A/N: This is a rewrite of the old version of this story. It's a story I hold dear to my heart but ultimately I feel like I made a lot of stupid mistakes in the original version. Plot-wise, relationship-wise, etc. I hope to correct my mistakes here. A great deal of things will change, some plotlines from the old version will never happen, others will happen but be handled vastly differently. So whether you're from the old story or brand new, I hope you enjoy!

Also this chapter is heavy on flashbacks, but future chapters will not be.

I awoke to the sound of my phone's alarm blaring on the nightstand next to me, Grimmforce's 'Through the Fire and the Flames' at top volume, "On a cold winter morning! In the time before the light!"

I reached out and stopped the song before it could go further and groaned as I crawled out of bed, rubbing my head as I did so with a sigh.

Another winter day…

The next semester started in a few weeks, my final year at Signal Academy. Looking back on my grades, though, I didn't expect to get into a good school, if any. Maybe I'd have to beg a teacher to train me, as if they would…

I wouldn't want to be a bother anyway.

I looked around and took in the state of my room. Plush dark blue carpeted floors and white walls, with the carpet being buried under all the clothes I'd never bothered to put away stringing themselves out over the place.

The only clear paths were from the door to the bed, and the door to the computer. Those were the only places I walked to, anyway, my window's curtains were never opened and the rest of my room didn't have anything I particularly cared about.

There were some old pictures on the walls for memory's sake, but I had taken down and put away more than a few at this point.

I yawned and stretched before gathering up some clothes and heading to the bathroom, some of the clothes that I hadn't left strewn on the ground at least. I was expecting an email soon from one of the professors I knew I was going to have this semester, and it was one I was dreading, in all honesty.

Taiyang Xiao-Long.

He's a great guy, don't get me wrong, but he wasn't the one I was concerned about.

Maybe I'd get lucky and not have the same classes as her… I didn't want to bother her. Especially after it had been this long.

I made my way to the bathroom, there were two, my parents' was next to their bedroom on the first floor, this one was all mine. I always appreciated having total privacy, it meant there was less to sort through in the mornings.

I went through my daily routine, and after I had taken a shower, dried off, and gotten dressed, I looked myself over in the mirror. Not that I expected to need to worry about what anyone thought about my appearance today, or any day really, I still wanted to avoid getting asked to brush my hair or anything of that sort today.

I stared into the mirror, gazing at my brown eyes for a second and noting how tired I still looked before trying to fix my platinum blonde hair. It was hard to do, it went down to my upper-ears and just over my eyebrows, so it wasn't that long, but it still tried its hardest to make every morning require a good brushing. I wouldn't do it if I was on my own, honestly, but even if I didn't care what I looked like, my parents certainly did.

I finished with my hair and ran a hand along my chin. No facial hair, I wasn't sure if I would ever get any at this point. Most guys my age had their mustaches and beards by now, and yet I'd seen zilch. My build was slight and I didn't have any muscle definition in spite of my time at Signal, just another reason I was second to last in the graduating class' roster, rock bottom just above one student. A student who was at the bottom because they never showed up, and I was sure if they did, they'd be better than me.

My mom often tried to tell me that I was 'boyishly handsome' and that girls loved that, but I personally never saw it. I didn't view myself as good looking, no matter what anyone might have told me, and especially not Mom, she loved me and moms would say things like that to their son just because they did. Besides, who would want anything to do with someone at my level?

Better off to leave me on my own and bother with people who actually put effort into life, or even better, people who put effort into life and saw it actually pay off for them. I used to try harder, but after consistently getting low scores no matter how much I studied, I just gave up.

Done in the bathroom, I left and stepped into the hallway. The smell of an omelet being made told me that my parents were already up, and I knew they would call me down for breakfast anyway, so I headed downstairs to beat them to the punch.

My father was the one cooking today, he had what he told me was the trademark blue hair of the Marigold family, kept short and tidy. He was middle-aged, built lithe, and standing at about 6 feet if I remembered correctly. He was wearing a black T-shirt and a pair of jeans, 'black hides dirt and dust better' he always told me. He was a handyman by trade, which meant that in a world of specializations, he did everything, and did his best to not half-ass any of it.

He built this house we were living in, with the help of Taiyang and a few other friends of his, I was told, when I was really young. He fixed any problem around the house, electricity on the fritz? Dad had it taken care of. Plumbing, furniture breaking down, anything? Dad had it taken care of. I appreciated that because he taught me a lot of things about that stuff, and about fixing cars. I would say that he was the reason I would probably be competent enough to live on my own, when that time came.

I was told growing up that his family, the Marigold family, were some rich assholes who lived in Atlas, and that he grew to disagree with them more and more as he got older. Eventually, after he met Mom, he just left. I was told they had already decided on that just a few weeks before they found me, left on their doorstep with a note that told them my name.

I didn't know my biological parents and frankly, I didn't care to, because my parents were here, and not in Atlas, or wherever my birth parents were from.

I sat down at the kitchen table and cleared my throat, "Morning." I greeted as I slipped my scroll out of my pocket and started to check it.

"Morning!" Dad responded, "Breakfast will be ready in a few."

Mom entered from the living room, behind me, walked over and kissed my cheek, "Morning sweetie." I smiled at her as she walked over to smooch Dad. Mom had black hair and green eyes, she stood at about 5'5'' and was wearing her usual jeans and T-shirt getup.

The two of them started talking about something while I started to look through the notifications that had appeared while I was sleeping. One that I had gotten an hour or two before I woke up was from Taiyang, which filled me with anxiety. The title said there was a project to work on before school started, so I opened the email and read it over.

'Hey Lunus!

It's been awhile, hasn't it? You know I miss having another guy around the house, it made dealing with the girls' antics more bearable, even if Yang is the only one that ever causes trouble. On to official business, you have a project to do before the semester starts.

Your goal will be to concept and build something that uses dust that is not related to combat. It can be anything, and it doesn't have to be a new idea, but it does have to be ready by the first day!

Your partner is Ruby, and I haven't told her yet. I figured maybe you could come over and surprise her? She'd be too shy to text you out of the blue on her own, and there's some things she thinks that you should really sort out with her. If you guys can be friends again, that's even better!

