Azula woke up, as usual, to the rising sun shining in her window. Only this time, she found a rather unexpected weight on top of her. She glanced down and saw a softly snoring Ruby Rose hugging her, face snuggled into her neck and murmuring something gently. Azula glared before struggling to even move her arm from where it was stuck under her co-leader. "Dammit," she muttered before glancing at her dresser and trying to stretch her free arm to her Scroll to get Zane to pull the reaper off of her. Azula let out a sigh of defeat as she found her reach just short of where she left it. She looked around the room and saw the rest of Team RWBY still asleep. She silently yelled in frustration before breathing deep. She glanced at the bunk to her left and scowled slightly before looking at her fingers. She saw a small amount of lightning generated in her fingers and aimed them directly to her left before letting out a small jolt.

Blake shot up in her bed with a pained gasp and rubbed at her arm with a tired look before turning to a snapping sound. Azula waved to get her attention as the Faunus scowled slightly. Azula gestured to Ruby and motioned to try and get Blake to move the girl off of the princess. Blake grinned slightly before waving at the Firebender and moving the covers back over her form. Azula scowled before grinning and shooting a flame at the blanket. Blake simply reached into the draw of her dresser and pulled out crystal of Water Dust before dousing the flame and Azula's face. Azula growled silently before trying to remove herself from Ruby's arms. The girl just tightened her hold and Azula grunted softly before looking at the bunk above Blake. Azula took her pillow and threw it at the occupant. Yang yawned in her tired state and stretched before hopping off her bed and heading to the restroom. Azula facepalmed before trying once more to get Blake to help. She glared daggers into the back of her head, hoping her threatening gaze would force her to comply.

Azula scoffed in offense as Blake simply flipped her off. She narrowed her eyes before hearing the sink turn on then off and Yang stepped out of the bathroom, the toilet flushing dying down as she opened the door. "Yang," whispered Azula. "Yang!" The blonde didn't seem to hear her before climbing back up to her bed and waving to Azula. "Don't you dare go back to sleep!"

"What are you whispering about," murmured Weiss from her bed. Azula glanced over at the heiress and snapped. Weiss glared at Azula before seeing Ruby and sighed. "For heaven's sake…" Weiss groaned and got up before making her way to Azula's bed. She struggled to pry Ruby away from Azula as the princess pushed the reaper off. Within moments, they succeeded placed the girl on her own bunk with some trouble trying to get her up on the top bunk. Azula moved her pillow into the girl's arms as she fussed in her sleep, calming her down. Weiss groaned at being woken up and scowled at Azula.

"Don't give me that look! She's the one that snuck into my bed!"

"You're the one that couldn't pry her off of you!"

"I seem to recall you had as much trouble as I did!"

"Both of you," whispered Blake as she glared at them from beneath her blanket. "Fight somewhere else."

"Stay out of this," whisper shouted the two spoiled girls. They went back to glaring at each other before Azula turned to use the bathroom herself. After freshening up, Azula left the dorm and went to the mess hall. When she arrived, she saw Velvet and Coco eating with their team. Velvet spotted the princess and smiled before waving her over.

"Azula," she called. Azula nodded before getting her food and joining the older team. "Good morning."

"Hey," said Coco as she dug into a bowl of cereal.

"Ladies," said Azula. Fox gave Azula a look at the implications before continuing to eat his breakfast. Yatsuhashi didn't react as he simply ate a plate of eggs. "Any plans for today?"

"We have a mission later," said Velvet. "A basic Grimm Hunt. Pack of Beowolves."

"Do those occur often for students?"

"Only for older teams," said Coco. "First Year teams tend to stick to classes unless special circumstances require otherwise."

"I see. So no hunting for my team until next year?"

"That about sums it up."

"I suppose it's better than nothing. And gives me time to learn more about the world outside the village. I've been so focused learning about history and the Grimm, I've neglected learning about present day society."

"Why don't you go to the library after classes," asked Yatsuhashi.

"There's only so much one can learn from books. That and Ruby's been following me like a lost puppy. I doubt she can stay quiet in a place like the library for long."

