cast as she drew her partner's attention away from the attractive silver-haired woman. Both women had failed to notice that Ruby had knocked on the door's frame before entering.

"Sorry to interrupt, but the hotel rooms are ready. Just come by when you're done here, Weiss." Ruby spoke, looking down at the floor to avoid her partner's gaze.

"And who are you?" Aloy asked her smile still on her face as she glanced back and forth between Weiss and the red cloaked girl.

Ruby straightened her back and plastered a smile on her face as she held out a hand for the older woman to shake. "The name's Ruby Rose. I'm Weiss' partner and leader of Team RWBY."

Weiss raised a perfectly arched eye brow her partner in confusion. It sounded like Ruby had attempted to deepen her voice, and had adjusted her normally slouched posture so she appeared taller. 'What's going on with Ruby? She's acting really weird.'

Aloy cocked her head to the side and raked her steely blue eyes up and down the girl's form, before flashing Ruby a smile and accepted her hand in a handshake.

"Aloy, member of Team HART. It's a pleasure to meet you." She flashed the younger girl a dazzling smile.

"Likewise." Ruby clipped the ending syllable as her jaw clenched before she released Aloy's hand.

"Is it really?" Aloy raised her eyebrows in question, struggling and failing to hide her smirk behind her hand as she watched the red-tipped brunette huff in displeasure at the woman's easy-going nature. Aloy laughed and waved off the girl's irritation. "I'm just messing with you."

The silver-haired woman turned back to face Weiss, who had watched the whole exchange with growing confusion. "Schnee, before you turn in for the night, I was hoping you could humor me with something."

This caught the Heiress' attention as she moved in her chair so that she was facing the injured woman once more. "What can I do for you?"

"I was hoping you would allow me to share my Aura with you. I have a theory I wanted to test before you leave Traverse Town." Aloy asked as she held out her right palm face up in offering.

Weiss' face set in a small frown as her eyes shifted to her partner who was doing her best to ignore them off to the side of the room before Weiss nodded her consent. "Sure, just don't push yourself."

Weiss held up her left hand and focused what little Aura she had regenerated into her palm so that it buzzed with energy, her hand turning white as her Aura visibly flashed with the effort to maintain the connection."What are you looking for?"

They touched palms lightly, their fingers remaining splayed as Aloy closed her eyes to activate her Aura. Her long slender fingers glowing faintly white as her own Aura reacted to the Heiress' life-energy. "Something that happened to us during the match. It only occurred for a few seconds… But I do believe this is something worth noting."

Weiss narrowed her eyes as she felt her Aura jump, skip, and flash in bursts of power before vibrating as their Auras grew brighter at their combined hands. It was a jarring experience, Weiss' Aura reacting so fiercely to Aloy's.

Ruby glanced away from their interaction, a faint blush creeping up her neck and into her cheeks. She knew from personal experience that sharing your Aura with someone was considered a very personal and intimate moment – something that was mostly only done with partners or family. Ruby had shared hers multiple times with Yang when they would train together to practice Aura control and only once with Weiss. The Heiress had shared her Aura with Ruby after they had bonded over a late night conversation on the roof of their dorm while stargazing a few weeks before the Vytal Tournament had taken place. It was a memory Ruby knew she would cherish for the rest of her life, and now seeing Weiss share her Aura so easily with Aloy filled her with jealousy and a bit of sadness. Not that she would ever say this to Weiss, trusting her to know the seriousness of her actions at this breach of partnership.

Aloy hummed, squeezing her hand on Weiss' once to communicate breaking the connection before both women withdrew her hands, the room dimming as their white Auras no longer lit the room with their brilliant glow. "Thank you, Schnee. It seems that my Aura is still acting odd around yours. Since your world is more familiar with your soul, or Aura, being an actual physical force compared to a non-tangible entity found on most worlds, I was hoping you could explain this phenomenon."

Weiss nodded as she stared at her palm which still tingled even without activating her Aura. "I noticed it too during our match. As you probably discovered on our world, Auras are the manifestation of a person's soul. Because of this, our Auras can act differently depending on our surroundings, often acing odd since it can sense the host's emotions, as well as any strong bonds between souls. Negative emotions such as longing, sadness, fear, and anger can trigger our Aura in warning. On the other hand, it can also flare to show no ill intent or even recognize family, friends, and teammates."

Aloy nodded as she took in all this information. "If this is the case, then be careful when traveling across the worlds when facing Heartless. They want to consume people's hearts, and since your Aura and Semblance is tied to your soul, then their presence could affect the Heartless in ways we might not yet understand. Since your souls play a more powerful and active part in your lives then for most of us, you'll need to be careful to protect your heart from the Heartless and their masters."

Aloy paused as she rubbed at her tingling palm with her other hand. "Who knows what they could do if they got a hold of your heart, not to mention what would happen to you? Would you simply become a Heartless like someone else, or would you only be stripped of your powers? Either option does not bode well for you or anyone from your world. Likewise, there is a good chance that any Heartless in the area will be more attracted to your team since your hearts are so strong and full of light. While you're out there, make sure to keep us in the loop, alright? The more we know about this the better prepared we can be."

Weiss nodded. "Of course. But how will we be able to contact you? I doubt we can get scroll signal out on the different worlds. I barely got full bars in our dorm room at Beacon."

"I believe your charming friend, Penny Polendina, is coming up with a solution to that issue. I'm sure between her mind and Cid's knowledge of the worlds, they can figure something out for us." Aloy smiled reassuringly at the Heiress. "Now unless there is anything else you wished to speak to me about, I think it's time to call it a night."

