Beta: ShadowMeister234

Shinkai was by far the biggest town Mercury had been to since leaving Vale. The main reason for that was its location on the eastern coast of Sanus where it was a major trading hub with Mistral or just a stopping point for goods that would eventually make their way to Vale. That heavy trade gave Mistral culture a heavy influence over Shinkai which was on full display as the city prepared to celebrate their fall harvest festival. Paper lamps hung above the streets, food and prize stalls were put up, and some people were already walking around in yukatas.

It was a carefree and pleasant place which was good since Mercury planned to wait out the coming winter here. Trudging from town to town with temperatures below freezing and the possibility of snow wasn't a good idea for anyone, not even an Atlas Huntsman. Besides even if he did decide to play the odds by traveling, there wouldn't be much work for him to find. While the Grimm certainly didn't hibernate they definitely became less active the colder it got.

Normally money might have been a concern, but with his pockets filled with valuable dust vials, he would have more than enough to kick back and relax through the entire winter. Speaking of relaxing, out of the corner of his eye he saw a girl that looked slightly older than him approaching.

"Hello, you're the Huntsman that took care of those Grimm, correct."

Mercury brushed his hair aside and put on a charming smile. "I am."

"Well, I just wanted to thank you for your service. Some of us were worried that the festival would be canceled because of them."

"Don't worry about it. I'm happy to do my job."

The girl giggled. "I'm Coral by the way." She held out her hand.

"Mercury," he said, taking it. She was soft to the touch and shook his hand very gently despite him being far stronger than her.

"That's a nice name. If you don't mind me asking, will you be staying around town?"

"I'm actually planning on waiting out the winter here."

That brought a smile to her face. "If that's the case, would you like to accompany me to the festival? It's the most exciting thing that ever happens in this town and I'd be happy to show you around."

Mercury thought about it. Did he want to go to the festival with this girl? Her looks weren't on the level of a Huntress, and he wasn't necessarily into her, but she was pretty in her own way. It also would be kind of sad to spend the festival alone, and it wasn't like he was losing anything by accepting. It might even be fun.

But, before he could decide one way or another, someone yelled his name from what felt like the other side of town, but knowing who the owner of that scream was, the other side of town would only be a short run for her.

Sure enough, speeding forward in a burst of rose petals, Ruby Rose slid in front of them. "I found you!" She pointed an angry finger right in his face.

"Looks like you have." Mercury played it off, but honestly, he was surprised to see the girl in the red cloak. He had given her the slip almost two weeks ago. If she had been on his trail, she should have caught up to him a while ago, so he had assumed she had lost him and given up. It would seem he had only been right about the 'lost him' part because with the way she was glaring and shaking her finger at him, she had clearly never given up.

"Um, Mercury, who is this kid?"

"Just some stalker that's been following me around."

Ruby took offense to that. "I'm not a kid and I'm not a stalker!"

"So you're saying you haven't been trying to track me down for the past two weeks?"

"It's a lot more complicated than that."

Mercury stuck his pinky in his ear. "Is that so?"

Ruby's jaw clenched so hard he felt like he could hear her teeth crack. Luckily, Coral stepped between them and put her hands on Ruby's shoulders. "Listen, I'm sure you're very grateful for whatever Mercury did for you, but you can't just hunt him down. Not only is it not right but it's also dangerous. What would have happened if you ran into a Grimm?"

Mercury did his best to keep from keeling over in laughter. Coral was treating Ruby like a toddler throwing a tantrum. Even better, she thought Ruby was some overexcited fangirl chasing after her heroic crush.

Ruby wasn't nearly as amused. In an instant, she had deployed her scythe and stabbed it into the ground which caused Coral to jump back at least a foot. "I'm not a child. I'm a Huntress and that idiot is my partner. My partner who forced me to look everywhere for him after he abandoned me. So if you'd excuse me, I need to speak with him."

Ruby must have been really mad if she was being this harsh. Mercury just wished she had chosen her words more carefully. Coral's eyes darted between the two "partners" as she seemed to draw her own conclusion for what happened. "Oh my, you poor thing. I didn't know he was already seeing someone." She quickly whipped over to face him lacking all the flirtation she had before. "You should be ashamed of yourself. To just walk out on someone is the absolute worst. I hope she shoves that scythe up your ass."