Seeya soon,

Taiyang Xiao-Long'

My eyes widened and I leaned back in my chair as I tried to process exactly what I had just read. Taiyang was always a guy who did whatever he thought was right, but this…? Seeing her after so long, when she might not even want to see me…

Ruby Rose…

It had been two years since we last spoke. I'd caught glimpses of her around school, she'd always looked so alone, and it hurt, but… I had my reasons for trying to distance myself from her.

I only did it for her, after all.

I heard some thunder rumbling outside, just my luck as always it seemed, if I was gonna have to walk out there…

As I cast my gaze downward in contemplation, my parents noticed my glum mood. Mom moved to sit down next to me at the table and asked in a concerned tone, "Lunus, are you alright sweetie? You look more down than usual…"

I swallowed a lump in my throat, instead of trying to explain it in words I turned my scroll towards them and let her read. She leaned forward and read, after a point she gasped, "Taiyang put you with Ruby?! That's fantastic! You should go after you finish breakfast! We've been telling you that your… problem shouldn't be a reason to keep away from her!"

They had been, I tried to ignore it whenever they talked about her, but I'd run out of options. I nodded and muttered, "Alright…" It's not like I didn't want to see her, I did, more than anything, she was my only friend, but…

Dad walked over with two plates filled with food, he put one in front of me and one in front of Mom, "I know you're worried son, but friendships like that don't just disappear in the wind one day. I bet the second she sees you, she'll be over the moon! Besides, she could use a bit of levity in her life, based on what Taiyang has told me."

Levity, huh? I wasn't exactly the best person to bring that, and yet…

I nodded in agreement again, "Yeah… I dunno if I'll be much help, but… I guess I can try. I hope she's not doing that badly…" Truthfully I had no idea how Ruby had been doing outside of school, she was firmly in the middle of the pack, better than me and several people but still trailing behind others.

The rest of breakfast went by uneventfully, by the time I had cleaned my plate it was already raining outside.

As I left the kitchen and stared out the living room window, my mind was drawn back to when we first met.

Eleven years ago

At the age of five I was just taking my first tentative steps into the world of talking with other kids, having spent most of my life up to that point exclusively at home and, according to my parents, getting very upset at the idea of going anywhere where there were other kids my age.

Mom would call me a homebody while Dad would tell me that if I never met other people my age, I'd regret it, that other kids were fun and who knew, maybe I'd meet people who were just like me, or at least very similar.

It was a warm summer day when they finally won me over and got me to agree to go to a local park that had a playground where kids would play together. Dressed in a simple T-shirt, a pair of cargo shorts, and my running shoes, I was taken there by Mom and set loose while she sat next to another woman on the bench and struck up a conversation.

I remember thinking that the woman, with her red and black hair and silver eyes, looked cool. I was certain she was a huntress, even back then I admired people like her as heroes, the stories my parents told me about them solidified that idea in my mind.

As I took my first tentative steps into the playground, where several other kids were running around, yelling to each other and playing, I scanned the areas. At the time, I was worried about trying to put myself into a group like that. What if they were mean? I didn't want to meet or be friends with mean people.

I looked around, uncertain of who to approach, and that was when I saw something, no, someone odd.

Sitting under a tree with her legs pulled up to her chest and staring out at the playing group was a girl with silver eyes and black hair with red highlights. She wore a dark red sleeveless hoodie with a red cape attached to it, a black skirt, and black shoes.

She had a look that even five-year-old me could tell was sad, she looked like she really wanted to play but was also terrified of the idea. I was reminded of a lesson my Mom taught me, that sometimes in life I'd meet people who were very sad and lonely, and that the right thing to do in that situation was to talk to them.

I decided that talking to her was much better than talking to the kids who I felt were far too loud and rough, I knew she would be nice just by looking at her. So, tentatively, I turned from the playground and started to walk towards her.

She noticed me, and her response was to widen her eyes and pull up the hood of her cloak so she could bury her face in her raised legs and hide. Maybe she thought I was going to be mean to her?

Instead, when I finished my approach, I stood a few feet away from her and spoke nervously, "H-Hey…Are you okay? You look sad…"

Seemingly surprised by my words, she looked up at me, hood still up and eyes still wide, "I-I want to play, but… Those kids… they… I don't know if they're nice. I'm scared…"

I had the same worry that she did, but I didn't have that worry about her. I tried to smile reassuringly at her, "W-Well, I'm nice. I've… never been here before. I don't have any friends…" I looked down ashamedly.

The girl nodded slowly, "...I don't either… I didn't wanna come here but Mom told me I needed to meet other kids…"

The same as me, I realized. I looked at her again, "Well… I'm another kid. Do you… wanna play together?" Her eyes widened and I wasn't sure if I scared her or not, I remembered the polite thing to do was introduce myself, according to Mom at least, "U-Uhm…" I held out my hand, "I'm… Lunus Marigold. Mom always tells me that the first step to making a friend is to tell them your name."

She stared at my hand and for a moment I was worried she'd reject my offer, but she extended out a shaky hand and clasped it to mine, a small and shy smile growing across her face as she introduced herself.

"I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose."

I was pulled out of my memory by Mom, standing at the doorway from the kitchen to the living room, she spoke in a worried tone, "Lunus… It's starting to rain pretty hard out there. You know you could always go talk to her tomorrow. I don't think Taiyang would mind…"

I closed my eyes and looked down, thinking to myself. Then I opened my eyes and looked to my right, over at her. I managed a smile and shook my head, "No… I think she's… I've… we've waited long enough." I was still scared, still certain that this wasn't a good idea and all that was going to happen was that I would somehow get her hurt, but I couldn't back down now.

After that I turned and headed upstairs. If I was going to see her again, I would need to get ready for this weather…

I was already wearing jeans and a navy-blue T-shirt, so I fished out my black zip-up jacket and slipped it on. Then, I looked at my weapon of choice, a dark blue aluminum bat that I had found abandoned on the side of the road one day.

That was a day I remembered well…

Ten years ago

The season was just starting to turn into fall, over a year since Ruby and I had met, we had become each other's first and only friends. Our parents tried to convince us to get more, but we told them we didn't need any others, we had each other. Each other, Yang, her best friend Ven, and our parents.

