The second semester in Beacon was starting, and considering how hectic the first one was, Ruby Rose was extremely exited.
So much in fact, that anything that wasn't Combat Class, Weapon Building & Maintenance or Lunch bored her to sleep. How could anything compare to taking on the White Fang and Roman Torchwick with her awesome team?
The bell rang, and she rushed to the door with her semblance, bathing the students on her way in rose petals. However, the moment she materialized in front of the exit, the green haired and hyperactive Professor Oobleck called to her.
"Miss Rose! There are still a few seconds of class left!" He said, looking at a watch in his hand. Ruby looked at her scroll, the clock was just one minute off it's mark.
Groaning, Ruby turned back to walk towards her seat as some students snickered. She blushed at the attention she gathered, and as she was within arms reach of her deskm the bell rang.
"Very well, Class dismissed!" Said the professor so quickly that it was almost unintelligible. The room burst into several loud sounds as students left, talked and moved their stools around. Smiling, Ruby once again turned to leave, before being stopped, again.
"Except for you Miss Rose! Come forward please." Said the teacher while accommodating his own belonging like a blur.
A hand went to her shoulder, her sister Yang smiling at her like a devil. "See you outside, Sis. Maybe cut down the cookies next time."
"Never," She replied with a grin. She saw Blake, Weiss and JNPR follow Yang to the exit, all giving her a multitude of looks ranging from disapproval, to slight pity to barely contained amusement. Groaning once again, she walked to the front of the classroom where the professor was.
Beacon was an old school, and while it was modernised on a regular basis, some of the old structures remained and fused with the new. It was notable with the classrooms themselves, some where more traditional with rows of desks looking up to one of the walls of the box shaped chamber where the chalkboard and professors where; while others were more like an auditorium with elevated desks and a center spot where all could see the professors teaching on a hard light board.
Oobleck's classroom was modern, representing his more eccentric and scientific disposition.
"Sorry, professor," The green haired man didn't stop at any moment with his organising.
"While your enthusiasm is something to behold, you need to learn to be patient and not rush everywhere, Miss Rose. Both you and your sister have that problem, and could get you in danger. That's why I'm assigning you a history paper about just that." He said. She did not mind the assignment, she actually quite liked history, probably because it was so similar to reading old stories about heroes and huntsmen.
"Okay," She said.
"Good, And keep in mind what I said," He replied, handing her a paper that had his assignment on it. "Now, I must go. A new teacher is coming and we, as the Senior faculty, must make them feel welcome. See you next class!" he said, before grabbing his briefcase and coat and dashing out of the room at a speed Ruby found comparable to her semblance.
Arching an eyebrow at the news, Ruby went to grab her bag and rejoin her team. Along the way, she thought about what Oobleck told her. A new teacher, a new face, a new awesome huntsman to meet. It excited her.
Stepping outside, she saw the grey hallways of Beacon coated with the light from outside. It was quite the sight, since every single one was decorated by a window or skylight that made the stone halls vibrant and allowed one to see the green from the yards.
Her team was waiting on a bench, and as usual, Weiss was visibly impatient.
"You." She said, standing up.
"Hey, best buddy." She said with a sheepish smile.
"Don't best buddy me. One of these days, you're gonna get detention. You have to focus, and be more disciplined." She said. She knew Weiss wanted the best for her, and had actually gotten much more gentle with her advice, but the heiress was still very easily angered.
"I know. It's just that after everything last semester, nothing seems as exciting anymore." She complained. At this, Blake was the one to speak up. She still wore her bow, and she still looked cute with it, even if Ruby liked her cat ears more.
"It feels crazy, after your first missions, to return to 'normal' affairs. Believe me, I could barely contain my drive to do keep doing more, but you have to control your eagerness, or others could easily use that to overwork you." Said Blake.
"Are you saying that because…?" She started to ask, but Blake finished for her.
"The White Fang, yes."
"Okay girls. Mama Yang is hungry. Shall we go eat. I heard they had fish." Said Yang, and at that Ruby could see Blake smile and her bow twitch a little. It was cute.
"I second that." Said Ruby, raising a hand.
"Ruby, you are team leader, Just say the word and we have to do it." Said Weiss, arms crossed.
"But I said I wanted a democracy." Ruby whined.
"I don't know, Ruby. I kinda wanna see what a dictatorship with you at the helm looks like." Said Yang, arms behind her head.
