Weiss stumbled down the streets of Port Royale, fervently checking over her shoulder every few seconds. What on Remnant possessed her that this was a good idea? Why did she think that stowing away, sailing from Atlas to the Nán Sea was in any way going to help her? No doubt her father had already sent an entire army to retrieve her, and all she had to evade him was the fact that hardly anyone in this backwater town recognised her.

Speaking of which, Weiss had never felt so disgusted in her life. While Atlas was certainly not the cleanest of places (like anywhere, the streets of the common people were littered with waste and defecation), it was a hell of a lot better than Port Royale; everywhere reeked of alcohol and human waste, the tropical heat only serving to make that stench more pronounced whilst also being unbearably hot for the northern girl. The poorly lit roads and alleys also promoted the scoundrel's lifestyle, making it just as likely that one would be mugged and/or murdered as she would step in shit. What was the point of the gallows if it did nothing to deter crime?

Weiss sighed, her hopes fleeing her. Perhaps she should have gone to Vale, though the prospect of getting caught up in their revolution wasn't pleasant. Vacuo was out of the question, being a hair's length away from imploding on itself. That left Mistral, and while the city most likely would be a nicer place to lay low it would also be the first place her father would check. The fact that Port Royale may have been her best option further crushed her spirits.

Screw it, she thought, she may as well go to a pub and see if she can at least find something to hammer her head with. She only tried common alcohol once before, and while it was absolutely revolting on her tongue, it was also effective at knocking her out. Perhaps she could look for a job, too.

It didn't take long for her to find a pub, this being a sailor's town and thus filled to the brim with taverns and brothels. Pushing the door open and stepping into the dingy establishment, she was immediately greeted with the sight of a nearly empty room, only a few sweaty men having the free time to lounge at the pub in the middle of the day. By the gods, the snow-haired beauty felt she would melt in here, outside at least had the weather of a tropical paradise, inside was just sweltering with no sun.

Nevertheless, the Atlesian marched forward to the bar, placing a few silver coins down, "Some whiskey, please."

The bartender nodded, turning to a barrel and filling a mug with brown liquid, "Comin' right up, missy." He placed the mug down and took the coins, "If you don't mind me askin', but have you just come in from Atlas?"

Weiss choked on her bronze drink, "You could tell?"

"Yeah, you're pale as the moon, your hair's white as dew, and no one else around these parts would have a shirt that nice."

The girl was frozen stiff, her fears rising with each word the old man said. She honestly hadn't thought about how much she stood out from the crowd. She really was an idiot, thinking that coming here would just simply make her unrecognisable.

As Weiss was suffering a nervous breakdown, a light chuckle broke her thoughts. With a soft plop, a young girl sat on the stool beside her. She had roughly cut black hair that ended with red highlights, tied back in a messy low ponytail that draped over her shoulder, whilst her silver eyes stared at Weiss with interest. She was tanned, yet still paler than most of those native to the southern seas, whilst her simple cotton shirt and trousers made her somewhat unassuming. What caught Weiss' attention was the cutlass hanging from her hip. "Did I hear that right? You just got here?"

Weiss shivered, "Y-Yes…"

"Then you must be looking for something to do, no?"

"I suppose…"

The girl's grin grew, "Then, why not join my crew?"

"What?"

"Join my crew!"

"...Huh?"

The bartender chuckled, "Ruby, she's new here, give 'er a chance to breathe. Besides, I don't think she wants to join your harebrained schemes."

"Hey, they're not harebrained! I've managed to get by just fine these last few weeks!"

Weiss was beyond confused, "What do you do?"

"Technically, I'm a scavenger."

Weiss eyed her suspiciously, "Technically?"

Ruby chuckled, "Legally, I'm not."

The stowaway sighed, exasperated at the almost proud tone in her companion's voice, "Of course… Well, at least you aren't a thief or pirate."

Ruby chuckled again, "About that…" she began making Weiss stiffen, "I don't want to be a scavenger forever; I want to be a pirate!"