"Why don't you go out after classes then," asked Coco. "Find a job to get some extra Lien on the side."

"Coco," said Velvet. "She just turned 15. I don't think there's a job that'll hire her right now."

"She could model for my mom."

"I don't think she'd appreciate being subjected to that…"

"Is she as bad as her mom?"

"Her mom is worse," said Yatsuhashi. Fox nodded silently.

"You act like we're demons or something," said Coco as she sipped her juice. Velvet glanced at her leader nervously before turning to Azula fully, a slight nod being her response. Azula smirked slightly before sighing.

"As much as I would like to preserve what little sanity and dignity I have," she said. "I'm afraid I have no choice. Until I can get my lost funds back, I can't fully pay for my weapons and armor, let alone any repairs I may need."

"Just activate your Aura. Swallow your pride and start using our 'gimmicks'. Just maintaining your weapons would be cheaper than the full set."

"She's worried about what that would do to her Bending," said Velvet.

"I am," said Azula. She sighed once more before handing her scroll to Coco who grinned. "Just place the address so I can get this over with."

"You got it," she exclaimed. Velvet leaned into Azula.

"Are you sure you want to do this," she whispered.

"Want to, no. Have to, yes," replied Azula. "I need the money to pay back Miss Jelavic. She said to pay her back in increments, but that feels like a debt to me."

"And rather than owe a debt, you're paying it off as soon as possible," said Coco. "Smart." Azula gave her a look. "My hearing is almost as good as Velvet's."

"I'm surprised any of you can hear anything given your constant use of firearms."

"Ah, a little tinnitus never hurt anyone."

"Speak for yourself," muttered Velvet as she massaged her ears absentmindedly. "Also, Azula. Why don't you get earplugs?"

"Earplugs," asked the princess.

"They limit the level of sound that enters your ears. A lot of people use them for training and in the field."

"I think there's a gun range in town that can sell them to you," said Coco.

"Ruby should know where it is." Azula groaned.

"I just spent half of my morning prying her off of me," she muttered. "I'm not looking to spend more time with her."

"Well until you start your own team…"

"You're stuck with her," finished Coco. Azula groaned before sending two small jolts to the girls for smiling.

"Yow!"

"No laughing at my misery," growled Azula angrily as she bit into an apple. "So, which of your team is the best fighter?"

"Why bring this up?" Coco scowled slightly as she flattened out her frizzed-up hair.

"Defeating those in my class is getting old. They're improving, of course, but I'm yearning for a real fight."

"If that's the case, fight Velvet." The rabbit Faunus choked on her juice at the comment, making Yatsuhashi pat her on the back as she coughed.

"Velvet is your best fighter?"

"Second to none."

"I'm not that great," said Velvet, her demeanor shifting to a more nervous one.

"Oh come on! You know you're the best of us!" Fox and Yatsuhashi nodded in agreement.

"Out of all of us," said Yatsuhashi. "Velvet can prove a better fight than you're used to." Velvet blushed in embarrassment and fiddled with her food slightly at their praise.

"Interesting," said Azula, smiling with anticipation. "Very well then. Velvet Scarlatina. I challenge you to a duel."

"She accepts," exclaimed Coco with grin.

"What," exclaimed Velvet. "D-don't I get a say in this?!"

"No," said both girls at once. Velvet groaned and hid her face.

"Don't worry," said. Azula. "I'll be sure to go easy on you." Velvet gave her a look before smirking as she found a sudden burst of confidence as Azula went to take a bite of her apple again. Velvet pressed a button on her weapon and threw her hand forward. Azula stared at the wall beside her where the apple was embedded into the wall with a glowing blue knife before dropping as it disappeared.

"Just for that," said Velvet with a slight grin as Azula quirked an eyebrow at her. "I won't do the same." Azula smirked slightly before finishing her food.

When CFVY left for their mission, Azula went to the courtyard and spotted Yang and Ruby looking at the Blonde's scroll and sighed as she shook her head. "Dammit…" She walked over to the two.

"…Glad to hear you girls are having fun over there," said a voice over the scroll. "Hey. Say hi to Oobleck and Port for me. I miss those guys."

"Sure thing," said Yang.

