Author's Note: The title is self explanatory. Enjoy!

Betas: Noobalisious and Yuvinile

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY


"Has anyone noticed that the Slayers seem to be really busy lately?"

"Maybe they have tests to prepare for as well," commented Ruby.

"I don't think so. I keep seeing them scramble around all day and they keep having meetings in ASCZ's dorm every other night. I think something is going on."

"Keeping tabs on the Slayers are we . . ." Yang said in a teasing tone making Blake scowl at her.

Blake along with Yang and Ruby had decided to spend their Monday afternoon in the library catching up on some readings assigned by professor Oobleck. It took less than 30 minutes for Yang to drop her textbook and crack open some comic, Ruby close behind. Blake herself had remained focused for about an hour or so before her thoughts began to distract her.

The day Dante suddenly ran out on the Vale trip, he and Lucian had disappeared during the night and didn't reappear until two nights later. She had happened to be out for a moonlight stroll when the Slayers appeared, covered in mud and smelling like fish dragged through a swamp. She had asked why they looked like that but Dante had told her to not worry and immediately returned to his dorm. The following day, he still wouldn't elaborate on the subject only making her worry more. The other Slayers seemed to be just as busy, some not even appearing in their usual positions as teaching assistants.

She wasn't the only one noting the odd behavior but whenever anyone asked the Slayers about it, they never got straight answers. They also seemed to be training heavily, often staying in the arenas or training fields for several hours at a time. At the very least they did remember to take their respective mentees and continue their own training but even then, they were less chatty and seemed to have their focus placed somewhere else.

'Why is this bothering me so much? Maybe I'm looking into it too much . . .' Blake thought as she stared at her book, not registering a single word as she passed over the page.

"Blake? Hey Blake . . . Remnant to Blake . . . Blake!" called Yang as she poked her shoulder.

"What!" she replied irritably.

"You spaced out there," said Ruby with a concerned look.

". . . Sorry . . . just a little preoccupied is all."

"Yeah well, heads up. Looks like we have a pissed-off Ice Queen inbound," said Yang as she pointed towards the library entrance.

Blake watched as Weiss stalked towards them, clearly angered about something as she muttered to herself, too low for Blake's hearing to make out. They remained quiet as the heiress sat down beside Ruby and let out a tired sigh.

"Umm . . . Weiss, what's wrong?" asked Ruby softly.

Weiss gave her a side glance as she took a breath before speaking. "I just finished speaking to my father and I don't like the results of the discussion."

"What was it about?" asked Yang.

"Well, there is an event happening in less than two weeks that I really wanted to attend but my father forbid me," she answered.

"What event?" asked Blake.

"It's called the Crescent Fall Dance. It's a high-class party set to commemorate the official beginning of autumn and this year it is being held near Vale. I was hoping to go this year but it looks like I can't."

"There is a party for the beginning of fall? How come I've never heard of it?" asked Yang.

"Because this party is also a meeting of some of the kingdom's most influential individuals. Company representatives, family heads, and high-ranking military personnel," Weiss explained.

"So why did you want to go?" asked Ruby.

"I wanted to go because as an aspiring huntress and next head of the SDC, meeting these people and forming ties are crucial to future success…" Weiss's cheeks started to gain a pinkish tint "…and since each guest is allowed a plus 1, I had hoped that you would go with me, Ruby."

Ruby looked at her in shock for a few seconds before she smiled widely and gave Weiss a hug.

"Of course I would go with you!" she nearly shouted happily.

Weiss faintly smiled but it didn't last. "We could have gone but now I've been forbidden."

"Kind of makes me feel left out, you planning on taking my sister somewhere without letting me know or inviting the rest of your team," Yang commented sourly.

"Hey, I didn't make the rules and besides, unlike Blake or Ruby, you would not have liked going since you lack decorum and grace," Weiss retorted making Yang stick her tongue out at her.