The group continued walking the halls to the cafeteria, engaging in meaningless banter. The hallways were packed these days, and Ruby started to feel uncomfortable, but that feeling was lessened when she saw that Blake was like her. She didn't like the 'Misery likes company' effect, but it at least made her closer to her Faunus teammate.
"Oh, guys, I almost forgot." Said Ruby suddenly.
"Please tell me it's not an assignment." Said Weiss.
"No, no. It was something else, a new teacher is coming. Professor Oobleck told me." Said the red reaper.
"A new teacher? In the middle of the year?" Asked Blake. "I hope nothing happened."
"I heard that old fart Isshin is retiring. Good riddance." Said Yang, unusually spiteful.
"You're just angry he absolutely made a mockery of you; and then actually gave you some pointers so that you could get better." Said Weiss.
"Yeah, well, I didn't need that. I'm perfectly fine, and he doesn't even use gauntlets." Said Yang.
"He was just trying to help you, Yang. It's not bad to change or alter styles." Said Blake with a soft voice. Ruby loved when she did that, sounded almost like a mom.
"Well, mine has worked perfectly fine for now, so…" Said Yang. At that moment, Ruby looked away from Yang. Her sister was stubborn at times, and about certain topics like her fighting style she could get very confrontational. Especially with her even older sister, or more like step sister, Cinder. She had left for Mistral as soon as she graduated, and without letting Yang have a spar wth her, which affected her older sister. Yang was unusually angry for a few months, and her stubbornness had skyrocketed since then.
Among the crows, Ruby saw a flash of pure black hair, but she dismissed it as just a memory of Cinder. But when she blinked, she saw that hair again, and the distinctive tallness that accompanied her. She froze as the world stood still for her. Her sister was back.
Her moment was interrupted when a student bumped into her and scattered some papers around.
"I'm sorry, so sorry." Apologised a wolf fauns, quickly grabbing the papers before darting off. Ruby ignored him, refocusing on the spot she had seen Cinder, but the woman was gone.
"Ruby?" Asked a voice, grabbing her shoulder. She turned to look at Yang as the world once again moved. "You okay?"
"Yes. I thought I saw…" She began to say, pointing to a cross intersection in the hallways. Along the many scurrying students, she once again detected the hair a distance away. She had to know for sure. She took off without a hitch, leaving her team behind.
"Ruby!" Yelled Yang. The brawler followed her. Behind the two sisters, Blake and Weiss looked at each other before following their teammates.
Ruby darted from in between students, not caring wether they were talking, making out or holding important papers. All that mattered was figuring out if her sister had really come.
She saw the black hair disappear behind a corner, and followed it to find it rounding another corner, going down some stairs. This pattern repeated a few times, and tired of dodging students, Ruby activated her semblance and dashed to the black haired person.
Reaching in front of it, she was met with a male student almost twice as tall as her. She guessed it was a fourth or third year. He looked at her with extreme confusion; and was in a defensive position. She looked at him, disappointed before blushing and apologizing.
The student shook his head with annoyance before going about his business. Ruby was left in the empty hallway, alone and dejected.
"Ruby!" She heard from behind her. She turned around and saw Yang come around a corner, breathing heavily and glaring. "What's going on?" She asked.
Ruby looked down, eyes strained. "I thought I saw Cinder." She said. Yang's gaze softened at the mention of their step sister.
"Ruby…" Yang said, kneeling near her level before she heard a group of footsteps behind her. Blake and Weiss entered the scene, the former not even winded and the latter panting and leaning on her knees.
"What… is the point… of making me run… like this… on a Friday!" Asked the heiress between breaths, clearly irritated. At her display, Yang laughed.
"Geez, Weiss cream. You melt too easily for a huntress" She said, teasing the white haired girl.
"Dodging students is not easy." She growled, glaring daggers at the brawler.
"Sorry guys." Ruby said, turning the attention back to her. "I thought I saw somebody. Let's just go get a bite." She said, unusually down.
"You sure Ruby?" Asked Blake. Yang smiled. Her partner was opening up a little. Looking behind Ruby, Yang froze.
"Yeah. Some fish actually sounds good." Before she could start walking again. Yang hit her arm with the back of her hand. "Okay, we'll get you some spicy Tofu, Yang." Ruby said, but the girl repeated her motion.
"What?" Ruby asked in annoyance, looking at the brawler who stood beside her, looking forwards. The older sister, never shifting her gaze, grabbed Ruby's head and turned her around.
