WaterDragonMaverick here with the newest chapter of "Sideline: Another Story". In the last chapter, Fragment Hunter met up with a few new friendly rivals and are getting ready for the Beacon Dance. In this chapter, I'll cover some final minute things for the group when they get ready for the dance as well as show a few familiar faces from canon and earlier chapters. So, let's get to it.
Prepare yourself!
RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and was created by Monty Oum (R.I.P)
The only things I own in this story are my Original Characters
On Saturday morning, everyone at Beacon Academy was making sure that they were prepared for the dance during tomorrow night. Some students talked about going into town to pick up dresses and tuxedos, a few students talked about the setup for the ballroom that Team RWBY was currently working on, and Fragment Hunter was going over a few things themselves. While they decided to spend the morning just hanging out and playing their instruments that Vinyl bought them, they soon began to talk about a few details involving the Beacon Dance. "So, it looks like Yang managed to book a few DJs for the dance to help with the music," Vinyl remarked. "She could've asked me to help out if she remembered. We did go to Signal Academy together. I even met up with her when we first got to Beacon."
"Well, considering you hang out with us so much, she probably thought that you were busy," Lapis suggested. Vinyl thought it over and silently nodded in reply. "So, does anybody else need to get a few things for the dance later? Ivy and the Celeste sisters were kind enough to help pay for what we needed, but I know we all didn't get everyone outfits."
"I know that Rua needs something to wear," Vixen commented with a smile.
"There is nothing you can do to put me in a dress," Rua exclaimed as she crossed her arms. "A skirt is one thing, but a dress is a different thing entirely. You can't do anything to get me to wear one."
"Not even this," Vixen asked with a mischievous smirk as she snapped her fingers. Everyone soon saw that Rua was now currently wearing a short red dress instead of her usual clothes. Silver, Slate, and several of the girls began to snicker at the annoyed look Rua had on her face. "Hahahaha! I love my Semblance."
"If we're making it so that we look different, I always wondered what I would look like with pink or blonde hair," Azalea said as Vixen removed the illusion on Rua.
"Well, I already know what you would look like with completely red hair thanks to seeing that memory of your aunt," Sunset mentioned. "Go ahead and try it, Vixen. Let's start with a blonde Azalea." Snapping her fingers as she used her Semblance, Vixen cast an illusion on Azalea in order to turn her regular auburn hair into a low-hanging blonde ponytail. "Okay, that works too well," Sunset remarked with a playful smile as she and the others pulled out their Scrolls to take photos of the currently blonde Azalea.
Celadon was kind enough to show Azalea's photo to her and the Faunus inspected the look for herself as Silver gave an appreciative whistle. "Wow. This is very nice. I'm wondering what I'd look like with pink hair now," Azalea said.
"One way to find out," Vixen declared as she waved a hand in front of Azalea and the illusion changed. Now instead of having a blonde ponytail, Azalea's hairstyle was now pink and slightly wavy. Her new illusionary hair reached her hips and the bangs covered a small part of her face that Sunset recognized as the same style Azalea had when she was bullied at Sanctuary Academy. "I thought that this would work. Thoughts, guys?"
"I think it suits her," Sunset and Layla said as they and the rest of Fragment Hunter took pictures of Azalea with pink hair.
"With that hair color, I think people would believe you're related to my sister," Slate commented. "It really does look nice on you, though." Azalea smiled and turned away as she began to play with her hair while the illusion was active. The girls all smirked when they saw Azalea's cheeks turning the same shade of pink as her current hairstyle. Snapping a few more pictures of the blushing Azalea, Fragment Hunter signaled for Vixen to stop her illusions.
With Azalea's hair returning to its normal reddish-brown color, everyone's attention was changed back to the topic of the dance. "We already know that Azalea's going to wear that little black dress from before," Celadon commented and caught the aforementioned girl sneaking little glances at Slate when the dress was brought up. "But who else needs their own outfit for the dance? I already have a few dresses that I had to choose between."
"I'm not wearing a dress," Vinyl said. "I'm going to talk to Yang about being a spare DJ, so I don't need anything but what I have on now."
"I'll just need a tuxedo with the right colors like the boys," Rua stated.
"I know I need a dress," Sunset remarked. "I think I'm the only girl who needs a dress that actually wants to wear one." When the other girls of Fragment Hunter nodded, Sunset got up and stretched her arms. "Well, then. I say that we need to go shopping. Azalea, message your mom and we'll get going. Celadon, we need to find a boutique that has the right dress for me."
After figuring out their plans for the day, the members of Fragment Hunter split up into two groups. Sunset, Azalea, Rua, Celadon, and the boys went with Ivy, Aurora, and Nocturne to search a few boutiques for outfits while the others stayed at Beacon to help set up the ballroom for the dance. "Alright, let's go to where we first found Azalea's dress," Celadon declared as she led the way.
"Right behind you," Silver said as he followed Celadon. Soon, everyone reached the boutique and they separated to find what they needed. "Me, Rua, and Slate will check for our clothes. You girls have fun dress hunting," Silver told Sunset and the others.
