A/N: Hey, guys, I'm baaack! Sorry it's been a while, but I think this might be my longest chapter yet (if I'm not mistaken). Anyway, lots of cute fluff for ya'll, including some tiny glimpses into the Rose-Xiao Longs' pasts somewhere in there ;) Anyway, hope you enjoy! (And please let me know if I've made any spelling/grammar errors so I can correct them right away! Thanks! - EJ

(P.S. Thanks to LuckyBullet for sending me some suggestions for this chapter! 3 )


Yang rolled her eyes for about the fourth time as she listened to the impatient thump-thump-thump of her sister kicking the back of the blonde's chair. Despite Ruby's protests, Yang found it difficult to keep her eyes off of the white-haired girl sitting quietly beside her, hard at work on yet another panel. In just a two-day period, Weiss had managed to finish sketching and inking each of the action scenes, and all she had left to do was add the character expositions and dialogue from the beginning and ending of the assigned issue.

At first, Yang had been a little hesitant about her decision, unsure if Weiss would be able to complete her tasks in the small time-frame she was given, especially since Yang knew the heiress also had schoolwork and other art projects that were arguably more important than Lost & Found. But Weiss had more than proved her dedication to the book when she insisted on coming to work on a Sunday morning, even though Yang had willingly given her the day off, and had already made her own plans with Ruby and Sun to go to the zoo.

"Siiissss, they're going to be here any minute!" Ruby reminded her once more, this time pulling back on the chair so that when the small brunette dragged it across the studio, Yang found herself being moved along with it. She laughed as she turned around to face her sister.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming," she assured her, planting her feet firmly on the floor to prevent Ruby from pulling her any farther. She stood up, and playfully ruffled Ruby's hair, causing the girl to wince.

Ruby quickly combed her fingers through her red-streaked hair, making sure each strand was back in place before looking up at Yang with a pout. "I thought we agreed you wouldn't do that anymore."

Yang chuckled. "Actually, sis, we didn't agree on anything. You talked, I listened, but never gave you an answer."

The brunette just sighed. "Well, please don't. At least not today."

Weiss lifted her head, the first sign of interest the heiress had shown all day, and she glanced back at Ruby with a raised brow. "Oh? What's so special about today?"

"Absolutely nothing!" Ruby exclaimed quickly, crossing her arms. "I just haven't been to the zoo in a while, that's all..."

Yang smirked. "More like she's trying to impress a certain someone."

"Shut up! You don't know anything!" Ruby shoved Yang's chair back into its place at the desk beside Weiss, and gave her friend a small smile. "Anyway, I'm going to go out front to wait for Sun and Blake. Good luck on the panel!"

Weiss returned her smile. "Thank you. Have fun at the zoo."

Ruby nodded before hastily making her way over to the door just as it was being opened. Sun stormed into the studio with a grin as Blake followed contently behind him. Ruby's silver eyes lit up as Sun held up a fist, and the brunette happily bumped it with her own. "You guys made it just in time!"

"Yeah, Little Miss Impatient here wouldn't stop kicking my chair," Yang joked, to which Blake immediately directed her attention to Ruby.

"Only because you were breathing down Weiss's neck!" Ruby added defensively.

Yang frowned, and glanced over at Weiss, who had noticeably begun to shrink in her chair. "Oh, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Weiss shook her head. "No, you're fine! I actually don't mind the company." She turned back around in her seat, and turned her attention back to her work. "Anyway, you four should be going, right?"

"Three," Blake corrected her. "I'll be staying here with you."

"Oh." Weiss glanced up at her with a small smile. "Okay. Cool."

Blake gave her a short nod before casting her gaze toward Sun. "Alright, I'm trusting you to keep these two in line."

Sun and Ruby exchanged a look before both broke out into laughter. "Ah, that's a good one, Blakey!"

The older girl rolled her eyes with a smirk. "I'm serious; I'm counting on you, Sun."

He gave her a challenging look. "And if something goes wrong?"

