"It's not hard Ruby. Black or red?" The red reaper sighed, seated as she was with two different dresses laid out in the desk of their dorm room.

"Weiss, Is this really important?" she asked. Ruby had to finish her homework, her projects, clean Crescent Rose, and solve Blake's White Fang obsession which had not let up in the slightest.

"It is! It will be good for you Ruby, and I put a lot of effort into organizing it, along with Yang. We all need to be present." Weiss lifted a finger, standing at her side. Her voice was softer than usual.

"Does that include Blake?" she asked. At this, the heiress let up a little.

"Yes. Yang is working on that," of course she was. Yang could handle it. She was her partner, she knew her better than anyone. Why was Ruby so worried anyways? Blake was no more special than Weiss or Yang. Yet, she had been thinking about her more than usual. She missed when they were in the dorm, reading in quiet or doing their homework in perfect silence. Being with Blake at times filled her with ease, like it was okay to be a dorky and socially awkward teenager.

"I'm worried, that's all," Ruby said after pondering for a moment.

"If you're so worried, then talk to her," with that, Weiss placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"Maybe I will," the Red Reaper smiled at her partner. When the heiress wanted to, she could be incredibly sweet. She considered it progress for her bestie.

"But you still have to go to the dance," and the moment was ruined in an instant.

"Weiss!" Ruby complained. "I don't want to! I don't even know how to dance! I'll just make a fool of myself."

"Then I'll teach you. This is not a discussion Ruby, you need this. Besides, I'm offering this peacefully. I don't want to think what Yang will do," Weiss had a point. Yang had been way more pushy about this than she had ever been. Her big sister had always tried to drag her along to social events, to 'crack her shell'. She did out of love no doubt, but at times it was too much.

"Alright," she said, hanging her head in defeat. "But I don't have a date,"

"There's still time, Ruby. You can ask anyone,"

"Yeah, but I want it to mean something, you know? Make it special, with someone special." she said with a blush. In stories, the ball dance or whatever was always a dazzling event where romance blossomed. She was not particularly interested in that, but she still wanted whoever came with her to be someone of importance to her.

Weiss sighed, but she had a smile on her lips.

"Truly hopeless Ruby. Didn't know you were such a romantic," Ruby crossed her arms, a pout adorning her face.

"Blake allowed me to borrow some of her books, that's all." The mention of the cat faunus gave her an idea. Blake was shy, and if she went to the dance, she was likely to remain in the sidelines. And if she didn't want to dance, Ruby was perfectly fine not forcing her. She would be the perfect companion to escape her inevitable fate.

Rubbing her chin, Ruby grinned from side to side. "I think I have the perfect choice,"

"Well that was quick. Try not to come crying if you get rejected," Said Weiss, returning to her could demeanour as she inspected the dresses again.

"Who are you going with?"

"Neptune,"

"Really?"

"Well I still haven't asked him, but soon, I will,"

"How soon?"

"Today soon,"

"Go get him girl," Ruby said. She had heard from Blake, who heard from Sun, that Neptune was a casanova, or a poor attempt at one at least. He had managed to catch Weiss' attention, which was something, but she only hoped her friend would not get hurt if he already had a date or rejected her.

"So, red or black? It's an easy choice," Weiss said, holding once again both dresses side by side.

Ruby groaned again.

She swung both blades of Midnight at the same time. They clashed against the shield of the boy she was training. They bounced off, but the force propelled him backwards a few meters.

Cinder would not let Jaune recover. He was still too slow.

"Remember what I told you!" she yelled as she dashed. The boy lowered his shield to attack with a wide swing from left to right. At least it wasn't an overhead, but it had been a grave mistake nonetheless.

She used one blade to knock away his, while the other went to his throat, going to rest between his shoulder and neck. If she had applied more force, she would have broken his aura and killed him. The boy stood still like a statue, absolute fear in his eyes. Cinder found it amusing.

"Match is over," she said, before removing her blade from his neck. Seeing this, Jaune relaxed. Another opportunity for a lesson.

The huntress grabbed his sword arm and threw him into the ground using his weight against him. He hit it hard, his aura flickering but not broken.

"Aww. What the crud?!" he asked, slightly out of breath. Cinder put her foot down into his chest, but lightly as to not suffocate him.

"Always expect an attack. You can never be certain an opponent has given up, especially if they're Grimm," she told him. Jaune lowered his head back against the ground, defeated.

"I thought you said 'not giving up' wasn't good enough," the huntress removed her foot.

"Perseverance isn't enough when it's simply getting up just to get beaten down again. You have to be smart. Let them think they've broken you, then bam!" she slammed one fist into her palm, "You strike,"

"Sounds kinda underhanded," Cinder reached out to him, and he took her hand. With a grunt she lifted him up.

"In real combat, underhanded is all there is," as she said this, with a serious and strict tone, an image of her moth– Summer Rose popped into her mind. She shook her head slightly. "Mostly. Let's go again."