"Love you guys."

"Love you too, Dad," exclaimed Ruby with a smile. Azula stood off to the side and sighed as she steeled up her resolve.

"Ruby," she called as Yang turned off the scroll. "Yang!" The sisters turned to her and Ruby grinned.

"Oh! Hey, Azula!"

"What's up, Princess," asked Yang. Azula gave the boxer a look. "What?!"

"Thanks for the help this morning," said Azula sarcastically.

"Oh, right! When Ruby was spooning you!"

"You were paying attention!"

"Wait," said Ruby. "What did I do?"

"In the middle of the night, you apparently made your way to my bed and attempted to strangle me."

"You know, your nighttime cuddling," exclaimed Yang with a grin. Ruby exclaimed and turned to Azula, waving her arms in defense.

"I'm sorry," she exclaimed. "I thought I grew out of that habit!"

"Stop yelling," shouted Azula as she rubbed her temples.

"Sorry…"

"What do you need," asked Yang. Azula sighed.

"I need earplugs to use in the field," she said. "I need to limit my hearing impairment when I find myself fighting people with guns. Velvet and Coco told me about them, and suggested Ruby may know where to…"

"Ooh," shouted Ruby. "I can take you to the gun range!" She gasped. "I can get you to try out Crescent Rose!"

"Ruby," said Yang. "That may be a little too much for a newbie."

"It can't be too hard," said Azula. "I've seen Ruby shoot that thing in practice hundreds of times in the last few months."

"Seeing it and using it are two entirely different things."

"Let's go," exclaimed Ruby as she pulled on Azula's arm.

"I better go too. If only to see what happens."

"You're trying to make fun of me, I know it," said Azula.

"Hey, you wanted to be treated like everyone else."

"Had I known it would be at the expense of my own embarrassment, I wouldn't have said anything." One trip on Bumblebee later and the three girls were outside a building labeled Shells and Casings. "Shells and Casings?"

"There are different kinds of ammunition," said Ruby as she pulled out one of Crescent Rose's bullets. "When a bullet is spent the bottom part is left behind. For normal guns and rifles, it's called a casing."

"And for shotgun ammo it's called a shell," said Yang. "We'll give you the full crash course inside."

"No. I only came here for ear…"

"Please," pleaded Ruby as she gave her the signature look of any pleading 15-year-old. Sans Azula.

"You know that won't work on me."

"Ok. Guess we'll leave you to pay for them by yourself," quipped Yang with a grin. Azula scowled at the buxom blonde before growling.

"Fine! Dammit…" Ruby smiled before dragging her and her sister into the building. Azula looked at Ruby as she held out a pair of goggles and ear coverings. "What's this for?"

"We're not allowed in the lanes without eye and ear protection. Put these on so we can go in!" Azula sighed and did so as Yang walked over to them.

"I feel ridiculous."

"It's necessary. You know how much hearing a gunshot indoors hurts. That's why we wear the coverings."

"And the goggles?"

"The casings and residue from the Dust tend to go flying," said Ruby. "These protect your eyes!" Azula sighed and followed them to the lane as Yang set up a few targets before sending them down lane with the press of a button.

"Ok," said Yang. "We're going to start you out with the same thing a lot of people start with, a basic pistol."

"You're babying me," said Azula.

"We're making sure you don't hurt yourself. Ruby has had 3 years of firearms training and her Aura to help her with the massive recoil of Crescent Rose. You've never held a gun in your life." She turned to her younger sister who already had a 9mm pistol on the table in front of them facing the target with a magazine next to it. "Ok. Step one…"

For the next two hours, the three girls spent the time in the lane. Azula found new appreciation in the modern weapons that the other members of her team used. After an extensive lesson on gun safety and how to properly load, unload, aim and reload, Azula finally fired her first shot. And in doing so, dropped the pistol. The sudden jolt accompanied by the muffled, yet still loud, bang startled her enough to lose her grip, causing the gun to misfire as it landed on the ground. After rubbing her hands and glaring at Yang who smirked while Ruby looked worried, Azula's subsequent attempts were met with more success and preparation. She found herself disappointed in how far apart her shots were when compared to Ruby's and Yang's when they fired their guns, but chose not to let it bother her. Where in the past she would've stayed there for hours in an attempt to perfect her aim and expertise, that strive for perfection was what led to her breakdown in the first place. Against her ever urging pride, Azula chose not to continue this, for the day at least.