"We will," Ivy replied as she waved back to Silver. When the Wolf Faunus headed off with Rua and Slate, Ivy and the others turned their attention to the numerous racks that were filled with dresses. "You know, the boutique back in Mirabelle would've been much easier to help get everyone's outfits," Ivy commented. "Then again, the owner is an old friend from before Azalea was born."
"You mean Bianca's mom," Azalea asked as she moved a few dresses aside to check for something Sunset would like.
"Yes. She would've been happy to help make some dresses for everyone. Even tuxedos for Rua and the boys," Ivy said. "After all, your father and I are some of her best customers."
"Considering your figure and Terra's size, it isn't hard to understand why," Aurora giggled.
As Ivy began to talk to Aurora and Nocturne about a few other things, Sunset's search for a dress took her farther into the store. Looking at the mannequins and racks for something that caught her eye, Sunset didn't pay attention to where she was walking and bumped into somebody. Losing her balance, Sunset fell onto her back and let out a grunt as she fell to the floor. "Oh, sorry about that," said a girl's voice. "Here, let me help you up." Sunset soon saw a hand reaching out for her to grab and accepted the outstretched hand.
When she stood up, Sunset saw that the person she bumped into was an adorable girl with short and curly orange hair that had a pink bow crookedly placed on the back. She had freckles underneath her bright green eyes, a cheerful smile on her face, and Sunset saw that a strand of the girl's hair was sticking up like an antenna. The girl was wearing an old-fashioned whitish-gray blouse, a pair of gray overalls that were designed to resemble a dress, and black collar with a matching pair of stockings that had green lines going down them. "I wonder if she's one of Azalea's cousins? She looks like she could be," Sunset thought to herself.
"Salutations," the girl greeted. "My name is Penny Polendina!"
"Sunset Blaze," Sunset greeted back. "Hey, do you know a girl by the name of Azalea Calla Holstein?"
"No. Why do you ask," Penny replied.
"It's just that you look like you could be related to her with your green eyes, freckles, and hair," Sunset explained.
"Sunset, are you over here," Azalea called out as she walked toward Sunset and Penny. "Oh, there you are. Hello," Azalea said as she found Sunset and noticed Penny.
"Azalea, this is Penny. Penny, Azalea," Sunset introduced. "You see what I mean," she whispered to Penny.
Penny stepped closer to get a better look at Azalea's appearance and started to make the Faunus girl slightly uncomfortable. Stepping back after a few seconds, Penny turned back to Sunset and spoke to her. "At first glance, it does seem that we would look similar to each other. But I've never left Atlas until today. My father worries a lot about my safety."
"I know that feeling," Azalea said as she remembered all the times that Terracotta kept a close eye on her after nearly dying to a swarm of Rapier Wasps and a Grimm attack on the farm. "My dad's been trusting me about my own 'journey' after he taught me how to fight, though. But then again, you can't really forget the feeling of a 7'0" Bull Faunus full of muscles glaring down any boy that approaches you when you start 'developing' at the age of 12."
"Wait, you were already getting that kind of figure when you were 12," Sunset asked in surprise.
"I blame genetics. You've seen my mom," Azalea stated to Sunset in a deadpan tone before the two girls turned back to Penny. "Still, I know that fathers can be overprotective. At least he let you come to Vale, right?"
"He did... But because of my last few 'outings', I have to be accompanied by somebody whenever needed," Penny said as she looked behind herself.
Sunset and Azalea turned in the direction Penny was looking at to see two Atlas Soldiers standing guard as they looked around the store. While the soldiers kept an eye on their surroundings, the three girls noticed that they looked in one direction for a little longer than they should have. Looking in the same direction as the soldiers did, Azalea noticed that the military men's sights lingered on her mother, Ivy. "Typical of whenever she's out somewhere," Azalea thought to herself.
"Who's the lovely-looking Faunus woman," Penny asked as she noticed Ivy for herself before turning back to Azalea and Sunset. "Is she your sister," she asked Azalea.
"Mother, actually," Sunset answered. "Although, I'm pretty sure that Azalea would look just like her when she reaches about 20. Much to Slate's enjoyment," she said as she waggled her eyebrows to tease her friend.
"Please stop," Azalea moaned in embarrassment as her cheeks turned red. "He hasn't even asked me to the dance yet."
"You know that I can read minds and sense emotions, Azalea. He does want to ask you, but he's trying to find the right moment," Sunset told the Cow Faunus. "Try going out to lunch with him by yourselves. I'm sure he'll ask you when the rest of us are out of your hair. And if you feel like it, you could always ask him to the dance yourself."
"That's right," Penny said as she looked like she remembered something. "I still need a dress for the dance."
