The morning after Weiss's daring adventure, the council united once more. There was much to be discussed: who exactly were those who target the princess? Were they involved in any way with the White Fang? What measures should be taken to combat them?

It didn't take long for the round table to be filled with every single member of the council. The Queen, as always, took her pivotal seat. Lady Summer arrived with a small smirk on her lips, though nobody batted an eye at that – it would have been worrying had she appeared in any worse mood.

General Ozpin did not seem nearly as happy as her. Dark rings surrounded his eyes, as if he hadn't slept well, if at all, and he gripped his cane so tightly, one could assume he had some pent-up anger waiting to be released. His eyes still bore over everyone calmly, however.

The last one to make her appearance was the princess. Weiss entered the room with her head low. She shared one brief look with her sister before rushing to her seat beside Summer, and the redhead gave her a quiet, comforting smile.

"Thank you for meeting here so readily," Winter said briefly, wishing to jump directly into the meat of things, but knowing that pleasantries were still necessary. "I assume everyone knows what transpired yesterday. However, I think it would be best to refresh your memories and correct any misinformation. Weiss, if you would…?"

The princess's face paled and she did her best to not meet anyone's eyes. It felt like the whole room was holding her at gunpoint. What was she supposed to tell them, that she had foolishly left the safety of the castle to admire the wonders of commoner life? She would not only be treated as a jester, but as a failure and a disgrace to her line.

Thankfully, someone else stepped up for her. Summer straightened her posture and assumed a more serious expression.

"If you would allow, my Queen, I would like to fill the gaps myself," she said firmly. "I was rather close to the happenings, after all."

Winter stared at her silently for a long while. She knew Weiss was trying to avoid the consequences of her actions, and that was something she would never allow… But Summer's argument was rather convincing, and, for some reason, she found herself quickly agreeing to the idea.

"You may speak." Winter said decisively.

"You are most gracious, my Queen," Summer gave her a brief, playful look before starting her tale. "Yesterday morning, as the sun first appeared on the horizon, the princess heir… left the castle on a self-imposed mission. She was under competent protection, thankfully, but her life was put in risk nonetheless," she paused briefly to catch her breath. "The assassins were not identified neither by the princess or her bodyguard, and their descriptions have shed no light on the matter. One of them, a girl who calls herself… Emerald Sustrai, is being held in the dungeons right as we speak. It has come to my attention that the general has interrogated her…?"

Ozpin had been paying close attention, and so he was not caught by surprise when the focus of the room was shifted to him.

"I have indeed interrogated the assassin," he said. "Unfortunately, she refused to speak anything but taunts and threats disguised as banter. It will take time and effort to get any information from her," he raised an open palm, interrupting the half of the council that intended to bombard him with questions. "I think until then, it would be best to focus on what happened exactly to the princess. Perhaps there is something of importance we haven't yet grabbed onto."

"That's a sound plan," Summer agreed, then turned to look at Weiss. "Do you have anything of importance to add, my princess? Any information is vital to the investigation."

Weiss's eyes wandered over to Ozpin. She was still struggling with what she had seen the day before. Ozpin had approached her in that alley. He had distracted Ruby long enough for her to be struck by surprise from behind.

But none of that made sense. He had disappeared afterward, as if he had never been there. And what motive would he have to attack her so openly, and then investigate the attack so closely?

"Well?" Summer pressed gently. "Anything?"

"I'm… afraid not," Weiss replied slowly. "Everything happened very fast."

"That's understandable," the redhead smiled at her. "But if you remember anything…"

The princess nodded slightly, though her mind was still focused on Ozpin's mystery. She supposed the best she could do was wait until more concrete evidence showed – of his innocence, she hoped.

The council discussed the matter for another hour, but arrived at no spectacular conclusion. By the end of the meeting, it was agreed that Ozpin should continue to interrogate the prisoner until she spoke, and that the Guard should receive orders to be very attentive of any suspicious sightings in and out of the castle.

Weiss stood from her seat at the first appropriate moment and made for the exit. She felt her sister's disapproving glare on the back of her neck, but kept walking until she was out the door.

Ruby had been leaning against the wall outside, but she immediately sprung to attention when the princess appeared before her. She saw the pained expression on Weiss's face and wanted to ask how she was feeling, but she had already learned it was better to let her deal with these things on her own.

