Cinder smirked as she gazed upon the multicolored seeds that were now secured in a ziploc bag. The more she looked through the information gathered by Emerald on the Pop Greens, the more reluctant she became of what she would have to do with them.

Letting this power just slip through her fingers didn't feel right. Surely, using the seeds couldn't be that hard. Just a gust of wind and she could send the seeds into the ground. It would be no different from using a slingshot of all things like that long nosed man.

On the other hand though, if something could go wrong, she certainly didn't want to be the unfortunate soul who found out. And from the pictures that Emerald took of the notebook, there were definite warnings about handing the Pop Greens without proper training and instruction.

She sighed, deciding that she would let someone else figure out any problems that could arise, while she just focused on her current plan for now. Now that they were stolen with information on how to produce more, managing the plan for getting the rest of the Fall Maiden's power was a priority.

Tomorrow morning, she would head off to Vale and deliver the seeds to Arthur Watts, as per her orders.

As Ruby, Weiss, and Yang prepared to go to sleep, Ruby frowned. The business with Blake spending far too much time on her investigation reminded her of Usopp. While Usopp told her that he would be going to bed at reasonable times, there was a possibility that he just lied. This kind of behavior was worrying her, but she still hoped that she was just being paranoid.

"Hey, team, I'm just going to wait outside for a bit."

"Why?" Weiss asked.

"I'm just checking in on Usopp. You can go to sleep without me, I'll be quiet when I come back in."

Weiss looked at Yang, who just shrugged.

"Don't stay up too late you dolt."

"Of course I won't."

The first thing Ruby did was knock on Usopp's door. "Sorry if I woke you up Usopp, but I just wanted to check on you."

She waited a minute before knocking again. Another minute, another knock, and after her fifth time knocking, she decided that Usopp was either asleep like a rock, or he was indeed still up and away from his room. Ruby suspected that it was indeed the later case, and she decided to sit down against the wall.

She needed to know just how late Usopp was staying up.

It was 4:03 AM. Usopp yawned and stretched his arms as he walked back to his dorm room. Another rather uneventful day of research has come to an end. No real progress was made today, but that was pretty much expected. He still had his old leads, but he wasn't in a position to pursue them. He would have to leave the school, or maybe he could just request a transfer.

Why don't I just do that? I… I'm not sure why I don't want to. Is it because of Torchwick? Or maybe the friends I made here? No, that can't be. If I knew I would return to the Strawhats, and if I knew that they would be alive when I got back, then there would be no hesitation. I would certainly say goodbye to everyone first, but I wouldn't look back. But that's a lot of ifs. Maybe it's the uncertainty that's the problem. But then, how will I ever return if I don't even think small leads are worth pursuing. It's not like I'll ever get a guarantee when it comes to something crazy like inter-world travel.

When he got close to his room, he noticed someone sitting against the wall next to his dorm door. A set of silver eyes that almost seem to glow turned towards him.

Ah, that's not good. Maybe I can pretend that I'm someone else since it's so dark.

"Hey, Usopp."

Usopp coughed. "Ah, young lady, it seems that you've mistaken me for my close friend. I'm actually-"

"Usopp, we need to talk. Seriously."

"Look, Ruby, I know that I stayed up late tonight, but I'm just making up for a bit of lost time. I won't make a habit of it, so you shouldn't worry about it."

"Usopp, you are just as much a member of Team RWBY as anyone else is as far as I'm concerned, so you're well being is my responsibility. And even disregarding my duty, you're also my friend and I have a right to worry. I don't know exactly what you're doing, but if it's taking so much time, can't we help you? Why do you need to do this alone when you have friends?"

"Why do I… Gah, Ruby, there isn't really a point for you or anyone else to get involved with this. It's just some stupid thing I do so I can tell myself that I haven't given up on something that's just crazy and hopeless, alright?! It's..."

"It's important, right?"

"...Yeah."

"If it's so important that you are willing to disregard your own well being, then that's even more of a reason for you to say what you're not telling me or anyone else."

Usopp sighed and sat down next to Ruby. "The part I'm not telling you is the crazy and hopeless part. Even if you believed me, I'm sure you would come to your senses as soon as you told Yang or Weiss or anyone else who has the sense to tell that I lie spontaneously."

"If you want, I don't have to mention anything to Weiss or Yang."

"Ruby… Honestly, if you ended up helping me, you'd probably just waste your time. It's something I have to do alone because it's crazy. I don't mind wasting my life away, but I can't do that to a friend just because they feel some sympathy for me."

"...Can you just… just tell me what I need to do. And why this is crazy or hopeless. I think it's just you being negative, there's no way things are that bad."

I'm really going to just have to say it to get her off my back, wont I?

