"Thank you all! Any donations are appreciated! If you have any requests, just shout 'em out!" Sonata called out to the few gathered people as they clapped at her performance. She looked around to see Ophelia collecting 'donations' with a cute smile. After the small audience had left, Ophelia began to count the Lien that they managed to collect as she walked up to Sonata.

"I'm sorry, Sonata. You didn't get a large haul. I guess I was wrong when I thought Vale would be a good location for you to do this." Ophelia said with an apologetic tone.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Ophelia. I'm used to things going worse whenever I busk. How much did we manage to get?" Sonata said, no disappointment in her voice.

"…Just 50 Lien." Ophelia replied, half-heartedly. Sonata suddenly smiled brightly.

"50 Lien?! That's a jackpot for this business! We've done great! Why would you think that's a bad haul?" Sonata said excitedly. Ophelia looked at her in shock.

"This is a lot of money?" Ophelia asked incredulously. Sonata waited a moment before replying.

"…You're kinda sheltered, aren't you?" Sonata asked gently. Ophelia's face suddenly drooped in a state of melancholy.

"…You know the Sky family, I'm sure?" Ophelia asked.

"Yeah. The family that makes all the airships in Remnant." Sonata said. Ophelia nodded.

"We're one of the richest families in all of Remnant. Second only to the Schnee family. …I guess growing up with all that money's taken me out of touch with…" Ophelia trailed off.

"…With everyone else." Sonata finished. Ophelia handed Sonata the Lien and started to slowly walk away without a word. After a moment of walking, Ophelia jumped as Sonata suddenly wrapped her arm around Ophelia's shoulders and smiled down at her.

"Well, I guess I'll have to add that to the list of things I've gotta help with. First is Nickel's formality stuff, then it's you and your sheltered thing and then it's Gnash and his-." Sonata listed before being cut off by a voice behind her.

"Gnash and his what?" Gnash said as he and Nickel walked towards the girls.

"Uh… You and your… Uh… I got nothing." Sonata said.

"That's what I thought." Gnash said with a smirk.

"So… what's up, girls?" Nickel said slowly, having difficulty with such an unfamiliar phrase.

"…We got 50 Lien!" Sonata replied happily, silently encouraging Nickel's attempt at casual conversation.

"From busking? Nice. I guess coming to Vale during the Vytal festival setup was a good idea after all." Gnash said. Sonata smiled brightly again before Team SONG's attention was caught by a blonde Faunus boy with a monkey tail ran past the four of them. Followed by police officers. Then by Team RWBY. Team SONG stayed in silence for a moment.

"Um… Does anyone have any idea what just happened?" Ophelia asked, confused.

"Never-mind that! C'mon!" Sonata exclaimed before running after the commotion that had passed them, causing her teammates to follow close behind. After a moment of chasing, Team SONG ground to a halt as they saw Team RWBY overlooking a young, ginger-haired woman with a carefree, cheerful expression.

"Do you… wanna get up?" Yang asked unsurely as Nickel began to slowly back away. The girl looked down at herself for a moment before smiling brightly again.

"Yes!" The girl said before leaping to her feet, causing the two teams to take a step back in surprise.

"My name is Penny! It's a pleasure to meet you!" Penny said, looking around.

"Hi, Penny, I'm Ruby." Ruby said, causing the rest of the group to take roll call.

"I'm Weiss."

"Blake."

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head? Oh, I'm Yang." Yang corrected after receiving a sharp smack from Blake.

"My name's Ophelia."

"Gnash."

"Are you really sure about the head thing? Oh, right. Sonata." Sonata corrected after receiving a sharp smack from Gnash. The group turned to the only member of the group who had remained silent. Only to see him hunched over slightly, one of his hands clenched over his face.

"Nickel? …Buddy, you doing okay?" Sonata asked in concern. Nickel began to shake.

"I… need a moment." Nickel said as he quickly walked away, Team SONG freezing in surprise for a moment before following him as he began to run. Team RWBY stayed frozen with Penny as they watched the team run away.

"…Well, we've got a… couple of people to look for now." Yang said, wanting to go after Team SONG.

"Sorry for running into you!" Weiss called out as Team RWBY began to move in the direction that Team SONG ran off to.

"Take care, friend!" Ruby called out to Penny as they ran away. As they followed, they saw Team SONG in the distance. Nickel was using a wall next to him as support with his hand still on his face as the rest of the team were trying to figure out what was wrong with him. Weiss, who was walking ahead of the rest of Team RWBY, looked back at the team.

"There they are. Let's get an explanation out of Nickel." Weiss said before turning back to the front. Only to be face-to-face with Penny once more.

"What did you call me?" Penny asked. Weiss immediately began looking back to where Penny was and used to be in shock.

"Uh… We didn't call you anything." Yang said nervously.

"No, no. You did." Penny said, walking past Yang and walking up to Ruby.

"Me? I-I don't know. I, what I, um, uh..." Ruby stuttered, completely startled.

"You called me 'friend'! Am I really your friend?" Penny asked, uncomfortably close to Ruby. Ruby looked behind Penny to see the rest of Team RWBY shaking their heads and motioning her to say 'no'.

"Umm… Y-yeah, sure! Why not?" Ruby finally said, causing her teammates to fall back in a comedic manner.

"Sen-sational! We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!" Penny said with a large, bright smile.

"Oh, is this what it was like when you met me?" Ruby said quietly to Weiss as she dusted herself off.

"No. She seems far more coordinated." Weiss said.

"Anyway. Penny, I'd like to hang out now, but we have to check on our friend, Nickel over there." Ruby said with a growing concern in her voice.

"You really would like to?! Wait… Did you say 'Nickel', Ruby?" Penny asked.

"Uh… yeah?" Ruby replied unsurely. Penny suddenly smiled brightly again before walking quickly over to Team SONG, Team RWBY following close behind.

"Nickel! It's so good to see you again!" Penny said happily.

"P-Penny… You know b-better than to… ap-pproach me like this." Nickel said, stuttering, as if he was in pain.

"Oh, come on, Nickel! This isn't the first time and it won't be the last!" Penny said, still very chipper as Nickel began to straighten himself.

"You don't think I could get lucky one of these days?" Nickel replied, stuttering less.

"Guys, what's going on here?!" Sonata said somewhat angrily about the lack of context.

"Oh, I didn't say? Nickel has a little condition. Whenever he sees me, he goes into a temporary homicidal rage!" Penny said, chipper as ever. Nickel lowered his hand and stood up straight. Revealing that his eyes had turned blood red instead of the cool green that they used to be. His face was also beginning to contort into a scowl. The group, minus Penny, looked on in shocked silence.

"So, I have to fight him to calm him down. Luckily, I'm a better fighter than he is, so, I've always won." Penny said, still smiling.

"You haven't explained anything, though! Why is this happening?!" Ruby said in shock.

"Sorry, Ruby. It's a family secret." Penny said as Nickel drew his two swords from the compartment in his outfit and lowered into a battle stance. Penny then took two swords from her small backpack and readied herself too. The two's swords looked identical.

"This may be the end… sister." Nickel said with more anger than anyone present had ever heard from him. Nobody could speak. They were simply too shocked at what was happening between their enraged friend and the newcomer. They simply watched in shock as they kept their distance. Except for Penny.

"Not if I can help it!" Penny said happily.

"So, he'll just calm down if you beat him? Can you beat him?!" Ruby exclaimed, just as worried as before.

"Don't worry, Ruby." Penny said calmly before turning back to Nickel as the two combatants looked ready to charge at each other.

"I'm combat ready!"