Weiss and Yang were busy with planning the dance in the weeks leading up to it. Their practice sessions got a little bit shorter to accommodate them, but Ruby was satisfied with the progress that they were making. The week of the dance, Ruby noticed that the student body grew a lot more giddy and excitable as people shopped around for dates. After one of their practices, Ruby walked over to Yang.
"So… love is in the air, sis." Ruby leaned in close to whisper in her ear. "Going to ask her?"
"Well, I'm thinking about it," Yang whispered back. Her eyes flashed over to Blake, who was getting her things together to leave. "These sorts of things are delicate, you know? Besides, don't you care about what's going on with them?"
Ruby saw Ren and Nora talking, as well as Jaune and Weiss. Pyrrha was fiddling with her violin, looking over at Jaune and Weiss occasionally.
"I understand Ren and Nora, but Jaune and Weiss? I don't know if that'll work out, really."
"Not Weiss! Pyrrha! I mean, look at her, giving them the eyes and all!"
"Hm… Well, sis, I'm rooting for you. Remember that. Now, though, I have a Pyrrha to help out. Weiss, old buddy, old pal! About those singing lessons of mine…"
Yang left a few minutes after Blake, leaving the rest of the group to do whatever it was they were doing. She had lost sight of Blake at that point, but it wasn't the end of the world. She'd find her again eventually. Though, Yang had someone else she wanted to find. She walked across campus to the same statue they had found Sun sunbathing on, and he was still there. It was starting to get colder, now. Eventually, Yang and the others would have to find him all over again, because he couldn't just lay on the statue in the middle of the winter.
"Sun, dude, how's it hanging!"
"'Trying not to lose my lunch. See how mushy everyone's been these last few days?"
"Yeah, it's the worst!"
"...You want to ask someone to the dance, don't you?"
"...I bet you're the same. It's why I wanted to find you, actually."
"Ooh!" Sun put a hand on Yang's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Yang. You're a super cool girl and all, but I have my eyes on someone else."
"Sun, buddy…" Yang put a hand on Sun's shoulder as well. "You're a good looking guy. You really are. And just putting your abs on display for the world to see? The ladies must love that. You're not the one I'm talking about. You do know her, though. I was, uh… wondering if you could help me with the whole asking her out thing."
It took Sun a second to understand what Yang was trying to get at, but when it sunk in, he lowered his hand.
"So you wanted to ask Blake too, huh? Nice to know you think I know her so well that I can give you pointers. Why would I help you out, though? That would just be screwing myself over."
"So you're going to just leave me in the dark? Fine, then, I'll ask her out myself, and I'll be sure to do it before you. I'll save you a dance, to make up for the fact that you're going to have to go alone."
"Big words, Yang. I'll probably feel a little bad, seeing you all alone by the punch bowl, but I'll bust a move with you if you ask nicely enough."
"Hey!" Blake and Sun tensed up when they heard Blake's voice. "I wasn't expecting to see the two of your together."
"Oh, you know me! Always want to get to know people better!" Yang wrapped her arm around Sun, a wide, exaggerated smile plastered onto her face.
"Y-yeah, that's right!"
"Maybe we could all get dinner together? I was just on my way to the cafeteria now, actually."
"That sounds like a great idea! Lead the way, Blake!" Yang said.
Before Yang and Sun began to follow her, they took a moment to shake hands. The dance was only a few days away, and the die had been cast. Only one of them could be Blake's date, and they were both determined to make sure it was themselves.
Weiss was sitting in her room, staring at her Scroll. She was just staring at her father's contact. She had said that she would call him, when she visited the CCT Tower. For all she knew, that operator had passed that message onto him, and he had been waiting this entire time. Even if he wasn't, it would've bothered her to just lie like that. She took a breath and dialed. Each dial tone made her more and more anxious, until it suddenly stopped.
"I see you've finally decided to call."
"Hello, father. I hope you've been well."
"The same to you. You must've been really busy, to ignore me for so long."
"Ah, yes… school's keeping me busy. Very busy. A… friend of mine has something planned for the cultural festival, too, so we've been preparing."
"A cultural festival? Atlas Academy has invited you to sing plenty of times and you always said no, but your first year in Vale, and you're jumping at the chance?" He sighed on the other end of the line. "So, what are you planning, Weiss?"
"Excuse me?"
"Those documents. A few weeks ago, you requested some very sensitive materials. What does a teenager need them for?"
"Well, if you heard that, you must've heard that it was to study. For the sake of the company!"
"Yet you go behind my back now, instead of just asking me while you were home? You're hiding something, and you're going to tell me what it is. Now." He waited a few seconds for Weiss to answer, but she remained silent. "Weiss Schnee, you will answer me this instant! You have five seconds to start talking, or I'll have Ironwood pull you out of Beacon, and you'll be on the first flight back home!"
