'Hazredous' Interruptions
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha / RWBY
Chapter 26 - The King is in Check
"Lieutenant, we weren't expecting you. Is there a problem?"
Vita snapped off a short salute, as protocol dictated, and Sentra did her the courtesy of returning it. "Nothing anyone did wrong, ma'am. Just here to retrieve Shamal."
"At ease." Sentra nodded, jerking a thumb toward the back of the vault. "She's still at it. Roland said she was up for his entire shift."
"Aaand that's why I'm here." Vita strode past the section leader. "Oy! Shamal! Time to go, the dance is in three hours!"
The knight looked up in surprised consternation. "What? But I'm still working!"
"When's the last time you slept, Shamal?" Vita practically stomped her way over to the blonde. "You need a nap, and you've gotta be at the dance so people don't ask questions about where you've been!"
"I really don't think that's necessa- wh- hey! Vita! VITA! Unhand me, you miscreant!"
"Nope! If I have to suffer through this shit, I'm not going to be the only one! And Lindy said to make sure you're there!"
Sentra watched in amusement as Vita threw the protesting blonde over her shoulder, about-facing and hauling her toward the elevator. Shamal kicked and struggled, pounding her fists on Vita's back. "We'll still be here tomorrow, don't worry. Roland has Lancelot covering the fridge with his autoguard full time."
The Knight of the Lake didn't seem to hear her. "Vita! Put me down!"
The redheaded knight had a shit-eating grin on her face as she passed Sentra, a cheerful bounce to her step. "This is awesome! It's fun being tall."
The door was locked. The curtain was drawn, blocking the view into the room from outside. Signum stood in front of Hayate's tri-fold mirror, hands on her hips and scowling at her nearly nude reflection. Laevatein hung around her neck, waiting.
The device glowed at her command, and the suit and tie intended for Beacon's male student body phased into being around her with a pink flash of light. Signum straightened her back and gave the lapels of the jacket a sharp tug, appraising the fit.
She looked great, she knew that. The poise gained through centuries would let her wear a burlap sack and still turn heads. But something about it was just… off. Wrong.
With an irritated wave of her hand, the suit scattered into motes of pink light, reforming into the short, thigh-length black tunic dress that she awoke in to each new master. At least the color is right. Black is simple and easy.
Signum rubbed her face. Why can't I make a decision? There was a tension in her thoughts, just enough to make them hum and scatter in her mind. Her left leg jittered even when standing still, and there was an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach; an urgency she couldn't put a name to, almost like she had to eat or use the bathroom but she needed to do neither.
Another wave of her hand, and Laevatein pulled the newest image from her and rendered it into form; another suit jacket, but with a more feminine cut, accentuating her admittedly modest curves; reducing her age to seventeen years had done her no favors in that area. She couldn't put a finger on why it bothered her, and the very fact that it did bother her… annoyed her even further.
Again, the suit looked good on her, but it wasn't right. Signum shattered the spell with a curse, leaving her standing in her underwear once more.
There was a knock on the door. Signum glanced around, making sure that every mote of light had vanished. "Enter."
The door unlocked, and Hayate bustled through, waving her scroll at the latch to lock it again behind her. "Hey Signum. Need to get changed, mind if I use the bathroom?"
"By all means." She didn't mean to make the words sound short, but a bit of her irritation bled through into her tone.
Hayate paused, tilting her head. "Something wrong?"
Signum frowned, crossing her arms under her chest. "I… cannot decide what to wear. Nothing looks proper, and I cannot settle on a style of jacket to wear."
The tiny brunette rested her chin in her palm, tapping a finger to her cheek in thought. "Hmm. Two things, I think. One, it sounds like you're nervous."
Signum's eyes widened, and she looked at herself in the mirror again, skeptically.. "Nervous? Preposterous."
"How many dates have you gone on?"
"I have lost track, to be honest."
Hayate rolled her eyes. "How many dates have you gone on that a Master of the Book of Darkness didn't order you to go on?" She stopped, and for a moment Hayate looked more than a little discomfited. "I… I'm sorry, that came out horribly and-"
Signum waved it off; she knew Hayate made an effort to not remind them of their pasts unnecessarily. She processed the question, blinking a few times. "I…" She lowered her head, bullying her memories into providing the answer. "None," she eventually was forced to admit.
"Okay, well. Do you like Neptune? Or did you just accept his invitation because you find it amusing that he was willing to ask?" Hayate tilted her head. She wasn't being judgmental, merely curious.
It didn't take Signum long to come up with the words to voice her answer. "I believe he is worth making a true effort."
Hayate smiled. "Well then. Let's run through a few ideas together, hmm?" She stepped up behind Signum, turning her back toward the mirror. "Oh, and the second thing, by the way?"
Signum faced the mirror, letting her arms fall to her sides. "Yes?"
"No suit, no jacket, no collar, and no pants."
Signum huffed. "Zafira gets to wear a suit."
"Zafira's a boy. You're a beautiful woman. You're wearing a dress, Signum."
The airship pulled into Beacon's port with lethargic grace, and the doors opened to disgorge its cargo of passengers onto the campus.
"You be careful in there tonight, okay sweetie? You never know what kind of crazy people might be at that dance." Hopefully there wouldn't be any trouble. Her cover identity was well-established this time, and not just an off-the-cuff change to her hair and eyes. "While you're having fun, I'm just gonna be poking at the thing we found in the woods, so call me if you need me."