"I'll be spending the day on my room," Weiss said tiredly. After a moment, she spoke again. "Today and the rest of my life, probably."

Ruby smiled sympathetically, but didn't speak up. She had a feeling that last phrase hadn't been meant for her ears.

Before they could make their leave, Summer exited the council room. She glanced over the princess and focused on her daughter, a smile taking form between her lips.

"My little soldier," she said proudly. "Hmm. You're not that little anymore… But you're still adorable."

Ruby's heart ached with joy, but she only looked down in embarrassment, nodding slightly towards the princess.

"Ah, yes," Summer chuckled and looked at Weiss. "Far be it for me to embarrass you in front of the royal heiress."

"She had embarrassed herself enough on her own already," Weiss noted dryly. She glanced at Ruby, her expression softening a little. "But… you should be very proud of her."

"Your approval means the world to me, princess." Summer said warmly.

Ruby had to dig her nails onto her palms to stop herself from hugging the two of them. Summer wouldn't have minded, but Weiss? The princess wasn't very fond of hugs, as far as she had gathered.

"I must apologize," Weiss said, her voice so low she was almost muttering. "I never made the connection between you two. If I had, you could have met again much sooner."

Summer took the princess's hands and smiled to her, making sure that their eyes met. She should know, of all people, how much this meant to Weiss. Summer had been there when the princess's parents had been murdered, after all.

Perhaps Weiss was jealous of her bodyguard's luck, finding a mother that was supposed to be dead for years. But Summer doubted that was the case. Weiss might be privileged and a tad arrogant, but she wasn't greedy.

"Don't worry about it, princess," Summer said. "I never told you my daughter's name… Not only that, I barely ever spoke of her. It was painful. I don't fault you for anything, especially during these dangerous times."

"That's… comforting," Weiss frowned. "Though it was rather obvious, wasn't it? I knew both of you were Roses, and you look so alike…"

"Well, yes. It was obvious," the once-rebel smiled bitterly, her eyes wandering to the council room's door. "So obvious that I wonder how some other people didn't see it… years ago."

She shrugged, then took a step back.

"I would love to spend time with you, Ruby," she said. "But I have duties, just like you. The Queen has requested I use my… unique contacts to investigate the assassins."

"You have contacts?!" Ruby exclaimed. The prospect of her mother having a hidden network of informants sounded very exciting to her.

"Of course. That's one advantage of being a rebel," Summer cleared her throat and nodded awkwardly to Weiss. "Not that I recommend that life for you, little one."

The princess shook her head slowly. The family resemblance became clearer each passing moment.

Summer bowed briefly, then turned and walked away. Ruby watched her leave with a smile that went from ear to ear, bouncing slightly without noticing it. She stayed like that for a few more seconds before she noticed Weiss had started to head in her room's direction already. With a gasp of surprise, the bodyguard caught up to her liege and looks expectantly at her.

"P-princess, I'm not sure how to say this…"

"Just say it," Weiss said indifferently, though a hint of a smile crept on her lips. "I doubt you'll ever surprise me again."

"W-well… Blake – you know, that shy friend of mine," Ruby gulped. "She asked me to teach her how to fight. So… I was planning on doing that in the castle courtyard. I could take her here at night once my shift's over, but…"

"But you would prefer to do it during the day, while you're still rested… relatively speaking," Weiss completed for her, then sighed. "That is a lofty request, Ruby, considering that my life has been targeted not once, but twice this month. You would think my bodyguard would be most worried about my safety, and not some plebeian girl's training."

"Blake's not a plebeian girl," Ruby corrected, her voice oddly serious. "She's my friend."

Weiss halted in her tracks, staring pointedly forward. Ruby cringed, believing that she had pushed the line too far. Weiss had a very valid point, after all.

"Fine. You may bring Blake here, but make it fast. I'll ask a guard to watch over me temporarily," the princess said grudgingly. "I'll watch your training once you're back."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best princess's ever!" Ruby squealed, then proceeded to hug her liege to tightly Weiss found herself running out of air.

"Alright, alright! Release me!" Weiss demanded, and was obeyed immediately.

Ruby smiled widely and turned to leave, but a cough behind her made her stop and look back.