Weiss clutched the hem of her skirt and gritted her teeth. She knew he would make good on that threat if she didn't speak. What would happen, if she told him, though? He couldn't possibly do anything to hurt their efforts, could he? The White Fang were hurting the SDC. He would be glad to know she wanted to stop them. It wasn't like he could do much anyway, not now that the queen and the Valean military were already aware of the situation.
"You know about the thefts that have been happening, father. I was curious. To see if they've been going on in more parts of the world. They have been, but it's still odd. They've been mainly focusing their attention on Vale."
"Why the devil did you need to know that?"
"For the company." It was only partially a lie. "I thought seeing if there were any trends could help with putting a stop to what they've been doing, is all…"
"Yet you didn't think to tell me about this until now. I have a meeting to attend. I expect the truth from you at some point, Weiss. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, father. Goodbye."
He hung up. Weiss had heard the other three talking to their parents, from time to time. She couldn't hear what was being said on the other side of the line, of course, but from the joy in her friends' voices, and the laughter, she could tell they were enjoying their conservations. And right at the end, so often did she hear them say 'I love you'. Her father didn't even give her a simple 'goodbye', let alone a send off as heartfelt as that. She had survived the call, and that was the important thing. She wasn't sure when she'd next speak to him, but she was hoping it wouldn't be anytime soon. Weiss fell over onto her bed with a heavy sigh.
The door opened and Weiss could hear Ruby humming. It abruptly stopped, and then she felt her bed sink slightly.
"So, what's up?"
"Just… family things. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"If I'm not, I'll be sure to let you know, Ruby."
"And not a minute later, alright?" Ruby pulled Weiss up and then put her arm around her. "So, you must have plans for the dance, right? Come on, tell me all about it!"
"Well, if you hadn't done anything earlier, Jaune was probably going to ask me, but otherwise, nope. Guess I'll just be going alone."
"Aw, no need to be like that! We can go together! I know plenty of people who went to dances with friends at Signal so they weren't just lonely and standing in a corner! I was one of them!"
"I don't know if you should sound so proud of that…" Weiss was new to the idea of school dances. It wasn't like this dance was going to be completely wild and unpredictable, but it was still going to be a far cry from what she was used to. Having a friend there with her might not have been a bad idea, all things considered. "Fine, I'll go with you."
"Hurray!" Ruby hopped off of the bed, dragging Weiss with her. "We're going to have so much fun, even if I have no idea what you do at these sorts of dances!"
"Wait, didn't you just say you went to Signal Dances?"
"Yeah, but this is a new school, a new chapter in life! I don't know what sort of wild things they're going to get up to! But we'll discover it together!"
"Okay, that just sounds concerning."
Concerning it may be, but Ruby's excitement helped to lift Weiss's spirits all the same. Whatever the night of the dance might have in store, since it was going to be a first for the both of them, it was sure to be a night to remember.
That Saturday night, Ruby and Weiss were walking together to the hall that served as the venue of the Vytal Festival Dance. The campus was very lively that night, filled with couples and groups walking together, dressed in their sharpest clothing to the dance. Ruby and Weiss were no exception.
Ruby's dress was a mess of red lace and frills trimmed with black. Her skirt was a bit longer than the one she normally wore, and she had left her cape back in their dorm room. She had picked up a red headband to help complete the look.
Weiss's dress was simple and elegant. It was longer than the skirt she wore for combat, but not a full on ball gown, either, mere inches away from the ground. It was silken, and soft to the touch. It was a similar white to her hair, but it had blue accents, including a blue ribbon that Weiss tied around her midsection, almost like a belt.
The venue was loud and colorful, with the lights changing color every few minutes. Ruby saw people dancing, of course, but she saw just as many sitting around tables and just talking, or getting something to eat or drink from buffet tables that lined the walls. Yang was standing behind a podium by the entrance, a representative of the dance committee tasked with greeting the guests.
She was wearing a striking three piece suit, along with a tie the same vibrant yellow of her hair. She was wearing a lapel pin shaped like the flame she had taken as her insignia. A purple pocket square was just peeking out of her breast pocket.
"Well, hello there, ladies!" Yang said. "Ready to turn heads, I see!"
"That would just be an unfortunate side effect of Ruby and I trying to look decent, Yang. Speaking of, you're looking very dashing yourself!"
"Thanks, I try."
"So…" Ruby began, "guess the Blake thing didn't work out, huh?"
"After we got dinner, that wanna be casanova just went up and asked 'so about that dance, want to go with me?', and that was the end of it!"
"So casual, though that makes sense, given what I do know about Sun," Weiss said.