She smiled brightly up at him, wide green eyes full of cheer, and nodded enthusiastically. Black bangs styled into spiraled curls bounced with the motion.
Torchwick wanted to grin, but he put on a concerned expression anyways. "Do you have everything you need?"
She nodded, making a bored face. A small recording device was lifted from her handbag, then slipped back away.
"If something bad happens you know where to meet me, right?"
Another nod as she pointed at his boots; first the left, then the right, followed by a flapping motion with one hand as she drew herself up imperiously.
"Good, good. And you are packing protection, right? Just in case things get a little frisky?"
She rolled her eyes, producing a switchblade from between her breasts before tucking it back in place. It vanished into her cleavage.
Torchwick had to admit to himself that he was impressed. That wasn't exactly a small knife. Still… two can play that game. "Not exactly the kind of protection I was talking about, kiddo." He pulled a strip of packaged condoms from his pocket and dropped it into her handbag.
Neo's eyes boggled, and she glanced around hurriedly to make sure no one else had seen. She balled up a tiny fist and slugged him in the side. Torchwick laughed, reveling in the victory.
He sobered after a moment, though. "Seriously, squirt. Have fun, but be careful in there. If you need me, don't hesitate to send a message out." I don't know what I'd do without you if something happened.
She met his eyes for a moment, then bulled into him and hugged him tightly, reassuringly. Then she was gone, flouncing off toward Beacon with a skip to her step.
Beacon's second-semester dance was always an event of note each year. The ballroom had always been the best venue for the occasion in years past, but Ruby and Weiss had lobbied hard for use of Beacon's main auditorium for the current year, quoting that they'd be able to do so much more with the extra room.
While the itemized list of expenses that Weiss had submitted, which had been nearly an order of magnitude more expensive than any previous year, had been daunting, she'd also made the poignant observation that Beacon was hosting students from across Remnant this year in preparation for the Vytal festival. 'Lien does no good sitting in a bank account collecting dust,' she'd said. 'Grandiose gestures can be an investment in their own right. Think of the PR.'
Ozpin was quite pleased to see that his trust hadn't been misplaced. The auditorium was nearly unrecognizable; the walls were swathed in tasteful draperies and trappings, and the excess of tables lining the walls were covered in fine cloth and candle settings. The dance floor alone was nearly the size of the ballroom itself, and up on the stage a live band was setting up their instruments and equipment. One side of the huge room even boasted a second floor balcony just for the occasion, not a hint of its rushed construction apparent. The contractors had done an amazing job.
Trust a Schnee to get things done with a big enough expense account, he mused. The event wasn't even restricted to the auditorium itself; tents and awnings covered the grounds outside the main entrance, providing space for the attendees to get fresh air while still feeling that they were part of the festivities.
"I have to admit I'm impressed, Headmaster." Glynda was already attired for the dance, in a floor-length dress of deep purple trimmed in gold. "They even managed to get you to dress for the occasion." Her tone was vaguely amused.
It was true; He'd forgone his usual jacket and pants, and was instead sporting a black tuxedo for the affair. His one nod to his usual appearance was his bowtie; a strong forest green, the color of Beacon's own symbol. "With all the effort they've put forth, it would have been remiss of me to not reciprocate, don't you think?"
"Of course."
Ozpin offered his arm, quirking a small grin. Glynda rested her hand on his forearm, and they walked inside.
Yang Xiao Long was waiting just inside behind a small podium, resplendent in burnished gold. "Headmaster Ozpin, Professor Goodwitch! You look great!" She offered the guest book, smiling as bright as the sun.
Ruby did her best to keep her face still, staring at the mirror and tilting her head obligingly whenever Weiss' nudged her in one direction or another.
It was weird. Ruby almost never wore makeup at all; the most she would usually do was her favorite brand of strawberry-flavored chapstick, and she would wholeheartedly admit that chapstick simply didn't count. So watching as her features were expertly accentuated by eyeliner and lipstick and a hint of foundation was very strange.
On top of that was the sensation of Weiss' fingers touching the bare skin of her face. It wasn't unpleasant, persay. It was actually kind of nice-
She grabbed at the first thing that came to mind to distract herself. "How did you get so good at this? Didn't you have, uhm… attendants to do it for you?"
Weiss hummed a little to herself, tilting Ruby's head back. "Close your eyes." Ruby did so, and she felt a softness over her eyelids as Weiss delicately brushed on eyeshadow. "Winter was always happy to let me practice on her before she left for Atlas Academy. I made the effort to keep practicing when I could."
"Oh. Because you knew that when you went to Beacon you would have to do it yourself?"
Weiss laughed lightly, and her touch faded. Ruby found herself missing it. "I wish I could claim to have been so foresighted. No, I kept up with it because I knew I wasn't supposed to. It was one of my first little acts of defiance. Not that anyone ever knew, though. It was my little secret. Open your eyes, tell me what you think?"
She did so. Weiss had stepped back and was appraising her handiwork. Ruby looked into the mirror, and she had to keep herself from touching her face. "...wow. I look like a different person almost."
"It's not so different, you're just not used to it. I didn't really do all that much, you know. Just enough to accentuate, not to cover up what's there." Weiss started packing away her makeup kit, her back to Ruby. "It'd be a crime to, really. You're a pretty girl when you let yourself be, Ruby."
Ruby felt her cheeks heat, and she gripped the chair in both hands to keep from covering her face. Her eyes ran up the curve of snowflakes flowing up the sheer paneling of the back of Weiss' dress. "M-maybe. You're always a pretty girl though."