"Anyways . . ." interjected Ruby before the exchange could escalate ". . . how about we plan something to do together? Vale has a small festival to mark the beginning of fall every year happening around the same time as that party and it lasts for three nights. We could all go together and even invite teams JNPR and CFVY."

"Perhaps the Slayers would be interested in joining as well," Blake added.

"Yeah, it will be fun!" agreed Ruby.

"Well I must admit that it does sound nice. Ok then, we will go and ask around to see if anyone else is interested," said Weiss as she stood up.

The others followed suit and exited the library together. As they passed into one of the open air hallways Blake caught a familiar scent in the air. She stood still, trying to place the direction it was coming from until Yang noticed she had stopped moving.

"Blake, everything ok?" she asked.

"Um . . . yeah, everything is fine. I'll meet up with you girls later," Blake answered as she turned down a corner, heading for the cliffs overlooking the Emerald forest.

" . . . Ok . . ." she heard Yang mumble as she got farther away, more focused on her current objective.

She arrived at the cliffs a few minutes later, a familiar figure sitting on a branch overlooking the cliffs. She walked up to the tree and waited for the Alpha to notice her, not wanting to possibly interrupt his rest.

"You can just hop up here you know," he said without turning to look at her.

She followed his instructions and jumped up, neatly landing beside him and adjusting herself to sit down. Once comfortable she looked at his face. He had his eyes closed, a gentle breeze ruffling his hair as he sighed in content.

"What's up Blake?" he asked.

" . . . Not much," she replied, unsure whether to ask about the strange behavior of the Slayers.

"Wondering what's up with the Slayers?" he asked as he opened his eyes to look at her.

"H-How did you know?" she asked, perplexed as to how Dante knew what was troubling her.

"Pack link," he stated simply.

"What?" she asked, completely confused as to what he meant.

"I haven't really talked to you much about it but when in a pack, depending on the level of trust or closeness of members, you can form a bond through aura that lets you read the emotions of another member. I could feel your discomfort and then guessed what might be troubling you."

"But how did you know it wasn't something else?"

"Because you and plenty of the other students have been asking questions about what we've been doing and you gave off the same feeling every time you asked me about something to do with our current activities."

"So then will you finally give me a straight answer?"

Dante eyed her for a moment, seemingly contemplating whether to answer or not.

"Simply put, we are preparing for a mission," he answered.

"A mission? What is it?" she asked, her curiosity now peaked.

"Sorry but I can't tell you that," he answered.

"Why not?" she asked, slightly annoyed that he wouldn't go into further details.

"Because I can't."

She pouted at him but he just smirked back. She thought back to how Kiara made a kitten face to get him to let go of her ear and tried to copy it. She focused on her eyes, willing them to expand while her ears flattened down under the bow and her bottom lip started to quiver. Dante's smirk instantly disappeared but he still seemed to be holding out.

'Fine, if this isn't enough then I'll do . . . that,' she thought, a blush already beginning to form on her cheeks from the embarrassment that would surely follow.

She leaned closer and placed her hand against his shoulder before locking eyes with him.

"Nyan . . ."

She meowed like a kitten and Dante's reaction was instant. His cheeks darkened as he blushed, trying to say something but couldn't get a word out. 'That's it! Just a little more and he'll crack!'

Before she could make the sound again Dante interrupted "Oh no you don't!"

He brought both his hands up and pinched her cheeks, breaking her concentration so her eyes would revert to normal.

"Oh look at my cute little kitty," he said in a mocking tone while grinning.

"Stop it!" she yelped as she tried to swipe at his hands but he kept dodging and replacing his hands every time.

It lasted for a few more seconds before he finally relented, removing his hands though she kept a careful eye on them, her cheeks cherry red as she pouted even more at him.

"Don't give me that face, you are the one that started it," Dante chuckled.

"Still doesn't make up for it," she mumbled back.

"Fine, next time I'll just go for your ears."

Blake glared at him, trying to tell if it was a tease or legitimate threat.

"You wouldn't dare . . ." she said slowly.

"Are you willing to risk it?" Dante retorted.