Azula sighed as she looked at the picture she'd taken of her target on her scroll. "Don't worry, Azula," said Ruby. "It was only your first time using a gun. With a lot of practice, you'll get the hang of it."

"I don't think I'll continue with that any time soon," replied Azula. "I would actually prefer using my own firepower for combat. I'll only use a gun if I have no other option. Like during a solar eclipse when my Bending isn't active."

"Well, they're not for everyone," said Yang. "And most just add them to their primary weapons anyways."

"Why is that, by the way?"

"To reduce the time it takes to switch between ranged and melee combat," said Ruby. "Some Grimm are extremely fast and can close the distance between them and you in the same amount of time it takes to put away a rifle and pull out a sword."

"This is what Port was talking about in class the other day when talking about his weapon," said Yang.

"That's what the lesson was," asked Azula. "I assumed it was another chance for him to recount the glory days and for me to get some more sleep."

"Don't let Weiss hear that. We'll get scolded for not taking class seriously."

"She does seem to have a stick permanently stuck somewhere, doesn't she?"

"Said the pot about the kettle." Yang snickered as Azula hopped up and brought the blonde into a headlock as Ruby laughed, noticing the playful smile on the princess as she tried to strangle her sister.

"You take that back!"

"Make me, Princess."

"How about I burn this golden mess you call hair?"

"Hey, don't joke about the hair!" Ruby smiled before blushing as her stomach growling brought the other's attention to her.

"Uh," muttered Ruby before chuckling nervously and rubbing the back of her head. "Sorry. I'm hungry."

"Well, there's a ramen shop close by. Let's get lunch."

"You have ramen here," exclaimed Azula. The two girls looked at her in surprise before she composed herself and cleared her throat. Yang laughed and Azula blushed and glared as Ruby chuckled slightly. "Stop laughing!"

"Oh come on! That reaction was priceless! It was like when our dad learned Spruce Willis was gonna be in Vale for an autograph signing!"

"And Spruce Willis is…"

"Oh, yeah. We still haven't shown you movies yet!"

"Shown me, what?"

"You know the videos you used to study your forms when you were, you know, still the old you?" Azula grumbled slightly and nodded.

"Movies are basically… plays recorded on video and touched up a bit to be more spectacular." Yang looked through her scroll and smirked. "Hey! We're in luck! A theater nearby is playing Nothing Lasts Forever! Looks like we're taking you on a proper date, Azula!"

"D-date," exclaimed Ruby with a blush.

"I wonder if you're trying to give your sister a heart attack at times," said Azula as she crossed her arms.

"Hey, what else would you call this," asked Yang. "Hanging out, getting dinner, seeing a movie. All that's missing is a little alone time." Azula rolled her eyes as Yang gave a playful and suggestive look.

"I'd rather die again." She sighed. "But I suppose I can do something to pass the time before CFVY returns. Lead the way, Xiao Long."

(Tantra Tiger Tea Shop)

Blake Belladonna looked around as she entered the tea shop. It had a nice rustic and natural feel to it. She smiled slightly as she took in the calm and peaceful atmosphere as the shop owner entered the main lobby. "Welcome to the Tantra Tiger," he said with a kind smile. "It's always nice to meet a new customer."

"This place is so peaceful," said Blake.

"I find it is always better to drink tea in a calm environment. Now then. Is there anything you would prefer? First cup is on the house."

"Oh. You don't have to do that."

"Nonsense. A cup of tea should be appreciated without worry. It is a perfect way to relieve stress and even if you don't come back, it can be a pleasant moment nonetheless not having to worry about money."

"Then thank you."

"Please. Have a seat. What kind of tea would you like?"

"Um… Do you have any Earl Grey?"

"Ah. You have a preference for black tea, I see. One Earl Grey, coming up."

"Thank you."