With her peace said, Mercury watched Coral's back as she stomped away before turning to address the angry strawberry. "Great. Now look what you've done."

"What I've done!" Ruby yelled. "What about what you did?"

Mercury feigned ignorance. "I don't remember doing anything to you."

"You're insufferable."

"Pulling out the big words now? How mature of you."

Ruby lashed out with a kick to his shin forgetting that his legs were made of metal. A dull thud rang out after the impact then Ruby quickly pulled her foot back with a slight whimper.

"Are you done yet?" Mercury asked.

Ruby glared at him but it looked like she had finished her outburst. "You ran away," she told him sternly.

"I'd like to think of it more as taking advantage of an opportunity."

"Why did you do it?"

"I think that's obvious. Stealing the dust was an easy way to make money."

"That's a lie," Ruby said with certainty.

Mercury raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

Ruby's shoulders slumped and her fists uncoiled as she began to soften up. "Because if it was about the money, you would have just ignored me back in the mine and taken those crystals, but you didn't. You were being nice and you were even worried for me."

"That could have all just been a trick you know. I was able to fake it back at Beacon."

"Nope, even back that you played it cool and uninterested. You never once tried acting friendly."

"You've sure thought about this a lot haven't you?"

A bit of her earlier frustration slipped back into her voice. "Well, I have had two weeks to think about it, so tell me the truth."

Man, when did this girl get so observant. "The truth is because I thought it would be funny, but did you really track me down just because you wanted an answer?"

"No, I'm also here for my half of the dust that you stole from me."

"That's a pretty serious claim. Do you have any proof that I stole the dust?"

Ruby nearly choked on her next words. "My proof is that you're the only one who could have. You've basically already admitted to it. You even left a note."

Mercury hummed. "Sounds like some pretty biased investigating if you ask me. You sure you've got the right person?"

"Yes, I'm sure!"

Poor Ruby didn't even realize he had changed the subject on her. Two weeks to think about his motives she might have had, but in word games she was as hopeless as ever. "Tell you what. I'll give you back your half of the dust if you find me a date for the festival tonight."

"Why do I have to help you to get back something that was already mine?"

"Think of it as an apology for chasing the girl I was going to go with away."

"That's not my fault. I didn't even know what was going on," Ruby defended.

"If you kill someone, you don't get out of punishment just because you didn't know what was going on."

"That's completely different from this."

Mercury overdramatically placed his hand on his chest. "How could you? Love is serious business, and I'll have you know that a man's heart can be just as fragile as any woman's."

"Why you," Ruby growled.

Mercury waved his hand around and turned his back to her. "Don't complain. This is your atonement," he said as he walked away.

"Where do you think you're going!" Ruby yelled from behind.

"I have nothing more to say to you until you make it up to me."

Hopefully, this would be enough of a distraction to keep her busy while he thought about what he was going to do. He wasn't really mad that she had found him, it was fun to tease her, but he also wasn't thrilled about it. A clean cut, like the one he had given Cinder, would have been so much easier.

If he was lucky, his unreasonable request might make her just give up on him. Unfortunately, a quick look back at the intense stare she was still giving him proved that wasn't going to happen, but he supposed he already knew that.

"By the way, whoever you find has to be pretty. A guy like me has standards."

Ruby stomped her way through town.

Stupid Mercury. Stupid dust. Stupid demand. She didn't think it was possible to be so frustrated with someone. Even Yang at her very worst had never infuriated her as much as Mercury Black did.

She couldn't believe he had tasked her with finding him a date. Why did he even want one, and if he did want one so badly why couldn't he just find one himself? Mercury was a good looking guy, Ruby could admit that. As long as he kept his personality in check he could probably woo some girl for the night.

Instead, he had decided to send her out into the field. Awkward Ruby Rose who hadn't had a single romantic experience in her life. Even if she was the smoothest pickup artist around, didn't sending a girl to ask other girls if they'd take you on a date reek of desperation? How would she even start that conversation? Was she supposed to describe how he looked, then ask if that was good enough?