A few meters in front of her, in the middle of the now more clear hallway, stood Professor Glynda Goodwitch along with a huntress almost as tall as her.
The huntress was clad in a black sleeveless shirt and grey padded pants, along with black boots; over her shirt she wore a red jacket accentuated with golden markings that only had one sleeve covering her left arm, the other was bare, hand protected by a black gauntlet. On her shoulder was a blue feathered brooch holding a cape that went down her back but not reaching her lower half. Covering her waist was another cape, red and gold, opening up at the front to show her legs, reaching down to her calves. Her most distinctive feature, however, was her shoulder length, puffy black hair with ashen tips, and amber eyes that could set things ablaze. She recognized her immediately.
"SUPER SIS!" She screamed, darting forward like a bullet made of rose petals. Cinder turned around, just in time to see the rose tornado but too late to move out of the way.
"Wai-wai-wait!" She yelled, wiggling her hands in front of her in a useless attempt to prevent the girl from tackling her.
The rose impacted, sending both girls to the floor with a bone crushing sound. Tucked under her little sister's heavy embrace, Cinder could only ask one thing.
"Why…"
"I'm so glad you're here! I can't believe it!" Ruby said, hugging her step sister and sweeping her cheek on her abdomen.
"And I can't believe you tackled me." Said Cinder, voice hoarse from the weight atop her. Out of the corner of her eye, Cinder saw Yang looking at both of them, a smile on her face. She reached a hand out.
"Help…" She pleaded. The older's sister smile grew, before retreating out of her vision. Then, she came barreling towards them, jumping into the air.
"Cannon ball!" She said, elbow dropping both sisters.
The Red Reaper and Ember of Mistral groaned in pain as Yang joined their hug. It would feel nice, if she weren't being completely crushed. Suddenly, the three sisters were lifted into the air, before being put on their feet, yet Ruby refused to let go of her sister.
"You two are the worst. You can't tackle a new teacher like that! You should be ashamed." Said Glynda Goodwitch, a vein forming in her forehead. Looking at Ruby, she groaned. "Let go of her."
"Nope." Said Ruby, hugging her tight like a child.
"Ruby. Let go, please. You're killing me." Said Cinder. Pouting, the red reaper released her.
"I swear, every day your team is more and more trouble." Said Glynda, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
"Why are you here anyways?" asked Cinder to her little sister.
"I got accepted." Said Ruby. Cinder's eyes widened.
"Two years early?" Cinder asked. She wondered if, for a time, she had lost track of the years.
"Yep. Preetty awesome right." Said Ruby, beaming at her like she never before had.
"Yeah. Not even I got accepted that early." Said Cinder. She felt some envy. Was her sister that good? Or was it... the silver eyes? Recognizing the feeling, she chastised herself for her selfishness.
"That's incredible. Dad must be proud of you."
"Oh, he was. But he was also, a little angry." Said Ruby.
"I can see why." Cinder was no stranger to Taiyang's overprotectiveness. Even if she was a step sibling his wife had brought home one night, he still treated her like one of his own.
"So sis, what made you come around?" Asked Yang, hands on her hips. Cinder looked at her, every year she had gotten more prettier, and the way she dressed was bold and challenging. She felt something resembling pride, her sister taking on the world in her own style.
"Not you, I'm afraid." She said with a smile. Yang was understandably confused at this.
"What? Then why are you here?" Asked Ruby, disappointment clear in her voice.
"Your sister…" Said Glynda.
"Step sister." Corrected Cinder. Glynda looked at her with an arched eyebrow before continuing.
"...Step sister is going to be replacing Mister Isshin as your Team Combat Instructor this year." Explained Glynda.
"Wow. So you're going to be teaching us?" Asked Yang.
"That's awesome! You're going to be the best teacher ever! It'll be so cool!" Said Ruby, jumping in front of Yang with glee.
"We'll see. Now, we need to sort things out with Cinder here, so please resume your previous activities." Said Glynda, dismissing them in a polite manner.
"But…" Ruby protested, before Cinder kneeled in front of her. She was two heads taller than her, to the point the had to get on her tip toes to hug her once she had fully grown.
"We'll talk later, Ruby." Said Cinder, trying her best to smile.
"You just came back here." Whined again the Reaper.
"Yes, that's why we'll talk, later." Said Cinder.
"Okay." Said Ruby, relenting. At this, Yang snapped her fingers.