One day, though, things were disrupted. Summer went on a mission and never came back. At first we thought she was just taking extra long, but as time went on we began to grow more worried. Eventually, Uncle Qrow arrived and brought harsh reality down on Taiyang, while Ruby and I were secretly listening in the other room, "She's not coming back Tai… I'm sorry."

We were all shaken by the news. Ruby and I didn't fully understand the gravity of what had happened at the time, but we still knew something was wrong. Taiyang fell into a terrible depression that basically left Qrow as Ruby's caretaker when he was around, and when he wasn't, my parents would step in and do their best to both help Taiyang recover and keep us in high spirits.

One day, a couple weeks after the news was broken, Ruby and I decided to go for a walk down the dirt road that we so often traversed. It was the path that connected our houses, and the house of Yang's friend, to each other.

Ruby was still fairly downtrodden, and while we were walking I tried to inspire her, "Ruby… your mom's a hero, and… I always thought she was super cool, but you know, I think you're just as cool! You'll be a hero like her some day!"

Ruby sighed, once again wearing her trademark black shirt, black shoes, and red hoodie with an attached cape combo. She looked down and kicked her feet out in large steps as we walked, "I wanna be like her, but… Mom was super strong and super amazing, and if she still went missing, then… I dunno if I'm good enough."

Being the six year old I was, I wasn't exactly sure what to do or say that would bring Ruby back from this sad funk. I'd been like this before, and she always said things like what I said to me, and it always worked, but… She was in a really bad way…

Finally, an answer came to me, I saw a dirty blue aluminum bat lodged directly into the ground, as if someone had forcefully plunged it in there like the sword in a stone from the legends. I pointed it out to her, "Hey, look! This thing's stuck in the ground! In the stories and games, any weapon that's stuck in the ground like that has to be important. I bet if you pull it out, you'll definitely be a real hero, chosen by the… bat of legend!"

Of course I can look back on that day and say that it was probably just someone's leftover junk, but I had my overactive imagination and a point to prove. Ruby seemed intrigued by the idea, she loved fairytales and video games as much as I did.

The two of us walked over to the bat, first Ruby tried on her own, struggling to try to pull it free, however, it wasn't budging. She let go and sighed sadly, looking down, "I don't think I'm destined to be a hero…"

I decided I'd try it on my own, trying to pull the bat out and struggling immensely, yet it didn't seem to want to come out! I dug my heels in the ground and kept pulling, yet my hands slipped and I fell on my back. Ruby giggled, but she still seemed sad.

Well, this wasn't working! I took a deep breath, stood up, dusted myself off, and then I returned to the bat. I took her hand and placed it on the 'Legendary Bat' again, "Then we'll do it together!" I grabbed a hold of the bat as well and smiled at her reassuringly. At first she looked surprised, but then she returned the smile.

Together we pulled with all our might, and while at first it looked like we weren't going to be able to pull it out, after we took a small break, caught our breath, and then dug our heels in, we made one final herculean (at the time) effort.

The bat came free, the two of us fell on our backs as it did, yet as we stumbled to our feet, we wore bright smiles on our faces as I declared, "See! Now we gotta hold it up to show the world we're the destined heroes!"

Thus did we lift the bat into the air, for the first time in two weeks Ruby grinned a bright grin, the kind she used to give all the time, "Y-Yeah! We're the future heroes of Remnant, with our bat of legend! The stupid Grimm won't know what hit them!"

Once we were finished making our declaration, I tried to give the bat to her, yet after it left my hands, she simply held it out to me, "We're both gonna be heroes, but… you deserve the bat of legend. I'd have never even tried if you didn't tell me to, and I'd have never gotten it out without you…"

I wanted to argue, but she wasn't having it. So, acquiescing to her request, and with the bat resting on my shoulder while I gripped it in my hand, we both headed back home.

I smiled as I pulled myself out of the memory and back to the present day. I didn't need to bring it with me, the path to Ruby's place was just a straight walk down a dirt road that was always being swept by hunters to keep the denizens of the island safe, but I hoped that it would act like a good luck charm.

I grabbed the strap I used to keep the thing on my back then I put it on and slipped the bat into it. Afterward, I grabbed my umbrella and headed downstairs. Even after we got into Signal and were expected to start actually using our weapons, I never got another one, I just kept using the 'bat of legend' which I had named Moonshot.

I remembered the day I showed it off in class, everyone laughed at me, everyone except Ruby. They didn't understand what the bat meant to me, and I didn't much care what they thought, even if it did make me feel embarrassed and sad on the inside, I didn't let it show.

Ruby debuted Crescent Rose Mark 1, which was basically a farming scythe with a metal body and a single barrel for a gun on it. It was held together by duct-tape and prayers, but it was at least more impressive than mine. Some kids showed off weapons that were hand-me-downs from their parents, others had the money to get brand new ones to show off, those were the most impressive.

I had seen Crescent Rose Mark 2 around campus, even if we didn't share the same sparring class, it was a bit more refined now. The metal was red and looked a bit sturdier, but… Well, it was a massive scythe and it seemed that she had no way to make it actually get to a reasonable size to be portable. She could fold the blade down onto the haft, which would itself shrink, but the haft was nine feet long, and it only shrunk down to about five feet long. I had to imagine it was annoying to carry around.

I opened the front door and stepped onto the porch, which was thankfully covered with an awning, and then I opened my umbrella and started to walk the path. There were already loads of puddles on the dirt path, I had to be careful to avoid them so I didn't seriously muck up my shoes, Mom would kill me if I did…

This storm reminded me of another, very similar to it. Especially as I heard some lightning strike somewhere far off. As I walked, I began to reminisce once again.

Three years ago

Ruby and I had decided to go exploring in the woods during a thunderstorm. It was not the best idea we had ever come up with, but we thought exploring in the rain was fun! Even if we both got soaking wet and had to deal with our parents fussing over us. It's not like we'd get sick! Well, we did get sick that night, but that was besides the point.

Ruby was wearing a black hoodie with red lining and a rose emblem over her heart. She was also wearing a pair of black jeans and black boots to go along with it. She had a cloak, but she wasn't wearing it that day, due to not wanting to get it soaked in this weather while we adventured.

We had just started at Signal that year, and neither of us were very outspoken nor were we very energetic in school, or around people. Ruby was scared of crowds and generally very anxious, and while I wasn't afraid of crowds, I certainly had my own anxieties and fears.