Weiss was expecting something stupid to come out of the girl's mouth, yet hearing it still made her choke on her whiskey again, "What?!" she shouted, drawing the attention of the entire pub. When everyone returned to what they were doing, she whispered frantically, "Do you have any idea what being a pirate means?!"

"Yeah, it means being free!"

Weiss was stunned by the response. Freedom, that elusive mistress that she had sought for so long. It was the most intoxicating drink she had ever sipped from, when she had first escaped the clutches of her father, and she needed more. So much that she nearly accepted becoming a pirate with this girl on the spot.

Fortunately, her more rational side stopped her, "It's not that simple. Pirates are criminals! They steal and hurt people."

Ruby hummed, "I mean, yeah… But that's what people expect of pirates, it's not what being a pirate is!"

"You can't be serious!"

The silver eyed criminal sighed, "Look, pirates are free, right? No one can tell them what to do."

"I suppose…"

"Then, that means they are free to do good things too, right?"

"Then are they even pirates?"

Ruby hushed her, "I just said that's not what being a pirate means!"

This girl was insufferable, Weiss thought. However, all her talk about freedom had piqued Weiss' interest. She may not want to be a pirate, but it will certainly be what she was after, a life where she was her own master, rather than being a puppet in her father's schemes and political movements. Besides, she couldn't forgive herself if she left such a naive girl to become a pirate on her own.

With a deep sigh of disbelief, mostly in herself, Weiss looked Ruby in the eyes, "Alright, fine, I'll join your crew…"

"Yay!"

"...on the condition that I can leave whenever I want."

"Oh, sure, I wasn't going to force you to stay," the younger girl giggled, "It'd be rather hypocritical of me after what I just said about being free."

Weiss smiled slightly, at least this girl was nice and friendly. "Anyway, who else is on the crew?"

"Oh, it's just the two of us right now."

Weiss' smile immediately vanished, replaced by a small frown, "You're kidding?"

"Nope! That technically makes you my first mate; congratulations!" With that, Ruby grabbed her new (and only) crewmate's arm and dragged her away with surprising strength and speed, "Let's get going! I have a salvage job that can give us the cash we need to get started!"

"Let me go, you dolt!"

The bartender chuckled as he watched them leave, taking Weiss' discarded mug and washing it, "Good luck, you two!"

Ruby continued to drag her first mate through Port Royale towards the docks. "Ruby, wait!" Weiss cried, feeling very uncomfortable with the attention they were drawing.

Her captain didn't listen to her, continuing to pull her arm behind her until they reached their destination; a small sailing boat that could easily accommodate two people. "Here we are!" Ruby said proudly, "She may not be much, but she's always got me to where I need to go."

"Ruby…" Weiss muttered, "I came to this corner of the world to be inconspicuous," she declared, glaring at her captain, "I would like to ask for you to be more aware of how much attention you draw."

The aspiring pirate stared at her crewmate in confusion, "Uh, ok? Is it something you'd like to talk about?"

"Maybe another day," Weiss stated, jumping into the boat, "Enough of that, you said you had a salvage job, yes?"

"Oh, yeah!" Ruby jumped on board as well, "A Mistralli galleon laden with tea, tobacco, spice and all other sorts of exotic goods they grow in Menagerie was en route to Atlas but was run aground in a storm."

"Hold on!" Weiss interrupted, "If it was inbound for Atlas, won't the Atlesian authorities be after it?" Mistral may nominally control the southern seas, but Atlas and Vale still held considerable influence in Kuo Kuana since many of the settlers are of Valean or Atlesian descent, having lived there when Menagerie was a colony of the two powers before Mistral won it in war.

"Yeah, that's why we gotta be quick. It doesn't help that the king put a new viceroy who's declared to crack down on piracy and illegal salvage. But don't worry!" Ruby offered her first mate a confident, reassuring smile, "We can do this!"

"Wait a minute," Weiss quickly said, "Are we sure we want to get involved with the Atlesian navy?"

Ruby sighed, "What else can we do? We need the money and this is our best bet. We have to do this. Don't worry, though, as soon as we spot a ship approaching, we scarper with what we salvaged."