"How about you come to our dorm? Then we can all catch up." Said Yang with a smile.
"Sounds good." Said Cinder, standing up.
"Now get going." Added Glynda. Both sisters nodded, waving at her as Team RWBY walked away. Cinder looked at them go. Her sisters had grown so much in the years since she graduated Beacon, she feared they would act like strangers, but those fears were crushed under Ruby's weight. Even when walking away, the red reaper looked back at her.
"I'm not surprised, now that I think about it." Said Glynda suddenly.
"What do you mean?" Asked Cinder.
"You and them being sisters. Makes sense." Added the older woman.
"Strange. We're not even related." Said Cinder.
"Just because you are not bonded by blood doesn't mean you aren't allowed to be bonded whatsoever, Miss Cinder. I hope one day that will become clear," said Glynda. Cinder felt uncomfortable talking about her bonds, not like she believed in magic or any of that mumbo jumbo.
"Didn't know you were so sentimental." Said Cinder with a half smile. Goodwitch glared at her.
"Just because I'm stern doesn't mean I'm heartless. And in this line of work, you need some empathy, not only for your sake but for the students' as well." She added. Cinder sighed, the Combat Instructor had not changed a bit since her own time.
"Okay. So what's next?" Asked Cinder.
"I need to introduce you to the new features of our combat rooms. After that, you'll have the rest of the day to prepare you lessons." Answered Glynda, beginning to walk ahead with her hands behind her back, exhibiting the authority and coldness Cinder was used to.
"Lead the way,"
After seeing the combat chambers where she would be teaching, Cinder was led to a small section of Beacon that students ever really went to, which would be the teacher's lounge in most schools. In this case, they were more like 'teacher's dorms' since it contained various rooms for Beacon's teachers so that they would not have to travel too much if they lived far from the school or had stayed after the bullheads stopped making runs. It was convenient for the huntress since she had come in a hurry and had not rented an apartment yet.
Both her and Glynda strode the halls of the building. It was, like many other places in Beacon, made of stone with some wood, giving it an ancient vibe.
"This will be your room." She said opening the door. It was a room with very basic furnishings. Smooth stone floor, a carpet in the middle, a bed, a wood desk with a scroll monitor, a quite big window and a bookshelf.
"Use your scroll to enter. There is the monitor to connect it to if needed. The lesson plan will be sent to your scroll; how you approach it is up to you. Ozpin and I will be watching your progress. That's all for now." Said the woman, before bowing slightly and closing the door.
Cinder sighed. She had many complaints about her accommodations, starting with how barebones it was and the stale smell inside. She left her bag near the bed and opened the window. She had a lot to do. See the school curriculum, prepare some lessons, search for an apartment in Vale, and see her sisters.
She had not paid them much heed when she left for Mistral, and had not thought about returning during her whole stay. And now, the two sisters and step sister were back together, with the two sisters having grown up a lot. They were happy seeing her now, but that would not last. She was sure at least Yang was displeasured. And she did not want to deal with that. She did not understand, and getting anything trough her thick skull was hard. Very hard.
She shook her head before taking out her scroll and connecting it to the monitor. She had a lot to do, and work was work, even if it did not involve fighting. The curriculum had arrived in her mail, along with a message for Ruby telling her the location of their dorm.
Upon seeing the lesson plan, Cinder paled a little. It had not changed at all; Ozpin was still a monster who cranked in as many subjects for the first and seconds years as possible.
She would have to work all day. During it, awful memories of her time at the Glass Unicorn resurfaced every so often; and she would have to tell herself that no, this was different. This was better.
The day had passed relatively fast. Cinder had not only read the curriculum but also come up with physical exercises and trials in order to prepare students. While Goodwitch managed single combat and port managed Grimm combat, Cinder was left to teach about group combat. And while her team had been effective in their time, their interpersonal relationships were not as nice.
She decided to take the night off to visit her sisters. It was almost curfew, and teachers were not supposed to visit the student dorms unless it was an emergency. But technically she still wasn't on duty, so there was no harm done.
The student dorms had changed very little with the passing years, and eventually she reached the floor number Ruby had texted her. On her way up the stairs, she saw two students descending from the stairs adjacent to hers. When she saw them heading down the hall, she guessed they had been on the roof. Either horny teenagers or training. She wanted to believe it was training.
A redheaded girl dressed in traditional armor, and a blonde boy who wore little more than casual clothing with some steel padding. The latter looked extremely exhausted, and when their paths crossed he bumped into her.