Out here, however, with just the two of us, we would adventure and explore at our own leisure. There were no mean students to keep us down when we were pretending to be world renown huntsmen in the woods.

Ruby was leading the way, she grinned back at me as she spotted a big tree ahead of us. She pointed at it, "We can set up camp here for the night! Then we can go back to hunting Grimm tomorrow!"

We wouldn't actually stay there all night, that wasn't our plan, but it was a good excuse to get out of the rain! The tree would protect us!

We retreated and stood together under the tree. Ruby sighed as she looked at the rain falling around us, "This is nice… Signal has been so tough…" It took both of us working together to reach the middle of the class back then, we hoped that maybe we'd be able to get high marks in the coming years, as we found our footing.

I nodded and sighed, "Some of the others are so mean… What are they even going to an Academy for if they don't care about people?"

Ruby agreed, crossing her arms and sighing sadly, "Yeah… It doesn't help that Qrow is a tough teacher. He's even harder on us because he knows us! It's so unfair!" Her frown deepened as she looked down.

I reached over and patted her back, keeping my hand there and giving her a reassuring smile, "Ah… we'll get it Ruby. We're gonna be heroes, remember?"

She smiled and her face dusted a light red, "You're right… No one ever said that the path to being a hero was gonna be easy!"

She and I always had this way of raising our spirits, when one of us was feeling down. If we were both feeling down, I always went out of my way to make her feel better. She had some pretty bad depression, back then…

I thought it had to do with her mom's disappearance, but I wasn't sure.

Eventually, though, a stroke of awful luck, a lightning bolt struck the tree we were next to. While we both stumbled away from the tree, when we turned around towards the spot the lightning struck, we saw the tree beginning to topple towards us.

Our eyes widened and I thrust my hands out in a vain, futile effort to try and stop the tree, it was falling fast and it was the first thing I thought to do. I wanted to keep it from hitting her, and I squeezed my eyes shut to prepare for impact.

Two things happened after that. Ruby grabbed me and yelled, "Come on!" While at the same time I suddenly felt incredibly tired, a strange feeling coursed through my body, something I'd never felt before that day. Fueled by my desire to protect her, I held my ground, yet at the same time as I felt the sensation, I suddenly felt incredibly tired.

I stumbled back and that was when Ruby grabbed me, I felt a powerful gust of wind race past me, and I felt Ruby's arms around me. When I opened my eyes again, Ruby was kneeling down and I was laid on my back, in her lap, I looked around and saw a trail of rose petals leading from where the tree was supposed to fall…

And yet the tree hadn't fallen. Instead, there was this strange purple energy that reminded me of gravity dust surrounding it, keeping it aloft in the air! I would have been more excited at how cool everything looked, but all I wanted now was to sleep… Ruby was still holding me, and she said what I was thinking, "Lunus… I think we just unlocked our semblances!"

She grinned down at me, "And we unlocked them together! We really are destined heroes!"

My face heated up, that was the first time I ever felt butterflies in my stomach when looking at her, and yet instead of trying to figure out what that meant, I smiled back up at her, "Y-Yeah… We are… I feel super tired though… Let's go home.'

She helped me stand up, and she had me put my arm around her shoulders before she led me home.

My parents were both pissed and over the moon to hear how we'd unlocked our semblances. Going out in the rain like that during a lightning storm was dangerous, they said!

Yet, we came back just fine, and it was a day we wouldn't forget.

The rain had begun to abate by the time I got to the Xiao-Long house, it was still raining, but rather than being a downpour, it was a much more bearable steady rainfall. I had been smiling as the memory replayed in my mind, although the smile faded as I took a deep breath and walked to the front door of the two-story household, which apparently Taiyang had built at the same time his friend built a house in the same area.

I honestly found that impressive, maybe someday I'd build a house for my family… You know, if I ever was in a position to start a family to begin with.

I reached out with my free hand and knocked on the door a few times. Not even a second later and it opened, with Taiyang grinning at me, "Just the guy I was hoping to see! Although, you could have waited until after the storm passed…"

I shrugged in response and managed a nervous smile, "I…figured it'd already been long enough." He seemed pleased with my response as he stepped back and let me in. Once I was inside, I wiped my shoes off on the welcome mat and stepped away from the door.

The house was very warm, it felt like a second home to me. The living room had a large green rug placed in the center, a coffee table rested near the large green couch that faced the holo-television, which was placed atop a long table. Behind that was the door to the kitchen, and to the left of that door was a bookshelf filled with all sorts of books.

The staircase led up to where I was supposed to go. Now that I was here, my nerves threatened to get the better of me. As I closed the umbrella and slipped it into the umbrella stand next to the door. Afterward, I took my bat off its strap and rested it against the umbrella stand and asked, "So she really doesn't know…?"

Taiyang rubbed the back of his head and looked away sheepishly, as if ashamed of himself, "Yeah, she has no idea… She uh… She thinks she did something wrong. I dunno what happened myself, but I'm sure it wasn't anything she did… right?"

My eyes widened and it suddenly hit me how Ruby would take me drifting away from her. I did it for her, not because of her! "N-No, nothing. I… I need to clear this up…" Stupidity thy name is Lunus Marigold.

Taiyang smiled gently, "She's been asleep all day so… go on up and wake her. You still know the way, right?"

I nodded and started my way up the stairs, my hand gliding along the railing. Each step felt heavier than the last, but I made sure not to stomp, I didn't want to wake her up too suddenly or too rudely…

I knew Yang had already graduated and gotten an apartment in Vale, she'd be going to Beacon in a couple months, come March…

I reached the door to Ruby's room and gently opened it. It looked about the same as I remembered it, except it was devoid of Yang's things. Crescent Rose rested against a wall, folded into its slightly shorter form.

Then, there she was, Ruby Rose, facing the wall her bed was pressed against. She was wearing her black pajamas with gray polka dots on them, Her bed was against the wall, a curtained window at the foot of the bed let in shimmers of light, just enough to see but not enough to wake her.

I quietly walked over to her bed and knelt next to it. I whispered, "Ruby…? Ruby…It's Lunus…." Hoping I could stir her awake without too much hassle.

She began to stir and muttered, clearly dreaming, "Noooo…Lunus…" She whined and whimpered in a way that was somehow both heartbreaking and endearing at the same time, and that was before I realized who she was dreaming about. She continued, "Don't…Don't leave me…" She made her form smaller as she began to curl into a ball, "W-What did I dooooo…."