"I know, I know. The world is harsh and all that. My mom told me already," Jaune got into a stance, shield up and sword drawn back.

"Remember, your shield is your greatest weapon. Defence is nothing without offence, and vice versa. Do not lower it at any point, not even when attacking. When it comes to fighting humans, endurance is all, and you got a lot of that. Abuse your strengths." She rushed him, attacking with all her might, going for obvious openings, like behind his legs.

This time, Jaune listened and slashed with his sword while under the protection of his bulwark. She easily deflected the counter swing and disarmed him. Once again it was over.

"That was too weak. You went too far into the other direction and didn't commit to the strike. Let's go again." nodding but with his head hung low, Jaune went to pick up his sword. The boy had improved massively. According to Pyrrha Nikos, he could barely hold his shield for one attack when he began. Now he could take many hits without stumbling.

His swordsmanship was better since he began his new training, which astounded the huntress. He took lessons at heart and seemed to adapt them to his style with little difficulty, even if the execution left much to be desired. With this much potential, she wondered how he hadn't been trained before Beacon.

"I have to ask you," she said as he picked up his sword. He looked back with an arched eyebrow. "Didn't your parents train you before sending you here?" The boy winced, seeing for the first time what she could describe as pain and sadness.

"No. I came here on my own, to prove them that I could be something. They didn't really believe in me." The bitterness in his voice was palpable.

"If they are overprotective, at least you know they love you," she said. Jaune sighed.

"Maybe too much," Cinder frowned. He didn't know what he was saying. She didn't blame him, but it angered her nonetheless.

"You should appreciate what you have Arc," he looked at her, surprised.

"I do! I do! But… when nobody believes in you…" she knew that feeling. Treated like garbage, less than human and with no chance to become anything or be loved by anyone. One thing both her Stepmother and the caretakers of the orphanage once had in common.

"You prove them wrong. Now come on, fight!" With that push, both combatants engaged each other with similar forward charges.

They both clashed, sword and shield agains twin swords. They tugged against each other, however, Jaune began to push back. Actually push back! She felt her feet slide slightly on the roof, and could see Jaune's face strained to it's limits. She liked this progress, but she also had to show him who was the more experienced huntsman here.

She moved to the side, letting Jaune's own pushing force lead him to stumble forwards. She then kicked him in the back, and went to slide her swords around his neck in a cross hold.

"You lost again," she said from behind.

"I know, I have to be smarter, use my strengths. I learned my lesson," she raised an eyebrow.

"Did you, now?" she let him go, and helped him to his feet. Despite his words, she could tell this session was far from over. "Until you prove that to me, we are not leaving this roof," she told him, going again into a stance.

"About that…" he said sheepishly, going into a half assed hold with his weapons.

"What?" she asked with irritation.

"You know… the dance is coming… a-and I want to ask Weiss out,"

"The Schnee?" she was not surprised, wether it was the Winter or her little sister, both women were beautiful, elegant and strong. What surprised her was this guy thought he had a chance. From what she had seen, the heiress hardly demonstrated interest in anything that wasn't her classes or clothes.

"Yes, I have this whole thing planed –"

"And why should I care?" she raised a palm to stop him in his tracks.

"Well, it kinda has to be at night. But at night we train, so…"

"Sounds like a 'you' problem,"

"Please professor, I need this! This is my chance!" she sighed. She had to nip this problem in the bud.

"What makes you think you have a chance?" she asked.

"Well… I mean… if I keep trying…" she wanted to slap him right there.

"Jaune, what did I tell you?"

"Perseverance isn't enough?" he asked, confused.

"Exactly. If you keep insisting on her, and she doesn't show interest, you will only make a fool of yourself. Let it go while you still have a chance," she told him. He looked to the ground, dejected. Good.

"But… then I'd have no one to go to the dance to," Cinder sighed again. This was not going to end anytime soon.

"And? That event is pointless. You'll probably never see these people again. You should focus on your skills and leadership, everything else is secondary," she told him. Jaune looked down, dejected.

"Sounds lonely. Besides, doesn't a good leader know their team?" At his question, memories of her time at Beacon flew into her mind, along with those of her teammates. All those interactions and conversations that she had told herself were simply a means to improve team morale now came back tinted a beautiful rose.

She shook them off. She had done her best, and it still did not work out.

"A good leader pushes their team so they can be the best, inspires their loyalty, and does not allow distractions. You must be strong, unmovable, focused." Jaune looked like he wanted to argue further, but hesitated at the last second.

"I… I see," he said nothing more than that as he readied himself once again. But truth to be told, she found herself exhausted.

"We're done for today. Go to your dorm." Jaune let out a sigh of relief as he lowered his weapons.

"Thank you," Cinder narrowed her eyes as she sheathed her own pair.

"I want you here at this same hour. No excuses, no sob stories. Here. Are we clear?" she asked with a dangerous tone and her best piercing gaze. It worked, and she smiled internally as the boy shrunk down under her watch.