Weiss' shoulders tensed up for a moment before relaxing, and the heiress straightened. "Of course. A Schnee always has to be her best, after all."
There was a moment of silence. Ruby got to her feet, letting herself sway for a moment to get used to her heels, then took a few steps forward. "Well, uhm… you definitely are tonight."
Weiss smiled a little at the compliment, giving her styled hair one last glance in the mirror. "Shall we go witness the hell that we've unleashed?" She glanced pointedly at the dance planning binder, thrown carelessly onto her bed.
Ruby grinned. "We shall!"
It had taken about half an hour to help Signum settle on a dress she was satisfied with. The senior Wolkenritter had been surprisingly adamant about wanting to decide for herself instead of letting Hayate pick for her, but eventually she'd settled on one of many subtle variations of the little black dress, and she made it look good.
Now all four of her knights were in the room with her, and Shamal was helping her into her own dress for the evening; a deep, wine red evening gown with a dark purple ribbon tied into a bow around her ribs, and matching opera gloves.
The Knight of the Lake herself was wearing a demure green dress, layered fabrics giving her more of a fairy-tale princess look than any of the others. Zafira was comfortable in his suit and bowtie, but Vita…
"Vita, what exactly are you wearing?"
"Fun, Hayate." The Iron Hammer Knight's crimson dress was provocative, just a few steps shy of scandalous. A deep V-cut neckline, bare shoulders, and a skirt that was cut high on one hip… Hayate had only glanced for a moment before looking resolutely at the wall. "I'm wearing fun."
"Right, of course. I expect you to behave yourself, Vita."
The redhaired knight grumbled, crossing her arms under her- Oh, that's a lovely discoloration on the wall, I'm going to keep staring at it. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be good, promise."
Shamal lightly patted her shoulder. "All done."
"Wonderful! You four go on ahead, I just need to do my makeup and I'll be right behind you!" Hayate smiled at her knights and shooed them out the door, shutting it behind them.
Hayate waited ten long seconds, ten seconds where she didn't even dare to breathe. Then she relaxed, air rushing from her lungs. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand, and thankfully her hand came away clean. "Kami-sama, she's trying to kill me."
Ren and Nora had run off in front; well, Nora had run off in front, dragging Ren by the hand. Jaune followed behind, much more sedately, with his hands in his pockets and taking the time to enjoy the evening air. Pyrrha had urged him to go on ahead, saying she needed a few more minutes to get ready.
A fair number of students had already arrived. They were scattered in small groups across the grounds in front of the auditorium wearing black tuxedos or colorful dresses, and many more students were visible through the open doors. Yang stood just inside, smiling at him as she offered the guestbook. "Looking good, Jaune!"
He smiled back as he signed. "I'm not the only one. You look amazing."
Her smile turned into a wide grin. "Damn straight. You should turn around, by the way."
"I should?" Jaune glanced over his shoulder, and for a moment every thought fled from his head. He was transfixed by the sight before him.
Pyrrha was standing behind him, a vision of beauty in a floor length red gown that clung to every curve. The rest of the sounds around him faded, and he could only hear the sharp tac of her heels on the floor as she walked up to him. Her smile was radiant, lips as red as her dress parting and shaping into… into…
She said something. She said something and I have no clue what she said. Jaune did the only thing he could, and with as much control as he could muster, he asked her to repeat herself. "Bwuh?"
...that was not the thing to say.
But apparently it was the right answer after all. Pyrrha's smile became a delighted laugh, and she took the pen from his slackened grip. "I said thank you for waiting, Jaune. Shall we go in?" She signed her name into the book.
"I, uh. I mean, yeah!" Jaune offered his arm, and Pyrrha's hand settled on it. "In we go!"
The bullhead set down easily on the landing pad. Winter cast one last glance at her reflection, making sure her dress whites were immaculate, then let the sheet of ice melt away and opened the side door. "Sergeant. We've arrived."
"Thank you, Specialist." The white-haired… girl... was garbed in a simple, sleeveless black dress from collar to ankles. Years seemed to have melted from her face and frame, and looked for every intent like a fresh-faced girl the same age as Winter's sister.
Winter had passed it off as a trick of the light, a combination of attire and the dim lighting in the Arthra's hangar. Now, though, along the brightly lit paths of Beacon's main campus? She couldn't deny that the sergeant was younger than she had been. "...aren't you… my age, Yagami?"
The sergeant laughed politely behind her hand. "That depends entirely on which metric you're using, Schnee." There was no one close enough to eavesdrop, so she continued. "Technically I'm four years old, but I have a lot of inherited data. I'd almost call them memories, but they're in compressed storage so I have to make an effort to sort through them. I honestly couldn't tell you what all I can remember off the top of my head."
"That's… interesting." Winter nodded slowly as they walked down the path. "Though it still doesn't explain how you actually made yourself younger."
The white-haired Yagami skipped ahead a few steps, spun to face Winter, and threw her hands in the air menacingly. "This isn't even my final form!"
Winter tilted her head while looking directly at the young woman. "What."
Yagami started laughing, and wiped her eyes carefully. "No, really. I'm a construct, similar to the other Wolkenritter. My physical body is a solid projection of energy, and therefore somewhat malleable."
"...convenient. So Signum, for example-"
"Is not normally a girl on the cusp of adulthood either." Yagami smiled. "She doesn't get any taller, though."