My mind had stalled, I placed a hand over my mouth in a mixture of shock and fluster. She seemed to actually wake up, uncurling from the ball she was wrapped in as she sighed shakily, "Damn it… another dream about him… happens way too often…" Then, she rolled over.

My face was heating up to practically volcanic levels as she looked into my eyes as they started to widen. I had been leaning on the bed slightly before, now I was trying to pull away ever so slightly just out of instinct. Her knee jerk reaction was to cover her own face with her hands and shout in embarrassment, "UH! UHM! I MEAN! UHHMMM! HI LUNUS! UHM…I WAS DREAMING ABOUT UH… DAD! YEAH, DAD!"

Then she stopped, her voice lowered to a near whisper as she spread her fingers out so she could peek through them, I could see how red her face was, almost as red as mine, "W-Wait… L-Lunus?"

My face was still burning, however I started to slowly lower my hand from covering my mouth and I smiled nervously, "U-Uh…H-Hi…Ruby…Uhm…"

Before I could stammer anything else out, quick as a flash, she used her semblance to go from being under her covers to tackling me to the ground in a tight hug while exclaiming, "OHMYGODLUNUS!"

Her mood was somewhere between ecstatic and tearful as she rested her head on my chest and hid her face there. She had started to sob just as quickly as she had hugged me, "L-Lunus! Wh-What're you doing here?! D-Didn't I…I mean I… I did something… Y-You stopped talking to me!" She began to cry harder, causing my heart to break into more and more pieces, "I…I… I messed something up! I'm so…s-so sorry…I-"

I gently combed my fingers through her hair, the effect was immediate as she stopped talking. I was almost crying too at this point, and when she looked up and locked eyes with me, I felt my stomach flutter with butterflies. I spoke softly, my voice shaky as I tried to both avoid crying and getting flustered, "R-Ruby… No… Y-You didn't… I… I really should have… explained things to you. I'm the one who should be sorry…"

Ruby didn't look mad, she should have been, but she wasn't, instead she looked relieved and overjoyed. She rested her head on my chest again and sighed shakily, it seemed she was getting her tears under control. After a few moments she spoke just above a whisper, her voice a mixture of scared, pleading, and hopeful, "S-So… you won't leave me again… right?"

If my heart had been falling to pieces before, it absolutely shattered at what she said, I wrapped my around her and hugged tightly, "Never again. I promise." I was scared that I would hurt her if she stayed around me because of my semblance. What I thought had been Zero-G was clearly something else, something much worse, but I wasn't going to say no to her.

She seemed to relax, no longer holding onto me as tightly. Then, she asked another question, this one was just hopeful, "...We're still gonna be heroes…right?" Then she looked up at me again, to which I just smiled and nodded. It was at this point that she seemed to realize the position she'd put us in, her face, which was already red, darkened further as she scrambled to stand up.

I followed suit, once I was standing I dusted off my clothes, she was looking away in embarrassment, although she had a dumb, affectionate smile on her face. I hadn't realized how much I missed it until now. She asked, "So… what are you doing here?"

I smiled, "Well… Taiyang put us together on a project… He wanted us to patch things up and he wanted me to surprise you…"

She pouted, "He didn't want to tell me? Hmph…" She sighed, "I-I guess I can't complain too much…I've got you back!" Ruby managed one of her signature bright smiles, the kind that always lifted my mood, "It's been difficult without you, but now we can get back on track!"

I wondered just how much she had struggled… I had struggled too. Without her help, I plummeted from the middle of the class right next to her to where I was now, and that wasn't even mentioning the… misfortunes. I'd need to explain those to her… For now, I just kept my smile, "You're right… Before that, though…" I wanted to try and get things back to normal, but first there was something I needed to address. My smile turned nervous as I looked away, a blush creeping up on my face once again, "Dreaming about… your dad? That's… pretty weird, Ruby."

I teased her fully knowing what she was actually dreaming about, since I wasn't too sure what to make of that. If I should have been equally embarrassed, flattered, heartbroken, or flustered, I decided I'd fall back on teasing her. She said she'd done it before…? How many times, I wondered? Ruby's blush returned with a vengeance as she covered her face with her hands again and exclaimed, "U-UHM! D-DID I SAY DAD?! I-I MEANT… ZWEI!"

Ruby squirmed in place and crossed her arms, huffing and changing the topic, "A-Anyway! What's our project? We should probably get to work on it…"

She had a point, so after I explained what our project was and Ruby dug out a drawing pad of hers, she and I sat on her bed and started to get to work. There was a lot left unsaid between us, I still needed to explain why I tried to distance myself from her, but that could wait. I didn't want her worrying about me when we had more important things to worry about, and besides, she looked… tired. In spite of having slept all day, she had bags under her eyes and a general worn out look to her.

Not unlike me, I supposed, but I didn't like the idea that I might have caused her depression to get worse. It was something she struggled with ever since her mom vanished, for a long time she was the only one who had it between the two of us. It was only after I tried to isolate myself that I started to feel much the same way she did, and it felt…

Numb.

Still, I felt better around her already, and I hoped she felt the same. We ended up pitching ideas at each other over the next few hours, neither of us were entirely sure what we were going to do yet at that point. I tossed out the idea of a generator, she tossed out the idea of some kind of lamp, neither of which were bad and could qualify for the project, but we still weren't sure which was best.

I was going to be the one sidled with most of the actual building either way, because while Ruby was decent at making weapons (and I was trash at it) I knew how to make more civilian things thanks to Dad's insistence that I know how to do so. He always said that making stuff by hand would save money and get things done right every time, whereas relying on a 'professional' cost way more money and meant things could go wrong.

Besides, there was a shed in the backyard of my house that acted like a workshop, so really I was probably better equipped to do this project than most people.

By the end of the day we had settled on a generator, and Ruby wanted to use this as an excuse to go to Vale to visit 'Dust till Dawn', a popular dust shop that was famed for being one of the few of its kind not owned by the SDC. It prided itself on high quality dust, the kind you couldn't get through mass production. 'Artisinal' dust, I think. I was surprised to learn such a thing existed, but it did. Apparently it was similar to how dust-woven clothes and dust-jewelry existed, although dust jewelry was usually rendered inert to prevent any mishaps for the wearer.