"Then you're paying my rent for the next two months," she told the Faunus with a small, victorious smile. Sun held her amber gaze for a long moment before finally breaking away, and giving her an assuring nod.

"Can't argue with that," he said with a shrug. "Your wish is my command." He gave Blake a light pat on the shoulder before waving at Weiss from across the room. "Welp, good luck, Ice Queen! Try not to have too much fun with Blakey while we're gone!"

Yang tossed Ruby her keys. "I'll be right out. Start the car, but don't get any ideas about taking off in it."

Ruby grinned. "Aye-aye!" She followed Sun out of the studio, and Yang turned back to face her assistant and artist. "Okay, you two, have fun. If either of you need anything, you know my number." She leaned into Blake as Weiss resumed working on her panels. "Be easy on her, okay? Don't be so guarded."

Blake sighed. "I'm here for work, that's it. And to keep her company. God knows it can get pretty lonely around here on a Sunday."

"I know that. And I appreciate you sticking it out with her." She smiled before giving Blake a quick hug. "See ya later."

Yang left the studio behind Ruby and Sun, making sure to stay at least three feet away at all times, not wanting to crowd her sister and friend. She listened happily as the two chatted about parkour and the upcoming Proto-Smashers movie that both were excited to see. Yang sometimes had difficulty understanding how Ruby showed so little interest in Yang's own detective comics, yet when it came to anything involving superheroes, her sister would obsess over them for days on end. Then again, Proto-Smashers was much more lighthearted than Lost & Found, and it was possible Ruby just wasn't mature enough yet to understand the more adult-oriented content in Yang's books. Still, it was a slight punch to Yang's ego hearing her sister talk about anything but Lost & Found, especially when the blonde tried to go out of her way to make sure she expressed interest in Ruby's own artwork.

She shrugged it off as she hopped into the driver's seat of her car, Ruby having already moved to the back seat with Sun, as always. Yang switched on her stereo to low, and quietly hummed along to the music as she pulled out of Beacon's parking lot, and started toward the zoo.

"Did you see what E-On did to the Jest in that last book?" Sun asked enthusiastically as he and Ruby continued to talk about their favorite superheroes. "It was crazy! I thought he—"

"Shh, no spoilers!" Ruby warned him. "I didn't finish it yet! I only just got to the part where Xyon saved that girl, and she started following him around like a lost puppy."

Yang glanced up at Ruby through the rear view mirror with a quirked eyebrow. The brunette ignored her as she kept her attention on the blonde boy beside her.

"Yeah, I understand why she did, though," he told Ruby. "If a super awesome hero just saved my life, I'd probably start following them around, too. Besides, he was totally crushing on her back. Who wouldn't, though? She was cute."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "I guess so..."

Yang cleared her throat, grabbing her sister's attention. Silver met lilac, and Yang grinned before giving her a knowing wink. Ruby slightly sunk back in her seat, hiding a blush as she quickly turned her attention back to Sun. Yang chuckled to herself as she returned her gaze to the road before her.

"So when the movie comes out, we're seeing it together, right?" Sun asked Ruby. "I mean, with Neptune, of course, because he wants to see it, too."

"Well, duh. You guys are like the only people I know who actually like that kind of stuff. Besides my classmate Jaune, but he's busy with the school musical."

Sun snickered. "School musical?"

Yang nudged the dial on her stereo, turning up the volume just enough to tune out her sister and Sun, but not enough to completely drown out their voices. She smiled to herself as she continued down the street, the zoo's grand entrance eventually coming into view a few minutes later. The sign was as beautiful as always, with huge, gold-painted letters engraved into an arch that read Vale City Zoo, and loomed high above some decorative trees that were planted along the main entrance.

"Hey! We're here!" Ruby exclaimed excitedly as Yang pulled into the parking lot.

"Wow... It looks pretty packed today..." Yang observed as she went up and down the rows of cars, searching for a place to park.