The path curved, and the auditorium grounds came into view. Winter raised her eyebrows appreciatively at the scene. "I see my sister took her role seriously."
"It's very nice. I went to the Navy Ball two years ago, but that's the only other formal dance I've attended." Yagami tilted her head for a moment, then smiled. "Penny's already inside with General Ironwood. Shall we?"
She took a moment to go over her checklist, making sure she had everything she needed and that everything was prepared.
Her scroll was in her pocket. Her black hair was wrapped in a tight bun, held securely in place by pins of jagged obsidian. She was swathed in black from head to toe, and smoked lenses hid her eyes.
Looking at her reflection in the window of an empty classroom, Cinder was completely unrecognizable; Just a patch of shadow cut from the night. I can't believe I was thinking about being that overt for a stealth infiltration. That's stress for you.
She'd put some thought into her plans for the night, and she realized that there was absolutely no need to deal with the guards Ironwood posted around the CCTS tower. Leaving a trail of bodies, whether dead or just unconscious, would have only made the headmasters and their pawns more suspicious than they already had to be.
A week ago, she'd been looking forward to beating the stuffing out of a couple hapless soldiers. But a week ago, she'd been floating in stress up to her eyeballs. It's amazing what a good laugh can do for your state of mind. Thank you, Hayate Yagami.
Getting to the tower was the easy part. Instead of jumping from rooftop to rooftop, silhouetted against the sky for all and sundry to see, she stuck to the shadows. The barest whisper of black on black.
The patrols around the tower were fairly alert, she had to give them that. But the tower was also large, and there were gaps in their movements that she could exploit. It only took a few moments to slip past them, and instead of going for the main doors she moved around the back for a maintenance entrance.
The door was locked, of course. A flick of her fingers called forth slim hooks of black glass, and she slid them into the lock. A few minor alterations to the shape of the glass picks had the lock clicking open satisfyingly. She melted back into the shadows as a pair of soldiers passed by, just in time, and then had an easy ten seconds to open the door and squeeze inside.
The elevators were all shut down, except for the single one being used by the soldiers that she knew were inside. She walked up to the door, pressing the call button. Glass claws formed around her fingers, and she jumped up and hooked them into the decorative mantle above the elevator door, swinging her feet up just as it opened. She held herself there, upside down.
A soldier poked his head out of the elevator, cautiously. He stepped out, rifle up and glancing around, followed by his partner. They were alert, spooked by the elevator moving on its own.
But they never looked up, and they never looked back. Cinder uncoiled silently, swinging her legs through the door and keeping her grip on the top of the frame, planting her feet on each side of the elevator box in an uncomfortable split. Grimacing at the strain, she pushed open the elevator's top hatch and hauled herself through.
She heard the soldiers' voices, moving back toward the elevator. She closed the hatch, waiting.
Muffled voices, wondering what the issue was. "Probably needs maintenance. Report it in the morning?"
Perfect.
Cinder waited longer, but the elevator didn't rise. The guards seemed content to stay on the ground floor for the time being.
Dammit. This is going to be a long climb. She jumped off the top of the elevator box onto the service ladder, then started her way up. Aura gave her the strength and endurance to haul herself up the rungs in leaps and bounds, a half-dozen at a time.
Reaching the communications floor, she grabbed the doors' manual release and pried them open a scant inch, peeking through.
The floor was completely deserted. She hauled the doors open the rest of the way, and stepped through. Her scroll slotted cleanly into the reception console. She typed away at the keyboard, grinning underneath her mask. Too easy.
The display flashed, and the Black Queen icon imposed itself on her vision. Behind her, screen after screen lit up and displayed the icon for a moment before they all shut back down.
Cinder slid her scroll back into her pocket, hurrying back to the elevator and into the shaft. She pulled the doors closed, then started sliding down the ladder rails with more than a little haste. The top of the elevator car came into view, quickly approaching as she descended. Plenty of time to get back, but no sense in wasting- Fuck!
She wrapped her arms around the rails and pulled herself desperately against the ladder, pressing her hips and thighs flat against the rungs. She felt the wall of the elevator box slide against her rear, just kissing the leather. Then the box was past, continuing its ascent toward the hub room.
Cinder was left hugging the elevator, breath hitched in her throat. That was… that was almost very unpleasant. Small mercies. She took a moment to compose herself, then continued her slide to the ground floor.
Reaching the end of the ladder, she was about to pry the doors open, but something caught her eye. She looked down, sliding her goggles up to her forehead and conjuring a dim orange flame to illuminate the nearly pitch-black shaft.
"...what's this now?" She asked the gloom. The shaft kept going down, even though the ladder ended there at the ground floor. She couldn't even see the bottom.
Cinder checked her watch, then looked down into the shaft again. Considering.
The dance was in full swing now, hundreds of students from the four Huntsmen Academies laughing and carrying on across the dance floor and throughout the tables. Chrono was standing on the balcony, sipping his glass of wine and watching the students enjoy themselves while the band blasted out another upbeat song.
Amy sidled up next to him, pressing lightly against his side and wrapping an arm around his waist. She was wearing a modestly cut dress the same deep blue as her formal uniform, to which he'd matched his suit's bowtie. She didn't stand out at all amongst some of the more daringly dressed girls, but that didn't matter at all.
He thought she looked ravishing, and the matching rings on their fingers told the world all it needed to know.