"Right…" Weiss' fears were barely alleviated, her paranoia instead rising steadily. Nevertheless, she shook herself steady and gathered her courage. Ruby was right, they needed the money; if she was serious about becoming a pirate captain, she would need a crew as well as a ship to house that crew. Weiss smiled nervously, "Orders, captain?"

Ruby's grin came back full force, her confidence and cheerfulness providing some reassurance to the snow-haired sailor, "Right, set the sails, uh…"

"Weiss Schnee."

"Weiss, we sail to Cook's Isle!"

And so, the two women unfurled the sails, catching the southerly wind that carried them northwards. Ruby stood at the helm, hands on the wheel, whilst Weiss adjusted the rigging to bring them to their destination in a most speedy manner.

As they sailed across the crystal waters, Weiss heard a scuttling sound, like paws and claws against wood. Looking around, she saw a black and white corgi running around. As soon as the little dog spotted her, he rushed over, tongue lolling out of his mouth, and stared at her excitedly and playfully.

"Seems like Zwei likes you," Ruby observed, "Not too surprising, he's always liked people."

"You bring your dog to sea with you?" Weiss asked, though not really surprised that her hyperactive captain would do such a thing. She knelt down to pet the small animal, and Zwei eagerly began licking her hand, making her giggle.

"Yeah, he's a real sea dog!" The first mate gave her captain an unimpressed frown. "Hey, it's better than a dad joke."

"Dad joke?"

"You know, the type of joke dads make."

Weiss hummed, "I wouldn't know, my father was rather serious. I don't think I've ever seen him smile."

"Uh…" Ruby wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Well, a dad joke is a joke that a dad would make to sound cool and funny to his kids, only to make him seem more weird or desperate. For example, say you said you were hungry, a dad would reply 'Hi Hungry, I'm dad'."

"That… is rather pitiful."

Ruby chuckled, "Yeah, it is. Though, my sister seems to love dad's jokes considering she makes them as well."

"Sounds like hell."

Ruby burst into laughter, "It was rather unbearable. Although, I would prefer them to make jokes instead of being stone-faced. No offense to your dad, but he doesn't sound too fun."

Weiss shook her head, "It's quite alright. To be honest, he wasn't and the two of us never had the best of relationships."

"That's my point, though," the captain said, causing the snow-haired sailor to stare at her in confusion, "Dad jokes are bad, but it does lift the air and sometimes you can't help but smile. I'm not a parent, and would probably make a bad one at that, but I can tell you now that making jokes, regardless of quality, will bring you closer to your children. Kids don't like stuffy, boring old guys; I certainly didn't and Yang never did, either."

Weiss hummed, "I can see that. What about your sister?"

"Yang is brash, headstrong and a little arrogant," the captain replied, yet the small smile on her lips told the first mate that the two were close, "She likes to act before she thinks, usually with her fists, and that often gets her into trouble. That's not to say she isn't smart, in fact she's quite intelligent when she uses her brain."

"Which is not often, I presume."

Ruby laughed, "She does use it, but only after the fact, not before. Say someone mocked her precious hair, she would swing her fist before you could say think. She's the best sister I could ask for, though; a loving girl who would do almost anything for her family and friends. Between her and dad, I'd say we'd make one of the happiest families in the world."

"And your mother?"

"Gone," the younger woman replied slightly sombrely, "Such was the life of a huntress. One day, she left for a mission and never came back."

"Your mother was a huntress?"

"Yeah, and dad was a huntsman. In fact my uncle was also a huntsman, too."

"Kind of ironic, that the daughter of two huntsmen wants to become a criminal."

The two shared a laugh, "Yeah, it is. What about your mum?"

Weiss frowned, "Also gone. She died when giving birth to my little brother."

"Damn, sorry…"

"It's alright. This was years ago, and I had to accept it quickly. With father and Winter, my elder sister, busy with their duties, I had to take the responsibility of raising Whitely."

"I see. What's he like?"

