Several Months Later:

Ruby sat at her desk and watched the clock.

Years ago she had sat in this same room and watched this same clock. well probably not the same clock, it had been years since she'd attended Beacon. Still, she remembered watching the spot on the wall, anxious of the test or report coming back to her. The feeling now was similar, but also decidedly unique

For one thing, she was currently able to see the desk she used to sit at what felt like lifetimes ago. The actual lifetime since then may have helped. It was a beautiful lecture hall, the wood expertly refurbished or replaced since the reopening of Beacon.

Ruby found herself playing with the buckle of her belt as she waited. One of the few pieces of ornamentation in her everyday outfit. The stylized snowflake shined by years of nervous tracing and general wear of being a Huntress. Rings may have worked for most civilians, but Hunter weapons did not play nice with jewelry. Mechashift or otherwise, high-intensity combat is not the place you want to learn what a degloved finger looked like. Just another life lesson to gift to those about to enter her door.

A chime sounded, and with it the madness of puberty poured forth into her domain of a clean and well-ordered workshop. Noisily making their way to seats in groups that had yet to become teams except in name. Ruby searched around the room, ensuring at least that the number was correct.

Waiting for the commotion to peter out with the second chime, Ruby addressed her new wards.

"Welcome to 'Weaponry and Combat Integration' first-years. I am Ruby Rose, my lovely assistant here is Crescent Rose." - she unfolded and presented her beloved weapon.- "For those of you with more semblance-based weaponry, Mrs. Arc also be assisting me starting tomorrow. But first: Congratulations on passing the entrance exam. Or maybe surviving is the right word. You've made it to Beacon, you've got your teams, and depending on what combat school you attended I'm sure you've at least tinkered with the weapons you're all carrying. So can anyone tell me why you're all in this class?"

Only one hand raised, and nervously at that. She happily noted the girl's response, Faunus heritage evidenced by the golden ears drooping atop her head. "I know you know the answer, give someone else a chance" Ruby answered with a chuckle and a smile. Unfortunately it seemed that no one else was going to take that chance. "Alright then, go ahead Jei, let em have it."

Jei stood up, took a breath, and in a voice very unlike her mother's practically suggested "they're, um, b-boring?" before slinking back into her chair, afraid of what her new classmates would think of such harsh words from one of their own.

"They're boring!" Ruby bellowed. "Each and every one of you are, at a minimum, on a team with someone who's life-defending, legend-inspiring, grimm-slaying weapon of choice is boring. Now, don't take that the wrong way, simple can be good. Don't be ashamed of not having eighteen dust knobs or a toaster oven built into your weapon, neither of those are easy to clean after a fight. "

"As the career of our very own Headmaster should teach you, sometimes all you need to be among the most legendary saviors of the world is muscle memory, a good teacher, and practice. If you go and ask him one thing he would have changed about his situation back before it all happened though; he'd tell you he wished he had some trick up his sleeve, more than once. I know because that's the words he pitched this class to me with years ago. I couldn't agree more, which is why we're all here now"

Pressing a button on her scroll, the wall behind Ruby lit up with various schematics and blueprints. "Behind me are displayed every weapon registered by the student body, and several teachers and friends. During the course of this class, you will have access to this database at varying times for research, inspiration, or strategising. For Today, I have personally selected a few from this catalogue. Your first assignment will be to sort through as a team and categorize them into two sets: Impractical and Boring. You have until the end of the period. Starting now. "

The assignment was rigged, kind of. Every weapon really did fall into at least one of the two categories on its own, but weapons without a Hunter were just fancy sculptures. That's where the 'integration' came in. That, however, was a lesson for day two.

Ruby always loved seeing where the students placed her designs, and to a lesser extent those of her friends. She'd even thrown in a few jokes, including literally just an xray of Hazel Rainart. In her experience that always got a few raised hands, almost as many as when Weiss had tried transcribing Myrtanaster's schematics without help.