Ruby thought about what it would take for her to agree to go on a date with a guy she had never met before and came up empty. This would be a disaster. No self-respecting female would ever agree to it. How did Mercury ever expect her to pull it off?

The truth was he probably didn't. He didn't actually care. This was just some random task to get her to go away. Yang did pretty much the same thing when they were younger although not to this extent.

Ruby thought about just not bothering at all. Then she thought about the smug look Mercury would give her when she showed up empty-handed. "What is this? You didn't find anyone. I thought you were a Huntress yet you couldn't do this one simple thing for me. Now I'm going to have to spend this lovely evening alone. No, don't apologize. I'm sure you did your best. I'll just go back to my room and cry myself to sleep."

It made Ruby shudder just thinking about it. That could not be allowed to happen. She would find him a date no matter what. Plus if she did manage to pull it off, she could be the one to look down on him with smug satisfaction. She'd finally be able to give the assassin a taste of his own medicine. Maybe it wouldn't even be as hard as she thought. All she had to do was find someone lonely or adventurous enough to take her up on the offer.

Piece of cake.

What followed was one of the most humiliating things Ruby had ever experienced.

Just as she originally thought, no one wanted to go to the festival with some stranger they didn't know. At least most of the women were polite about it, but they couldn't do much about the awkward expression that crossed their faces whenever she asked about it. She imagined it was the same look children gave when they came across a wounded animal they couldn't help. Ruby's pride as a person dipped a little bit more every time she received it.

After a while, she just stumbled around town like a zombie muttering her request to anyone who'd listen, few did. She was sure by now that rumors had reached every resident in Shinkai about the strange girl in red propositioning every female she came across.

Eventually, despite her initial determination, she was forced to call it quits. Plopping down next to one of the yet-to-open food stalls, Ruby let herself relax after hours of fruitless effort.

She pulled up her legs and slumped her chin into her knees. Why was she even doing this? Had it really been worth tracking Mercury down over the past month only to be sent on a wild goose chase the moment she found him? Sure, Mercury had taken all the dust and the extra money would be nice, especially since it was rightfully hers, but honestly, the dust wasn't that important to her. If she had really wanted it back, fighting him would have been the better option. She didn't know if she could beat him but it was better odds than finding him a last-minute date or trying to steal the dust from under his nose.

It didn't matter anyway because she didn't want to fight him. She wanted to talk to him.

When she had woken up that morning and saw that Mercury and the dust were missing, her first emotion wasn't anger over the betrayal, it was sadness. As strange as it was and even after everything he did, Ruby really did consider him a friend, someone she could trust, and it hurt when it seemed like he had never considered her the same.

Ruby pulled out the note he had left for her from her skirt pocket.

But, then there was this.

It should have been back at Cliff's Edge in the hands of a young boy, yet for some reason, it had been in Mercury's hands. There were only a few ways that could have happened and after thinking about it for the better part of the last two weeks, Ruby thought she knew what it was.

It had all been a lie from the start. That kid hadn't been a fan of Ruby Rose from round one of the Vytal festival. He didn't know her from anywhere. He had been put up to it by Mercury. The note was probably just a way for him to prove it. The only other explanation was that Mercury stole or beat the kid up for a scrap of paper, something she highly doubted.

Mercury had set up the whole thing just to make her feel better. Even more than that he had kept hold of her message all this time. It was sweet, sweeter than anyone would ever expect from him. Didn't that prove they were friends? It was why she had been so quick to call him a liar.

Yet, he had also run away from her while she was sleeping, stolen dust that was rightfully hers, and was now trying to push her away by sending her on an impossible quest.

Ruby didn't know what to think. It had been so much easier back at Beacon. Back when her friends were clear, the bad guys were bad guys, and the good guys were good guys. Now she didn't even know if she had friends anymore and one of the bad guys was sometimes really nice to her. If she could just talk to him things might start making sense.

Sadly that wasn't likely to happen unless she got him his stupid date.

"Oh my, what are you doing out here looking so miserable for, young lady?"

Ruby lifted her head to see an elegant woman dressed in an extravagant purple and green kimono.

"It's nothing." Ruby stood up to her full height which was still much shorter than the woman in front of her.

"Sure it is, dearie. Hm, are you new in town? I don't recognize you and I recognize everybody."

