Like I said, double upload to make up time. Anyway, this is basically prep for the big dance scene. And unlike White Sheep, it'll only be lasting for like, two chapters before we get back to the main action. Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY, the Persona series, Five Nights at Freddy's, or Devil May Cry.
Volume 3-5: Relaxation and Celebration
As nice as it was that Ruby was able to find a full team of Phantom Thieves just like Akira, there was still the matter of the wall of Grimm in Adam's Bastion. Naturally, her first thought was to bring the matter to Ozpin's attention. "Grimm inside a Bastion?," Ironwood asked. "Not real Grimm," Ruby pointed out, "It was more like the replicas you find in Professor Port's classroom. But we all agreed that the reason for its existence was the fact that Adam think no one would be stupid enough to go looking for him in Mountain Glenn. Unless he can be convinced otherwise, that wall keeps us out."
"So basically you need to infiltrate his secret project in reality," Ozpin noted, "I believe we can accommodate." Ironwood raised an eyebrow. "Normally I'd have reservations as well," Glynda said, "But only for a single team. But three going at once?" "That would be safer," Ironwood admitted,
"And it would spread out the workload. And if White Fang scouts knew that the mission was about looking for them..." Ozpin smiled. "It seems we're all on the same page. Miss Rose, I'll arrange to have Doctor Oobleck be the chaperone for your team, as well as Teams JNPR and FJGS, to handle the Mountain Glenn mission." Ruby nodded. "Thank you, Professor."
Empress (Glynda Goodwitch) Rank 5: Despite her hesitation, she's aware that the larger numbers of the Phantom Thieves would be perfect for infiltrating Mountain Glenn.
Hierophant (Professor Ozpin) Rank 5: He has agreed to allow Ruby's group to infiltrate Mountain Glenn in hopes of changing Adam's cognition.
Tower (James Ironwood) Rank 4: While reluctant to allow children into Mountain Glenn, he has become convinced due to understanding the large group that will be involved.
Now that things were set up for dealing with the cognitive barrier, Ruby could focus on more important things. Like the school dance coming up. Already students were scrambling to ask each other out, or actually help with the preparations. "So Ruby," Blake asked, "Were you thinking of asking anyone? Even as just a friend." "Nah," Ruby said, "Most of my friends are already getting their own dates. I mean, I'm assuming Jeremy's already asked you out." "Well, yeah," Blake admitted, "I said yes, of course." Yang burst into the room, a great big smile on her face. "I got a date for the dance!"
"Kinda slow, isn't it?," Ruby asked, "I mean, considering you, I'd have thought you'd get, like, a dozen or so guys asking you." Yang waved dismissively. "Eh, lien a dozen losers. But Fritz is definitely one of a kind. Imagine it. Right there in the cafeteria, he approaches me, takes a knee and my hand, and flat out asks me if I'll go to the dance with him. I felt like a princess in that moment, Ruby! A princess! Just like I always dreamed when I was a little girl!" Blake and Weiss looked at Yang like she'd grown a second head, but Ruby just shrugged. "Congrats, Sis." "You mean she wasn't joking!?," Weiss said in shock. The four girls started laughing.
Magician (Yang Xiao Long) Rank 5: She's accepted Fritz's offer to go to the dance. This could be the start of something new for the both of them...
Blake shook her head with a smile. "How about you Weiss?" "Like you need to ask," Weiss said, "Gabriel's already asked me. A formality, of course. We were always going to go together. Still, it's important to make sure others know where you stand." "Right," Yang said, "Not everyone buys that the heiress of the Schnee family is not only dating a Faunus, but plans to marry him." "By the way, did you hear the real buzz?," Blake asked, "Mercury of all people actually asked out Velvet during lunch. If Cinder's jaw dropped any lower, I could have shoved my tuna melt down her throat whole." "Think she's planning something during the dance?," Ruby asked.
Meanwhile, Jaune and Pyrrha were in the middle of a training session. "So Pyrrha," Jaune said, "You got a date to the dance yet?" "Not really," Pyrrha said, "A few guys asked me, but I turned them down." Jaune smirked. "Got... Someone else on your mind?" Pyrrha blushed. "I might..." Jaune decided to make his move. "Maybe, I could take you to the dance?" Pyrrha smiled. "I'd love that." They heard a knock on the door and got confused. Jaune opened the door to see Neptune standing there. "Hey, is anyone on your team a good dance instructor? I was hoping to ask Ebony to the dance... But I can't actually dance..."
Jaune and Pyrrha looked at each other in surprise. "I think Ren can help with that," Jaune suggested, "Nora always says he's a good dancer." "Thanks," Neptune said, "I'll give it a try. Hopefully I can be passable by the time the dance comes." He left the balcony. "Considering how he always tries to be 'cool'," Pyrrha said, "I'm surprised to learn he can't even dance." "That's nothing," Jaune said, "I heard from Sun that he can't even swim. Heck, he's terrified of the water. I mean, not things like drinking water or rain, just open bodies of water."