"Waiting for the right moment didn't work out, did it? Well, better luck next time, Yang."
"Yeah, yeah. Go and have fun. I'll catch up with you two later. Someone's going to come by and take over for me, but until then, someone has to let you crazy kids in."
Ren struggled with adjusting his cufflinks. Putting on the rest of his outfit had been simple enough, but trying to put them on was proving much more cumbersome than he was anticipated.
"Give me those."
Nora plucked them out of his hands and then took his hands in hers. Ren just had to wait for her to put them in for him, but the wait was short. It was a tad embarrassing, needing to be helped like that, but it wasn't like Ren was going to be able to get them in himself. At least in any sort of timely manner.
Nora was wearing an electric blue eastern dress called a qipao. Ren was a bit surprised to see her wearing so much blue, considering the fact that her favorite color was pink, but the pink floral designs on it definitely seemed more 'Nora' to him.
Ren's outfit for the dance was quite plain, by contrast. Black dress pants, black dress shoes, a white dress shirt, and a black tie. The part of his outfit that was most unique was the vest he wore. One of the corners of the vest's black front was covered in green and pink floral designs, and they looped around to the back of the vest, which was much more vibrant and colorful.
"Thanks, Nora. Now we just wait for Jaune."
"What's taking him so long in the bathroom, anyway?"
"If I had to take a guess, it's this." Ren tugged at his tie.
"Of course. I wonder how Pyrrha's doing. She headed out a while ago. It must be a bit lonely, just walking to the dance on her own." Nora groaned and startled ruffling her hair. "How could Jaune be so stupid?"
"Well, it wasn't exactly like Pyrrha has been the most transparent about her interest." Nora opened her mouth to respond, but Ren cut her off. "In a way that's painfully obvious to someone like Jaune. I guess he just can't tell the difference between flirting and kindness."
"He has seven sisters! Are you telling me he hasn't picked up on something like that?!" Nora wanted to kick herself as soon as the words were out of her mouth. If Ren was apparently oblivious after all of this time, of course Jaune wouldn't be able to tell how Pyrrha felt after a few months.
"Well, I would hope his sisters aren't flirting with him. Now sit still. You messed up your hair."
Ren fixed Nora's hair for her as the two of them waited. The sensation of him gently guiding the comb through her hair like this wasn't a new one. With how long they had known each other, he had done this for her plenty of times before, and with the state her hair had been in when they first met, he didn't have much choice but to get good at hair care. There was something oddly intimate about having him tend to her hair like that, she thought, with such precision and care.
"Sorry to keep you guys waiting!" Jaune stumbled into the room. "Ties are the worst, I swear!"
Jaune's suit was a crisp white. It was accented with gold, with his blue dress shirt and golden tie adding additional pops of color. It was almost like some sort of military dress uniform, at least to Ren, and that was probably what Jaune was trying to go for.
"Is my hair almost done, Ren? We shouldn't keep Pyrrha waiting!"
"A bit longer, Nora. It'll be fine, though." He looked up from Nora's hair to Jaune. "We have to wait a bit longer, but Jaune can go on ahead. You wouldn't want Pyrrha to be all alone at the dance, would you?"
"I guess you're right. I'll catch you two later!"
The door closed behind Jaune and Nora could hear him running down the hall. She wanted to look at Ren, but that would probably screw up the work he was doing.
"Yeah, I guess that works. Think he'll be a bit smarter about it this time?"
"I doubt it. But if they're able to spend time together, I think it'll make Pyrrha happy."
"Thanks, Ren. I really mean that."
"Someone has to try and look out for you all. And… there. Your hair's fixed. We should get going."
Ren pocketed the comb in case of emergency and headed to the door. He didn't notice Nora's growing blush as he did. This was one of the first times the two would be going to a dance together like this, and Nora's heart couldn't stop racing. She hurried after Ren, so he wouldn't think anything was wrong. Nora just hoped that they ran into some of their friends soon. If she was left alone with Ren too long, her heart just might explode.
"You know, I wasn't expecting you to clean up so well."
Blake was holding onto Sun's arm as the two of them walked into the venue. He wasn't wearing anything especially different to what Blake always saw him in. His jeans were a bit darker, his shirt was black and buttoned,and he was wearing a tie. It may have been minor changes, but Blake found them nice all the same.
"Thanks. Wasn't expecting you to rock up in a dress, though. Caught me off guard with that."
She was wearing a midnight black sleeveless dress. The upper part was partially transparent, decorated with elaborate floral designs. She was wearing a black bow, and it almost made it look like she had four ears atop her head rather than just the two. Blake wasn't exactly used to wearing dresses, but Yang helped her to pick it out. She trusted her judgment.