She smiled up at him, knowingly. "Not quite as impressive as the Navy Ball two years ago, but the girls know how to throw a good party." The impish look in her eyes was bright and playful.
Chrono chuckled a little, letting her pluck the wineglass from his fingers. He allowed himself to rise to the bait, just a little bit. "To be fair, it's not like we'll be able to end the night quite the same way, either."
Amy sipped the wine, pressing her hip against his. "Oh, I don't know. This is a college campus. There are ways if one is determined."
Chrono quirked a brow. "Are you saying…?"
"Sweetie, you're not the only one frustrated at having to sleep in the same room as your mother."
Ugh. These kids. They're all so… happy.
Emerald sighed internally, moving slowly between the groups and packs of students outside the dance floor. It wasn't everyone, but more than a few students were giving her skewed glances and then closing ranks. The guarded treatment given to them by the refugees had colored the perceptions of a large portion of the student population.
On one hand, she didn't really care. But on the other hand, it meant that she was alone in the crowd, except for Mercury.
She glanced over her shoulder at her grey-haired 'partner,' where he was standing by himself near the punch bowl with a cup in hand.
No, she was very much alone in the crowd. Asshole.
She let the snippets of conversation wash over her. Off to one side, Hayate Yagami was apologizing to the leader of JNPR, something about a rocket locker and how it was 'meant for someone else.' He laughed it off, and smiled at Pyrrha Nikos. The Mistralian champion smiled back at him, green eyes shining. Ugh, it's true. What does she even see in him?
A bit further away, the blonde Harlaown and Taka- Takamakka? No, that's not right… Taka… Taki… Gah. Nanoha- Nanoha were heading out onto the dance floor, absolutely eye-catching in their respective gold and garnet dresses. Emerald scowled. I am not jealous of Fate's figure. I am not jealous of Fate's figure.
Yeah, and Mercury's the nicest guy you know. Keep telling yourself that, Sustrai. She sighed again, turning away from the scene and wandering on.
Cinder was sneaking into the CCT tower, she knew, but even if the older woman had been there Emerald would still be alone. She hadn't so much as exchanged a greeting with Cinder outside of the classes they'd been required to attend, trying to keep up the cover of out-of-favor teammates. Still, she should be finishing up any time now… I hope there wasn't trouble-
A sharp motion caught her attention out of the corner of her eye, and she turned to see that damned Faunus girl arguing quietly with Yuuno. The bespectacled young man shook his head, giving Arf's shoulder a squeeze, then stepped past the orange-haired woman.
She realized he was walking toward her. "Emerald?"
"Yuuno. You look good in that suit." It wasn't a lie. He wore it well.
"It's the same one that all the other guys are wearing." He shrugged, modestly. "I noticed you were alone, and… well, I've known how it feels." He offered his hand. "Care to dance?"
I'm not turning red. I am not turning red. Son of a bitch.
Behind him, Arf's stare was as sharp as her fangs, but she didn't interrupt. Her lips moved, silently. One dance.
Emerald gave the Faunus a tiny, acknowledging nod, and then accepted the offered hand. "Just like sparring, then?"
He smiled. "It's always more fun with someone else."
Signum sipped her cup of punch, noting but not commenting on the slight burn of spirits mixed into it. To one side of her were Jaune and Pyrrha, and to her other side was Vasilias-
...do I keep calling him that? Technically this is a date. Should I refer to him by his given name? She stared into her punch for a moment, pondering on that thou-
"Signum?"
"Yes, Vasilias?"
For an instant he looked just a little bit stricken.
Jaune caught his expression, and reached over Signum's head to pat him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, man. She uses last names for everyone."
"I guess that makes sense, then." Neptune grinned, the look on his face vanishing. "Should I call you Yagami, then?"
"Signum is fine."
"Do as you say, not as you do. Got it." His voice held the slightest teasing note, and Pyrrha actually giggled.
Signum frowned. "It is a… show of respect, for me to do such. I was raised-" She caught herself, grimacing. Vasilias wasn't in the know, and it was a fine line to explain without revealing too much. "-in a very… old fashioned manner, Vas- Neptune."
"It's no problem, don't worry about it." Neptune sipped his punch, still grinning. "Better than 'Hey you,' after all."
"Indeed."
Signum glanced around for a moment, looking up at the three of them in turn. Her lips turned down a little.
"What's wrong?" Pyrrha asked.
"It is nothing of importance. I just… realized that you are all very tall, and I am not."
Her date- Neptune, not Vasilias, she reminded herself- laughed. "Don't worry about that, Signum. It's actually pretty cute."
What. "I am not cute."
"Right now? You kind of are, Signum." Testarossa smiled at her as she and Takamachi joined them. "You can be short with us, though."
"Mou, Arf looks like she's about to bite someone's head off- oh my, Yuuno's dancing with Emerald." Nanoha sounded concerned.
They all turned to look, just in time to see the dance end. Emerald gave Yuuno a small, grateful smile, then stepped back with a cautious glance at Arf. The familiar wasted no time in stalking forward, grabbing Yuuno by the shoulders and pulling him into a kiss. After only a moment's hesitation from the surprise, he kissed back.
Nanoha's cup of punch dropped from her suddenly limp hand. "Nani?" Fate caught it without even looking.
Arf broke the kiss, glaring around at everyone watching. Her tail lashed side to side, held high and rigid. "Dibs," she growled.
Fate sipped her own punch, and her quiet voice was clear in the silence. "I was wondering when she was going to finally get around to marking him in public."