"I just arrived today. I'm a traveling Huntress."

The woman clapped her hands together. "Oh my, then you came at the perfect time. We're having our harvest festival tonight. It should be the perfect way to improve your mood."

"Um thanks, but I don't really think—" Ruby didn't get a chance to finish as the woman grabbed her wrist with surprising strength and started to drag Ruby off.

"You can't go dressed like that though. Don't worry we can get you something real quick. I'm Olive by the way."

"I'm Ruby," she said mostly because she didn't know what else to say, "and this really isn't necessary."

"Of course it is. What kind of person would I be if I passed by a sad young lady when there's a perfectly good festival to enjoy."

Ruby found herself being dragged into a clothing store that had racks and racks of yukatas and kimonos along with various accessories. There wasn't a single other customer inside which made sense since the store had been closed before Olive had produced the key and opened it.

"Welcome to my store The Traveling Cloth. Take a look around and find something you like."

Ruby was overwhelmed just looking at it all. She couldn't imagine trying to pick something out in the horde of clothing. "I don't really know much about yukatas, or about Mistral fashion, or really fashion in general," she said sheepishly.

"That's fine. It's a festival, not a fashion show. I can even help you pick something out."

Olive started sorting through the rack and Ruby caught a glance at the prices, some of which had a little too many digits for her liking. "Just please don't choose anything too expensive. I don't have that much money on me."

"Oh, no worries, dearie. This will be on the house as a rental. You can just return it sometime tomorrow. It's not like it's going to cost me anything. Anyone who wanted a yukata for tonight would have already bought one."

"Why are you doing this?" Ruby couldn't help to ask. "You don't know me."

"I do this because I'm a busybody. I need to know about everything that goes on in this town. Nothing exciting ever really happens though, so when a new face shows up curled up and all sad looking on the side of the street, I just can't help but get involved. Of course, if that's not good enough for you just think of this as a thank you for all the work you Huntresses do to protect us."

Ruby turned away with a slight blush. "You're welcome, but I still feel like I'm taking advantage of you."

"Aw, such a polite girl. Tell you what, if you feel that way, how about paying me by telling me why you were sulking on the side of the street. I did say I'm a busybody."

"It's kind of embarrassing."

Olive paused in her clothing search to lean into Ruby. "Oh my, so it's about a boy."

"Eep, I didn't say that."

"You might as well have. Did you two have a breakup?"

"We aren't like that." Ruby paused wondering if she really wanted to talk about this. Olive was nice, but she was still a complete stranger. Not really someone she felt comfortable confessing in. Then again what other option did she have? It wasn't like she knew anyone else in this town. Ruby took a deep breath as she thought about exactly what she wanted to say. "Although, I guess you could say we broke up. Let's just say I thought we saw each other in a certain way, but he made a decision that makes me question if he even cared about me at all. I just want to talk to him about it, but when I found him, he pushed me away. Refuses to talk to me until I find him a date for the festival tonight."

"Oh, so you're the young lady who's been going around town asking everyone if they'd take her friend out."

Ruby blushed bright red but refused to confirm it. "I just don't know what to do."

"You can start by not worrying so much about it. This isn't the end of the world. In fact, what you're feeling now is something every young lady goes through at least once. The important thing to know is that this isn't a problem with you. It's a problem with him."

"How do you know?"

Olive smiled. "Because men are stupid. Boys even more. He's probably just as confused and lost as you are. He just doesn't want to admit it which is why he's avoiding you. Men like to keep their personal feelings deep inside and deal with them themselves. They think it makes them better than us, but what they don't understand is feelings are a two-way street. Honestly, it's a wonder how anyone gets married when men are the ones expected to propose. Don't these women get sick of waiting?"

Ruby had to stop her before she went and further. "I'm not looking for anything that serious. I just want to be able to talk to him. I want to understand."

"That's simple, dearie. You've just got to be direct."

"I already tried that. I confronted him the second I saw him."

"Direct doesn't mean yelling and demanding answers. Direct means forcing him to see the problem and not letting up until he addresses it."

"But, I told you already; he won't talk to me."

"Really, because I can think of one way to force him."Olive held up a yukata that Ruby knew immediately would be perfect for her, and it all clicked into place.