"Yeah, I don't do this often…Oh, hey Yang!"
"A-ah…! Well, would you look at the happy couple…!" She was smiling at the two, but Blake could've sworn her mouth was twitching slightly.
"You look great!" Blake said. "I never thought you'd look this good in a suit!"
"Yeah, I try…"
"Beacon's got you working at the dance? That's rough," Sun said.
"Oh, I'll be able to hit the dance floor eventually. I'll see the two of you out there."
"I'll be sure to save you a dance," Blake said.
"Thanks. I'll probably need it to cool down."
The two started walking around, Blake still hanging onto Sun. Ruby and Weiss had left before her, so they must've been around somewhere. There were just so many people around, though. Where could they be?
"Hey, remember that day in Cyanwood? Back when we were with Weiss?"
"What about it?"
"The dancing? We're at a dance, after all, and this is a good song, right?"
"Oh, I don't know about that…"
"Really? Right after you tell Yang you'd save her a dance?"
"Well, yeah, but…" Blake released Sun, a bit embarrassed by his comment. She couldn't exactly get out of it now, could she? Either she was lying to Yang, or she just didn't want to dance with Sun, even though she's the one who said yes to his invitation. "After a drink or two, okay? The longer I'm around people, the less nervous I'll be about dancing in front of them, I think."
"Fine by me. Fruit punch, yeah?"
"I think so. Do school dances in Vacuo not have that?"
"Oscuro mainly had a lot of cactus water. Shade, though…" Sun served the two of them a few cups of punch. "I hear the drinks are a little more spicy, if you know what I'm saying."
"Really? That's legal in Vacuo?"
"Guess the government has too much to deal with to care about 17 year olds drinking on school grounds." Sun took a swig of his punch. "I've heard some people say it's cheaper to just bring drinks made of rice or something than make something with water. You know, desert."
"I'd never thought about that." Blake took a seat in a nearby chair. She continued to scan the dance floor for her teammates. Ruby didn't seem like she'd be okay with dancing around all these people - not without encouragement, anyway - and Weiss didn't seem like she'd care much for the music being played. She might notice something, though. "I've never thought that much about Vacuo, really. Or Atlas. Even Mistral, since it's been a while since I was there last. It's mainly just Menagerie and Vale for me."
"Well, they're home, yeah? Sounds right to me."
"The world seems big enough as it is, but it's just so, so much bigger. It's kind of scary, isn't it?"
"Tell me about it! I'm worried enough about Vacuo not just sinking into the sand, and then we have to worry about the rest of the world not just laughing at us."
"Vacuo's huntsmen must have it rough…"
"Well, they need all the help they can get. That's why I'm here." Sun polished off his drink and set the cup down. "I'm going to go stretch my legs a little bit. When you're ready, just kick me or something."
Sun headed onto the floor and started dancing with some of the other students. Blake tightened her grip around the cup as she took another sip. She'd never thought about Vacuo like that. She had grown to like Sun a fair bit since their first meeting, but she still didn't know much about him, did she? She thought back to what Yang had told her, a few weeks ago. Blake had completely disregarded the sort of suffering that Yang might've gone through because she was human. Yang calling Blake a princess, and saying that her house made Yang's look like a shack… that had stuck with her. How much had she really suffered, then? How much did she really understand the people she wanted to help, human and faunus alike?
She looked out onto the dance floor. Everyone before her had some sort of story. Likes and dislikes; fears and aspirations; friends and enemies. She lingered on the faunus she spotted most of all. What went through their minds, as they danced? How did they feel about the people around them? How did they feel about where they were in life, studying at Beacon, or Haven, or Atlas, or Vacuo? Was it just a logical next step for them? Or was it a once in a lifetime opportunity to make something out of a life they had fought tooth and nail to hold on to?
When Blake was finished with her drink, she set the cup down and rose. She had left the White Fang, but it wasn't like she had stopped caring about the faunus. At least, she didn't think that she had stopped caring. Though, she wondered how much she really could care, when she knew so little about the world. As she walked over to Sun, she did her best to force a smile. Maybe one day, she'd talk to someone about this, and ask them what they had to say. For now, though, she just wanted to enjoy the night. It was better to bask in this moment of bliss than worry about the grim realities of the wider world, she thought.
When she was close enough, Sun lunged at Blake and grabbed her by the hands, swinging her around to the rhythm of the music. Blake was hoping to feel better, dancing with him, and she was happy to know that her worry melted away, when she was with him. Blake wasn't sure how much time the two spent dancing. She was having too much fun to really think about whether or not it had been six minutes or an entire hour. She was only brought back to reality when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder.
"Oh Yang, hey!"
"Finally free! You look like you're having fun."