"Hey, watch it." She said with some irritation. She was too tired for being crashed into, but before she could storm off, Goodwitch's words rang in her ears. Taking a calming breath, she quickly asked. "Are you alright? You look tired." She said more softly.
"I'm fine," said the boy, eyes half closed.
"We were just doing some extra training, ma'am," Said the red headed girl. Cinder smiled. They reminded her of herself at Beacon; when she would train tirelessly to become stronger than anyone else.
"That's good. You need to be the best you can be, and don't settle for anything less." She said, trying to sound like a wise teacher.
"Agreed," Said the boy, still half asleep.
"Yeah, but we may have overdone it this time." She said, putting one of the boy's arm around her neck to support him. "Sorry about that miss. We'll get going." She said, guiding her partner towards the direction Cinder was also headed to.
When the girl noticed that the older woman was heading in their same direction, she fixed her with a cautious stare. The girl was sharp, she recognized strength and was good at reading opponents.
"Are you a new student?" She asked. Cinder smiled.
"Actually, I'm the new teacher." She answered.
"You're replacing Master Isshin?" Asked the girl.
"That's right."
"Wow. You do look strong enough to be on his level. I'm getting excited, thinking about fighting you," Said the girl with a smile. "So what brings you here then?" She continued, stopping at the door to her dorm. Coincidentally, Cinder also had arrived at her destination.
"I'm here to see my step sisters." Answered Cinder. The girl looked at her, perplexed, before leaving the boy leaning against a wall. He seemed more awake now.
"You're Blake's sister... that she never mentioned before?" She asked.
"Blake?" Asked Cinder in return.
"Oh. Since you have similar eye and hair color, I thought…" Said the girl, cheeks tinted with pink.
"Then…" The red head brought a hand to her chin, before her eyes opened wide like saucers. "Ruby and Yang?" She asked.
"Bingo." Said Cinder dryly. Yes, she knew she looked nothing like them, fact she got reminded of every time she looked into a mirror.
"Wow. Then, it's an honor." She said, bowing slightly.
"Yeah, yeah. So you're their teammate?" Asked Cinder.
"Friend, I guess. My partner here…" She said, gesturing to the boy, who noticed it and smiled at her half heartedly. "… Is best friends with Ruby, and our teams do nearly everything together, when we're here."
"Glad they are surrounded by strong company then." Said Cinder.
"Yeah, strong..." Said the boy. Cinder raised an eyebrow. His clothes denoted some… deficiencies, but the woman guessed her evaluation of him could wait until tomorrow's class.
"Oh, my manners. I'm Phyrra Nikos. You probably heard of me." She said, tone somewhat solemn. Cinder's eye widened a bit.
"Oh, The Invincible Girl," She said. Cinder had heard of her. Strong and talented at a young age, the only thing the Mistral champion lacked to surpass every huntsman was years of experience. The older woman felt envy pool in her chest, but pushed it down. "Good work getting into Beacon."
"Thanks, Sorry if I came off as overconfident," said Phyrra.
"Guess we'll see if you've earned it," said Cinder. The opportunity to fight her was tempting, and had she been younger she would have insisted much more on a spar, but now she was a teacher and had to put those desires aside.
"I hope I impress you." She said.
"I'm Jaune. Jaune Arc." Said the boy, suddenly getting into the conversation.
"Cinder. Just Cinder. No miss, but Professor is welcome." Said the older woman.
"Wait… Cinder..." Said Jaune, before having some sort of epiphany. "You're the 'Ember of Mistral'!" he yelled. Both women looked at him like he had another head.
"You know her?" Asked Phyrra with bewilderment.
"Yeah. She's like... a really badass huntress. Burns Grimm to a crisp and stuff. She's not 'you' famous but, I'm a big fan, personally." Said the boy, looking at her with sparkling eyes. Cinder did not know what to say; she never did have fans, nor knew they existed. But it filled her with some satisfaction.
"Well, glad to see my reputation precedes me," she said. "Now, I have some people to meet so I'll have to leave you." Said Cinder. Jaune appeared to deflate, but he said nothing.
"Nice to meet you then, Cinder. I can't wait for your class." Said Phyrra, once again bowing.
"Nice meeting you too. Better rest, otherwise you might die." Said Cinder, tone completely serious. Both teens paled.
"I'm kidding," Said Cinder, her attempt at humor failing utterly.