If Mercury wouldn't talk to her until he got a date for tonight's festival, then she would give him one.

Mercury had been too busy shooing her away to give a location, but Ruby could make a pretty good guess that he would be expecting his date to meet him at the town's only inn although Shinkai was big enough that it could almost be called a hotel.

After getting a room for herself and dropping her stuff inside she waited for him in the lobby. Twenty minutes passed and Ruby was beginning to think she might have been mistaken, but before she could think to go somewhere else, Mercury appeared by walking down the lobby stairs.

For a guy who claims he wanted a date for tonight, he had put no effort into himself. He was wearing the same clothes he always did and his hair was sticking out on ends like he had just gotten out of bed. He probably had if the way he was sluggishly moving around was any suggestion.

Ruby felt offended. If she really had found a girl to take a chance on him, it would have been called off right there. He was lucky the circumstances were different.

It took a little while but Mercury's gaze eventually found her and he made his way over. "I don't see anyone with you. I guess that means you couldn't do it. A shame but that's just how it is."

Ruby placed a hand on her hip and grinned. It was her turn to rub it in his face. "What are you talking about? Your date is right in front of you."

Ruby wished she could have recorded the way Mercury's eyes went from lazy and distant to wide and alert. They quickly moved up and down her body as he processed what she was wearing.

The yukata Olive had picked out was a simple light pink one with a darker red flora pattern running through it. A white sash around her waist and a bright red flower tucked into her hair and above her ear completed the outfit presenting her as elegant but still cute, at least that's what Olive claimed.

She waited for Mercury to finish gawking which he did, but being Mercury he just couldn't help but get the last word in. "I thought I told you the girl had to be pretty?"

Ruby's good mood instantly disappeared. "You take that back right this instant." Ruby took a heavy step forward. It was enough for Mercury to take a step back with his hands in front of him.

"Alright, I'm sorry. That was too far. You look very nice."

Ruby huffed. "Just nice?"

"Gorgeous. Stunning. Fetching. Like an angel descending from the heavens."

"That's better." Ruby might not have put as much emphasis into her looks as Yang or Weiss did, but she was still a girl and liked to be told how good she looked every once in a while. Even Mercury's store-bought praises were enough to make her feel all warm and fuzzy. "Now, we can enjoy the festival together."

Mercury's head swiveled back and forth in the telltale sign of a person looking for a way to escape. Well, Ruby wasn't going to have any of that. "Don't tell me you're going to go back on your promise. I did everything you asked. Is that not enough for you?" she finished sweetly.

Mercury sighed. He was trapped and he knew it. "How about I just give you the dust back and we can end this right here."

"Not a chance. I got all dressed up for this, and I think the festival will be fun."

"You could always just enjoy it alone." Mercury tried one last time.

Ruby fluttered her eyelashes the way she had seen Yang do. "But then I wouldn't have the chance to get you to tell me why you left in the first place."

"You're still on about that?"

"I am. Let's get going partner. Actually before that." Ruby stood up on her tiptoes and reached for Mercury's hair.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing!" He slapped her hand away but Ruby was quick to bring it back up.

"Stay still! Your hair is a mess."

"Stop it."

"I have standards too you know. Ugh, it won't stay down." Ruby licked the tips of her fingers with her tongue before going in for round two.

"Back off!"

The festival was lively under the night sky. The smell of sizzling food was everywhere. Children were laughing as they ran around, adults were drinking, and couples walked hand-in-hand. Then there was Ruby and Mercury. They were walking together in only the most general of sense. There was about a foot of space between them and they were only moving to keep up with the flow of the crowd. They didn't even have the idea of a destination.

It would be a painfully sad night if things continued like this.

Ruby's main goal was to get Mercury to open up to her, but he would just shut her down again if she went right for it. Direct she might have had to be, but that didn't mean she couldn't soften him up first.

"So what do you want to do?" she asked.

Mercury didn't even bother to look around. "I don't care."

Ruby poked his side. "Don't be grumpy."

"I'm not."

"You look grumpy."

"Maybe that's because you assaulted my hair."

"So you are grumpy."

"Whatever."