"You Valeans sure know how to party!" Sun said. "And this is a school party! I'd love to see what sort of stuff you get up to after dark!"
"I'd be able to help you with that, but I'm still vulnerable to getting grounded, so that's going to have to wait, hotshot."
"One of these days. Guess you're here to kick me out?" Yang lightly pushed Sun away from Blake, and the two shared a small laugh. "Okay, okay. I'm going to go get another drink, then."
"So, has he been a good date so far?" Yang asked.
"I'm a bit surprised, but he has."
"Boo!"
"Boo?"
"Don't worry about it." Yang held out her hand. "Now, I think you promised me a dance?"
There was something different about dancing with Yang, Blake thought. Dancing with Sun had been really fun, even exhilarating. Yang held Blake closer, though, as they danced. She felt… safer with her, in a way. It was an oddly nice feeling. It was only a single dance, so Blake had to savor the feeling while it lasted. She wondered if she'd miss that feeling of safety, when she was back with Sun.
When Jaune arrived at the dance, he wasn't sure where Pyrrha was. She didn't appear to be around, no matter how hard he looked. She had gone on ahead of him and the others. Was there some chance that she went somewhere else instead? That wouldn't make much sense at all. Jaune wandered around, trying to find any lead, but to no avail. The music was loud. The people were loud. The venue was so crowded. He wasn't going to find Pyrrha like this. And it wasn't like Ren and Nora were around to help him look. Jaune needed to go outside. Maybe once he got some fresh air and cleared his head, he'd be able to think of a better way to try and find her in all that noise.
Jaune walked outside onto an upstairs balcony that looked out over Beacon campus. He saw a few people there already. Some couples were huddled close to each other, and some small groups of friends were rather loudly talking about something, though Jaune didn't really care to listen in. He noticed a single person standing alone, which he found odd. He wasn't sure where to stand, so he walked to the edge of the balcony, by them. If they were alone, it wasn't like they were going to mind someone else being alone right by them, after all. Jaune looked down at the people walking around campus below him, seeing if he might see some sign of someone he knew. He glanced over at the other lone person, a bit curious about who else would be outside all by their lonesome like him. Then his jaw dropped.
"Pyrrha?!"
Pyrrha had decided to forgo putting her hair up for the dance, and had donned a blood red toga, clasped with a golden badge in the shape of her spear and shield emblem at the shoulder and fastened with a golden sash. It didn't look like she noticed him at first, but when he cried her name, she turned to him. She was just as surprised, but Jaune could've sworn he saw sadness in her eyes, if only for a moment.
"Jaune? What're you doing out here?"
"I should be asking you that! Why're you just… alone out here?"
"Well…" She leaned over the balcony. "I suppose I just wanted the fresh air. Why are you out here?"
"I was looking for you! I just got sick of how loud it was down there… so, where's your date? You told him you'd be heading out here, right? I mean, it's pretty weird to just see someone out here all alone."
"Says the one that came here alone," Pyrrha said with a small laugh, "There is no date. I'm just as alone as you."
"What?! You? Here alone? That doesn't make any sense!"
"I guess you'd expect people to jump at the chance to go on a date with a… celebrity like me. Looks like, instead, the idea just makes them scared."
"Well…" Jaune hadn't considered the celebrity angle. He felt a bit odd, considering what he was about to say, but it had to be said all the same. "That too. It just doesn't make any sense because you're you. Any of the guys in our grade would have to be crazy not to want to go out with you of all people!"
"Crazy, is it?" Pyrrha began playing with her hair. She was thankful for the darkness surrounding them. It probably helped at least a little bit to hide her blushing face.
"Completely crazy! You're smart, and a total badass, but you don't make a big deal about it, and you're still super nice. You're on top of the world, and you do a good job using that power to protect people, and lift them up."
"I don't think everyone would agree. I mean, not everyone knows me the same way you do. Or Ren, or Nora. They don't just see me as me, the same way you three do."
"Oh. I didn't think about that part…"
"Jaune?"
"Yeah?"
"Any guy in our grade would be crazy to not want to go out with me, right?"
"Well, if you want me to compliment you some more, I can definitely try."
"Are you crazy then, Jaune?"
"Am I what?" It took him a second to realize she had used his own words against him. When he got what she was trying to say, he averted his eyes immediately. He could already tell he was going red, but if he looked at Pyrrha now, he'd be the same shade as a tomato almost immediately. "Well, um… it doesn't really matter if I'm crazy or not, right? There's no way you'd want to go out with a guy like me! You're way out of my league!"
"Well, who told you that?"
"What? Come on, Pyrrha, look at us. You're amazing! I'm just average. I'm trying, but I'm nowhere near your level. You deserve a guy that can keep up."