"And, Ruby," the princess said slowly, keeping her eyes away from her protector. "I'm not allowing this out of the kindness of my heart. I suppose you've earned a favor for being a good… bodyguard," Weiss coughed again. "But I expect you to work twice as hard from now on."

"Yes, princess!" Ruby exclaimed earnestly. "I'll be so fast, you won't even notice I'm gone!"

"I highly doubt-"

Midway through her sentence, Ruby raced off, raising a line of dust behind her. The princess stood still, shaking her head in wonder.

"She is rather fast…"

Banana peel.

Half-eaten apple.

Another banana peel.

Rotten banana peel.

Some kind of toy? Definitely not edible.

Ah. Another banana peel.

Sun groaned and raised himself from the ground, his tail wavering anxiously around him. His stomach was making odd and loud noises regularly, result of his lack of nutrition for a whole day now. Vale's shops had seemingly had a lucrative and waste-free day, because he hadn't found a single piece of food in their trash yet.

Sometimes, he thought it might be best to just knock a guard in the head and not run away. As a slave, he would be cold and uncomfortable, but at least he would be fed…

But then he reminded himself that it was way more probable that he would be beaten half to death, either by the guard itself or whatever lord he was handed to. He would have to make do with his current lifestyle, even if it meant searching relentlessly for hours.

Before he could make for the next trash pile, though, something happened behind him – an odd sound, like metal softly beating against the stone floor. Sun steeled himself and spun around, gripping his staff with both hands at the same time.

"No luck today, eh, buddy?"

Sun's eyes narrowed at the stranger. He had strange orange hair that was partly concealed by a black top hat. Stranger still was the suit he wore – white, made of silk, something that should belong to a nobleman – and the cane he was bobbing to the ground distractedly.

"Who the hell are you?" Sun asked warily.

"A friend," the stranger smiled. "Though I suppose you won't be satisfied by that answer… Nobody ever is. You may call me Roman."

"Right," Sun said slowly. "So, are you just being friendly, Roman, or should I run?"

"Oh, no, no, no! There's no need for worry, my friend!" Roman waved his free hand peacefully. "I have a proposition for you."

Sun took that statement as a cue to leave. Without saying anything, he turned and headed for the exit of the alley – but was promptly knocked back by someone he hadn't noticed before. A little girl stood there, blocking the way, her pink and brown eyes staring up at him gleefully.

He didn't fail to notice the knife hanging on her hip.

"I'm profoundly sorry," Roman spoke behind him. "I just want you to hear me out, that's all. Don't mind Neo. She's just… playful."

"That doesn't comfort me at all," Sun noted, edging towards a wall. "Little girls shouldn't play with knifes."

"Neo isn't a little girl," Roman chuckled. "But that's beside the point. Will you hear me out?"

The faunus stared from the girl to the hatted man. He could try to get a boost from the wall and jump to the rooftops, but he doubted either of his friends would allow him to leave – not unscathed, at least. Seeing no way out, he nodded, while still keeping a firm grip on his staff.

"Wonderful!" Roman exclaimed. "Then let's get to the point. I haven't failed to notice, my friend, that you are a faunus. In fact, that is the reason why I approached you in the first place!" He took a step back when Sun raised his staff defensively. "Now, now, it's not what you think. I'm not going to hand you to the guards. I wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire, believe me. But faunus? I love faunus! Such misunderstood victims, they are…"

Sun's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. He cast a brief glance at Neo, but the girl only smiled at him. He supposed she was trying to reinforce her partner's point, but Sun was more scared than comforted by the effort.

"Fortunately, there is a group of people – people, that is the keyword! Faunus and humans – that is willing to fight for your freedom!" Roman spun his cane and pointed a finger at Sun triumphantly. "Luck is on your side, pal, because I'm with them, and I can offer you a place amongst their ranks!"

Sun frowned, letting his guard down a bit. He definitely hadn't expected that, of all things.

"Sorry," he said. "I like the White Fang, but I'm not really willing to fight for them or anything."

"Why not?" Roman inquired, his eyes narrowing accusingly. "Would you prefer your kin be forever bound to greedy, human lords? To be held as trophies, as animals?"

"No! Of course not!" Sun protested furiously. "I just don't feel like fighting! You've got a lot of people already, why should I risk my life too? I wouldn't improve your odds at all!"