Blake maintained the stare for a few seconds before relenting, knowing full well that Dante would do it.

"Hehe . . . don't worry. It's not something I would do in front of others aside from our pack members," he said softly.

"But you did it to Kiara," she interjected.

"Well, Kiara is a big girl and she knew exactly what she was getting herself into. I have no problem doing something embarrassing to her since she won't hold back against me. I'll be far more forgiving with you or Velvet."

Blake faintly smiled before speaking "Thanks for that."

"No problem," he replied. He looked back out at the forest for a moment before he knit his eyebrows together, thinking about something. "By the way Blake, I wanted to ask you something."

"What?" she asked.

"How do you feel about Kiara being a new member to the pack?" he asked seriously.

Blake took a moment to think about it. Honestly she had been rather intimidated by Kiara at first and felt something akin to jealousy when Kiara latched on to Dante that night in the cafeteria. It didn't help that she had to watch as Kiara gored Dante's shoulder with her spear. But as the week went by, she started to see how friendly and warm Kiara could be. Kiara also wasn't angered when Blake confronted her about their heritage and how they believed it should be treated.

" . . . At first I was apprehensive but with how things have gone, I'm starting to get more comfortable with her."

Dante seemed relieved with her answer, his expression returning to that of relaxation.

"I'm glad to hear it. I know she can be a handful at times but in the end she really is a warm and caring person," he said.

"Mhmm," Blake agreed as she leaned over and placed her head on Dante's shoulder, enjoying the warmth radiating off him.

"Feeling cuddly are we?" Dante asked in a teasing yet soft tone.

"You said I didn't have to ask and it's been awhile since we've been alone like this," she replied softly.

Dante chuckled softly but didn't make any more comments as he resumed looking at the forest. They stayed silent for some time, enjoying the peace and quiet until Blake remembered the plans her team had made.

"Hey Dante."

"Yes?"

"I was wondering. The team made a plan to attend a festival in Vale and we were wondering if the Slayers would like to go," she said.

"When is the festival?" he asked.

"In about two weeks. Ruby said it lasts for about three days and it will be the first time attending for a lot of us. It would really mean a lot to us if you guys came along."

Dante sighed softly before speaking. "I'm not too sure about that. It sounds like this festival falls on a bad time for us."

Blake raised her head to look at him. He looked genuinely sorry about telling her it wouldn't work out.

"Is it the mission?" she asked, already suspecting it as the prime reason as to why they couldn't go.

Dante nodded slowly.

"But the festival lasts for several days . . . your mission can't take that long," she said softly.

"I don't know if there will be any complications. I wouldn't want to bring your hopes up just to let you down."

"But you guys are the elites. There's no way anything could slow you down."

" . . . I don't know . . ."

"Please . . ." she almost begged.

She wanted to spend real quality time with everyone, her pack in particular. The chance to enjoy a festival, something she had never been able to experience as a child, with a team that accepted her and her new family found through the pack was something she did not want to let slip by.

She looked into his eyes for what felt like hours until he broke the stare with a sigh before speaking.

"Who could say no to that face," he said softly. "I'll try and get us back on time. We won't make the first day for sure but if everything goes according to plans than we will be back by the second night."

He smiled at Blake. She returned the gesture and then pulled him into a hug, her face buried in the crook of his neck.

"Thank you," she said warmly, already looking forward to the festival and the memories it would bring.

Dante returned the hug, a tricky maneuver considering their seats, and remained there for a few moments before slowly releasing the hug.

"By the way, I know this is a little odd but could you not tell the others we have a mission?"

"Why?" she asked.

"Because you aren't supposed to know about it. It's already a stretch that I told you. Can you promise not to tell?"

Blake thought about it for a moment before she nodded. "I promise I won't tell but you have to promise to make it to the festival," she said as she raised her right pinky.

Dante looked at her finger for a moment before he smiled and locked his pinky with hers.

"It's a pinky promise then."