As Iroh made the tea, he made a passing glance at the young lady sitting with a book in her hand as she waited for her tea and noticed her bow twitch slightly as she read. He gave a slightly amused grin before walking over to her with a prepared cup of Earl Grey. "Here you go, miss."

"Thank you, Mr.…"

"Just call me Mushi. Would you like some snacks to go with the tea?"

"Oh. No thank you."

"Very well. Then just relax and enjoy your tea." Iroh smiled as he went to the back and returned with his own cup. "I hope you don't mind me sitting with you."

"Feel free to. It's your shop after all." Iroh smiled and sipped his jasmine tea before looking at her.

"Wouldn't you relax more if you didn't have to worry about hiding yourself?" Blake jumped, startled, and looked at him.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Tell me, miss.…"

"…Belladonna…"

"Miss Belladonna. Are you ashamed of who you are?"

"What?! No!"

"So why hide it? If you're proud of who you are, you shouldn't hide that which makes you unique." Blake hesitated slightly before removing her ribbon and revealing her black cat ears. She looked at him worried as he calmly sipped his tea.

"How did you know?"

"Felines often have many tells when it comes to expressing their emotions. You don't have a tail, which would be a clear indicator, but the ears work just as well. As you were reading, I noticed the slight twitch of your ribbon, more than likely from excitement at something you read. I may be old, but I've fought enough to know how to read people."

"That's probably how she noticed, then…" Mushi frowned slightly before sighing.

"Problems with a friend?"

"She is not my friend. She's a rude, manipulative, hypocritical girl!" Blake growled softly.

"I take it, whoever you're talking about, noticed your ears as well?" Blake nodded. "And she's been holding it over you? Blackmailing you?" Blake sighed and crossed her arms.

"Not… exactly…"

"Then how is she being manipulative?"

"She's been pushing me to tell my team about this!"

"I assume you mean you are a Huntress-in-training?" Blake nodded. "And you've been hiding this from your team?" Blake looked away, her top ears drooping slightly. "Do you consider your team friends?" The cat Faunus slunk slightly in her seat, saying nothing. "I'm going to also assume you've known them for only a couple of months, given when school must've started, yes?"

"Yes."

"And yet, you're still hiding who you are from them. Haven't they earned your trust and the truth by now?"

"I… It's complicated. I don't… I'm not a good person."

"No one can claim to be good. We can just be the best person we can. I'm going to take a guess and say you've done some things in your past you are not particularly proud of? Things you think your friends would judge you for?"

"You sound like you've been through this?"

"When you get to be my age, you tend to make a fair share of mistakes." Mushi sipped his tea. "There are many that I accept, even more that I regret. But one must learn to accept what they've done, in order to grow. Hiding from your past, from what you've done, not just from your friends but yourself as well, is never good for one's soul." He looked at Blake. "I can understand why you've chosen to wear your ribbon. To be judged by your actions, and not your heritage. But if you are truly proud of who you are and how you were born, you should not let fear of what others may think of you based on your heritage control your actions. Because then those who look down on the Faunus people win. And continue to win."

Blake sighed as she considered Mushi's words. "Can I have a refill on the tea, please?"

"As long as you have the Lien, yes." Iroh sipped his tea as Blake gave him a questioning look. "I said the first cup was free to new customers. All subsequent cups and refills are full price. I can't just go giving out free tea all the time! I have a business to run!" Mushi grinned slightly and Blake giggled as she caught it while the wizened man went to get her more tea.

(Beacon Academy)

"You're telling me, all of the deaths I saw never truly happened," exclaimed Azula as she looked at Yang.

"Nope," exclaimed Yang with a grin. "All special effects! Movie magic!"

"I must give this world some credit, at least. Your technology can really pull off some amazing things. They looked so realistic. Except for the arms at the end there."

"I wouldn't know," grumbled Ruby. "Yang sent me to see an entirely different movie!"

"You know Dad told you you're not allowed to see that movie," said Yang. "Or any rated R film."

"It's not fair! Azula got to see it!"

"Azula's not related to me!"

"And I'm more mature than you are, Ruby," quipped Azula. Ruby pouted and crossed her arms as the former princess chuckled slightly at her childish behavior.