Weiss sighed sadly, "I'm not too sure. My father… wanted to marry me off, and so most of my duties were devoted to being a bride. Whitely went into the navy as soon as he could, so I haven't seen him much in years. I hope he's alright, for he was such a sweet boy."

"And Winter?"

"I wouldn't say we don't care for one another, but there was always a distance between us. Her standing in the navy meant that, much like father, had to put on an air of professionalism and seriousness. She always expected me to become a sailor, too, so she wasn't too pleased to learn of father's plans."

"...Is your father also in the navy?"

Weiss tensed, "Yes…" Ruby could tell she didn't want to talk further, and so kept her mouth shut.

They carried on in silence, sailing up the coast for another few hours, eventually spotting the wrecked galleon, half submerged in the water. They dropped anchor beside the hulking vessel.

"Right!" Ruby called, taking her boots and socks off, "We need one person to stand and watch for any approaching ships whilst the other explores the wreck. Since it is your first time, you stand guard and I'll go inside."

Weiss nodded, watching as Ruby dove into the water and began swimming into the galleon's belly.

Time passed rather uneventfully, Weiss leaning against the boat's railing as Ruby came and went, returning with a new crate each time. As she had heard, it was mostly cash crops, such as tea, tobacco and sugar. Not too useful to them, but would certainly fetch a pretty penny back in Port Royale.

Eventually, the salvagers had taken all they could from the half of the galleon that was above the surface of the water. "The other half has probably sunk beneath the water," Ruby stated, tying a rope around her waist, "I'm gonna dive down and see what there is. Tug the rope if you see anything." Before Weiss could utter her protests, her captain had leapt from the boat and descended into the water's depths.

Seconds felt like hours for the woman, merely staring into the azure waves, panic settling in. Her fear rose and rose, the internal debate warring in her mind blinding her to the frigate that approached from the north. When she did notice it, the frigate was already bearing down upon their tiny vessel. Panicking, Weiss could not think of anything she could do besides tugging the rope.

The frigate weighed anchor beside the smaller vessel and a group of five soldiers boarded. "Good day, ma'am," one of them called, "I am James Hackenshaw, the captain of this vessel. May I ask what you are doing in these waters?"

Weiss was sweating as the captain's steely eyes burrowed their gaze into her, a nervous smile spreading on her face, "Oh, nothing much, I was just… fishing."

"A rather odd spot to fish, no?"

"W-Well, I only just arrived here and heard this was a good spot to fish from a friend."

"I see. Nevertheless, you didn't take anything from that wreck, did you?"

"Of course not! I know better than to get into trouble with the law."

"You do seem like a more refined lady than those ruffians at Port Royale." At his words, Weiss' thoughts turned to Ruby, who was still under the water. Part of her agreed, her captain was ruffian-like, with none of the manners Weiss had come to expect of women.

"Though," James continued, "You are wearing rather fine clothes, and you certainly look like you're not from around this corner of the world. Atlas, perhaps?"

"Uh, yeah," the snow-haired crook replied, "There were some family issues, so I came here to begin anew."

"I see," he turned to one of his men, "Could you find the description of that young lady Admiral Schnee was looking for?"

"Yessir," the sailor replied, before returning aboard the frigate. Weiss' hopes sank further.

At that moment, Ruby burst from the water and clambered aboard, water dripping from her hair and clothes, "Hello, gentlemen."

"Hello?" James replied, confused, "This is… unexpected."

"I was just having a swim."

"I see."

"Sir!" a sailor called, "There are boxes of tea and sugar, here!"

The navy captain hummed, directing his gaze at the two women. Weiss was panicking, her pale face even paler and her eyes wide. Ruby, however, merely stared at him challengingly. "I guess you didn't know better after all, ma'am."

"I-I-I…"

"I feel I already know the answer, but, did you salvage these goods from that wreck?"

Ruby answered first, "Yes, we did." Weiss stared at her, horrified, whilst James was surprised at her honesty. "You know how things can be now, you start running tight on coin, and take whatever jobs you can get."

"We do live in hard times."