*Time skip two weeks, day of Crescent Fall Dance*

"I must say, you look rather stunning tonight Ms. Sapphirus."

"Didn't think you were one for flattery, Ozpin."

"Everything in moderation more like it," Ozpin retorted as he sipped from his mug.

'Then show up without that coffee mug for once,' Athena mused as she waited for her ride to arrive. It was around 5 pm and her fellow Slayers were late. To prepare for the night's operation, Havasu and Thantos had left two days prior since the staff for the event stayed in the building. Lucian, Crato, and Kiara left for Vale a few hours ago to pick up a limo Havasu had set up as their transport. That left Athena and Dante to get ready for pick up before they started the three hour drive to the dance.

Ozpin had taken the liberty of seeing them off and now stood with Athena as she waited in a small courtyard beside the only road that lead up to Beacon. While the main entrance and courtyard were aimed at the north facing Vale and the airships, Beacon had a small road along the east side mainly used for small shipments and private visits. The Slayers had decided that a discreet exit along the road would be simpler than leaving as a group on a transport and drawing attention to themselves.

She looked down at her dress, hoping she hasn't overdressed for the occasion. Lucian had said to pull out any stops and dress to impress. She had gone with a black dress that reached just past her knees with a slit down her right thigh, closely hugging her frame to show off her figure. It was sleeveless, held up by a cloth collar that connected to the dress with a black lace material. The actual dress itself started just at her chest, more revealing than what she would normally wear, and is open backed. To accompany the look, she had her hair braided in a French style with a silver band tying the end and black heels. She had similar bands around her biceps, each with an insignia carved in looking like the shattered moon.

She had matching silver earrings shaped like crescent moons and black gloves reaching her elbows. The last steps was a light amount of makeup, cherry red lipstick and her contacts to make her eyes look emerald green rather than their regular sapphire blue but she would put them on once they arrived. She also had a small hand pursue to carry the contacts, her scroll, and her invitation.

"Where is he?" she muttered to herself, wondering what was taking Dante so long.

She had dressed in Kiara's room since Kiara had wanted to help with makeup and so forth but after she finished the trickier bits, she returned to her dorm to finish dressing. When she got there, Dante was locked up in the bathroom doing something and told her to go on ahead. That had been nearly thirty minutes ago and she was starting to get impatient and Ozpin glancing at her between sips of his coffee was not helping.

She heard some footsteps coming from the other side of the courtyard and looked but was met with multiple people approaching, none of whom were her partner. It was team RWBY, dressed in outing clothes, walking towards her.

Once they got close Ruby was the first to speak. "Wow Athena, you look amazing!"

"Who are you trying to impress?" Yang said as she looked her up and down.

"Just felt like dressing up is all," she lied.

The last few weeks had been tricky with the students constantly asking what they had planned, especially after turning down the invitation for the Vale festival. Dante had negotiated with them and set it on everyone going together on the second or last day of the festival, after each set of Slayers returned from their respective 'missions'.

The girls didn't look too convinced until Weiss turned and noticed Ozpin for the first time.

"Oh, hello professor Ozpin," Weiss greeted politely. The other three followed suite before returning their attention to Athena.

"So why are you waiting out here anyway?" asked Yang.

"Oh, just waiting for Dante," she responded.

Yang smirked at that, Ruby and Weiss giggling as well while Blake just raised an eyebrow at her. It took her a few seconds to register what she just said and what it sounded like.

She waved a hand in front of her as she tried to explain. "That's not what I meant. It's not like we are going on a date or anything," she said, even as a blush started to form on her cheeks.

"Are you sure?" persisted Yang in a teasing tone.

"Sure about what?" said a new person.

Athena and team RWBY nearly jumped at the sudden appearance of the man. Athena looked at him closely before she placed the voice.

"D-Dante?" she asked in disbelief.