Memories, good and bad, of years past and the summer just ended, flowed as the period passed, all while Ruby sat at her desk and watched the cloc

Four months ago:

Mechanisms, doohickeys, apparatus, bits that go 'sproing.' she had also been known to dabble in the fine art of thingies.

Ruby loved broken things.

Or maybe she loved the incomplete, the in-progress', the 'in need of love's. Something where, with a little effort and time, improvement shone.

Items were easy. A spring, a gear, maybe a wire or cable. Simple, had a job and did it. Didn't question why it was doing the job.

… They didn't, right? Would Penny know? That would be a rude thing to ask. 'hey Penny! Do your individual parts also have souls?' 'Well Friend Ruby, funny you should ask. I was just talking to Crescent Rose…' Ruby shook that particular thought out of her active mind. Her beloved weapon held more than enough secrets that should never be talked about, not that she didn't trust good ole' CR.

Weapons were just items attached to each other. They had parts you could see, clean, replace, or repair. Sharpening a blade gave instant results. They could be improved, and adapted, and didn't hate you for years.

People were less easy. Children easier than adults, they were rarely as set in their ways. They could be broken just as much as any grown adult, but they could adapt much quicker. It all depended on the person, in the end.

To change was scary, to admit there was something that needed to change arguably scarier. As much as you couldn't force a person to change, it was certainly possible for your actions to change them.

She knew all too well the change she had forced on the woman in front of her.

Severe nonthermal, nonchemical burns along the entire left side of the body; thaumaturgical in origin, not dust. Nerves intact, but atrophied by exposure to alternate thaumaturgical energies; grimm-burnt and painful. Optical organ, left side, sealed over by burns; unknown status. Various internal inconsistencies; something had once cohabitated her body, it was not gentle.

The medical readout was high-end, but the suite connected to it wasn't kitted to do anything about most of these types of injuries. It was specialized for prosthetic installation procedures. Find the parts that need replacing, not fixing. Then upgrade the existing flesh to accommodate a working replacement.

Ruby technically didn't need to be here. She could have been home, sitting in her comfy spot on the couch Weiss had imported from Atlas. Snuggled up with the best family in the world. Maybe reading a nice book Blake would pick out for her, running her fingers through the hair belonging to a bundle of nerves that currently constituted Jei's rough shape and size.

Ruby was so proud of their not-so-little-anymore girl. She had made it through preliminary testing for beacon, all that stood between her and attending was initiation. Well, that and several months of preparation, intensified training, being spoiled rotten by 'Emmy', and of course; waiting.

Instead, Ruby was here. Reading the full rundown of her once bitter enemy's scars. Ruby could remember making every single one she was responsible for. Her mind was also putting together scraps of half-forgotten memories to make new ones for wounds she couldn't have inflicted at all.

She had never stabbed Cinder with any cylinder larger than a quarter inch in diameter, especially through the ribs. Even in their most desperate struggles against each other, Ruby didn't have a jaw that wide, or teeth that long. She had never used black dust to shatter a bone against itself. She wasn't even sure how anything could leave marks like that on a lung.

Yet, she blamed herself for all of them.

Half-memories filling in with details of fights continents and years apart from any encounter with the woman currently being operated on.

Cinder hated Ruby Rose, slayer of Salem, leader of teams RWBY RNJR RTND RPTR RUST RSST ROCY and countless others across the decades. Cinder did not however hate Ruby, professor of Beacon Academy, Wife, Mother, Daughter. No, hatred for who Ruby really was belonged only to herself.

People were harder than weapons, that much was true. Ruby Rose had never backed down from helping a person in need before though. She had gotten outside help, stepped aside, put it off, and even run from it before. But never backed down.

Cinder would wake to find herself squarely in Ruby's to-do pile.

