Getting back to some more past things, aka what was mentioned in Chapter 4 (title chapter 4, its actually the 6th chapter but don't worry about that.) i mean, of course, Weiss's Dinner Party/Fundraiser. Other stuff too.

Everything was set, it had all been checked three times. There would be something for everyone tonight, as she had planned on accommodating four cultures into one night. The party was obviously being held in Atlas, the decor was Mistralian though, the muzak Vacuoan, and the food Valeian. The choice to use Vale as the food had gotten weird looks at first until she reminded them that Valeian food was the most diverse of all, and the most likely to please.

Now the first guests were arriving, Atlesian, always first and slightly early. Then came Mistralian delegation, perfectly on time. Next came most of the Vale delegation, slightly behind the other two, not because they were late, but rather because they had elected to let the Mistralian people go ahead of them. Finally, lastly, came the many Vacuoan people, late, loud, and unapologetic as ever. Weiss would have loved to personally greet them all, however she had to be at the head table, to oversee everyone and make sure they were all seated appropriately. Each table would have at least one person from each kingdom.

Still, as requested, as each person entered, their name and status were called out. After hearing the last of the Vacuoan people called out (Leonardo Lionheart, Headmaster of Haven Academy, and Misana DuVoe, Head of the Mistral Council) she felt somewhat confused. Not everyone was here. Who's names had she not heard….then it occurred to her, as the last two walked in, she felt, purposely to bring attention to them, and seem more important.

"Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon, and General Ruby Rose of the Vale Military."

Ozpin looked inscrutable as ever, in his black suit, green vest and shirt, and ever present cane, brown eyes surveying the room over dark spectacles. In contrast to that, Ruby was in quite a fancy Military dress uniform, similar to General Ironwood over to her left, but in the colors of Vale, and with the symbol of Vale, two crossed Axes surrounded by laurel wreath, on the shoulder. They took their seats, Ozpin at the head table, with the other headmasters, and Ruby at one of the other tables, with a member of the Alas council, a rich Mistralian influencer, and a Vacuoan General. Once everyone was seated, she signaled the music to be started, then she got up, going around to talk to the various people at the tables.


She had to run. They would be after her, they had been after her, ever since the Fall...seeing Adam, running away again...foiling his plans again...yeah, the Fang would no longer tolerate her being alive anymore.

In the last month, she had moved constantly. She had considered going home only once, but dismissed it. Why would she go to there, the headquarters of the White Fang movement, when they wanted her head.

She had to run, but now was too late. They had found her hideout, and any moment, they would find her, hiding in the corner of the bedroom she was in. she could hear them, two were on the floor below, the other three moving towards her on this floor.

Then several things happened at once. The door was kicked open, faunus started attacking, and then there was the sound of glass breaking and Blake's vision became filled with red. Ruby had come crashing through a window, right as the White Fang came in through the door, with a shout, Ruby unleashed a huge blast of electrical energy, striking each faunus in the chest, each falling to the ground, twitching, unconscious. Then Ruby turned to look at Blake, hiding in the corner, her face practically glowing with a smile.

"Hey Blake. Funny meeting you here" she held out her hand, pulling Blake up with ease despite their height difference.

"Ruby...what...what are you doing here?" from below them they could hear more White Fang, alerted by the attack, charging their way up to them

"Saving your butt apparently" Ruby extended a hand, a scythe, black as obsidian forming in the air, before grabbing it and moving toward the door. "Come on. I'm not gonna let these creeps get you. Not when i've been tracking them down since they started moving in Vale again." so saying, Ruby ran out through the building. Blake tried to help her, but she didn't need it. None of the White Fang could even get close to keeping up with her. Finally they walked out to the street, and Blake saw him standing there. Adam. behind them the doors slammed closed. Blake looked back. Ilia.

"Ruby….you should be caref-" but Ruby had already moved, running forward at a blinding pace and for a moment fear gripped her. She couldn't have a repeat of Yang. But with seemingly impossible speed she ducked under his swing, then her hand snapped up, and she grabbed the blade of the sword. Even with the mask she could see the surprise on his face, and Ruby slowly stood, her grip unwavering until fully stood, her eyes blazed with gold fire, a fissure rang down Adam's blade, and the sword shattered with enough force to send Adam flying backwards, unconscious. Dropping the fragment of hs weapon that was in her hand, she turned to Ilia.

"Are you going to try me?" Ilia's body turned completely yellow, and she ran off into the night. Ruby watched her go, before her eyes extinguished, and she fell to her knees, clutching her head in pain. Blake ran over, kneeling down, not sure how to help. Ruby was blinking rapidly, and through the blinking Blake swore she saw Ruby's eyes changing, green, brown, silver, before she looked up at blake with her now regular mismatched eyes. Blake had never really said this to anyone, but she absolutely loved heterochromia.

"Are you...ok?"

"Yeah..im fine its just...nothing...i'm not really used to...this yet."

"...Thank you"

"For what?"

"Being there"


Ruby could feel the nagging, in the back of her mind. It had been constant, for almost all of the past week now, ever since she had gone to visit Jaune with Ozpin. They were technically always there. Though most days they had nothing to say.

"But that wasn't really Ozpin was it"

"Shut up"

"Sooner or later you'll have to give it up"

"Shut. Up."

"They're right you know." the voice was from behind her. Ozpin, sitting on her couch.

"No one has to know. The people believe you are ok. That's enough. Plus i'm trying. He refuses to accept. Why won't he just…"

"Because your sister had changed him. For better or worse, he's more assertive now" said Pyrrha. And with it came the feeling. Attraction to Jaune, grief over their distance. But these weren't her feelings.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, but these are ALL of our feelings now" added Amber, much more in tune with Ruby's own thoughts than Pyrrha.

"I know these times are rough, but really Miss Rose, you cannot keep this up much longer. You are going to drive yourself to death trying"

Ruby stood, looking at Ozpin. Were anyone to currently look into the room they'd see only her talking to a cane set on a couch "The world wasn't ready to lose you. They still need you. And I….I'm still not ready to do this alone"

"You flatter me, truly, but the world doesn't really have me does it. They only have what you remember of me, and what part of me remains in my cane" he stood, giving her the glance he so often did. "Just think about it. And if anything, you know i can always remain with you, though it might hurt you more than help." with that, he vanished, the pearly stone set in the cane once again swirling before settling again.

In her mind, Pyrrha and Amber settled down. Ruby sighed. Ozpin was right. Of course he was right, he only said what was in her mind, weer she knew or not. It was the ingeniousness on his cane. Long ago he had used some of his power to store part of himself within it, and those such as herself could call him to help provide mental clarity in times of need. But ruby had gone further, pouring her power into making him into a solid form. After his death, she had taken his cane, and with her power, and Amber's help, sh had created a convincing enough story. Enough people believed it that it went unchallenged.

Still, she knew that the Effort was weakening her. But she couldn't take a break, not with how much Ozpin was needed. But maybe...maybe the world doesn't need him. Maybe it's just you who needs him. She had thought Amber had settled, but it seemed she still had things to say. Ruby pushed her down. This was HER head. She wouldn't let guests dictate her actions. She was strong enough. She didn't need help. She was strong. She was. She had to be.