By the time we were finished it was already starting to get dark, so we agreed to take a bullhead to go to that store in Vale the day after. Normally I'd have just gotten dust from one of the places on the island, but Ruby took her dust seriously, and I wasn't going to be the one to tell her no.

After I left and went home, I was bombarded with questions by my parents. How'd it go? How's Ruby? Are you two friends again? I answered each question, it went fine, she's doing okay, and yes we're friends again.

I still hadn't explained the truth to her, it just got away from me, but I figured after we came back from Vale I'd explain everything. That way, we could focus on it instead of what else we had to do that day.

The next day I woke up, got dressed in my normal T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers get-up, put my bat on my back, and headed out after eating breakfast. Luckily, the skies were clear that day. Ruby and I had agreed to meet at the airship landing on the island so we could head to Vale and get our shopping done.

It was already around three in the afternoon when we left, neither of us were exactly early risers. That made school particularly annoying to adjust to, but at least it only started at eight and not some insane time like six. I could only imagine the hell my life would be if that were the case.

The bullhead ride was uneventful, although once we had landed and stepped onto the streets, that was when one of Ruby's oldest and greatest fears manifested again. She tensed up and sidled closer to me, looking around nervously as she grabbed onto my arm. She spoke quickly, "L-Let's get going."

I was sure if it weren't for the fact that Dust till Dawn was here, she would have just gotten some dust on Patch. I wasn't as afraid of crowds as she was, although I still didn't like them, and I certainly didn't like talking to people I didn't already know.

We, the two stars of Introverted Loser Hour, made our way through the crowded streets towards where Ruby had said the store was, through the commercial district. Vale was a bustling city, one of the major capitals in the world, although based on what I'd heard about other cities, Vale was the most well-adjusted of them all.

Vacuo was rife with crime, while Mistral and Atlas were both extremely classist and also ridden with crime. Vale had its share of crime, of course it did, but it didn't reach the extremes of the other cities, and sure, there were rich and poor people here like any city, but we certainly didn't put the rich and powerful on a pedestal.

However, as well-adjusted as the city was, that didn't really cure our shared distaste of crowds. We powered through it all the same, although our trip through the streets was interrupted when Ruby caught sight of a confectionary that the two of us used to go to a lot. Granted, it was always with either Taiyang or my parents, but still, it held a lot of great memories. Ruby's eyes lit up, all nervousness forgotten, as she gazed at the shop, "Oh my god! We haven't been here in forever! Wanna get something to eat? It'll be fun!"

There was a part of me that would have much preferred just getting what we needed and retreating back home, but there was a bigger part of me that A) wanted sweets and B) wouldn't turn her down on just about anything.

Could you be whipped if it was just your best friend? Nah, I was just being a good friend.

We deviated from our earlier path and went into the shop, it was run by an old woman and her daughter who was just a few years older than us. The old woman was manning the counter this time, she'd known us basically our whole lives, since before Ruby and I drifted apart we'd come in twice a year, once on my birthday (February first) and Ruby's birthday (Halloween). She was pleasantly surprised to see us back, and after we caught up with her on how business was going we both made our orders and headed to sit in a booth inside the shop, one of the few that lined the wall. Ruby had brought Crescent Rose just the same as I'd brought Moonshot, although it was a lot easier for me to just shift my bat than it was for Ruby to maneuver Crescent Rose. She decided to just have it rest on her lap while we ate, which was for the best because even in the booth it stuck out slightly. Good thing this place wasn't crowded…

The place was a confectionery but it also prided itself on some good coffee and sandwiches, although today I was only in it for the sweets. Ruby, of course, had her undying love of strawberries and of cookies, which manifested in her order of a plate stacked with strawberry cookies. Meanwhile, I settled on a couple slices of cake with vanilla icing, while both of us got glasses of milk to go with our orders.

Well, I was originally planning on telling her about my semblance after we got back, but I supposed now was as good a time as any, "So… I promised that I'd explain why we stopped talking, why I… drifted away." Ruby nodded and looked at me with concern, she didn't speak though, instead eating a cookie nervously. I took a deep breath, "Well, I don't exactly know what it is, but… I think my semblance isn't actually Zero G. I don't know what happened that day, when the tree almost killed us, but… something changed."

I took a deep breath as I thought back to some things that happened, "At first it wasn't anything serious… windows would ice over around me, sometimes the lights would go out or flicker, other times it'd start raining after the weather was clear as day. I thought that was all just random, nothing to do with me, and then…"

I thought back to one instance in particular while Ruby grew more confused, "Then one day… A fire started in my room. We don't know what caused it, but…" I sighed shakily, the memory still made me uneasy, "It got pretty bad. I'm pretty sure if we didn't keep a fire extinguisher in the house we might have just lost the whole place. I almost…" I didn't want to say it, how it felt trapped in my own room. I closed my eyes and shook my head before opening them again, "Point is… I knew then and there that I didn't want to put you at risk. If I kept hanging out with you… You could get hurt, because of me… I think my semblance is bad luck like Qrow, or something worse…"

We didn't know what Qrow's semblance was for a very long time, although we eventually found out after he decided to leave Signal and we asked him why. He mentioned his semblance was bad luck and how he didn't want to get anyone hurt by just being around.

That was after things had started to go wrong for me, but before I decided to stop talking to Ruby for her own safety. I asked him over the phone one day if it was possible I could have a semblance like his, and while he said he wasn't sure, the worry in his voice made me believe that it was very much possible.

It was at this point that Ruby gained a look that mixed understanding and upset in her eyes, "Th-That was what it was…?" She looked down at her cookies and frowned deeply, "You…You idiot!" She looked up at me again, "I don't care if you've got bad luck or if you're a walking fire hazard or ANY of that! You're still my best friend, and you're still Lunus! You don't…" She hesitated and looked down again, "You don't get how much that means to me. I would never let something stupid like that ruin our friendship."

Ruby once again looked at me, this time locking eyes with me, "I can protect myself you know, make my own decisions… I may not be the greatest student at Signal, but I can at least deal with whatever comes from your semblance! So… you'd better keep your promise and never do something like that again!"