"Hmm. That is a valid point, friend," Roman smiled again, his teeth so white sunlight seemed to reflect off it. Sun had a feeling the man had been planning to lead this conversation to this point all along. "You are really in luck, pal. I have just the thing for you…"

Sun watched cautiously as Roman searched for something within his suit's pockets. After a while, the White Fang conspirator made a victorious noise and raised his hand, revealing an object Sun had never seen before in his life. It was like a rock, black as night, but gleaming somewhat, like a precious gemstone. Odder, however, was that it seemed to be enlarging and shrinking, very small amounts each time, but enough for Sun to notice it.

"What is that?" The faunus asked wondrously.

"We haven't named it yet," Roman answered, his voice barely a whisper. "But it can give you power… Power enough to raise you above most of our men. It would give you the chance to make a difference…"

"There… There has to be a catch…"

"No catch. I promise."

Sun wavered, his eyes never leaving the stone. It felt like it was drawing his in, deeper and deeper into its black void… The back of his neck itched, a shiver running through his body…

And then he blinked and stumbled back, shaking his head fervently.

"So," Roman's mirth was obvious in his voice. "Will you fight with us?"

"…No."

Roman's face changed from triumphant to startled in a heartbeat. He obviously had been expecting a very different answer. Only a few seconds later, however, and he was once again wearing his smug smile.

"You can't win them all," Roman clucked his tongue and looked at Neo. "I should have expected this. No spine," his eyes wandered back to Sun. "Sorry, buddy."

Roman put the stone back on his pocket. When his hand left the confines of his suit, it held a shiny, menacing pistol.

Sun's first instinct was to run away, but years of living on the streets had wizened him up. If he ran, he would be shot immediately, and, if he followed his rooftop plan, knock him right out of the air and back to the ground. No, he had to make sure that gun wouldn't be a problem.

"Hey, no need to apologize," Sun smiled charmingly. "We're pals, aren't we, Roman?"

"Heh," Roman chuckled. "I suppose we are."

"I haven't even told you my name," the faunus noted, feigning surprise. "That ain't right, not for friends like us. My name is-"

Suddenly, Sun swung his arms down and up, hitting the underside of Roman's pistol with his staff. The firearm flew out of the hatted man's hands and flew through the air, hitting the ground far behind him. Without missing a beat, Sun swung again, hitting Roman's forehead with the butt of his weapon.

His ears perked up as something sharp pierced through the air near him. Sun ducked instinctively, just in time to avoid having a knife wedged on the back of his skull. He turned around and flashed a smile to Neo.

"Missed me." He said.

Neo returned his smile and opened her jacket, revealing a dozen hidden knifes of differing varieties. Sun's eyes widened in disbelief.

As the girl collected a knife and prepared to throw it, Sun jumped and kicked against a wall, gaining altitude fast. One leap wasn't enough, though – he was an arm's reach away from the nearest rooftop. He kicked again and made to the opposing rooftop.

Just as he made the distance, a knife plunged into his left leg. The faunus crashed on the rooftop and rolled, blood pouring from his wound. Sun gritted his teeth and yanked the blade out, then threw the weapon back down the alley.

He didn't waste another moment before sprinting away. Roman was out cold, and maybe Neo didn't have the ability to replicate his acrobatics – but he had seen too much of the creepy girl to put much faith in that possibility.

And so, with a bleeding leg and an empty stomach, Sun survived another day.

"Are you sure this is safe, Ruby?"

The bodyguard turned to look at Blake, a sympathetic smile on her lips. They were standing before Vale castle's entrance archway. The high walls and towers were frightening enough on their own, and Blake had the people inside them to worry about too.

"Everything will be fine," Ruby assured. "People might be confused about who you are, but as long as you're with me, they won't bother you."

"What if they figure out I'm a faunus?" Blake whispered worriedly. "This bow isn't the most common accessory."

"Hey, my mom and I both use capes, and nobody looks twice at us," the redhead noted.

Blake wasn't very satisfied by that, but she supposed it was too late to go back.

"Alright," she said. "I want to get stronger, and not only physically. I have to face my fears."

"Yes!" Ruby exclaimed proudly. "That's super great! Keep up that attitude!"

The faunus smiled slightly. If Ruby was as good a teacher as she was excited, Blake would be a master in only a week's time.