Sun leaned forward and pointed out an empty spot a few rows away from the gate. "Employee Parking's over there. As long as you're with me, no one will question you."

Yang clicked her tongue. "Sounds good to me." She pulled into a spot next to a red, apple-colored motorcycle that had a pair of yellow-tinted riding goggles locked around one of the handlebars. "I see Neptune's bike hasn't changed much."

"Well, besides the new motor and music system he installed last month, nope, it's still practically the same." Sun pushed open his door almost as soon as the car came to a stop, and he turned to Ruby with an expectant grin. "Come on, Rose!"

"No, that's okay, don't wait for me..." Yang said sarcastically as Ruby started to open her own door. The younger girl gave her a guilty smile before getting out of the car, and waiting outside with Sun. Yang removed her keys and slowly stepped out of the vehicle, taking her time locking the doors and stuffing her keys into the pocket of her light leather jacket. "Alright, now we can go."

Ruby excitedly grabbed her sister by the wrist, and started to yank her toward the entrance, Yang laughing as she purposely slowed her pace. Sun walked beside Ruby, his tail waving happily behind him in rhythm to his steps, and once they reached the entrance, he pulled out his Employee Identification card, flashing it at the ticket attendant.

"These two are with me," he told the attendant, who smiled and nodded before presenting them with a stamp. Sun nodded at Ruby and Yang. "Hands out, guys."

Ruby let go of Yang's wrist, and offered her hand to the attendant, who stamped it with a little pink monkey. Yang then did the same, and Sun led them through the gate, his employee card hanging around his neck from a lanyard. Ruby glanced down at the stamp on the back of her hand, and gently rubbed her thumb across her skin. "When did they start doing this?"

"Oh, it's for friends and family of employees, only," Sun explained. "They've always done it, but you guys haven't exactly come around often since Nep and I started working here."

Yang gave the monkey boy a half-smile. "Yeah, that's partially my fault... Sorry about that."

Sun just shrugged. "I understand. I know this past year has kind of sucked for you."

"Well, let's hope Weiss will change that," Yang said with a huff.

"She will," Ruby told her confidently, once again reaching for Yang's hand. "Now, come on, less talking, more walking!"

The blonde shook her head. "You're starting to turn into Blake with demanding attitude."

"Nah, Blakey's much more convincing," Sun said with a chuckle. He elbowed Ruby playfully in the side. "Hey, did I tell you Momo and Sheila had a baby? He's a couple of months old by now, but still little."

Ruby smiled. "Yep, you told me. I never got to see him, though."

Sun and Ruby quickly ran ahead to the monkeys exhibit, Yang rolling her eyes as she tried to keep up, silently wondering to herself why Ruby wanted her to come along so badly if she was going to spend the entire day paying more attention to their friend than her own sister. She laughed it off as they stopped in front of the Capuchin Monkeys cage, and Sun whistled to get their attention. One of the adult monkeys looked up from the branch from which it was perched, and instantly hopped over to the edge of the cage where Sun was standing.

"Hey, Momo! I brought some old friends!"

The monkey stuck his nose out between the bars and curiously started to sniff around Ruby and Yang. It let out an excited squeak before jumping back into the tree, and getting the other adult's attention. The other monkey—a female—was carrying a smaller monkey on its back, and the three made their way back over to Sun, Ruby, and Yang.

"Awww, he's so cute!" Ruby said as she admired the tiny monkey on its mother's back. "Does he have a name yet?"

Sun nodded as he reached in through the bars to pat the baby on the head. He then shot Ruby and Yang a serious look. "By the way, visitors aren't supposed to stick their hands into the animals' cages. I'm only doing it because I know the monkeys trust me, and because my Employee Badge is visible to all visitors."

Yang let out a pleased hum, glad to see that Sun took his job and the visitors' safety seriously, even while he was off-duty. She smiled up at the monkeys. "Hello, little guy."