It was very rare to see Ruby get this upset over something, and I was shocked at her outburst, even if I fully understood it. Thoroughly chastised, I nodded and looked down, "I will." I had been pretty stupid, but then again I was fourteen at the time…

With that reaffirmed, Ruby seemed to relax, she spoke in her regular carefree tone, "Good."

We returned to eating our food, thankfully sweets were a good way to boost one's mood after a thorough chastisement. Once we had eaten our fill, we left the confectionery and continued on our path. Thankfully, we had taken our sweet time in there and twilight had taken over the sky, dusk was approaching and the crowds had thinned considerably to what they were like before we went into the shop.

When we got to the store, the street lights were starting to come on, although we hardly needed them. Downtown Vale was filled with neon lights and holo screens on high-rise buildings that made sure the streets stayed incredibly visible in almost all areas.

The store itself was deceptively small, you'd think nothing of it if you didn't know the reputation it carried. The owner was an old man who seemed friendly enough, he greeted us as we entered and said that if we needed any help we could ask.

Of course, we already more or less knew what we were looking for. That didn't mean we were just going to grab it and leave though, Vale got new issues of magazines like Weapons Weekly a week before they arrived at Patch! Although I was less interested in weapon crafting than Ruby was, I could still appreciate it. Even so, in the end, I chose to skim through the latest Games Weekly to see if there was any new information on some titles I was looking forward to. These magazines usually got the information before they found their way on the internet, so it still paid to check them every so often.

Ruby had brought her wireless earbuds and shared one with me, we both jammed in silence to 'Capabilities Unseen' while we read our chosen magazines. Everything was going great until it wasn't.

Eventually, after the sun had completely set, a group of thugs entered the store. We both heard them enter, we both heard the leader declare, "I don't want your money, I just want all the dust you've got!" As if that was any better than taking the owner's money.

Ruby and I were immediately on alert. We might not have been the best students, but we were still competent! Somewhat…

I took Moonshot off my back while Ruby took Crescent Rose off of hers, miraculously the bandits hadn't seen us, since we were all the way in the back corner of the store. We struggled to think of what to do before Ruby finally got an idea, "Distract them so I can get closer, then we can both hit them with everything we've got!"

I nodded and as Ruby crouched and snuck towards the front, I moved to the middle of the back wall and stepped forward, there was a clear and unbroken path from where I was, between two aisles, and the front where the criminals were, "Hey! You've got the wrong place, the Outdated Fashion Convention is three blocks that way." I gestured to the right with my bat.

Their leader, a guy in a bowler hat wearing a white suit rather than a black one, smirked at me, "Ah, a wannabe hero! Look, kid, we just want the dust. So, if you've got any, hand it over and we'll be on our way. No need for things to get ugly."

I put on my best confident smirk and pointed my bat at him, "And all I want is for you to turn around and walk out that door. I'm sure the emo band you're a member of must be missing you dearly."

That seemed to set him off as he grit his teeth and walked towards me, brandishing his cane, "Alright listen up you little-"

That was when Ruby struck, she leapt out and aimed for two thugs that were standing a ways back from Bowler Hat Guy. She hit the both of them as hard as she could with Crescent Rose, sweeping them both out of the storefront window before she used her semblance to race out with them.

Torchwick rolled his eyes, "Oh great, a cute little duo. How lovely. Get her, idiots! I'll deal with Blondie." The mafia thugs rushed out to deal with Ruby while Bowler Hat Guy stalked towards me.

I had a feeling this guy wasn't someone I could take down on my own, so I looked around quickly to try and figure something out. My salvation came in the form of an ice dust crystal in a display. I mentally apologized to the owner before I smashed the display with my bat, grabbed the crystal, and held it in one hand while I brandished my bat in the other, "Hey! One step closer and I'll freeze us BOTH over!"

The Emo Bandit stopped and gritted his teeth before he smirked at me, "You've got brass, kid. Unfortunately…" He looked at his watch, "The party crashers will be here any minute and that means I don't actually have time to waste on you." Then he turned around and hurried out of the front doors.

I was taken aback by his swift retreat, but I hurried after him nonetheless, "Hey! Get back here!" By the time I got out there, my attention shifted from trying to pursue Torchwick to Ruby's efforts.

She had taken out a few of the bandits, but she was struggling with what was left, dodging and weaving using her small size and semblance to avoid the two that were still standing out of the five Bowler Hat had brought with him.

"Ruby!" I shouted, getting her attention, "Second base!" She and the two mobsters looked at me, she got my idea and grinned, using her semblance to fly further back while I tossed the dust crystal into the air and smacked it with Moonshot, sending it flying through the air. I made a point not to activate it with my aura so it wouldn't go off the second I hit it.

The crystal landed between the two mobsters, allowing Ruby to fire off a shot at it, once it connected, the crystal exploded into a fog of icy mist, when it dissipated the two bandits were practically frozen in place, having been knocked down by the blast and then frozen to the ground.

We couldn't celebrate though, Bowler Hat Guy was climbing a ladder to the roof of a nearby building! Ruby hurried over to me in a flurry of rose petals before she replaced the magazine in her scythe with a different one, one with a purple coloring to it, "Lunus, grab on!"

I did as she asked, grabbing onto her arm as she shot the ground with her gravity rounds and sent us flying into the air, towards the building our target was on. We landed atop it just in time to see the crook hop aboard a bullhead. He turned towards us and grinned, "Sorry Little Red, Blondie, but playtime's over!"

As we hurried to the middle of the roof so Ruby could hopefully get a good shot, we saw Bowler Hat Guy take out an orange crystal, which he tossed towards us before he aimed his cane in our direction.

My eyes widened and, out of instinct, I raced over and hugged Ruby to hopefully shield her from the oncoming blast before it happened. I squeezed my eyes shut as I prepared for what was to come, and yet while I heard the blast go off, nothing happened.

My eyes fluttered open and suddenly I saw a strange moonlight white shield shaped like a bubble around us. More than that, I seemed to be the source of it, with the energy flowing through me and up into the air where the shield started!

I didn't have time to be surprised though as not a few seconds later the shield flickered and died out, just in time for me to see a blonde woman arrive to try and deal with our opponent for us.

Good thing too, because the second the shield vanished I was hit with a wave of exhaustion. I let go of Ruby and staggered before my vision began to blur. The only thing that kept me from falling over as I started to pass out was Ruby grabbing ahold of me.