Ruby grabbed her friend's wrist and led her along in a hurried pace – for anyone else's standards, that is. She smiled widely to any nobles that passed by them, while Blake limited herself to occasionally nodding with shy eyes.

A few minutes after, they arrived at the courtyard, where a number of dummies were set up, along with a stash of weapons. Blake stepped into the area hesitantly, while Ruby eagerly raced to a nearby bench, where Weiss had been sitting quietly.

"I have to give you credit. You were faster than I expected," Weiss noted. She looked behind her, where a guard was standing solemnly. "Thank you, sir. You may return to your previous post."

The man nodded and walked away. Weiss scoured the courtyard silently, her eyes settling on Blake.

"Hello, Blake," she greeted politely. "It's a pleasure to see you again."

"Thank you," Blake answered immediately. A heavy silence followed, until Ruby skipped over to Blake and elbowed her lightly. "I-it's a pleasure to see you too, princess."

Weiss raised an eyebrow dubiously, but decided to let the matter go. She doubted the girl had meant any disrespect. She was probably very shy, as Ruby had said before.

"Well," Ruby spoke loudly, as if to draw everyone's attention to her. "Do you want to learn how to wield swords and pistols, Blake?"

"Swords would be nice. Pistols…" Blake paused momentarily. "They are a bit too loud for my liking."

"Loud?" Ruby repeated confusedly, then looked up at the faunus's concealed cat ears. "That's fine. Only swords, then."

Ruby went over to the weapon stash and rummaged through it for a while before retrieving a sword similar to her own. She tossed it over to Blake, who only barely managed to catch it.

"How does it feel?" Ruby asked. "It has to have the perfect balance. Too light or too heavy… That could mean very bad things in a battle."

"Hmm…" Blake tested the sword. "Heavy."

Ruby tossed another sword, this one a bit shorter. Blake swung it again, very sluggishly.

"Heavy." She repeated.

They went on like that a few more times. Blake always found the suggested swords too heavy. Ruby didn't show any impatience, but Weiss crossed her arms and huffed not so subtly.

"This one…" Blake said once she caught the eighth sword. "Is fine, actually."

Ruby hopped once triumphantly. Blake smiled amusedly. The sword was better than the last ones, but it still didn't feel very right for her. But she preferred to start learning already, or Ruby would spend the entire afternoon searching for an appropriate weapon.

"Alright," Ruby said. "Since you won't be using a pistol, we'll focus on a two-handed stance for now. We can work on how to use only one later."

"That sounds sensible." Blake agreed hesitantly.

"Yeah. Alright. Hmm… Keep your feet wide… And don't tense your arms to much! And… And…"

Weiss smiled and leaned back a little. This was going to be entertaining to watch.

Pyrrha's feet clang heavily on the outer walls of Vale, though that sound was deafened by that of the blizzard outside. It hurt to look at the raging horizon for too long, and so she kept her eyes mostly to the ground.

She had no obligation to be there. The walls were heavily stationed with soldiers already. In fact, there were probably too many of them – no army would dare face the northern winter to invade Vale.

But she liked to stand there, at the edge. Maybe it was silly, but she felt closer to home there. She liked Vale a lot, but nothing felt quite like Mistral. She missed her mother's warmth, her father's stories. She even missed her servants, who had grown close to her heart over the years. She wouldn't be able to see them until the blizzard died down, months from now, and even then, getting back home would take a long time.

Her homesickness wasn't the only thing that brought her to the outer walls, though. Lately, she had been feeling rather… suffocated in Vale castle. Most of the nobles treated her like a stranger – which, admittedly, she was – and the ones that didn't… They were perhaps even more problematic.

Her relationship with prince Neptune had started well. They were both from Mistral, kept in Vale for far too long because of the weather. She thought it would be nice to talk to him, but with time, their conversations became… Not actual conversations. She didn't think endless flirting from one side counted as conversation.

Princess Weiss was cold towards her. Pyrrha was sure she meant no ill harm towards her, but it was obvious that Weiss didn't like her too much… Which confused her. The white-haired girl had seemed pleased to meet her, citing how skillful and famed she was, but when Neptune joined them… Something changed.

"Huh," Pyrrha muttered. "Well, everything seems rather obvious now."

So Weiss was jealous? Well. She would keep that to herself. The princess would hardly appreciate word of that spreading to the nobility.