"Oh really? Things are that bad. You see, Remnant is not my home world. All of my pirate friends are so far away that I don't think that I'll ever see them again. The fact that there are humans here that share the same language is strange, but I know that whatever world I'm from, the moon wasn't shattered like that."

Ruby's eyes widened, but she had already decided that she was going to believe him. "So… you want to go home?"

"Yes, but that's not all. Before I basically fell into a hole and ended up in Vale, my crew was preparing for a huge battle against one of the most powerful pirate crews in the world. That was many months ago though. So, by now it would all be over, but it was still just so… so frustrating..."

Usopp began to tear up.

"It was just so frustrating… I knew that my friends were fighting and possibly dying, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do. I don't want to go back just to see everyone's graves. I've tried, I've really tried not to think about it. I've tried being positive. It's hard though, so I try to spend my time finding out a way to go back home. So, you see Ruby, this isn't something that you want to get involved in. Only a fool like me would think that the secrets to inter-world travel could be found in a school library, and such a thing might not even be possible in the first place. And the whole idea of me being from another world is crazy enough, even for me. Do you see why this is hopeless, stupid, and crazy now?"

"Usopp… No, I don't think that this is hopeless or stupid."

"Wha-Ruby, there's a limit to-"

"You got here in the first place, so there has to be a way back."

"I got here by falling in a hole. How does that help at all?"

"It helps because it shows that travelling between worlds is possible. You fell through a hole, but if we know how that hole formed and why it sent you here instead of anywhere else, we could be that much closer to getting you home. For something that strange, I'd imagine that it might be some undiscovered type of Dust or even a Semblance."

Or a Devil Fruit.

"Could something like Dust really make some sort of portal?"

"I don't know, but it can certainly do all sorts of crazy things. But I'm sure that we'll find a way, even if takes a while."

"A while… yeah. But even so, I just know that my crew is going to get into more fights than the one I mentioned. I don't even know if they are alive right now, and the more time that passes, the more likely it is that I'll be going back to someone's gra-"

Ruby put a hand of Usopp's shoulder. "I'm sure they're alive and well. And even if they get in a bunch of fights with a bunch of strong dudes, aren't they super strong too? Like you're crazy strong, but you said that you're one of the weakest in the crew. Unless that's just more of your negativity, I know for a fact that they can take care of themselves. So, how about you just focus on getting home and staying alive yourself, and let them worry about their battles."

Usopp slumped against the wall, silent for almost a minute. Then, he wiped away his tears. "Yeah, you're right. Dammit, you're so right. Luffy, my captain, is too stubborn and dumb to ever die. And if he's alive, he's the type of man who will go to Hell and back to protect his crew. You know… thanks Ruby."

"It's no problem at all."

"I still think you're way too optimistic and positive, you know."

"Hey-"

"But... maybe, I can be a little too realistic. Being realistic wont help right now, I'll have to fantasize and hope."

"You're not realistic at all, just negative."

"Same thing. I don't know if I'm going to be able to stop worrying about them, but you're right. They can handle themselves. But anyways, you should go to sleep. Do you know how late it is?"

"And who's at fault here? But actually, I had a request for you before you go to bed."

"Oh, what is it?"

"Well, I'm going to be helping you with your research, so do you think you could find the time to go to the upcoming dance?"

"Why? It's not like there's anyone I would dance with."

"You don't need to dance if you don't want too. I'm kind of in the same boat as you, but I plan on relaxing and drinking fruit punch. And maybe watching some of our classmates fail at dancing too. I want you to go because you need to relax, rest up, and just take a break. Everyone else is going as well so they can rest before we hopefully get a mission that helps us follow up on the info we got from Blake and Sun."

"In that case, I suppose I can accept. But you know, Blake is still in the library right now. Is she really going to this dance?"

"She said no, but my sister Yang said that at she would convince her before the dance. Unless you have anything else to say..."

"No, I'm good. I'm sorry about making you stay up this late, but goodnight."

"Don't worry too much about it, it kind of sucked but now that I've had the conversation with you, I think it was worth it. Goodnight."

As soon as Usopp made it to his bed, he fell asleep peacefully, for the first time in a while.

It was dark out, and Usopp was walking towards the building where the dance was being held. For a lack of better clothing options, he decided to show up in his typical overalls with a green shirt underneath. Although he did decide to forgo his headphones. No one told him that he had to dress nicely, although Usopp wouldn't have cared even if someone did.

When he entered, he noticed that it was Yang who was at the front desk. She seemed to give him an appraising look, probably because of his outfit.

"Did you just come here in overalls?"

"Yeah, it's what I feel comfortable wearing."