"So… you told yourself that?"
"Well, yeah, I guess? It isn't like I need someone to tell me something I already kn-"
"But you don't know." The two of them had just been looking out over the balcony up until this point. The idea of looking at the other was too nerve wracking. Yet, Pyrrha felt compelled. She took a deep breath and turned to Jaune. He was giving her a sideways glance, and when their eyes met, he gasped. He hesitated, but turned to face her as well, now that he'd been caught. "I never said that. That you weren't good enough for me, or anything like that."
"Y-yeah, I guess you haven't…"
"So, let me ask again." Pyrrha took a step forward. "Are you crazy, Jaune?"
"W-well, am I crazy…?" A simple yes or no question. When he was lifting her up, why'd he have to make it as simple as a yes or no question? It was damning, no matter what he said. "No, not really, I guess…"
"So…" Pyrrha took another step forward, her heart racing. She couldn't help but smile as wide as she could. "So that means-"
"We'll talk about this later!" Jaune grabbed her hand, and Pyrrha's heart skipped a beat. "Let's go down and find Ren and Nora!"
"O-okay! But we are talking about this later, right? You promise?"
"I've been on the receiving end of enough tantrums and noogies to know better than to break a promise!" He said. "And if I try to wimp out, I'll give you a pair of scissors and you can just go to town on my hair, or something!"
"Okay! I'll be sure to hold you to that!"
Jaune's fate was sealed now. There was no escaping whatever it was Pyrrha wanted to talk about, even though it was obvious to him what it was. He had an idea of how it would go, but there was a sinking feeling in his stomach all the same. Pyrrha Nikos, both the celebrity and the person, was so much better than Jaune was that giving her what she probably wanted would've been like an insult. He didn't know when Pyrrha would corner him, but until then, he just had to stay focused. On Ruby's band, on his schoolwork, on his training, and - at least for now - on the dance.
Cinder was sitting at one of the tables in the dance hall, swirling a cup of fruit punch. She sincerely wished it was something a little stronger than just fruit punch, but there was no way a place like Vale was going to serve alcohol to students, even if she, Mercury, and Emerald were of age in the kingdom.
"See how handsy some of these kids are getting with these dances?" Mercury asked. "It's like they've never had a night of fun in their lives! I wonder how many loving little couples have run off to the bushes by now…"
"It would've cost you absolutely nothing to keep that thought locked away in your head, Merc." Emerald said.
"I'm sure you have a filthy little thought of your own to share, Emerald. Go ahead. I won't judge. I can't make any promises about Mercury, however."
"Well… with everyone out here, I just think it would make more sense to just sneak your little lovers into your room, not a bush! I doubt you're going to run into your roommates. Not tonight."
"Hey, some people might be into that, you don't know." Mercury said.
"What, the bushes or getting caught by their roommates?" Emerald asked.
"Are you one of them, Mercury?" Cinder took a sip of her drink.
"Actually, you're just like one of these kids, aren't you, Merc? No one's ever touched you, have they?"
"Maybe someone has, maybe someone hasn't." Mercury suddenly stood up from their table. "Well, I'm going to go get a drink…"
"Hey, get back here! I'm not letting you get away with that half-assed answer, Merc!"
The two of them ran off, leaving Cinder to her own devices. Masquerading as students was an important part of their operation. It was reconnaissance in its purest form. Cinder would've preferred to just stay in their guest room, but the other two had insisted. She would've been perfectly fine sending them off by themselves, but they weren't having it. They wanted to go, and they weren't going without her. She had little choice.
As she watched the students dancing, her thoughts drifted to that girl she had met in the rec room a few weeks ago. She had to be here somewhere, right? Cinder had her suspicions about her, and when Silver had mentioned he ran into her too, that just confirmed Cinder's fears. It was almost like the ghost of Summer Rose had come to haunt them, even if her daughter didn't have the faintest idea who either of them were. She had a mission, and she was determined to see it through. No amount of sentimentality could slow her down. That risked jeopardizing everything.
"Hey, are you alright?" Emerald returned more quickly than Cinder would've thought.
"I'm fine, don't worry. Where's Mercury?"
"Still drinking. Really didn't want to answer my question…"
"Why don't you go and dance?" Cinder asked as Emerald moved to take her seat. She looked her subordinate up and down. She decided to wear a pearl white pantsuit to the dance. Cinder thought it fit her quite well. She looked powerful in it, like someone who belonged in charge. "I'm sure there are plenty of students here who die to dance with an older woman."
"Hardly. I'm, what, three years older than these people at most? If I was going to dance, I want it to be with you."