"Just wait till you see the sequels. Twice the action twice the fun!"

"Wait, how the hell do you follow that up?! Hans is dead! He was the best part of the play!"

"Same way every movie does it! Same formula, different actors."

"Well. That would get old quick."

"Funny. Dad says the same thing." Azula shook her head and looked at Ruby.

"And what did Yang send you to see?"

"The X-Ray and Vav movie," groaned the red reaper. "I've already seen it before!"

"X-Ray and Vav? Didn't I see a poster of that over your bed?"

"Yeah…"

"What exactly is that?"

"It's a superhero movie."

"Super… hero?"

"I almost forgot how much we need to catch you up on," said Yang with a grin. "Horror, romance…"

"God no!"

"Comedy…"

"If it's your taste in comedy, count me out."

"Sports."

"Meh."

"Sci-fi…"

"That's short for Science Fiction," clarified Ruby.

"Fantasy…"

"Sounds boring," said Azula.

"Frontier…"

"Frontier?"

"Stories about the old settlement days."

"Well, anything but romance. Ty Lee tried reading me a romance story she found. I did not enjoy it."

"Too boring?"

"Too unrealistic. And sappy. Honestly. Whoever thinks stuff like that happens in real life is a fool." She spotted Jaune trying to court Weiss, once again, and get turned down, once again, and gestured to the boy. "Case in point."

"You really don't like romance, do you?"

"No."

"What did you freak someone out when you tried asking him out?" Azula stayed silent, her ears turning red. "Oh my god, you actually did that, didn't you?"

"She was doing well," said Radiance behind Ruby, making the girl jump in surprise. "And then she went on about ruling the party they were at as the most powerful and dangerous couple in the room."

"Oh, you poor girl."

"Shut up," shouted Azula. "Both of you!" Azula growled as Yang and Radiance laughed as her face resembled a tomato.

"There you are," exclaimed Weiss as she finally walked over to them. "Where the hell have you been?!"

"Catching a movie," exclaimed Yang.

"And what about our homework?!"

"I already finished mine," said Azula. "These two would rather put it off until the last minute."

"Guilty," said Yang with a smile. Weiss sighed and shook her head.

"Honestly…" she muttered. "It's a wonder you got accepted in the first place."

"Well, they let Jaune in," said Azula.

"That's not helping her case."

"From what I've seen, Ozpin knows what he's doing. He wouldn't let just anyone enter the Academy unless they showed potential. It's why we're all here, after all. Ruby was even boosted two grades. And myself, technically."

"Whatever."

"Where's Blake," asked Yang.

"She went into the city as well. Went to find a tea shop. Unlike you two, I don't worry about her grades."

"Well, now that we've established the mother and the baby of the team, Ruby…" The reaper whined, making the former princess smirk. "Let's head to the room. That snack we ate in the theater is making me tired."

"Not used to popcorn," asked Ruby.

"You should know the answer to that."

"Oh, right. Sorry."

"It was a bit too salty, if you ask me."

"That's movie theater popcorn for ya," exclaimed Yang. "Over-buttered and over-salted, yet addicting as hell."

"I still can't believe you went to the movies instead of doing your homework," said Weiss.

"You're just upset they didn't invite you," said Radiance with a smirk. Weiss scoffed, cheeks flushed, and raced ahead of them. "Looks like I struck a nerve."

"Like you would know what anything looks like," chuckled Azula with a smirk as Radiance pushed her. Azula smirked before catching up to Weiss. "Even I knew when to take some time to myself, Weiss. I lived in a time of war. Often heard of soldiers who went mad after seeing the strife and hardship of battle. I learned early on that too much stress can lead to detrimental health."

"Though it didn't seem to take," muttered Weiss. "Your mind was a mess before you…" Weiss sighed as Azula's gaze hardened. "Sorry. I didn't…"

"It's fine. Looking back, it should've been obvious that my mental state was cracking. I should've started to relieve that stress before I cracked. The stress of becoming Fire Lord, the instability of seeing my own ideals pushing away the only friends I had, my father's ruthless control… I was a mess. I can see that and can admit to it."