"Well, I still to find one myself," Sunset remarked as she turned back to Penny. "Let's find the right ones together." Penny smiled at Sunset and Azalea before she hugged the two in gratitude and newly kindled friendship. After a while of searching, Sunset and Azalea found the perfect dress for Penny and wore it to see if it fit her correctly. Azalea, Sunset, and the Atlas Soldiers chaperoning Penny all complimented her as she wore the dress. Soon, Penny changed back into her regular clothes and left with the soldiers to pay for the new article of clothing. "She's an odd girl, but I can tell she's a very nice person," Sunset stated to Azalea. "Come on, I still need a dress for myself."
After a while of searching, Sunset finally acquired the dress she felt was perfect for Sunday night and the others found proper fitting tuxedos for themselves. When Ivy and Aurora paid for the outfits, everyone started to head back to Beacon Academy except for Slate and Azalea. They said that they would catch up later after getting something to eat and went to the same restaurant that they went to on their date. "I'm really starting to love this place," Azalea said to Slate as the waitress brought her a plate of stir-fried noodles. "Reminds me of this neighboring town near Mirabelle called 'Nashihana'."
"I think we did a report on that place after the whole 'Cardin Incident'," Slate mentioned. "It's known for its local hot springs, right?"
"And great food during festivals and celebrations," Azalea added before she slurped down some of her meal. After a few different discussions about stuff like musical interests outside of their own band and video games that Slate thought Azalea would like, the two students were finished with their food and were about to leave. However, Azalea noticed Slate was rubbing the back of his neck nervously and hesitantly spoke to him. "Is... something wrong?"
"No. No there isn't," Slate said before he began to ramble. "It's just... Well... the thing is..."
"Will you go to the dance with me," Slate and Azalea asked at the same time and surprised each other. "I thought you weren't going to ask," they remarked together before they beamed. "Yes, of course, I want to go with you!"
Leaving the restaurant happy, Azalea and Slate were excited for Sunday night. But just as they were leaving, Azalea thought she saw something enter a nearby alley. Running to see what it was, Azalea failed to get a good look at the thing in question. However, she believed that she caught a glimpse of a large raccoon-like tail. "Azalea, what's up," Slate asked as he had his hands ready to grab his revolvers at a moment's notice.
"It's nothing, Slate," Azalea said. "It's just... I thought I saw someone familiar..." As Slate placed a hand on Azalea's shoulder to comfort her, the two soon left the alleyway to return to Beacon Academy. Overlooking the training Huntsman and Huntress on the rooftops, a young Faunus man with a raccoon tail smirked as he pulled out a Scroll and messaged somebody about what to do on Sunday night.
"I'm going to need to get a tux," the Raccoon Faunus said to himself as he twirled his cane around idly before launching the grappling hook and swinging away.
The weekend soon continued on for everyone in the Kingdom of Vale and they began to enjoy their Sunday evening. Families were enjoying quality time with each other, businesses were closing early to rest up for another long week, and Beacon Academy's dance for the upcoming Vytal Festival was being held. All in all, everything was looking peaceful for the city as the sun began to set over the horizon. However, one teenage girl in a hotel penthouse was focused on something other than the calm night. "Okay, Miss Coloratura. With the weekend nearly finished, I suggest that we begin brainstorming ideas for getting word about your upcoming concert out," a man in a professional-looking suit said as he looked at his Scroll.
"Actually... I was thinking that we could deal with figuring out what to do tomorrow," the girl suggested as she held the robe she was currently wearing. "I'd like to get ready for bed early tonight."
"Of course, Miss Coloratura," the man replied as he closed his Scroll. "I'll let you get some rest. Just remember that Terracotta Gaia said he wouldn't likely be able to help with bodyguard detail. So, I'll send out a request for at least one Huntsman team attending Beacon Academy to come by tomorrow afternoon."
"That sounds like a good idea," 'Coloratura' said with a smile before her manager stepped out of the penthouse and closed the door. The girl soon breathed a sigh of relief as she was left on her own. "Finally. Now to actually get ready." Stepping out onto the balcony of the penthouse suite, the girl looked out in the direction of Beacon Academy and had a determined look in her eyes. "Beacon, here I come," she declared before she removed the robe she wore to reveal a dress underneath. When she disrobed, 'Coloratura' was shown to have large, white feathered wings that she used to fly off of the balcony and head toward the school.
And with this chapter, we have something that I wanted to add for a while since planning Fragment Hunter's time at the Beacon Dance; meeting Penny Polendina! With her appearance, I wanted Fragment Hunter to befriend the girl because she deserves some more friends (and they won't learn of her robotic nature until much later). We also have Slate and Azalea finally going to the dance together, but a familiar face seems to have returned as they head off to Beacon.
As for 'Coloratura', does the fact that she has wings sound familiar to anyone? It should because you're all going to see Fragment Hunter meet up with her at the dance and find out why Terracotta knows her.
With the next chapter being the 20th, I wanted to do something special for it. When the story is updated again, be prepared for "Dance Dance Infiltration: Another Story" and what I want to happen at the Beacon Dance while Ruby tries to deal with Cinder and the CCT. After that chapter, I'll try and return my focus to "Go Go RWBY Rangers" before continuing with the adventures of Fragment Hunter.
WaterDragonMaverick, signing out!