Ruby smiled, "Exactly. So, how about this; since we've already done the work, perhaps you can give us some pay and we hand over the goods. That way, we all benefit, no?"

James hummed, "Maybe. But, I don't feel like you are in a negotiating position. There are two-hundred men aboard this frigate. You are right, times are hard, yet we can't go around rewarding criminals. Instead, how about we take the goods, and allow you two to walk free?"

Ruby shrugged, "Well, it was worth a try… Sure, that sounds reasonable."

"Captain!" the sailor who reboarded the frigate called, "The girl we're looking for, Weiss Schnee, has long white hair in a lopsided ponytail, pale skin, ice-blue eyes and a scar streaking down her left eye!"

James turned back to Weiss, who at this point was close to passing out, "Intriguing. Miss Schnee, I'm afraid that you must come with us. Your father has been very worried."

Ruby stepped in between them, a hard light in her silver eyes, "That is where I have to say no. Weiss, here, is my first mate, my crew. She and I have an agreement that she stays as my first mate until she wants to leave. I intend to honour that agreement."

"With all due respect, ma'am, it is my job to follow the orders of my superior, and Admiral Jacques Schnee wishes for the return of his daughter. I cannot leave without her, though I am willing to compensate you heavily for her surrender."

Weiss was resigned to her fate. Ruby wanted to be a pirate, and that occupation usually attracted those of less than good morals. Plus, the reward would allow her to continue her dream.

"I don't think you understood me," Ruby continued without a moment's hesitation, "Weiss is a part of my crew, and I shall not accept her leave unless she decides to on her own."

The snow-haired runaway stared at her captain in astonishment, completely caught off-guard by the young girl's response.

Captain Hackeshaw also seemed surprised, "Ma'am, you're only digging a deeper grave for yourself. If you won't surrender her to us, then we will have to arrest you. Surely, you don't want that, right Miss Schnee?"

Weiss stared at him in terror, then gazing at Ruby, her own ice-blue eyes meeting silver. Ruby had shown her more kindness than she ever expected to receive since arriving in Port Royale, even after she learnt who Weiss was. No one aside from her mother had been that nakedly friendly and kind to her. She thought that perhaps she should reciprocate that kindness and peacefully turn herself in, thus allowing Ruby to carry on with her life.

Yet, the memory of Ruby's talk of freedom resurfaced in her mind. Pirates were free to do whatever they wanted. Ruby was willing to risk her own freedom and life for her. Surrendering herself would not only throw Ruby's efforts for her sake to waste, it would also be an insult to her ideals.

"I don't want to return to my father," Weiss said, "He was the reason I ran away to begin with. I don't want to go back!"

"You heard her," Ruby said, "Now, take the goods and get off my boat."

James glared at them, the kind light in his eyes disappearing, "You are not in any position to make demands of me. We will take both of you into custody." Within the blink of an eye, Ruby disappeared and then reappeared in a flurry of rose petals, a rapier in her hand. James glanced at his scabbard, shocked to find his sword now in Ruby's hand, "What in the…?"

"Well," Ruby began, handing the rapier to Weiss, "Looks like our days as professional criminals have now begun!"

Captain Hackeshaw growled in frustration and slight fear, "She has her semblance unlocked!" he observed, his men readying their own swords with trepidation.

The young captain sprung into action immediately, dashing here and there in a storm of rose petals, slashing at the sailors currently invading her boat. However, there were another two-hundred or so other sailors aboard the frigate, and they were preparing to jump down and overwhelm the two women.

Weiss noticed, and, with a flick of her new rapier, demonstrated her own semblance; her glyphs. With the almost magical ability, the admiral's daughter forced the sailors back onto the frigate's deck.

"Don't let up!" Captain Hackeshaw shouted, "We must not let up!" It was at this moment that Ruby rushed up and slashed his legs, forcing him to his knees and breaking the spirit of his men.

As the sailors either retreated onto their ship or slowly backed away from the women, Ruby pointed her sword at James' neck, "Well, Captain, I must say that not only will Weiss remain on my crew, I think I will take all that cargo as well, whilst you and your boys will sail away and bother us no more."