Weiss smiled and waved off Aloy's comment. "That's it for now. Thank you, Aloy for speaking with me."

"Of course, Schnee. Have a good night. I'll let your partner see you out as I am stuck in this bed for the evening." Aloy commented as she grabbed the baize blanket and drew it up to her shoulders, no doubt about to sleep the moment they left her room. The poor woman needed the rest just as much, if not more than them.

"Good night, Aloy." Weiss stood up and curtsied briefly before leaving the room with Ruby on her heels. They walked in silence as they reached the living room, noticing that Yang and Blake had waited for them, resting on the couch sipping their tea. Both woman paid little attention to their teammates as Ruby pushed ahead to lead her friends to the hotel for the night. The young leader pushed the door open that led into the neon lit streets with so much strength the door bounced off its hinges before slamming into place behind Yang, who trailed behind the red and white duo with Blake at her side.

"What's your problem, Ruby?" Weiss asked, stopping their progression along the thankfully empty sidewalks, crossing her arms and popping a hip in confusion.

Ruby looked down at the cobbled pavement and toed at a loose stone with the soft sole of her boot. "It's nothing…"

Weiss sighed heavily while rolling her eyes at her partner's obvious distress. "Well, it's clearly not 'nothing' if it's bothering you this much." She used her fingers to create air quotation marks as she spoke. Her shoulders relaxed as she softened her tone to cut the bite of her words. "Just talk to me, Ruby."

Ruby sighed and kicked at a stone pebble so that it skidded across the cobbled pavement ahead of her. "You willingly shared your Aura with Aloy."

"I did…" Weiss tilted her head, her lips pursing in confusion. "I just don't understand what's the big deal, Ruby?"

Ruby snorted and huffed in annoyance before turning away so that her trademark red cloak faced her partner and teammates as she marched towards the entrance of the hotel. "Forget I said anything, Weiss. Let's just go to bed and get some rest."

Weiss slowed down to hang back with Blake so that Yang could speed up to be at Ruby's side.

"Everything alright there, Sis?" Yang asked in muttered tones, knowing full well that Blake's extra ears would over hear her conversation. The hope was that Weiss would take no notice of their whispers as the Heiress was distracted by Blake. Weiss was given a light squeeze on her shoulder by her Faunus teammate who shot the white-haired girl a small reassuring smile.

Ruby hooked her thumbs on her belt and scoffed loudly. "I'm perfect, never been better."

Without looking at the rest of her teammates, Ruby picked up the pace of her walk so that she entered the hotel first, slowly followed by a slightly downtrodden Weiss who wished the yellow and black pairing a good night before following her upset leader into the red roofed building.

The black bow on Blake's head twitched as amber eyes narrowed in concern at the dramatic scene between their teammates. "Should we tell her?"

Yang waved her off with a bright smile. "Ruby's a big girl; she'll figure it out eventually."

Blake's eyes softened as she entered the hotel's lobby followed by her partner. "But it's so painful to watch. This whole 'will they, won't they thing.'" She used her hands to mimic an unbalanced scale tipping one way or another before they wandered the hallways together that lead to their rooms.

"Yup." Yang popped the 'p' in the word before she leisurely walked down the carpeted hallway while she stretched her arms behind her head. "Luckily we have front row seats for this whole thing. We're just missing popcorn for the show."

Blake cocked a dark eyebrow at her partner's humor. "And whose idea was it to have partners sharing the hotel rooms?"

"Yours, if I remember correctly." Yang answered, smirking at her partner's cheek.

"Then you can thank me later for the show." Blake winked at Yang who burst into laughter. The dark-haired Faunus rubbed her palms together while she shot her partner a wicked grin. "Not to mention, when I booked the rooms… I added a twist."

"Oh… And what would that be?" Yang raised an eyebrow as she smirked at her conniving partner. "What trick do you have up your sleeve this time, Belladonna?"

Blake smirked, her amber eyes glinting with mirth. "Well, I booked our room with two twin sized beds."

Yang came to an abrupt halt to stare at her partner in shock. "You didn't…"

Blake shrugged, her smirk growing into a devilish grin. "Oh yes, I did."

As if on cue, the black and yellow duo was interrupted by a high pitched screech emitting from down the hall that reached a decimal level that could shatter glass.

"Why, in Oum's name… IS THERE ONLY ONE BED?!"

Blake and Yang burst into hysterical laughter as they quickly retreated down the hall and away from Weiss' yelling that would no doubt turn into a full blown, trademark Ice Queen freak-out.

After retreating to a safe distance down the hall, the pair slowed to a walk. Both girls strolling in contented silence until they reached a large purple painted wooden door with the number seven in golden lettering, marking the room as theirs. They paused while Blake fished out a key from her pocket and placed it into the lock before she smiled over her shoulder at her partner. "Can you imagine if we had to deal with crushing on our partner too? That would make for such a weird team dynamic." Blake chuckled to herself as she turned the key to unlock her door, shaking her head at the absurdity of the proposed situation. "I'm glad we don't have to go through that too."

Yang flashed a bright smile and chuckled at Blake's smirk. "Yeah… That would suck, alright."

However, once the Faunus girl had turned back around to enter into their room, the brawler's smile slipped until it became a shadow of what it once was. With a soft sigh, Yang closed their hotel room door behind them, the soft click of the lock sliding into place echoed down the deserted hallway. For the first time that night, all was quiet once more.