"Fine mister grumpy pants, I'll find something for us to do." Ruby looked at the festival stalls. Most of them were just food vendors and the others were carnival-like skill games that they would absolutely destroy as a Huntress and Huntsmen. That wouldn't be fun for either of them. She needed to find something a little outside the box.

"Oh, how about that." Ruby twirled around while pointing to a certain food stall. Unfortunately, the motion caused her to trip and she started falling backward. Luckily, Mercury was able to stick his hand out and give her a little shove forward.

"Can you be any more clumsy," he chuckled.

"It's not my fault. These sandals aren't the easiest to walk in." They were a thousand times better than heels though. "Just come here." Ruby grabbed his wrist and dragged him to the stall she saw. Thankfully, Mercury didn't put up any resistance at least until he actually saw the stall.

"Are you sure about this?" he said.

"You scared?"

"For me, no. For you, yes. You are pretty small."

"Size has nothing to do with it."

The pair stopped in front of the stall which as expected didn't have anyone else in front of it. A man who looked like he benched pressed ships for a living was there to greet them. "Welcome to the spicy kebab challenge. Rules are simple. You each get a kebab dipped in my famous hot sauce and the first one to finish without taking a drink is the winner. What do you say?"

"We'll do it." Ruby may have been a bit overeager and the stall owner handed each of them a kebab that had a smell strong enough to wrinkle her nose. Two huge glasses of water were set out in front of them. "If it gets too much, don't be afraid to tap out. Ready?"

Ruby nodded.

"Then go!"

Ruby took her first bite and it felt like she had just bitten into solid magma. Her lips clenched and her throat felt like it was on fire as the piece of kebab slid down it until hitting her stomach like a grenade. With watery eyes, she looked over to see how Mercury was doing only to see him already bent over the counter and gargling the glass of water like there was no tomorrow. His face and neck were bright red and his hands were shaking.

"Well, guess that makes you the winner." The owner gave her a pat on the shoulder.

It took Ruby a moment to recognize what she was seeing, and when she did she cautiously approached Mercury. "You doing okay?"

Mercury practically slammed the empty glass back on the counter as he wiped some sweat from his forehead. "I feel like I need to vomit if that tells you anything."

"I didn't know you couldn't handle spicy foods."

Mercury pushed himself to stand and even then his balance was slightly off. "Well, now you do."

"It's just—" Ruby couldn't keep it in any longer. She had tried so hard, but she just couldn't. She broke down into a laughing fit using the counter as support to keep her from falling over. "—It's just that you always act so cool and like nothing can ever touch you. Yet all it took to bring you to your knees was a single kebab. Why did you even do it? Were you trying to prove how manly you are? Haha."

Mercury's face flushed in legitimate embarrassment. "Shut up. It's not that funny."

"Not even a whole kebab. Just one bite! Hahaha."

"Alright, let's find something you can't do." This time it was Mercury's turn to drag her around the festival although instead of holding her by the wrist, Ruby was basically clinging to his arm to keep herself stable as her laughing fit continued.

A couple of people giggled as they passed by, but Mercury paid them no mind. He was on the lookout for something to beat Ruby in. Sadly, he was running into the same problem she had. There were plenty of festival games, but nothing he could obviously dominate her in.

He had to settle for a stall where you threw mini basketballs through a hoop and the person who scored the most in a certain amount of time was the winner. There was a line for this one and while they were waiting, Ruby got over her laughing fit. She didn't let go of his arm, though.

"So this is what you're doing? You lost in the kebab challenge so now you're going to try to beat me in something else to regain your honor."

"I thought you wanted to enjoy the festival. Doesn't that mean playing the games?" Mercury responded.

Ruby smiled. "That's the spirit. Just don't expect me to give you a free win because I feel bad for you."

"Don't worry. I won't need it."

Mercury was correct. He won the game by a couple of points. Both Ruby and he had 100% accuracy with their shots, but Mercury was able to throw a few more. Ruby accused it on him being taller and thus the ball didn't have to travel as far, but all Mercury heard were the whines of a sore loser.

Of course, neither of them would accept defeat, so they hit practically every game booth at the festival to settle the score. It didn't matter if their skills were far beyond the average player as long as they could compete against each other it was fine. They stopped keeping count of their victories somewhere along the way so no true winner could be declared when they finally called it quits and sat down to enjoy some food, no spicy kebabs included.