"Pirate scum…"

The young girl beamed, "Ah, ah, ah. I believe that you aren't in a position to negotiate." She faced one of the deckhands, who flinched under her gaze, "You there, take your captain and wounded and sail away. I want you over that horizon before sundown."

"Y-Yes!" Without a moment's hesitation, the frigate's crew gathered up their injured comrades and carried them aboard their ship. They unfurled the sails and immediately put to sea.

Ruby and Weiss watched as the frigate disappeared over the horizon. "So, you have your semblance?" the captain began.

"Yes, father made sure that all three of us were proficient in combat, that included aura control and utilisation of our semblances. I'm more surprised you have your own semblance unlocked."

"My parents were huntsmen, remember? Dad made sure both my sister and I were ready to fight the Grimm." Ruby hummed as the frigate disappeared from sight, "Right! It's about time we dredged up that chest."

"Chest?"

"Yeah, there was a large chest in the water. I was tying the rope around it when the frigate pulled up beside us. Decided to leave it there whilst I negotiated with the captain."

Weiss stared at Ruby, "So, even if we did give up the cargo, we'd still at least have something."

"Exactly."

Weiss' face fell and she began to nervously play with her hair, "Ruby, I'm sorry, things would have probably gone better if I was more vigilant. I was so panicked when you dived into the sea that I didn't see that frigate at all until it was too late…"

"Hey don't worry about it, everything worked out in the end. Anyway, can you help me here? All we need to do is pull it up with the rope." Ruby and Weiss tugged and heaved, pulling the rope with all their might, whatever was in that chest weighed a ton. Nevertheless, they managed to dredge the chest up, lifting it onto the deck.

They stood in front of it, Ruby offering Weiss a look of excitement before unclasping the lock and lifting the lid. They were blinded by a golden light as the sun's rays struck the treasure, and their own eyes lit up once they saw what it was. Gold artifacts filled the chest, glittering magnificently in the light; jewellery, crosses, ornaments, all etched with intricate and ornate patterns.

"This is amazing!" Ruby cheered, "With this, we can not only get a ship, but a crew as well! Weiss, you know what this means?!"

The aristocrat was beaming, "We're rich!"

"We can finally put to sea in a ship of our own!"

With their spirits raised as far as possible, the two stowed the gold with the rest of their haul and set sail for Port Royale, catching a northerly wind.

As they went, Weiss glanced at her captain happily, "Ruby, I just wanted to thank you."

"Hmm? Is this for standing up for you back there? You don't need to…"

"It's for everything you've done for me so far. I haven't really told you anything about me, yet you still took me as your crewmate and protected me even when the reward for my surrender is no doubt greater than that chest of gold. It could have helped you with your dream…"

"Stop thinking like that, Weiss," the silver-eyed woman interrupted, "You're a part of my crew, which means you're the same as family to me. If I had sold you out, I could never forgive myself, nor could I look at Yang or dad in the eyes ever again."

"What happened to your mother? If you don't mind me asking."

"We don't actually know all that much of what happened," Ruby replied somberely, "She went on a hunt for a seaborne Grimm, and never returned."

"I'm sorry…"

"It's alright."

Weiss gazed at Ruby. While the air had certainly become much more sombre, the young captain was still able to smile cheerily, her resolve unshook. Weiss sighed, "My father wanted to marry me off, you know?"

"Oh?"

"To a prince of the Atlesian royalty."

"You mean you could have become a princess?"

Weiss chuckled, "No, he wasn't in the line of succession. If anything, I would have become a duchess. Still, it would be a connection to the royal family and that is what my father wanted. I didn't find it particularly fair, Winter and Whitley got to become renowned admirals in their own right, whilst I was relegated as a trophy, a bargain to be exchanged for favours and influence. That's why I ran away, to escape that cage."

"Yeah, doesn't sound fun."

"You want to know what my father said at a ball, once?" Weiss continued, her voice becoming increasingly irate, "He called me a 'mule with rubies in her saddlebag', to what was to be my future husband."