"How's it feel? I had to guess at weight balances and actuator ratios, since we only have basic foundry equipment for prosthetics. We should probably fix that soon, given we now have three staff who could make use of the facilities now; who knows how many students might need it eventually. I'll make sure it gets into the next budget." Ruby rambled while studying the connectors and stress points from a slightly less than comfortable distance. "finger test. Good."

Bringing up a small rubber ball from a shelf to her right. Ruby lightly tossed it towards Cinder. "Reaction speed and muscle memory acclimation good, grip strength a bit lacking. Shouldn't be too big of a problem for everyday use through."

Cinder seemed to know the drill, but hadn't said anything beyond quick answers to non-opinion questions since the tests had begun. It made Ruby nervous.

Running out of mechanical tests. Ruby moved on to the more personal ones "Well, it's about as good as can be for now. At least so far as instruments can tell me. Your aura seems to have accepted it, but does it have the fine control you need to use your semblance? Try bringing out Ashen Fate, might take a few tries."

"What?" Cinder's first real reaction to something came out hoarse. She gave a quick cough before repeating. "What is an 'Ashen Fate?" She gave Ruby a look like the woman had just suggested she drip a fleeturtle.

Now silver eyes reflected even more confusion back. "Your… weapon. The shards of obsidian you forge into bows, blades, and armor." did Cinder really not remember the name of her own weapon? Was the the weapons actual name? Did the weapon have a name at all?

Oh Maidens, Ruby had probably named them to make cataloging in the weapons database easier. Idiot, you can't just go around naming weapons! Even if 'Mr Stabby' was a much better name than 'Poppin Off'er.'

"You named my weapons 'Ashen Fate'?" Cinder still hadn't shown any emotion to the news, she was just staring down at her hands.

Ruby Rose was many things. None of those things were afraid to admit to a mistake. That's the best way to learn after all. "I mean, I guess so. Though technically Fate is specific to the dagger format. The swords were Verdict and Jury. The bow was jokingly labeled Spades, by Yang I think, and it kind of stuck. I did number the variants of each we have records of, but they don't seem to repeat basically ever."

"So, yes. I needed a name for your weapon for the system to be able to use it. Mercury wasn't around to ask, and Em didn't want to talk about it at the time. Speaking of Emerald, you should probably get in contact. She works ov-" Ruby was interrupted by a dagger being pointed at her. Not threateningly, just the sharp end was facing her. Cinder wore a small smile.

"I had never given it a thought. Naming your weapon seemed to be pointless when it always changed. Not to mention childish, at least at the time." it was a sad smile, but one not full of hatred was still a step up as far as Ruby was concerned.

"I still hate you, but you have my passing respect for such a well-fitting name. Ashen Fate it is." a small chuckle escaped her lips" Though I will never call any tool of mine 'ashen spades.' that pun is terrible, and my workout regiment has certainly slipped over the years." Cinder flipped the dagger between several styles as she spoke. Almost a nervous tick, but made to be threatening.

"I'm glad you like it. Every weapon deserves a name. Gives them personality, like a second partner. At least I think so." Ruby really was relieved. She had half expected to be screamed at, or at a minimum threatened with bodily harm.

The acceptance was almost worse.

Maybe a life spent fighting monsters had left Ruby paranoid. OK, it had definitely left her paranoid. But not usually around other people. She had anxiety sure, but Cinder not trying to make her life hell somehow felt like a nightmare.

She sincerely hoped there wasn't some underhanded reason why Cinder was being so polite. Was it really just gratitude?

Reading people had never been Ruby's string suit, she preferred reading things. What had happened to a thing before it reached her workbench. How it had failed, or succeeded too much. Things were so much easier to fix than people or emotions.

But at least making the attempt might help fix the problem, even if doing it blind could nuts make the problem worse. She had students who needed help that she couldn't provide, not directly anyway.

Problem? Meet Solution.

Now she only had to make sure Cinder wasn't going to stab her in the back. Possibly literally. Again.

It was going to be a long summer wasn't it?