And Jaune…

Jaune was odd. He was fairly normal, with a tendency for awkwardness and self-embarrassment. She had seen him drop his weapons and hit himself more times than she could count. All logic dictated she shouldn't look twice at him. But he made her feel…

She cleared her throat and scratched her chin, pretending to not feel how heated her cheeks had become.

Suddenly, she felt an odd sensation pass through her, as if something was watching her intently. She looked at the horizon for a long moment, then slowly brought her vision lower and lower… Until it fell on a conjunction of red eyes. Two, four, six, eight, and they all seemed to belong to one body.

A Death Stalker. A Death Stalker within a dozen steps of the walls.

Without hesitation, Pyrrha retrieved her rifle from behind her back and took aim at the creature. She knew from experience that this species of Grimm possessed a tough stone-like shell that protected most of its body. Her bullets would do it no harm, unless she was clever.

Raising her aim a little, she finally found an appropriate target. The monster's tail hang up in the air, a golden stinger at the end of it standing out amidst the blizzard. Pyrrha held her breath momentarily, preparing herself… Then shot.

The bullet pierced through the air and tore through the connection between the tail and the stinger. The golden spike wobbled for a moment, then fell. It crashed against the creature, who wailed in agony for a long minute, its shell cracking loudly. Then, suddenly, it stopped.

Pyrrha sighed in relief and smiled. That had been too close for comfort. It was normal to see Beowolves or Boarbatusks stray near the city, but Death Stalkers? That was worrisome. She would have to report it to general Ozpin and have him alert the outer Guard.

She fixed her rifle on her back and made to the watchtowers, passing by a pair of soldiers on the way out.

"Was that you who shot?" One of the men asked.

"Yes," she replied worriedly. "I'm sorry if I alarmed you."

"Not at all," the other chuckled. "That was impressive! We ought to get more Mistralian girls like you around here. I would feel a lot safer."

Pyrrha smiled humbly and bowed her head.

"Take care up here," she advised. "If you see any big Grimm… Shoot for the weak spots."

"How do we know the weak spots?" One of the soldiers asked confusedly.

She paused before the exit ladder. That was a tricky question, one which she didn't know the answer to.

"Practice, I guess." She resolved hesitantly, then began climbing down.

The soldier looked to his partner and shook his head.

"Damn Mistralians."

"Alright! Swing again!"

Blake gritted her teeth and brought her sword down in a diagonal slash. Halfway through the motion, she lost her balance and fell down, the weapon bouncing away loudly.

Weiss winced while Ruby crouched beside Blake to check if she was injured.

"I'm fine," the faunus mumbled. "More embarrassed than anything, really."

"You'll get the hang of it, I'm sure," Ruby laughed nervously. "This was only the fifth time this happened, after all… Haha…"

"I'm a failure…"

Ruby pouted and went to pick up the sword. If anyone was a failure, it was her. She could do nothing but insist Blake repeat the motions until she got it right. There had to be some other way of teaching her, a better, less-embarrassing-when-it-fails way!

As she bent down to get the sword, another person took it. She looked up in surprise and found Ozpin inspecting the blade critically.

"It's not damaged," he noted quietly, his eyes wandering over to Ruby. "You should be grateful for that. I don't remember you asking permission to use any of my weapons."

"Oh. Oh!" Ruby blushed. "I'm so, so sorry, general! W-we'll be off, don't you worry!"

"No, no. It's fine. I was only playing with you," Ozpin smiled amusedly. "You can continue your training. However, I would like to help, if you would allow it."

Ruby gulped. She wasn't sure how long the general had been watching, but it had to be long enough for him to notice she wasn't being successful. She nodded hesitantly and wandered back to Blake.

Weiss sat straighter on her bench, her eyes fixed on Ozpin. It was obvious her mind was working fast, and Ruby had a guess as to why. The redhead frowned. She had already chalked the general's mysterious appearance during the assault as a trick, but apparently the princess didn't think the same.

"Princess." Ozpin greeted politely.

"General," Weiss smiled to him. "How nice of you to join us."

"It is a pleasure," he agreed, then looked at Blake, who had gotten up in a hurry. "I don't believe we have met. My name is Ozpin. I am Vale's High General, which means I train new recruits, amongst other duties."

"I'm Blake," the faunus replied quietly. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Are you interested in joining the Guard, Blake?"