"Oh, and his name is Kiri," Sun added. He removed his hand from the cage, and turned to Ruby with a smile. "He's a serious Momma's Boy. Won't go anywhere without her, and he likes to try to tackle her while she's asleep."

Ruby giggled. "That's adorable. But you know, Daddy's Girls are awesome, too."

"Well, duh. Why do you think I hang out with you two?"

Yang snorted. "Okay, monkey boy, if you're going to butter us up, why don't you go buy us some popcorn?"

"Actually, I don't have to," he said, brushing his hand through his shaggy hair mockingly. "All employees get two free snacks a day, even on their days off."

"It must be nice to employed," Ruby said in a low voice. "You get to work with the animals, eat free food, and you even get paid."

Sun shrugged. "I'm just lucky, I guess. Not everyone gets to work a job they love. I mean, there are still things I don't like about it, like having to clean up the elephant cages every so often, but that comes with every job. Blondie, here, has a very strong love-hate relationship with her job."

Ruby smirked. "Believe me, I've noticed..."

"Uh, guys? I'm right here..." Yang crossed her arms. "But, you know, I could always go find Neptune if you two would rather have fun on your own."

"Hey, don't be like that." Ruby smiled up at her sister, and grabbed her wrist once more. "Come on, let's go check out the lions. I know how much you love them."

Yang grinned as she felt herself being tugged away from the monkeys. Sun quickly followed behind, and soon, the three were at the lions' den. Yang pressed her palms against the glass as she peered down into the large, enclosed habitat, and searched the rocks and trees for her favorite lion. She spotted him—the only male lion that didn't have a mane—laying down on top of a rock underneath a tall, shady tree, his face buried in his paws as he slept. She located that familiar split in the top of his right ear, an injury that he had received when he was a cub from being attacked by a group of larger lions at his former zoo. The Vale City zookeeper took pity on the cub and brought him to Vale, where the lions were much more welcoming toward the timid cub.

Now, the cub had grown into a fine adult male, and although he still kept his distance from the other lions, it was his aloofness that had drawn Yang to him so many years ago. She knew the look of abandonment in his eyes that she had seen on her own father's face a few times before, but despite his harrowing past, he was strong and humble, and friendly toward those who came to visit him.

"Hey, buddy," she whispered as she tapped gently against the glass, knowing he couldn't hear her, but she took comfort in knowing that he was calm. Over the years, Yang had grown especially fond of the lion, having always been there for her like a faithful companion whenever she needed his company most. She remembered a time when she was fifteen that she had taken a bus to the zoo after a particularly stressful day at school, and when she visited the den, her lion was right there, rubbing his nose against the glance as if to assure Yang that everything would eventually be alright.

She was just about to ask Sun how the other lions had been treating her pal when she turned to find a tall, blue-haired boy letting out an uumph as he crashed into the trunk of a nearby tree. He dropped a basin of food pellets that proceeded to spill out all over the ground, and Sun sighed as he walked over to assist the boy. Yang and Ruby quickly followed, both girls giggling at the sight of their friend sprawled out on the ground.

"That's quite a way to make an entrance, Neptune," Yang joked as she offered him a hand, and helped him up to his feet.

He shook his head, and brushed himself off while Ruby and Sun scooped the food back into its tub. "Yeah, yeah, I just wasn't expecting to see you here, that's all."

"Hmm, Sun didn't give ya the heads' up?"

Neptune readjusted the collar of his uniform, and cleared his throat. "Nope. I didn't hear a word about it." He glanced down at Ruby and Sun before propping an arm against the bark of the tree. "So I guess this means you're finally out of your funk, right?"

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Maybe I just wanted to spend some time with my little sis."

"Sun told me you finally found an artist you're happy with," Neptune continued. "I have to ask, why is this one so special?"

Yang's eyes widened as she processed her friend's question, and she instantly felt her face flush at the thought of Weiss. "I, uh... Well, for one, her art style is incredible. It's a lot like Junior's, except with her own twist, and it definitely fits the mood I'm looking for. Second, she's a huge fan of the book, and she knows the characters almost as well as I know them myself."