"…My dad was no better than your own. Granted, my dad wasn't a psychopath who burned his own son to make a point. But he wanted to control everything about my life. What I would be when I grew up, what career I would take, who I would marry… He had it all planned out, for me and my siblings. My older sister even joined the military to get away from him. I had to get away just as quickly, it's why I ended up here. But he'd already drilled into my head that I had an image to maintain. Singing lessons, violin lessons, business lectures, dancing. Urgh! At least you got to have friends, or at least people who were too afraid to turn you down." Azula averted her gaze to the ground, taking an interest in her shoes. "I was sent to Atlas Academy for the Gifted Youth. I didn't have any friends at all. Anyone who got near me was someone told to get to know me because of my last name, the Schnee's have a very big reputation in the Atlas Elite. No social life, no friends, no time to do anything but study, practice, and study some more. Dad didn't care at all if I was too stressed to function."

"Seems our father's are the cream of the crop, aren't they?" Weiss snorted softly.

"Preaching to the choir…"

"Don't suppose you know of any hot springs nearby, do you? I think we could both use a trip to one."

"Don't know about a hot spring, but there is a spa downtown. I can call ahead and make reservations for us." They were interrupted as Yang exclaimed behind them.

"Yes," she shouted. "Spa day!" Azula blinked and turned to the sisters, having momentarily forgotten they were there and saw Ruby giving her a reassuring smile, more than likely having heard everything. Azula sighed.

"Guess we should invite them as well," she said.

"Fine," groaned Weiss as she pulled out her Scroll. "Might as well make it reservation for five and invite Blake as well." Azula paused and turned to her.

"Uh… perhaps we should ask her first. Making a reservation for five without the fifth would be counterproductive, after all."

"Oi," exclaimed Radiance, making Weiss nearly drop her Scroll. "I don't plan on going, but being considered to be invited would be nice!"

"Radiance, I already took you into consideration. Out of everyone I know here, you don't seem like a spa person in the first place. That's why I didn't say to invite you."

"…Damn you and your analytical nature. I hate how well you read me."

"Get used to it. Once Zane joins us officially, we need to make sure we're one well-oiled machine."

"And your fourth teammate," asked Weiss. Azula and Radiance halted and turned to her. She kept walking a few paces before turning to them. "You know you can't just have three people in a team, right? All Huntsman teams need four people to operate on school missions and sanctioned Hunts. Three person teams are possible, but you won't get the payment owed for your full services. Didn't you two read the… I forgot who I was talking to for a second. The blind girl and the girl who couldn't read until a couple of months ago." Azula's eye twitched before she shouted in frustration, maroon fire shooting from her mouth as she did, drawing the attention of other students passing by them.

"You're telling me I have to find a fourth person?! There isn't anyone left in the school!" Weiss sighed and facepalmed.

"At least I know which of the two of us isn't spoiled…"

"Uh…" said Yang. "You want to rethink that, Miss Steak Tartare and Caviar?" Weiss blushed crimson before rounding on Yang.

"Who asked you?!" Ruby stood off to the side and chuckled softly as she saw her partner and sister argue and Azula and Radiance try and think of a way to find a fourth person for their group.

"Well," she muttered. "I guess I'm not the only insane one, anymore… probably shouldn't use insane in a sentence with Azula, anymore…"

Blake returned to the campus and paused as she saw the team and Radiance. Her eyes met Azula who felt like she was being watched and started looking around. Radiance felt a push on her mind and moved to obscure Azula from the rest of the team so she could message the Faunus. Blake blinked as she felt her Scroll vibrate. She pulled it out and read the message. "We're planning a spa day. Weiss was quick to make reservations, I told her to wait to make them until she invited you. Figured you would want your secret kept until you were ready," read the message. Blake looked up at Azula and the former princess nodded before turning back to the group and ushering them to hurry into the dorms. Blake sighed. 'At least she's not manipulating me,' she thought to herself. 'But still…' Blake looked at the bag in her hand, one with the Tantra Tiger logo and carrying a few bags of tea Mushi sold her and his words rang in her head. She looked at the group and steeled herself before following after them.