"You should have fun while you can. When we start to get really busy, you won't have a chance, not for a while. But if you absolutely must dance with me, you might have to wait a bit for that." Cinder looked at a small obsidian watch she was wearing. "I should probably be leaving soon. Why not just dance with Mercury? When he gets back, I mean."
"Eh, I don't know. He seems like he's got two left feet."
"Mercury? Two left feet?" Cinder giggled. "That's quite the thought."
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a flash of red and black. Cinder glanced over towards it, and Ruby was awkwardly shuffling about on the dance floor. The girl in white she was with when Cinder first met was just standing at her side, looking like she was embarrassed to even be there.
"Why did I let you talk me into this, Weiss?" Ruby asked.
"Seeing you jerk around like a scarecrow, I really don't know why I bothered. It must've been a lapse in judgment."
"The least you could do is dance with me?"
"To this music? Please, it's far too vulgar for my tastes." Weiss looked around the dance floor. "I think I saw Blake somewhere earlier. Want to go look for her? Yang might be around now too. Oh, and we haven't seen anyone from JNPR tonight. I wonder what they're wearing…"
"So I can stop dancing now?"
"Yes, Ruby, you can stop."
"Sorry, miss, but I'm going to have to stop you there."
Ruby was relieved to hear Weiss free her from the shackles of dance, but then just as suddenly her heart sank as someone spoke to her. Well, they didn't say her name, but who else could they have been talking to? Ruby turned to the voice, irrationally upset about the prospect of dancing more. Ruby craned her neck up to look at the man standing before her. He was giving her as soft and welcoming a smile as he could, but his height was a bit intimidating all the same. He was wearing a black uniform. It reminded Ruby a little bit of what someone who had been in the palace was wearing.
"Excuse me." Weiss stepped in front Ruby, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "What is a member of the Atlesian military doing here? Your uniform isn't the standard issue, either. It reminds me… of Winter!"
"Winter?" Ruby asked. "Like, your sister, Winter?"
"Yes! But with that uniform, and that pin, that would mean you're… oh my."
"Weiss, who is this guy?" Ruby whispered.
"Captain Clover Ebi. One of the Kingdom of Atlas's most skilled Huntsmen."
"Really?! You must be super strong, then!"
Ruby was feeling a lot more enthusiastic about this odd encounter all of a sudden. What sort of weapon did you have to use to become one of the strongest people in your entire country? She couldn't make out anything obvious on him, though. Did he leave it behind wherever he was staying?
"Eh, I've just had a lot of lucky breaks. If I'm not mistaken, you're Ruby Rose. His Majesty and Miss Polendina have requested your presence, if you could come with me."
"His what now?"
"My sister is a personal attendant to Atlas's Prince Regent. If he works with her, he must work for the royal family too." Weiss started walking around Ruby, inspecting her dress as she just stood still, looking at the man who had approached them. "Well, you look good enough, I think…" Weiss took Ruby's hand. "Let's go."
"You seem a little too calm for this, Weiss!"
"Trust me, I'm not."
He walked the two over to a corner of the courtroom. Ruby almost stopped when she saw Penny standing there, doing the robot dance. There was a boy and a woman with her, and she had definitely seen the boy before. He was there in the throne room too.
"Anything happen while I was gone, Harriet?" Clover asked.
"Other than a few weird looks at us for just standing here, not really."
"Ruby!" Penny lunged at Ruby, wrapping her arms around her.
"Penny! It's good to see you! But what're you doing with…" She looked at the boy, who grinned at her, then at the two soldiers with them. "Royalty?"
"Ms. Polendina is a good friend of the king," Clover said, "so it only made sense for them to come together."
"Um.. Your Majesty?" Weiss took a light step forward. "What are you doing here, exactly? At a school dance?"
"Me?" The boy sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. He was about her height. He was the king of an entire country? This cute little boy? "I just thought it would be fun. That's all."
"And you want to dance? With Ruby?" Weiss asked.
"Well, I recognized you, so I sent Clover over. I'd be honored to dance with either one of you, if you'd be comfortable with that."
"By all means, Your Majesty, dance with Ruby. I'm sure she wouldn't mind."
"Weiss! Why're you talking for me?!"
"Neil's an exemplary gentleman, Ruby, so don't worry! You'll be in good hands!" Penny said.
"But you must have seen me out there! I can't dance!"
"I can't either, Miss Rose. Not to music like this. I had Clover request a classical song be put on after this one. That would be more in my comfort zone."
"All you would need to do is let His Majesty lead," Weiss said. "Don't panic, and he'll guide you through the dance."
"Y-you're the rich one, Weiss! You should dance with him!"
"Oh, I couldn't! I think it would only be right for the leader of Team RWBY to have the great honor of dancing with royalty." Ruby could only think that Weiss was just as nervous as Ruby about the whole thing. This was just an excuse, but it was a good excuse.