The man grinned, a toothy smile she could never mistake. It was Dante but at the same time it wasn't. He was dressed in a full butler suite. A black coat and pants, the coat open at his chest revealing a black vest, pristine white collared shirt and a jet black tie. The coat had silver buttons at the front and along the sleeve and cuffs. He also had a small silver chain connected to one of the buttons, the other end flowing into a pocket at the front. He was also wearing black gloves and black shoes but what caught Athena's attention the most was his hair.

Rather than the usual silver hair that was his trademark, he now had black hair combed to his right side, mostly obscuring his right eye from view. This gave him an intimidating look, shrouded in mystery.

"Wow . . ." some of the girls mumbled in unison, shocked by Dante's change in appearance.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he said with a smirk as he looked at Athena. "You look stunning by the way."

"T-Thank you" she replied as her blush deepened.

"Why the black hair?" asked Ruby as she stared.

"Just felt like it would complete the look," he replied.

"Interesting choice," Ozpin commented as he took another sip of his coffee with a very amused look in his eyes.

"So where are you girls headed?" asked Dante as he turned back to them.

"We are going to the opening for the fall festival," answered Weiss.

"Wish you guys could come along," Ruby added with a pout.

Dante stepped closer and patted her head affectionately as he said, "We'll make it later on, don't worry."

It made Ruby smile faintly but she still looked slightly saddened.

"Now get going or you'll miss the airship," he instructed gently.

The girls waved goodbye as they, Blake lingering the longest before Dante nodded reassuringly to her for her to leave. Once they were out of sight Ozpin spoke.

"It seems the students have grown attached to you," he said.

"Can't say the feeling isn't mutual," Dante replied back softly.

Ozpin began to lightly chuckle as he walked away, stopping momentarily to call back "I wish you an uneventful night," and resumed walking.

"Its creepy hearing him use sarcasm," Dante commented.

"Yep," Athena agreed, still staring at Dante's hair.

He noticed her gaze and lightly poked her in the side. "Is it really that interesting?" he asked.

"Stop it . . ." she said as she pushed his hand away, ". . . it's just really different from what I'm used to is all."

"Should I keep it?" he asked.

"No, it looks nice but I like the silver hair more," she responded.

"As you command, my lady," he responded with a bow.

She chuckled at his funny manner of bowing. 'I need to stop laughing every time he does that' she thought as she returned her attention to the road. She could make out some headlights approaching meaning that the rest of their team was about to arrive.

The dark limo rolled to a stop in front of them and Dante stepped forward before opening the door and gesturing for Athena to walk in, a hand extended to help her in. She appreciated the offer and took his hand as she stepped into the spacious car, seating herself on the back seat. Dante came in right behind and sat beside her before closing the door.

Athena looked across from her to see Kiara and Lucian seated as well. Kiara was in an all-black leather suite, no traceable markings anywhere and her hair was tied into a ponytail, a small knife strapped to her shin. Lucian sat beside her, dressed almost identical to Dante, even to the change in hair color, though instead of a regular tie, it is a bowtie and he was wearing his black rimmed glasses. She also noticed that his ears were tucked down while his hair was brushed back, obscuring his ears from notice unless she carefully looked for them.

Lucian smirked at them before he tiled his head back and knocked on the window separating the cab from the driver. The window slide to the side and Crato appeared, dressed like an official chauffeur with a wicked grin.

"Ready to party?" he asked excitedly.

"Always am," Dante replied.

"Then let's go," Crato continued as he turned and closed the window.

As the car started moving Lucian looked over the group before focusing on Athena.

"Ready?" he asked.

"As I'll ever be," she responded. "Are you?"

"Yes, ma'am," he responded with a grin.

"Then let's enjoy the night, Claude," she said, using his alias name making him widen his grin.

She then turned to Dante, his appearance cool and collect like the butler he was supposed to emulate. He noticed her look and glanced at her.

"I'm at your beck and call, my lady . . . Elizabeth," he said smoothly.

"I expect nothing less from you . . . Sebastian."


Author's Rant: Next chapter, the mission finally!

Hope everyone is getting excited! Favorite~Follow~Review~Comment (even what you don't like)

Till next time! (hopefully soon)