"I can't believe you cheated in bobbing for apples," Mercury told her.

"Nobody said I couldn't use my toes. They just said I wasn't allowed to use my hands," Ruby defended.

"I'm pretty sure it was implied that you were only supposed to use your teeth."

"If it's not a rule, you don't have to follow them."

"You know that kind of thinking makes you the bad guy, right?"

"What can I say, being out here has changed me. The good little Ruby you knew back at Beacon is no more. Now I'm a rebel!" She raised her glass to emphasize her point and slammed it back down on the table. Sadly, she used a little too much force and crumpled the cheap plastic cup with the impact. Her drink splattered across the table and she ended up having to profusely apologize to the waitress that came to clean it up. Meanwhile, Mercury was laughing at her the entire time.

"Okay, so maybe I'm not a rebel," Ruby said, "but if it meant beating you, I'm willing to bend the rules."

"Well, aren't I special."

They chatted a bit more about nothing in particular. Ruby still wanted answers, but this was comfortable. She didn't want to risk ruining it. It felt like she was back at Beacon just talking with friends. No Cinder, no White Fang, no thoughts of what her former team was doing, no worries at all. It was nice to feel that way again.

Eventually, when the moon was high in the sky, a bell rung out through the entire city and a number of people started to move in a single direction whispering excitedly to each other.

"Where do you think they're going?" Mercury said.

"Want to find out?"

"I suppose."

The duo followed the crowd as they trekked through the town and eventually outside of it where they walked up a small hill and arrived at a lake. Ruby nearly lost her breath when she saw it. The water was a perfect reflection of the night sky above with all the stars shining brightly. It looked like she could jump into space if she tried. She'd never seen anything like it not even on Patch.

The crowd had formed a line and when she and Mercury got to the front a man handed Ruby a paper lantern and gestured to one of the many dozens of row boats docked on the shore. "Excuse me," Ruby said, "but what exactly is this all about?"

The man looked at her strangely for a second before giving her a broad smile. "Ah, you're not from around here I see. No problem, the festival is for everyone. This is just one of our traditions. We call it The Drifting. It's to celebrate a successful harvest and wish for an even better one next year. All you need to do is find a spot out on the lake and when you hear the bell light the lantern and set it in the water. Trust me, if you think it's pretty now just wait till the lanterns fill it."

Ruby thanked the man and the pair grabbed a boat. Mercury rowed them close to the center of the lake. They sat there in silence drifting in their little rowboat admiring the scenery.

"Do you really want to know why I left you back at the mining camp," Mercury said suddenly.

Ruby was taken aback. She had been waiting for the right time to bring it up all this time and now Mercury was just coming right out and saying it. "Are you sure you want to?"

"Isn't that the whole reason you planned this date?"

"Not the whole reason," Ruby whispered, hiding her blush with the lantern. "But I want to know. Why did you run away? Tell me the truth."

Mercury leaned back in the boat. The truth was her optimism and friendliness were infectious. Their brief interactions had made him softer. She had wormed her way into his soul and she was changing him at a breakneck pace. If any proof was needed, the fact, he had followed her orders and let Alabaster and his guards live was more than enough. It was completely unlike him and it was all because of the girl in front of him. She had made him weaker, and the last thing he ever wanted to be was weak. Being weak meant being at the mercy of someone who would have your legs removed on a drunken whim.

Sometimes he did regret running off with all the dust, but if he hadn't it would have proven beyond a doubt that she really had gotten to him. That what she had done—what she was still doing—was irreversible. That was the truth, but it wasn't something he could admit to her.

"I left because I'm an asshole. It's just who I am and there's no changing it. There was an opportunity and I took it. It was nothing against you. I just couldn't help myself. It was the same with Cinder and Emerald. I left the moment I thought I'd be better off without them."

"So that's it then? You really don't think of me as anything more than a familiar acquaintance? What we've been through together at the mining camp, and at the river, and at Cliff's Edge didn't matter?"