There were over a dozen other students in easy earshot. They all turned their heads to look at Fate, scandalized.
"Fate!" Pyrrha whispered, urgently. "Not the best phrase to use!"
The blonde realized her mistake and blushed. "I, I mean, uhm-"
"What?!" Arf snapped at them all, bristling. "It's true! It's none of your collective business, people!"
"Except for you calling 'dibs,' " Signum remarked.
"Except for me calling dibs."
How deep does this go? Cinder thought, projected yet another chain of obsidian links and hooking it securely. She'd dropped well over a hundred yards below ground, and there was only blackness above and below her. Only the tiny ghost-flame orbiting around her head provided light.
Minutes more passed, time filled by only moving down lengths of glass, hand under hand. Finally, she reached the bottom; a single set of sliding doors waited for her. There was no manual release.
Cinder hadn't come this far to be stopped, though. Whatever was down here was not in the CCT tower's blueprints, which meant it had to be something both secret and important. She made yet another construct of obsidian; a crowbar, far stronger than it had any right to be. She wedged it carefully into the part between the doors, and forced them open a scant inch. They didn't make a sound, so she risked one more. Leaving the bar in place, she leaned close and peered through.
The gap revealed an immense hallway, dimly illuminated by indirect lighting and tall enough that the ceiling was lost in the darkness. It was hundreds of feet long; she couldn't even see to the far end.
A wave of her hands summoned forth a pair of small glass lenses, curved just so. Holding them to her eye, one in front of the other, she moved them apart slowly and steadily.
The end of the huge corridor leapt into focus, magnified tenfold by the impromptu spyglass in her hands. She saw… machinery. A large device with hallmarks of Atlas technology adorning its frame, and smaller consoles and devices the like of which she'd never seen before were arrayed in front of it. To one side, she could see a wooden shipping crate labeled with Atlas markings. There were two people there; a brown haired man standing guard and a black-haired woman sleeping in a chair.
They were all details, inconsequential matters. In a coffin-like tube linked to the large device, Cinder saw her. She felt her gut clench, her heart pound, her very soul strain, reaching out to reunite.
She almost did it. She almost threw the doors apart and charged down the corridor. She wanted to; she wanted to call forth the fire and her obsidian and take what was hers. The barest thread of self-control kept her from doing so, to stay rational when everything she'd worked for was right there.
Think, think, think! Dammit, Cinder! You've waited for over a year to finish this, a little longer won't kill you! She bit her knuckle bloody, focusing on the pain to bully her wayward impulses back in line. You need to show your face at the dance so you have your alibi. The fire in her belly hissed as it died, simmering down to the ever-present coals she lived with.
There's no distraction ready. There are two guards, sleeping in shifts. She'd never seen gear like theirs before; black long coats and judging by the head of the staff held upright by the man, some form of Dust-stave. Fighting Dust-users was always a risky proposition, but a risk that could be taken into account. And if she could neutralize them quickly… The Maidens do not exist, and Ozpin cannot mobilize visibly for something that does not exist.
Cinder cast one last, longing glance through the gap between the doors, then very carefully eased them shut. She dispelled her obsidian as she climbed, leaving no trace of her presence.
Ozpin would break the masquerade to protect the Fall Maiden, but he would not break the masquerade to avenge her. He would cut his losses and try to maintain the status quo.
The climb out of the shaft, away from her goal, was one of the longest moments of her life.
It wasn't bad being part of a group at all, Yang decided. Assisted by the fact that they'd both been tricked into taking Blake to the dance by Hayate and Nora, she and Sun had made a sort of unspoken agreement to not try to make a competition of things. And Blake, the wonderful girl that she was, was reciprocating their good intentions by including both of them in her attentions, not letting one or the other fall to the wayside as the night continued.
While the upbeat songs were easy enough to have fun with on the dance floor, the ones that necessitated having a partner were a little harder to negotiate. Yang and Sun had both stopped and looked at each other for a moment, not quite sure who should step back first… then Yang had just grinned and stepped up to the tall boy herself. Blake had laughed out loud, and dragged Zafira over to be her partner for the moment.
She really is pretty, Yang thought. A slim dress of deep purple, simple and nearly rustic but well cared for. Blake hadn't gone dress shopping with any of them in the weeks leading up to the dance, so Yang could only assume that she'd already owned it. Just like her to save the lien, she snickered, not unkindly.
The music changed to another upbeat number, and they gathered back together. Hayate and Shamal drifted over as well, smiling and laughing.
Then Yang spotted Vita, and her eyes widened. How the- how is she still decent moving around like that? By all rights the redheaded knight's dress should have slipped and exposed her just from walking too quickly, but it stayed stubbornly in place as though it was glued on.
Blake and Sun both saw where she was looking and followed her gaze, and soon the same expression of confused expectation was on their faces as well. Hayate was actually blushing, refusing to look anywhere in Vita's direction. "Now I understand why the Book kept her at ten," she muttered, just loud enough for Yang and Shamal to hear.
"Mmm." Shamal nodded slowly.
Hayate hung her head, ruefully. "We've created a monster."
Moments later, the song ended, and a laughing Vita joined them, still upbeat and bouncy enough that Yang swore Hayate's eyes were going to wobble right out of her head. Yang sidled up next to Vita, throwing an arm around the redhead's shoulders. "Vita, how the hell are you doing that? How are you still decent after all that? Tell me your secrets, woman!"