"She sounds like a winner," the blue-haired boy said with a smirk. "I'm glad you finally found someone you like. These lions here have been missing the hell out of you."

Sun glanced up at Neptune. "Hey, man, if you don't mind, would you give us a hand here? This is kind of your mess."

Neptune coughed. "Oh, right, yeah." He took over Ruby's position, and helped Sun clean up as many pellets as they could. Once they were finished, Neptune took the basin, and held it securely against his chest. "Alright, I should be off to feed the exotic birds. Here's hoping I don't get pooped on again."

"Here, I'll help." Sun took the basin from Neptune. "The birds are on a schedule, and you're already behind."

"Hey! I didn't put that tree there!" He slowly started to walk off toward the bird exhibit. "You ladies coming with?"

Ruby grinned. "Oh! Yeah!" Yang silently agreed, and followed her sister and friends toward the exotic birds on the other side of the zoo, Neptune continually reaching for the food only for Sun to pull it out of his reach. Ruby giggled as she and Yang watched the two boys fight over the task, Sun taking the lead even though it was his day off. They stopped outside the entrance to the exhibit where Sun and Neptune both pulled on protective gloves and safari-style hats from an Employees Only rack by the door. Sun then zipped up his Vale City Zoo jacket, and headed inside.

Neptune, Ruby, and Yang followed nonchalantly as they stopped at the first giant, spacial glass display. Neptune fished out a set of keys from his pocket, and unlocked another door leading into the enclosed space. He whistled out as he stepped inside, and birds of various sizes and colors came out from hiding and into the open. Sun followed Neptune inside and closed the door behind him, and Ruby and Yang watched from outside of the glass as Sun began to fill little fruit-shaped dishes with the pellets. Neptune caught a couple of parakeets on one of his arms, and carried them over to a dish, where the birds promptly flew off and began to nibble at the fresh—or, well, as fresh as dry pellets could be—food.

"Rita!" Sun called out as he continued to fill the dishes, occasionally stopping to dump some pellets into his palms, and allowing some of the birds to eat from his hands. He searched the exhibit until an extravagant bird of reds, yellows, and blues flew toward him, swooshing over Neptune's head and causing the taller boy to duck. Sun held out his arm for the bird as it caught the sleeve of his jacket, and slowly began to climb up to his shoulder. Sun grinned, and gently patted the bird on the head as he carried it over to the glass where Ruby and Yang were still watching, the younger girl's silver eyes gleaming in awe.

Ruby pressed her nose to the glass to get a better look at the bird. "Ooooh! It's a parrot!"

Sun nodded. "Yep. Her name's Rita. We've had her for a couple of months, now." He turned to the bird with a smile. "Show her your tricks, Rita."

"Show her your tricks, Rita," the bird echoed in a mocking, tinny voice.

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Impressive. But can't all parrots speak?"

"Uh, uh, uh," Sun said, shaking his head. "That isn't the only thing that she can do. Rita, dance."

The parrot detached herself from Sun's shoulder, and flew up a few feet above his head before spreading her wings and circling around Sun in a practiced spiral. Once she reached his feet, she dove back up and took her place on his shoulder. "Dance, dance, baby."

Yang laughed. "Okay, that's pretty great! Rita, what else can you do?"

Sun whispered something to the bird, and she took off again, flying towards Neptune, who once again ducked for cover as he saw her coming.

"No, no!" he shouted, throwing his gloved hands up over his hat as the bird stopped right above his head and covered him in poop. "Ugh, not again! SUN!"

Ruby and Yang both burst into laughter as Rita flew back over to Sun and the girls. Neptune angrily began to wipe the poop from his hat with the backs of his gloves while Sun chuckled, and gently fluffed the bird's feathers.

"Stupid boy," Rita chirped. "Stupid boy."

Yang held a hand up to the glass near where Rita was perched. "Okay, you've sold me. She's the best."