"Oh. Hehe," said Jaune. Great, things were awkward now. Luckily the red head saved her.
"Well, we have to rest now, so see you later." Said Phyrra, opening her dorm room and dragging Jaune inside.
"Want your autograph!" he said loudly before the door slammed shut. Cinder shook her head before turning around. No more delays.
Three knocks. Nothing. Three more, now voices whispered behind the door.
For a while nothing happened, and then the door creaked open a little, letting a single silver eye peek trough.
"Password." Said a flat, monotone voice. Cinder sighed.
"Whatever." She answered.
"Hmm. You may pass." Said Ruby before opening the door and revealing their entire room to her. Yang was behind her, shaking her head with a smile. A girl in white, and another in Black stared at her from their respective beds. It was then that she noticed the accommodations.
"Are those beds… tied to the roof?" She asked.
"They're bunk beds!" Announced Ruby, dragging Cinder inside before shutting the door.
"Seriously?" Asked Cinder with a deadpan expression, sitting on the floor.
"You gotta admit it's awesome," said Yang, sitting in one of them, moving around to prove it's stability.
"It does look bold," said Cinder, before looking at the two other girls. "And you two are." She asked.
The black haired girl, who was reading a book, looked up from her fiction and addressed her first.
"Blake Belladona. A pleasure." She said curtly.
"Oh come on Blakey! You gotta introduce yourself a bit more!" Said yang, leaning head down to look at her partner.
"I'm… a stealth specialist and love reading," She said, hiding behind her book.
"I guessed as much from your outfit. You'll make a fine huntress." Said Cinder, trying her best to be friendly. She could see that behind Blake's introverted exterior she was a formidable fighter in her own style; but not every fight was favorable to that.
"Thanks." Said Blake. Next was the white haired girl, who looked like a noble.
"I'm Weiss Schnee. It's a pleasure to meet you." Said the girl. She was a noble. An Atlas noble.
"Schnee." Repeated Cinder.
"Indeed. Got a problem?" Asked Weiss, danger in her voice. The older woman decided it was not the time for confrontations, yet she couldn't resist jabbing at her.
"Not at all. But usually, Atlesians stick to their little city in the skies. What made you come down to hang with us peasants?" She asked.
"To be the best huntress I can be. Understanding every aspect of life, and being strong, is crucial to my role as heiress." She said, posture openly challenging her.
"Wow. You're quite driven. I like that." Said Cinder. She was pleasantly surprised that this girl wasn't as stuck up as other Atlesians at first glance. Yet, disgust still pooled in her stomach.
"Thanks, miss…"
"Cinder."
"Cinder… Xiao Long? Rose?" Asked Weiss. Cinder looked away.
"Just Cinder." Replied the woman. Weiss looked at her with suspicion.
"She's adopted, kind of." Said Yang from her bunk.
"Kind of?" Pressed Weiss.
"Yeah, mom came home with her one day. It was a crazy," said Yang with a smile. Cinder remembered as well, though saying it was crazy was not making it justice. She had been in a daze the entire time, her thought processes scrambled to mush due to the sudden onset of care and love from a completely different family.
"So, Ruby…" Said Cinder, trying to divert the conversation. "Ozpin said this year is quite unusual. Is that true?" She asked. Ruby beamed with excitement.
"Oh no…" Said Weiss, facepalming.
Only then did Cinder realize her mistake. Ruby went on a long rand about what the group had been up to. The White Fang, team JNPR, the initiation, Blake running away and reconciling. It had kept her on her toes for a time, and some part of her was happy that Ruby was enjoying her time here.
"… And then Yang hugged her, and she cried, and it was all so wholesome." Ruby finished, gasping for air. Cinder smiled, looking at the cat faunus who hid her blush with her book.
"That's cute."
"And it's only the first semester. Best six months of my life." Said Ruby, plopping down on Weiss' bed.
"I wonder if it may have been a little too much excitement." Said Weiss.
"It's certainly unusual. But don't worry, when you are a huntress some danger is to be expected. So don't go around letting your guard down." Said Cinder. Then she added, "Besides, with me here you'll be kicking ass in no time."
"You're quite overconfident, sis." Said yang with a sly smile.
"I am quite confident I'm my skills." Said Cinder, completely serious.
"Wanna test it out? Not to brag, but I am one of the best of my year." Said Yang looking at her nails in an obvious attempt to goad her.