The question caught the brunette off guard.

"No," she said hesitantly. "I'm not."

"That's fine. You're not taking time away from anybody," he assured. "First off. You're using the wrong weapon."

"Wrong weapon?!" Ruby exclaimed. "But… But!"

"I can tell you're not strong enough to wield this sword, or any sword, for that matter," Ozpin explained. "Once you build some muscles, that will be different, but for now, you should procure another skillset."

Ruby pouted and went to sit beside Weiss. The princess shook her head slightly, feeling the redhead's disappointment in herself.

Ozpin went to the weapon stash and quickly retrieved two new swords. They were so short, they looked more like daggers. He handed it to the faunus, who weighted them curiously.

"How do they feel?" The general asked.

"They feel… right." She answered honestly.

"That's excellent," Ozpin said. "You won't use these weapons as traditional swords. They are too short for that. To maximize their potential, you will have to use your body, your agility, to your advantage. Don't engage the enemy head on. Dance. Distract them. They are a mouse, you are a cat."

Blake tensed and looked at Ruby, who was now on the edge of her seat.

"Did you get the notion, Blake?" Ozpin asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Yes," she said dryly. "I think I do."

"Alright," the general smirked. "You can take over, Ruby. Have a nice day."

As he left the courtyard, Ruby stood and walked over to Blake. Their eyes met warily, their faces pale, but somewhat relieved.

"Sweet Moon," Weiss spoke up. "Stop staring at each other. It's like you've seen a ghost."

"How appropriate!"

Blake almost dropped her daggers in a panic as Summer introduced herself loudly, stepping into the area quickly. The redhead noblewoman paused shortly, a frown appearing on her forehead.

"I meant for that to be funny, because you thought I was dead for ten years," she said. "Looking back, it's not funny at all."

"It's alright," Ruby smiled helpfully. "It was kind of funny…?"

"Oh, well," Summer sat beside Weiss. "Hello, princess. Blake. Can I watch? It's been a tiring day."

Ruby nodded, too nervous to speak. It had been embarrassing enough to have Weiss watching, but now her mother wanted to do the same?

"Princess, how much training have you gotten lately?" Summer asked suddenly.

"Training?" Weiss's eyes narrowed. "I haven't had need for training since I was twelve years old."

"You haven't had need?" Summer repeated in disbelief. "Oh, right. You surely weren't targeted by assassins twice in a short span of time. I must be confounding you with another princess."

Weiss's shoulders dropped shamefully.

"What's your point, Lady Summer?" She asked.

"My point is," Summer smiled. "It wouldn't hurt to have you practice with Blake. You could reacquaint yourself with your sword, and save my daughter some bruises in the process."

Weiss looked at the noblewoman dubiously. Why was Ruby getting more privileges than her, all of a sudden?

"Alright. That's not a bad idea," Weiss sighed. "Do you agree, Blake?"

"I'm…" Blake seemed unsure, but one look at Ruby made her appear more courageous. "Yes. We could do that."

"Then it's settled," Weiss nodded. "Just let me go to my room and get my-"

She looked to the side and was surprised to see Summer holding her rapier innocently.

"What?" Weiss blurted out. "When did you get my rapier?"

Summer only smiled enigmatically and shook the sword invitingly. The princess sighed and took the weapon, then walked towards Blake. She stopped in front of the faunus, staring her in the eyes, then took a dozen steps backwards.

"I'll hold back, seeing as how it's your first time." She said comfortingly.

"Thank you." Blake was barely audible, so short of breath she was.

Ruby took her seat beside her mother, a wide smile on her face.

"This will be entertaining to watch."

I'm not dead! Sound the trumpets! [trumpet sounds]

I had a bit of difficulty with this chapter. I had the Ruby-Weiss-Blake plot in mind, but inbetween? Bleh. I'm satisfied with how it turned out in the end, though. Both the Sun scene and the Pyrrha scene are very important for the future.

Since I delayed the chapter to freaking Saturday, I'll conviently lend myself a full week's time to get the next one out! Saturday/Sunday is a way better upload day for me, anyway. I guess I'll update like this from now on. Yay!

(BTW, my spellchecking this chapter was super-hurried. If you find anything egregious, do warn me please. I'm lame. Thanks!)

-Zeroan