Oh Brothers, she's going to start crying. "It's not like that. I've enjoyed spending time with you more than I have with anyone else, but what you consider a friend and what I consider a friend is completely different. To you, a friend is someone you can spend all your time with and share some of your deepest secrets. To me, a friend is someone who I can be around without wanting to kill them or worrying if they are going to kill me. I know how that sounds, but you heard how I was raised. That kind of thinking is ingrained in me. There's no changing it."

"Then what is a partner to you?" Ruby had one of the saddest looks Mercury had ever seen. "Because isn't that what we are, partners?"

Mercury didn't know how to answer that. Lucky for him the ringing of the bell saved him. Despite her mood, Ruby lit the lantern and set it adrift on the lake. Mercury had to admit the sight was pretty incredible. Like their own little world of dancing lights on top of the endless cosmos.

"Let me ask you something instead. What does our partnership mean to you? Why do you care so much?"

Ruby's teeth clenched and her stomach churned. How could she explain to him when she couldn't even explain it to herself? Then she remembered Olive's words, 'You've just got to be direct.'

Without hesitation, mostly so she couldn't talk herself out of it, Ruby leaned forward and pressed her lips against Mercury's before pulling away almost before she had even started. Honestly, it could hardly even be called a kiss, but it got the message across and briefly stunned Mercury.

"Why did you do that?" he asked.

"Because—because—because I wanted to." Ruby was sure her entire face was crimson but she couldn't stop now. "With the boat and the lanterns the mood just felt right and we were having so much fun and we are technically on a date and the moon made your hair and face so shiny and hansom and—" Ruby was rambling and she had to force herself to stop with one deep breath before starting again at a much calmer pace.

"Because I've never felt this way about anyone before. When my team dissolved, I was so alone. I had no idea what to do so I just left it all behind. I kept telling myself that I was doing it to help people, but really, I just wanted to get away from it all. I wanted time to think. Then I ran into you. You were mean and arrogant and partially at fault for what happened in the first place, but you were familiar, and even for all your faults, you were there for me. You gave me advice that I might have died without knowing. Then I accidentally killed someone and when I was going through the worst guilt of my life you were there to see me through it. It wasn't Yang, it wasn't Weiss, it wasn't my dad, it was you, and you know what, I don't think anyone but you could have helped me in the way I needed. You've gone through it before after all. So yeah, I guess what I'm trying to say is I can't imagine what it would be like to go on without my new partner, and somewhere along the way it evolved into something a little more."

The world seemed to sit still as Mercury took it all in. The boat ceased to rock and the lanterns failed to move on the water. It was just them. They were the only two people in the entire universe. Until Mercury finally spoke.

"I see, well I'm happy you feel that way but I can't return it."

Ruby felt her throat seize up. "Why?"

Mercury groaned and rubbed his hand down his face like he was dealing with an unruly child. "Ruby, what are your plans for when this is all over?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean when you're done with this. I doubt you're planning to wander the frontier forever. You'll go back home, hug your dad and sister and think about what you actually want to do with the rest of your life."

He was right. She hadn't really thought about it but in the back of her head, Ruby supposed she knew that this wouldn't be permanent. Eventually, she would go back to Vale. Probably get her official Huntress license and even maybe try and reconnect with Weiss and Blake.

Mercury must have realized what she was thinking because he continued. "For me, there is no "when this is all over." In case you forgot I'm a wanted criminal that was involved in destroying Beacon. That's not something people will just forgive. This is it. I'm going to wander around small disconnected towns until someone finds me and either kills me or puts me in prison for the rest of my life."

"But—"

"You know it's true. We come from different worlds. If you really want, we can continue our little journey together until you're ready to return to yours. I'll even promise not to run away again, but we can never be how you want us to be. It wouldn't be fair to either of us."

Ruby didn't have an argument to make and they both knew it. Instead, she dropped her head and did her best not to cry. "I'm sorry."

"I am too." Mercury grabbed the oars and started rowing them back to shore.

Under the cover of night, a pair of vicious pink and brown eyes watched the pair. It had taken a long time to track down Little Red, but it would all be worth it soon. The plan was already in motion and the attack ready. It was surprising to see her with Cinder's lapdog, but with any luck, he wouldn't interfere. If he did, then he would just die too.

No matter what happened, tonight revenge would be served.