"What an awful man," Ruby growled, her own opinions of Admiral Jacques Schnee plummeting, "Rest assured, I won't see you go back to him, even if you leave the crew."

"Thank you. Truly."

They continued along, the swell of the sea occasionally spraying them with water and leaving a salty smell in the air, until they reached port again. They unloaded the cargo and went into town. "I know a man who will take it all," Ruby said, "He's a scumbag, but he pays good money. Just try not to vomit when we get there."

The silver-eyed captain led her first mate through the town towards an opulent building in the traditional Mistralli tradition. They entered, watched by armed men the whole way. The air was heavy with the smell of opium and smoke, almost suffocating Weiss, and while Ruby appeared to be coping better, she was no less uncomfortable.

They went to a large room, something akin to a throne room, where a tall man with bright red hair lounged on a couch, a pipe in his hand and scantily clad harlots about him. "Ah, it's good to see you again, Red."

Ruby smiled tensely, "Roman…"

The man shifted, his opulent robes shuffling loosely to reveal his chest, "Come on, Little Red, no need to bare those fangs of yours against me. Besides, you haven't introduced me to the beauty beside you."

"This is Weiss, she's my first mate."

"A pleasure. I take it the salvage was a success with all this loot you've brought?"

Ruby nodded, "Better, actually. We've got the usual; tea, sugar, tobacco and whatever else your businesses use. Plus, we managed to get this…" With dramatic flare, Ruby lifted the lid of the treasure chest, unveiling the gold to the crime lord.

Roman's smile grew, "Now that is a sight for sore eyes." He snapped his fingers and one of the harlots stepped down and began inspecting the gold, weighing and measuring it all.

Once she was finished, the harlot went back to Roman and gave her value; "500,000." Ruby and Weiss became giddy at the news, it was easily enough to fund a ship and man a crew for a long voyage.

Roman whistled, "Not cheap, but it certainly would fetch a pretty penny in Vale or Atlas. Alright, Red, I'll buy, but I want to ask you something, first. You're going to buy a ship with this, no?" Ruby nodded. "Then perhaps we could come to an agreement. I'll pay you for this and even recommend you to a shipwright I know. In exchange, I want you to take this cargo you hauled to Kuo Kuana for me. How does that sound?"

"Will we get paid for this job?"

"Usual price for transportation, this offer is more for future partnership with each other; I get you a ship, you do me this favour. You'll have to find a crew on your own, though."

Ruby shrugged, "Then I don't see why not."

"Excellent!" Roman cheered, "I'll get you your pay now, and speak to that shipwright in the morrow. I'll see you soon, Little Red."

The two women left with their money and made their way to the tavern they had met, a crate of rum they had salvaged. "You want to give this to the owner?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah, he's done a lot for me," Ruby explained as Weiss held the door open for her, "I give him what I can from my hauls as thanks."

"Hey, Ruby," the bartender called, "I see you've brought me another gift. I take it things went well?"

"Better, we can finally get a ship!"

"Well done, kiddo," he turned to Weiss, "I see you're sticking with her."

The aristocrat nodded, "Ruby's stood up for me, so I'll stand with her."

"Thanks, Weiss," Ruby said, as the bartender handed her a mug of rum. She then placed a foot on a stool and raised her drink up, cheering, "For a job well down, a round of drinks on me!" The tavern erupted in cheers and mirth as Weiss watched, confused.

The bartender chuckled at her reaction, "Something wrong?"

"It's just… I don't understand why she would spend her money like that…"

He chuckled again, "Just something she does, my niece enjoys talking to people. You wouldn't believe me if I told you she's actually quite nervous with strangers."

"I see… wait, did you say niece?"

"Yes."

Weiss stared at him in shock, "...So, you're a huntsman?"

"Indeed I am, Miss Schnee. I keep the wild beasties of the jungle out of town whilst running this little establishment to keep the bills paid in between hunts." Weiss stayed silent as Qrow filled many more mugs of drink for the entire tavern, who had begun something of a party. Someone had brought an accordion with them and began playing music for everyone.