"You must spend a lot of time with her," Ruby added. "It's like she knows you inside-out."

Sun flashed her a toothy grin. "You know it, Rose. Rita here's my best pal, right, girl?"

Instead of answering, Rita fluttered down from Sun's shoulder, and walked over to a dish that the boy had just refilled. She started to contently nibble at the food while Sun lowered the basin to the ground.

"Alright, Neptune, they're all yours! Catch you around, man!"

Neptune groaned. "Gee, thanks, bro." He walked over to the basin and continued to fill the dishes while Sun exited the display and returned his gear to the employee rack. Ruby and Yang followed him out, and they continued to walk around the zoo for the remainder of the day, at one point stopping for that popcorn Sun had promised.

Yang couldn't help but notice how happy Ruby was the entire time they were there, chatting up Sun and admiring each of the animals, greeting those she hadn't seen in months, as well as introducing herself to the new ones she had yet to meet. She even noticed how Ruby had refused to share a popcorn with Yang, yet willingly dipped her fingers into Sun's, coming up with some excuse about how the attendant at the snack bar had given Sun extra butter, and how Yang's had come out "too dry". It was evident that half the reason Ruby wanted to come to the zoo in the first place was to spend time with Sun, and while Yang knew he was the first real friend Ruby had ever made on her own, she had a feeling that her little sister saw him as more than just that.

But does he feel the same way? Yang asked herself as she followed them to one last exhibit, her mind too preoccupied to realize that she was walking into a completely new territory of the zoo. She only looked up when the air started to feel a bit cooler, and the building Sun was leading them into seemed much darker than most of the other exhibits at the zoo. Icebergs and glaciers were painted along the walls of the long hallway, glitter sprinkled about to give the paintings a more realistic glow in the artificial lighting that hung from above. Weird... When did this exhibit get here?

"I was hoping to have Blakey and the new girl with us when I showed you guys this, but..." Sun said as he led them around another corner and to a large, globe-shaped, ice-filled glass case. Inside was a frozen habitat closed off from the rest of the zoo, complete with a small pond that appeared to house a school of fish. Inside of a tunnel built of snow and ice, a family of polar bears could be seen moving around, two cubs playfully chasing each other and jumping over the adults—presumably their parents—to get their attention. "Welcome to the Snow Dome."

Yang's eyes widened as she gazed at the beautiful creatures below, their coats so white and pristine, and their little bodies so filled with energy. "They're... so... cute!"

"The zoo wants to expand this exhibit to include penguins, sea lions, and other arctic animals in the future, but for now, the polar bears have been a great attraction." Sun smiled as he leaned against the glass. "This family of bears was rescued from an isolated oil spill on one of the polar ice caps near the Atlesian oil rigs. They've only been here about three weeks, but they've taken to the habitat like it's their home."

Ruby glanced up at Sun. "Wow, you really know your stuff. And to think you were just a pooper scooper."

He gave her a mock-hurt expression. "Rose, is that really what you think of me?"

"Well, maybe not you, but Neptune totally has the being pooped on part down."

Sun laughed, and Yang once again tuned the two of them out as she continued to watch the cubs in curiosity, one following around the other as it attempted to copy its companion's every move. She admired the way the cubs seemed to learn from each other, never turning the other away even as one would do something rash, like bat the other over the head, or trick each other into slipping into the icy pool below. Something about the white in their fur, and the determination in their youthful eyes, reminded Yang of the heiress back at Beacon Studios, so small, and so delicate, yet so full of energy and motivation to bring Lost & Found to its former glory. And that thought alone was enough to bring a smile to the blonde's face for the remainder of the day, like a promise she herself would make to learn from Weiss, and to never turn her back on true talent again.

"So, what do you guys think?" Sun asked after a few moments, his words barely registering in Yang's mind as she allowed herself to get lost in the extraordinary world before her.

She let out a single, lighthearted breath. "I love it..."