Vita cackled, and she gave Yang the smuggest grin she'd ever seen. "Magic!"
Winter stopped to let a positively tiny black-haired girl pass by, then continued on her way. She found the people she was looking for a moment later, standing atop the balcony. "General. Admiral."
The TSAB Admiral was wearing a simple blue dress, just stylish enough to fit in without catching the eye at all. She smiled at Winter. "Just Lindy, please."
"Of course. My apologies, Lindy."
Ironwood coughed into his hand. "Specialist. Enjoying yourself?"
"Very much so, sir. Even Atlas Academy never threw a dance quite like this one while I attending. I have to say I'm impressed."
"Indeed. I'm a little disappointed that your sister decided to come here instead of attending Atlas, but," Ironwood paused, rubbing his chin in his hand. "I get the impression that she wouldn't have… flourished the way you did, Schnee. That, and being in the center of the current situation has been very good for her."
"And speaking of, there are our stars of the hour now." Lindy held up her flute of champagne in greeting as Weiss and Ruby joined them on the balcony. "You're two for two now, girls." The younger Schnee and the leader of RWBY both glowed from the praise as they approached.
Winter perked an eyebrow at their attire; the teammates had dressed to kill. Weiss' ice-blue dress was swathed with a curving wave of white snowflake embroidery, covering her from collar to ankle but leaving her shoulders and arms bare. Ruby's black, corset-like bodice and miniskirt were accented by a red rose-petal motif, which swept down one side of the lacey train-like half-skirt that framed her legs, with cuffs on her upper arms above black concert gloves. Their dresses were completely different from each other, but the emblem-like ornamentations held just enough similarity to show to anyone watching that the two were a matched set.
"I'm very pleased that everything went off without a hitch," Weiss said, "but it wouldn't have been nearly as successful without the refugee teams helping out as much as they did. So, thank you, Lindy, for your assistance."
Lindy just smiled wider and held up her champagne in a silent toast.
A cheer broke out down on the dance floor, and Winter turned her head along with the others to look. Students were backing away from the center of the floor, shouting and laughing. In the center, Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos stood side to side with their arms crossed, facing down Penny Polendina and Sergeant Reinforce Yagami. "What on Remnant are those four-"
She was interrupted by the band blasting out the notes of a new song, and the pair of pairs started moving. Ruby squealed, barely remembering to keep from pressing her gloves hands to her cheeks. "Eeeee-they're having a dance off!"
Best. Dance. Ever.
Those were the words that Ruby heard most as she and Weiss did the rounds. Just like the party for the Arthra's crew, except with an order of magnitude more people participating, the two of them circulated around and made certain everyone was having fun. Everything was top-notch; the caterers were from one of the best restaurants in Vale, and the live band was renowned throughout all four kingdoms of Remnant.
It's almost fun being a the hostess, she thought. While needing to walk around and keep their faces visible made her talk to a lot more people than she was used to interacting with, it also was a wonderful reason to stay the hell off the dance floor and not embarrass herself in her heels. She was okay with walking, but dancing? No way.
Luckily, Jaune and Pyrrha were still locked down in an epic dance battle with Penny and Rein, and neither side seemed inclined to lose anytime soon. It was a true battle of beats, with practiced skill and natural chemistry matched up against machine-like precision and wireless coordination.
It was pretty awesome. And everyone knew it was awesome, too, because almost everyone inside the auditorium was trying to get a good view of the action, scrolls out and recording. And because everyone was watching, no one was being left out, and Ruby could finally take a moment to sit down.
So she did. Weiss, being best partner, sat down with her. "I think we set some kind of record here, Weiss."
"We did. This is the most extravagant school dance held at a Huntsman Academy since the Great War." Weiss was more than pleased with how things had turned out, and even she had a smile on her face that wouldn't go away. "Good job, Ruby."
"Good job, Weiss!"
They sat in silence for a long moment, relaxing and watching. One of the band's players had picked up his microphone and was playing the role of commentator for the dance battle, and the heavyset gorilla faunus was hamming it up and making the crowd laugh uproariously.
Motion caught Ruby's eye, and she turned her head. A tiny black-haired girl was circulating around the edge of the crowd, and Ruby couldn't help but notice the tantalizing sway of her hips-
She blinked, and her thoughts stopped hard. What the- I just… I just caught on something. It was the strangest feeling; she knew she'd just made a connection somewhere in her own head, and for the life of her she couldn't figure out what it was. "Hey, Weiss."
"Hmm?"
"Did you see that girl just now? The tiny one?"
"Which one- Oh. Yeah, I see her. I didn't know she was a student."
Her reaction made Ruby frown. "You recognize her?"
"Hard not to. That's the girl that helped show you how to walk in heels yesterday."
Ruby tilted her head, and memories of the way she moved flitted in front of her mind's eye. Fully aware of the fact that she was blushing under her makeup, Ruby shook her head. "But that girl was a redhead."
"...that is a little odd, you're right."
Ruby's frown turned into a pout. "I wish I'd seen her weapon. I can identify anyone by their weapon."
Weiss rolled her eyes, nudging Ruby in the side with her elbow. "Dolt."
It was getting late, and some students had left the auditorium for their dorms. More had moved out of the large chamber to the grounds outside, basking in the cool night air; no matter how large, any chamber would become stuffy with so many bodies inside.