Yang laughed. "Ruby is going to be upset, I made her show up in a dress and high heels. And I'm pretty sure that you're the only dude here who isn't wearing a shirt and tie."

"Bah, I'll just be hiding in the corner anyways. I'm not getting a suit."

"Suit yourself. At least you didn't bring your slingshot."

Usopp continued onward, and he spotted Ruby standing next to the fruit punch bowl. He waved at her, and Ruby waved back before getting a good look at Usopp's outfit.

"It's… It's not fair! Usopp, how could you?"

Usopp filled up a glass with fruit punch and took a sip. "I'm glad that no one forced me to wear anything fancy."

"Now you're just rubbing it in!"

"It's called relaxing, and you were the one who ordered me to do it."

"...No fair..."

"I'm a pirate and a liar, how fair do you expect me to be?"

"I can hope."

"And that's the problem."

Usopp and Ruby noticed Jaune heading their way. When he got closer, he asked, "So, did you two decide to go out together?"

"Nah," Ruby said, "We're just hiding."

"Oh, I'm surprised that no one asked you out Usopp. During all of your spars, you kind of gave off a cool vibe," Jaune said.

"It's not a problem, I don't even like dancing anyways."

Jaune filled up his own glass and held it up. "To the socially awkward."

They all chuckled and clinked glasses. "Sorry things didn't work out with Weiss," Ruby said.

"Meh, it's fine. Neptune's pretty cool. I get why she went with him."

"It doesn't look like Weiss is with Neptune at all based on their Auras," Usopp said.

"Wait, what?"

"She said that she had too much to focus on to worry about boys," Ruby said.

"...Hold my punch..."

Jaune left, leaving his punch with Ruby who took a sip right after he left. "So, Usopp, I'll start helping you out tomorrow, although we'll have to balance that with Torchwick stuff."

"I guess you'll be doing that no matter what I say."

"Yep."

"Then thanks again. It might take a few decades, but we'll succeed."

"While surprisingly positive for you, I really don't think that it will take that long. Like maybe, a year?"

"Of course you'd think that. But hey, I don't know if it's the dance or just me getting stuff off of my chest, but I definitely feel a lot better."

"Maybe it's both."

"You might be right."

After a while of hiding, their attention immediately shifted to Jaune who changed into a dress and asked Pyrrha out for a dance.

Emerald and Mercury looked over at everyone at the dance. "It appears all the dancers have partners, and if Usopp uses his ability, he should think that you're just in the bathroom."

"How long do I have?" Cinder asked.

"I'll be able to maintain this until midnight."

"I'll keep my eye on the clock."

Seeing Jaune in a dress was not something Usopp ever expected to see, but it certainly kept him entertained. He sipped his punch, laughed, cheered, and clapped at the whole display. Compared to the formality of the past, this now felt more like one of the usual parties he would take part in.

Although after that was all over, he made his way back to the punch bowl and refilled his glass. Things have settled down, and the formal atmosphere was back in full force. There was a distinct lack of Ruby however.

Wait, did she ditch early? Or are people just allowed to leave whenever they want?

He scanned the building with his haki, but as he thought, Ruby was nowhere to be found. Although as he checked further outward, she did seem to be in a building with some others who were laying on the floor in awkward positions.

Ruby? What is she doing?

Usopp hesitated for a moment before heading out. It looked like Ozpin was standing at the exit and another man was walking out.

"Hey, Ozpin!" Usopp called out.

He and the other man turned his way. "Ah, Usopp, is something the matter?"

"Possibly. I don't know what that building over there is," he said, pointing at where he sensed Ruby, "but there are a bunch of people who are on the ground in random positions, probably knocked out."

"What?! How do you know this?" asked the other man who was just about to leave.

Who's this guy?

"Uh, well, it's just an ability I have. And who are you?"

"General Ironwood, but that's not important, we should get there immediately."

General?! He must be super strong if he's that high up. I wonder if he's suddenly going to turn into ice or light or something.

"Agreed. You should stay here, Usopp. While I don't doubt your abilities, I would rather not ruin this night for you." Ozpin said.

"Alright, but I don't think Ruby is at fault here."

"Nor do I."

Usopp watched as the two ran to the building, constantly checking to see if Ruby was alright. He was somewhat wary of what the General might think. But then again, Ruby was a Huntress in training, not a pirate, so she should have some leeway to either explain herself or explain who actually knocked out all of those people.

Continuing to observe, Usopp noticed that Ruby seemed to be fighting an invisible enemy, but that stopped as soon as Ozpin and Ironwood arrived. Usopp never noticed anything leave the building, so he wondered where it might be, or if was defeated.

Dancing innocently behind him, Emerald was sure to keep a close watch.