"Well…" Ruby tried to curtsy the best that she could, though it definitely felt unnatural. "If you'd have me. …Your Majesty."
"You honor me, Miss Rose, you truly do."
He offered Ruby a hand. She just looked at it, thinking about the gravity of this situation. Ruby was just a regular girl from Patch, yet a king was asking her to dance? If this was one of the stories that her mom would read to her when she was a little girl, this would end with the two of them being married someday. This wasn't a fairy tale, though, so there was no way things could spiral that much out of control. Ruby took his hand, and Penny gave her a small round of applause.
"I'm sorry for dropping this on you so suddenly, Miss Rose." He led her onto the dance floor. It was rather hard for Ruby to not notice the eyes of all the people around them. A king walking onto the floor would've been a big deal, and anyone walking with him would've drawn attention too. "This will be a simple Atlesian Waltz. Just follow my lead and stay calm. Don't worry about it if you step on my feet, or anything. Just try to keep moving."
He lightly placed Ruby's hand on his shoulder, and gently placed his on the small of her back as soft piano music began to play. Some people got off the dance floors as others came on. All of the pairs took positions similar to the two of them. Though some got much closer together than Ruby and the king were.
"I want to thank you for being a friend to Penny," he said. "She's told me a bit about you."
"I never thought that Penny knew royalty. Is she like… a noble, or something?"
"Nothing that basic, no. I take it you're familiar with her circumstances? I saw the state of her hands the last time she got out, and the soldiers who brought her back in said you were with her. Or at least, someone who looked a bit like you."
"Well…" Ruby had promised to keep the 'Penny is a robot' thing a secret, but would it really have been so bad to just confirm she did know? It was obvious that the king already did, so it wasn't like she was exposing her friend. "It might've come up in conversation."
"As far as I can tell, not many people know. Her father, my uncle, myself, a few select military officers, and now you, a civilian. Ah, and don't worry about what happened last time happening again. I spoke to my uncle about it, and he's agreed to let Penny roam Vale freely, long as she's with you."
"You can really just do that?"
"I may be young, but I'm still king," he said with a small laugh.
How young, exactly? He and Ruby were just about looking into each other's eyes. He couldn't have been that much younger. He seemed too mature to be ten, or something.
"What is it like, with the whole royalty thing, and all?" Ruby asked.
"My uncle does most of the actual work, but I try to be involved, of course. I'm surrounded by so many people who support me and want to see me succeed, so it definitely helps to keep the pressure off. I'm more curious about the life of a huntress-in-training."
"Oh. Um… it's a lot of training, and fighting. If you're not used to fighting, it'll really kick your butt at first."
"I see… I suppose it only makes sense, considering the importance of your work. I might have to sit in on some classes before we go home, then do the same with Atlas…"
Ruby didn't really know what she was doing. She was trying to follow the king the best she could, turning with him to the rhythm of the music. She was getting better on her guitar, and Weiss was impressed with the progress she was making on her singing, but she was still a hopeless dancer. He said she should remain calm, even if she stepped on his foot, but when he did and she saw him wince, she stopped and started trying to apologize, but all she did was babble incoherently.
"I guess that's enough dancing for now, isn't it? How about we get a little bit of fresh air? I think I've had enough of the crowds."
Ruby trudged back to the others behind the king. Penny and Weiss looked a bit worried for her.
"You probably should've picked the Schnee, Your Majesty," said the woman. Clover had called her Harriet earlier. "At least she knows what she's doing."
"Well, it was nice while it lasted. Clover, Miss Rose and I are going to take a quick walk outside. You and Harriet are to enjoy yourself until we return."
"I can't just leave you alone, you know that."
"That's an order. We're on the campus of a huntsman academy, and I'm with a huntress-in-training. We're surrounded by people who know how to handle themselves in a fight. I'm sure we'll be safe for just a short walk. But if you're that worried…" He grabbed something off of Clover's hip and waved it at him. "I'm taking Kingfisher, so I'm not unarmed. Now, go on and have fun."
"Well, if it's an order…" Clover shrugged and shook his head.
"When the prince yells at us, just know I'm sending him right to you," Harriet said.
"Please do. Miss Schnee, Penny, I'll be seeing the two of you later, then." The king bowed slightly to them.
"Enjoy your date, Ruby!" Penny waved at her as she followed the king towards the outdoors.
"Penny, she's nervous enough. Please don't make it worse." She heard Weiss say.
The damage was already done, though. Ruby was glad to be outside, away from all the people and all the noise, and there were some people around, but she was more or less alone with one of the leaders of the world. That was enough pressure as it is, but Penny calling it a date just made Ruby even more afraid to say something stupid.