"You'll keep her safe, won't you?" Qrow asked, turning his attention back to the snow-haired woman, "She and her sister are originally from Vale, and their father asked me to take them here when the revolution broke out. Yang can take care of herself, yet you've probably noticed that Ruby's a bit naive. Can you look after her whilst on the sea, for me?"

Weiss regarded him, a small smile forming on her lips, "I will. She protected me today, so the least I can do is protect her from now on."

"Thanks, kid."

It was at that moment that Ruby pulled Weiss away to join her in a dance, much to Qrow's amusement. They'll be fine, he thought happily.

"Ruby!" Weiss called out as she was led in a rather rough and tumble dance, "Wait a moment!"

"Don't worry, Weiss!" the silver-eyed lady cheered, "Just have fun!"

"From Tortuga's port we put to sea,

And sailed for sixteen days.

In the biggest storm I'd ever seen,

We almost lost our way.

When a call came from a deckhand,

"Boys, I think she's going down.

But don't you fear,

there's enough rum here

to drink until we drown!"

The tavern burst into song as tables and chairs were cleared for Ruby and Weiss to dance. It was nothing like the slow waltzes that Weiss had been taught back in Atlas; Ruby's movements were sloppy, unrefined, and almost sent herself and Weiss crashing to the floor. Yet, it was some of the most fun the aristocrat had ever experienced with dancing. It was lively, she was surrounded by cheer and, most importantly, her partner was someone who she genuinely liked. Thus, she was unable to contain the smile spreading on her face.

"What shall we do with a drunken sailor?

What shall we do with a drunken sailor?

What shall we do with a drunken sailor?

Early in the morning!

Hooray and up she rises,

Hooray and up she rises,

Hooray and up she rises,

Early in the morning!

"So this deckhand grabbed a barrel,

Broke the seal, and took a swig,

And soon their screams turned into songs,

Their panicked work turned into jigs.

The first mate bellowed orders

Ever trying to save their skins,

"Any drunken retch

The captain catch

He'll beat all limb from limb!"

"Ho!

"What shall we do with a drunken sailor?

What shall we do with a drunken sailor?

What shall we do with a drunken sailor?

Early in the morning!

Hooray and up she rises,

Hooray and up she rises,

Hooray and up she rises,

Early in the morning!

"Every man continued drinking,

All their duties long forgot.

They were deaf to every order

'Til they heard a pistol shot.

The captain stood on folks

All swung the cat above his head

"Back to yer post,

Or by my ghost

Ye'll wish that ye were dead!"

"Oh!

"What shall we do with a drunken sailor?

What shall we do with a drunken sailor?

What shall we do with a drunken sailor?

Early in the morning!

Hooray and up she rises,

Hooray and up she rises,

Hooray and up she rises,

Early in the morning!

"Every drunk received a beating,

Some of the drunker managed two.

The captain kept an eye

Until he'd sobered up his crew.

He then retired to quarters

Put the rum upon his shelf,

Sat in his seat,

Put up his feet,

And drank the rest himself!

"Ho!

"What shall we do with a drunken sailor?

What shall we do with a drunken sailor?

What shall we do with a drunken sailor?

Early in the morning!

Hooray and up she rises,

Hooray and up she rises,

Hooray and up she rises,

Early in the morning!

"Put him in the longboat 'til he's sober,

Shave his belly with a rusty razor,

Throw him in the hold with the captain's daughter,

Early in the morning!"

As the song finished, Ruby and Weiss ended their dance by grabbing their drinks and downing the brown liquid (Weiss was a lot more restrained than Ruby, preferring to remain conscious by the end of the night), all the while the other patrons clapped and cheered.

As the night progressed, Weiss thanked all the stars in the sky for her meeting with Ruby.

I'm still thinking on what exactly this story is going to be, so there may be some time before the next chapter is published.

I was getting bored writing RWBY Multiverse, mostly due to the fact that the characters are reacting, rather than actually doing things, so I decided to write an AU instead. Please let me know what you think of it. The song used at the end was a version of the sea shanty Drunken Sailor by The Longest Johns.