My vision was soon overcome with darkness, the last thing I saw was Ruby's worried gaze.

I had no idea how long I was out, but I was content to answer 'long enough' as when I blinked my eyes open, I was staring at the ceiling of my bedroom.

Was that just a dream?

No… that was very real.

I gasped as I sat up, "Ruby!" I exclaimed in concern, I'd have gotten out of bed to go look for her if my legs weren't still so sore…

That was when I heard a knocking at my door and a voice I'd only heard on TV spoke on the other side, "Are you awake, Lunus? It's Professor Ozpin from Beacon Academy. I'd like to speak with you."

I was confused as to what the Headmaster of Beacon Academy was doing here, but I just responded, "U-Uhm, I'm awake!" I was still wearing the clothes I was wearing to the store as well, I guess that was another point in the whole 'not a dream' hypothesis' favor.

The door opened and I was greeted by the man himself, Professor Ozpin. He smiled at me and, in his hands, held two mugs. He stepped inside and closed the door with a nudge of his shoulder before he walked over and held one of the mugs out, "Hot chocolate. I know winter's almost over, but it always helps me clear my head when I'm having a rough day."

Huh, it did the same thing for me too, weird… I took it and smiled, "Thanks. Uhm, not to be rude, but… what are you doing here, Professor?"

He sipped from his drink and maintained his smile as he explained, "I saw you and Miss Rose fight off those bandits. It was… unrefined, but that's not what I'm here for. I'm here to offer you a spot at Beacon Academy, come this next semester."

I was absolutely blown away, my eyes widened, "R-Really…? Why me? I didn't do anything special…"

He shook his head, "Maybe not, but I see you have great potential. I believe that it would be a waste of your talents to wait until you finish Signal to have you come to my institution."

I furrowed my brow, "W-What about Ruby? She's far better than me! I'm second to last, and she's in the middle of the class! She actually took out all those crooks, all I did was throw up some weird shield!"

Ozpin frowned for a moment, "While Miss Rose has clear talent, I don't think she's quite refined enough yet to make it at Beacon. It would be more preferable if she were to come to Beacon naturally, rather than being moved up a grade."

I felt defiance build in my heart as I crossed my arms and steeled my gaze, "What makes me so special?! I already told you, she's better than me! She's cool, fun, and skilled, and she might not be perfect at everything yet, but she's getting there!"

Oz hummed and changed the topic, strangely enough, "I need you to do something for me, Lunus. Hold out your palm and think of something simple in your hand, focus on it with everything you have."

I was thoroughly bewildered, but I did as he asked. I held out my palm and focused, imagining a miniature constellation in my hand. I always loved space, and the constellation I imagined was one I had as my wallpaper on my computer.

To my shock, a small facsimile of the constellation appeared in my hand. My eyes widened and I gasped, "P-Professor, what is this?!" My surprise must have disrupted my concentration, because no sooner than when I asked that question did the small shape flicker and vanish.

Ozpin's smile grew, "It is just as I suspected. Lunus, the easiest way to explain this to you is to just come out and say it. You're capable of casting magic."

I furrowed my brow, I thought he was joking but he looked very serious, "M-Magic…? Like in the fairytales, o-or…?"

He nodded, "Something like that, yes. You're the first person I've seen in a very long time with that capability." He closed his eyes and a green shield appeared around him briefly. I thought that maybe that was just his semblance, but then he let go of his mug and instead of crashing to the ground it just… floated. He took it back in his hand after that, "I am the only other person on Remnant capable of casting magic, it's my duty to instruct you on its proper usage, otherwise you'll be a danger to yourself and others."

It didn't make any sense, magic wasn't real! And yet… "Wait… is that why for the past few years weird stuff has been happening to me?" I went on to explain everything I had told Ruby to him while he nodded along to my words.

When I was finished, he nodded, "Yes. Back when magic was abundant, children would manifest their ability to cast magic at different points in time. Some would discover it when they were small, others when they were teens, but it came all the same. Once that spark in your soul was ignited, there was no turning it off. Unchecked, emotions rule your magic. Those incidents were, regrettably, caused by your emotions."

I felt awful to learn that, I looked down, yet Ozpin continued, "Don't be discouraged. It's my job to help you control it, so that you will never end up in an incident like those ever again. That's why I need you to attend Beacon."

I pushed down my sadness and returned to my defiance, "Listen! I'm still not going, magic or not, unless Ruby comes with me! We promised each other when we were kids that we would become professional huntsmen together, heroes! I'm not going to break that promise, not for you and not for anyone! We're a package deal, so take it or leave it."

Rather than looking annoyed, Ozpin gained a wistful smile on his face, "You want Ruby to come to my school with you?" I nodded fiercely, he sighed in faux exasperation, "Well alright. You will need to keep the truth about your abilities secret, if people find out you're capable of using magic, you're bound to become a target for several groups on Remnant. You may tell Miss Rose, I don't think I'd be able to stop you from doing so even if I tried. Make sure she keeps it secret as well."

I nodded gratefully and smiled, "Thank you Professor."

Oz shook his head, "Think nothing of it. You both will receive an email with details in the coming days. As for your magic, I brought a small book I penned on magic that will give you instructions on how to train it and prepare for future learnings. I advise you to use the remaining month and a half to train your body. You will not become a master overnight, you will perhaps be able to cast one, maybe two, spells before you're too exhausted to continue by the time you come to my school, so make sure to keep up your training in other departments as well."

I had to wonder why he would have written down a book like that if magic was so rare, did he anticipate meeting someone like me? It left several questions in the air. Several questions he didn't seem to want to answer.

He left, returned with the book, and left it on my nightstand. It had no writing on the front, nothing to demarcate its purpose, it looked more like a small leather bound tome than a regular book. Then, he and I said farewell and he left me to enjoy my drink, rest, and recuperate.

About thirty minutes after he left, there was another knock at my door, and who else was on the other side by Ruby. She looked at me with concern before she hurried over, sat on the bed, and hugged me, "You're okay! Dust, I was so worried that you were hurt…What did the Headmaster want to talk to you about?"

A lot of things, but I'd start with the most important one for both of us, "I'm going to be attending Beacon, and…" I started to smile.

"You're coming with me!"