"Is it going to be a problem that Mercury has his own date?," Emerald asked. "It's an annoyance," Cinder noted, "But not a detriment. We can work around it. You made sure you didn't get a date?" "Not a lot of guys I can really connect with here," Emerald noted, "So I should be open to hook up with you once you get back." Cinder smiled and nodded. "Good. I've yet to identify the Phantom Thieves, though I suspect at least some of them are hiding in Beacon. But most of the student body will be distracted by their dates. I should be able to get in and out with no problems."
She looked at the footage of Mercury's fight with Pyrrha. "She's more aggressive than I anticipated. Surprisingly pragmatic. She fights more like a true Huntress rather than an arena champion. But this can be put to our advantage. If she's more ruthless, it will be easier to turn public opinion against her." "Probably," Emerald said, "But that's a bad balancing act. If she doesn't care what the public thinks of her..." "We don't need to concern ourselves with her feelings," Cinder clarified, "But right now we're still putting pieces into place. Once we've accessed the CCT, we can begin the show..."
Ruby soon met with Fritz as he set up the instruments. "So Fritz," Ruby said, "You and my sister, huh?" "Well, we've been having a game of flirting with each other for kicks," Fritz explained, "Finally I decided to one-up Yang by just flat out asking her out just to see where it would go. I know most guys just see her body, but most guys are hormonal teens. Not that she's not attractive, but I like to think I have more class than that. For me, Yang's more than just a blonde-haired, busty beauty. She's a badass with sass, with enough strength to match me blow for blow, and quick with a wit to boot. She's the whole package." Ruby giggled. "You really are in love, aren't you? That's a first. Most guys just try to score, but you're actually serious. Well, hope it works out for you."
Death (Fritz Holmes) Rank 4: Ruby learns that he's legitimately attracted to her sister. She wishes them good luck as the dance approaches.
As she walked off, she noticed Gabriel going speaking with Cardin. "What's going on here?" "Cardin wants his team to provide the music for the dance," Gabriel explained. "I've heard Gabe and his siblings have their own band," Cardin said, "But at the same time all of them have their own dates. So the Cardinals will handle all the music." "One question," Gabriel said, "Can you handle ballads? Music isn't just about hard rocking. Even in the world of metal, you need at least one ballad for every three or four hard songs." "Not a problem," Sky said, "Dove's already written out all our sheet music." Gabriel nodded. He noticed Ruby looking at him. "I take entertainment really seriously," he pointed out.
Strength (Gabriel Holmes) Rank 3: He's been seen discussing the musical entertainment with Team CRDL, making sure they understand how music at a dance is supposed to go.
Ruby headed off to get something to eat when she ran into Nora. "Hey Nora. Did you get your date yet?" "Well, yeah," Nora said, "I'll be going with Ren." "As a friend?," Ruby asked for clarification. Nora sighed. "Here's the thing. I like Ren. I really do. I know that seems obvious, but coming out and telling him my feelings isn't easy. We've been friends for so long... I can't explain how I fell in love with him. I just did. Slowly, over time. But I don't want to ruin our friendship." "Well, better tell him soon," Ruby said, "Or some other girl will snatch him up." Nora smiled. "Yeah... But I'm not sure how."
Star (Nora Valkyrie) Rank 3: She admits her feelings for Ren, as obvious as they are, but states that she's not sure how to reveal them without ruining everything.
As Nora walked off, Ruby spotted Ren. "Truth is," Ren said, "I've known about Nora's feelings for a long time. I'm not blind, after all. But I was kind of hoping she'd admit to them herself. You know how she's always saying we're not 'together' together?" "Yeah," Ruby replied. "It's not so much that she wants to convince other people...," Ren clarified, "But that she wants to convince herself. Back when our village was destroyed, saving Nora and helping her get out of there was my saving grace. It was the first time I used my Semblance, and in that moment I could feel her emotions. So I have a good idea what she feels." Ruby nodded. "Maybe instead of waiting for her to confess, you should try it yourself." Ren smiled. "Maybe I should."
Temperance (Lie Ren) Rank 3: He admits that he's known all along how Nora feels, ever since saving her life. He thinks it might be time to let her know his feelings if she won't tell hers.
The following evening, Ruby was manning the front door as the various couples came in. She smiled in delight when she saw Pyrrha and Jaune together. "And the ship is real! Seriously, Jaune, do you know how many people were curious if you noticed how Pyrrha felt about you?" Jaune shrugged while Pyrrha just giggled. "Though I gotta say," Ruby said to Pyrrha, "You probably let down a lot of guys by doing this." "Maybe," Pyrrha said, "But I only want a relationship I can take seriously." She hugged Jaune's arm as they headed for the dance floor, Ruby smiling after them.
Lovers (Pyrrha Nikos) Rank 3: Having succeeded in getting Jaune to go to the dance with her, Pyrrha is hoping for a serious relationship with the man she loves.
So yeah, like I said, there will definitely be Arkos and Renora. For Yang and Fritz, the ship name is Pirate's Gold (and not the obvious Pirate's Booty). We also get Black Velvet from White Sheep (I actually thought that pairing was kinda cute) and with Neptune and Ebony we get Black Sea. Oh yeah, I almost forgot Penny and Nava have their own ship name, Native Steel. For the record, we'll also be getting Ironwitch (Ironwood/Glynda) but truth be told romantic relationships won't be taking center stage since this is more of a fantasy adventure story. Read and review.