Hayate wandered a looping path through the tables around the dance floor, content to enjoy the moment to herself. Most of the Wolkenritter had returned to their rooms; Vita had taken care of a bowl of spiked punch, and Zafira and Shamal had taken it upon themselves to escort the tipsy redheaded berserker back to her room. Only Signum remained, standing with Neptune next to Yang and Sun and Blake. The stern-faced knight had loosened up just a little bit as the night had worn on, and was actually showing signs of amusement at Yang's jokes and Sun's antics. Hayate drifted by, resting a hand on Signum's arm and smiling at her when their eyes met.
"I should probably warn you, Sig," Sun was saying, "Neptune is an incorrigible flirt."
"You don't even know what incorrigible means!" the blue-haired boy retorted with a mock scowl.
Signum looked back at the monkey faunus, sipping her glass of wine. "I am not concerned. He knows better."
"Ooooooo!" Sun pointed at Neptune and started laughing. "It's been two days and she's already got you whipped!"
Hayate giggled as Neptune's face turned tomato red. She left them behind, not wanting to interfere with Signum's socializing any further. If I stick around she'll be thinking nothing but 'Yes, Mistress' and 'No, Mistress', even if she doesn't outright say it.
Beacon's clock tower tolled, low notes rolling across the campus. Twelve long notes.
"Hayate."
She turned around, raising her eyebrows and looking up into ember-orange eyes. "Cinder. I thought you weren't going to make it."
"I honestly did consider staying in my room. But, well…" Cinder looked around slowly, taking in the sights. "An event like this might well be a once in a lifetime affair, and I would be a fool to not take part." She smirked, one corner of her mouth quirking up. "I won't be staying long, but I am no fool."
"Well, I'm glad you made it. You do look beautiful, by the way. Black really is your color, and I'm not just saying that."
"Thank you, Hayate. You are quite the sight yourself. Did you make your dress yourself?"
"I did, thank you!" She beamed.
Cinder looked around again, and her eyes found Fate and Nanoha and the rest of the Harlaowns, still nearby. "I also admit that I wanted to see my own creations being appreciated. They were all a pleasure to work for, not like some clients I remember from the past."
Hayate started to respond, but black lace caught her attention. She turned, and found herself looking down at a little black-haired girl wearing- "Kami-sama, she's a goth-loli."
Cinder blinked, tilting her head. "Excuse me?"
"I said she's adorable!" Hayate translated in a hushed squeal.
The tall ravenette tracked her gaze. "Ah." She beckoned the little girl closer, nodding. "This is my teammate, Sable. Sable, this is my tailoring friend, Hayate."
Sable polished up a bright smile, green eyes twinkling with mischief. She curtsied, then straightened and pirouetted once before setting her feet with a sharp tap.
Don't make a scene. Do not make a scene. Hayate pulled from the deepest depths of her self control and somehow, somehow managed to keep from engulfing the smaller girl in a hug. "It's very nice to meet you, Sable."
"Sable doesn't talk much. But she is very pleased to meet you," Cinder assured her. Sable smiled again, nodding, and then wandered off.
Hayate found herself watching the girl go for a moment. "I wonder if she'd be willing to model for me," she thought out loud.
Cinder started laughing, covering her mouth with a gloved hand. "You never stop, do you?"
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Hayate grinned up at her. "So anyways. The night's almost over, but a dance between tailoring friends?" Hayate raised her hand.
The tall woman rolled her eyes. "Fine. One dance, between tailoring friends." She took Hayate's gloved hand in her own, smirking. "But I lead."
"Ladies and gentlemen, and I do use that term loosely," the band's speaker earned a chorus of playful boo's, "we're about to play our last set of the night. So find your partner quick, and let's make this one for the ages."
There wasn't quite a rush to the floor, but the dance-goers that were left definitely stopped what they were doing to make their way over. Weiss watched them all pass by, feeling inexplicably detached. She was content, yes, but there was something missing-
A hand found hers, silk threading between her fingers and clasping gently. She found herself gently tugged toward the floor. She turned her head and found Ruby at her side, smiling at her.
She's holding my hand. The thought stuck in her head, her own voice playing in a loop. She's holding my hand. Ruby Rose, do you even know what you're doing?
She had to be misreading it. She was Ruby's partner and teammate, of course Ruby felt close to her. They were attending the dance together, and had been so busy checking on everything as the evening had passed that there hadn't been time for an actual dance at the dance, so of course Ruby would want to get one dance in before it was over.
But she's holding my hand like that. Is it an accident? No, it was totally deliberate, but does she even know what it means? Because it really feels intimate but this is Ruby, intimate for her means cleaning each other's weapons, and yes we've done that before but that's a different kind of intimate and-
"Weiss."
"Yes I'll help you do maintenance on Crescent Rose, I've said it before and-"
"Weiss." Ruby said her name again, and Weiss found herself lost in silver mirrors.
"...what?"
Ruby's lips curved up in a smile. "I know exactly what I'm doing."
The dance was, officially, over. The band was packing up and the auditorium's main lights were brightening back up to normal intensity. No one was required to leave, though, and many of the students were sticking around in the large chamber or on the grounds outside, fully intent on staying out well into the early morning hours.
She left the dance behind, one well-dressed form amongst dozens that were filtering along the paths toward the dorms. A side path dappled in deeper shadows gave her the chance to melt away, disappearing from sight.
She retraced her steps, and it wasn't long before the massive tower loomed overhead, blotting out the starry sky above. The maintenance door was ahead of her, and the guards were just as unaware as before.
Tonight, Cinder thought. I take what is mine tonight.