"If you want me to school you, then sure. But maybe when I'm not being your teacher."
"Aww, but that's the best part. Humiliating you in front of all your students. Who wouldn't want that?" Said Yang. Cinder had to admit, the risk of humiliation was thrilling, but she had to act mature.
"Maybe another time." Said Cinder.
"How long are you staying sis?" Asked Ruby, sitting next to her and leaning on her left side. The contact made her flinch, but she said nothing.
"My contract lasts until the semester ends. After that, I don't know. Guess I'll go back to Mistral" Said Cinder.
"Aww come on sis! That's lame! You should stay for a while. These years that RWBY is on campus will be the bomb, I guarantee it." Said Yang.
"Sorry Yang, but I've gotta live my life. Hunt, earn money, train. And enjoy it as well." Said Cinder. She could see her step sister glaring at her.
"What a life." Said Yang, her voice now bitter. Cinder narrowed her eyes. She would not stand that, not now.
"Yang-" She began.
"It's okay Cinder, Really. Do whatever you want." Said yang, turning around to lean on her bed. The girl was clearly in no mood to talk more. Cinder wanted to get up to face her, but Ruby stopped her.
"We have six months. So let's make them the best of our lives. What do you say?" Asked Ruby, with puppy eyes. Cinder deflated. She could not resist them. She could not resist her. Ruby was just too precious, too optimistic. It reminded her of… her unbroken self. Something she wanted to protect at any cost.
"Sure. But not tonight. I'm tired, and I have class tomorrow. As do you." Said Cinder, standing up and stretching. Yang still did not move.
"Yeah, I'm pretty tired too. See you tomorrow then?" Asked Ruby.
"Sure. Maybe you'll learn something from your big sister." Said Cinder, ruffling her hair. Then, Ruby hugged her. It was tender, her head pressed into her bosom. Cinder did not know what to do.
"I missed you. A lot." Said Ruby. The older woman smiled, patting her head before pushing her away carefully.
She bid goodbye to team RWBY, and left into the dark halls of Beacon.
If there was one thing Cinder liked about her Academy, it was the open spaces. Away from the city of Vale, one could see the stars clearly along with the shattered moon.
Whenever Cinder gazed upon it, two memories would come to mind. The nightmarish midnight of her breaking point under the sound of a bell; and the pleasant talk she had with Summer before she left… forever. Both had brought her to tears many times, but now she just let the memories flow free. It was liberating at times.
"Ah… Look who's here. The new teacher." Said a slightly creaked voice. Looking at her side, she saw an old man; thin as a twig, twice as tall as her, wearing white robes in the style of Anima.
"Master Isshin." She said. The man smiled.
"I'm afraid I've rescinded that title, but I like that at least someone respects their elders." Said he, walking near the bench she was sitting on.
"Hmm. And gave it to me?" She asked.
"No. It's gotta be earned. But I've got no doubts you are more than capable." He said.
"Thanks." Said Cinder, looking at the moon once again. "So what are you doing here?"
"Feeling nostalgic. I've been in this school almost as long as Ozpin. Makes me sorrowful to leave her," he said.
"It's hard to let go," Said Cinder.
"Indeed, but life moves forward and the new replaces the old. That's how it should be." he said.
"You're still acting like a teacher." She said. He laughed at that, quite loudly for his age.
"Yes. Staying in a place for too long makes it rub off on you," he said, looking at the moon with more chuckles. They were both silent for a while, staring at the celestial body high up in the sky.
"The moon is close. This year is certainly going to be strange." He said ominously. Cinder looked at him with suspicion.
"And why is that?" She asked,
"Gut feeling. You should prepare yourself, and your students, for the worst." He said. Cinder's gaze hardened.
"Is that what you did?" She said, remembering the man's hellish training regimen.
"I certainly tried." He said, looking at her directly. There was… something in his eyes. Hard like steel, skin stretched as if holding something back.
"Cinder, hesitation is defeat. You'd do well to not forget." He said, before turning around and leaving towards the cliffs were Beacon ended; without saying another word. Cinder looked up at the sky once again.
She had not hesitated that night; so why did she still break?
A/N: So yeah, not very experienced writing the RWBY characters, so bear with me. Yes, this story will have some Ocs in antagonist positions. Since Cinder is not the villain anymore, so gaps need to be closed. Luckily, only one is required, so I'll try to make it's existence brief.
And yes, Isshin is ripped from Sekiro; because I love the badass gramps archetype.