"O-of c-course. No problem." he began to leave for the stairs that lead down into the dorms, but he stopped midway and addressed her again. "Professor…"

"Yes?" she turned around, raising an eyebrow. She just wanted to leave already.

"Are you going to the dance?" That was a good question. She liked dancing, mostly to get that sweet sweet admiration from slack jawed people. Yet, she didn't really like people, and did not like dancing one on one at that. Her options were limited in this case however; all teachers were requested by Ozpin to assist. They did not need dates luckily, but were expected to dance a little.

"I have to, unfortunately. Why?"

"Just curious. I expected you to kind of act like a celebrity and show off, but…"

"But…" she asked with a growl, crossing her arms.

"You turned out to be different. And honestly, I kinda like it," he said, blushing. Cinder raised an eyebrow. She prayed to the gods that-

"–I mean, you're a cool person, even if you're kind of… harsh. That's what I meant," she decided, for her own mental health, to accept the compliment.

"Thanks. But I'll be even harsher if you go to class half asleep. So go, shoo," she said, waving her hand to dismiss him like a puppy. He snickered, and then disappeared into the building.

She thought the boy shy and awkward, and he was all of that, but also honest. He reminded her of Ruby. And actually, they would make quite the pair. Maybe she could scheme something for the dance, to make things interesting.

It would be better than sitting to the side and drinking anyways.

Once again, her duty was night patrol. She had already memorized a pattern. From the teacher dorms to the third years, then second's and first's to finish in the fourth's, since those were mostly desolated due to those students being constantly sent on missions in order to test their practical and theoretical skills.

After the dorms, she went to the simulator arenas, then the kitchen, then the auditorium and finally the various courtyards spread across beacon. She would run into one or two security guards or teachers also on patrol.

This night was different however. All around the school grounds the could see squads of Atlas Knights trotting around, scanning everywhere with their pitch black faceplates. She felt watched.

But just one more round, and she would be able to go to sleep.

As she rounded a corner towards the first year dorm rooms, she saw her rival Winter speaking with a ginger girl half her stature. She seemed… stiff somehow, even if her expression was jolly and friendly.

Whatever the specialist was doing was no business of hers however, but she did hate the hypocrisy of talking to a first year girl when her sister didn't even know she was there.

As she passed by their side, she heard her name called out.

"Cinder." Winter's cold voice addressed her in a salute. The huntress looked behind her towards the specialist. She had never greeted her, and Cinder sure as hell did not greet her either.

"Winter," she answered with a nod. She turned back without a word, before jumping back slightly. In front of her was the ginger girl, smiling. She had short hair, freckles and an unusual outfit that belonged more to a middle to lower class town girl than a student from a prestigious academy.

"Salutations, professor Cinder." she said, grinning from mouth to mouth. "It is an honour to meet you."

Cinder looked back at Winter, who was strangely amused before her expression once again turned cold.

"Penny. What did I tell you?" the girl looked down, dejected.

"To not address unknown people with their first names that I know beforehand,"

"Correct," Winter said with a nod.

"Forgive me. But my friend Ruby told me strangers are just people waiting to be met." Of course Ruby said that. Cinder was not surprised her jolly little sister made friends with this strange girl.

"And general Ironwood gave you explicit orders to keep interactions to a minimum," Winter countered, voice growing grave.

"Noted. Mistake will not be repeated." Cinder was being ignored. That would not stand.

"Ummm, how do you know me?" she asked her. The girl turned to her with a swift and quick motion, almost like a toy.

"Ruby has talked a lot about you. A total of seventeen separate mentions last semester. That is why I wanted to speak to you, to evaluate and compare her admiration to the real thing." Cinder raised both eyebrows. She knew Ruby admired her, and perhaps that was turning out to not be such a good thing if it drew attention to herself.

"Alright,"

She heard footsteps, and soon Winter was at Penny's side, with a hand on her shoulder.

"Penny is a very special student, which is why I'm here to guide and watch over her, alongside my other duties," she said, cold and professional.

"So you're playing babysitter while your own sister could use your help? I don't understand you," she told Winter with her arms crossed. The specialist frowned, removing the hand from Penny's shoulder.

"Miss Winter, your hostility levels are–"

"–Why must you always antagonize me?"

"Because it's fun to see your face, of course," she answered with a smirk.

"I don't register how changing Winter's expression to a negative one could be considered fun," Cinder found Penny very strange now. She behaved like she knew nothing of the world, or human interaction. She was like a piece of clay. No wonder Winter, the most cold person in the world, was assigned to her.

"Well, it's one thing you must try for yourself. I could even recommend–"

"Don't even try it,"

"Whatever you say, Ice Queen,"

"Actually I've been meaning to talk to you, in private," Winter looked at Penny with narrowed eyes, but the girl simply tilted her head with a smile.

"Acknowledged," she said simply, and the specialist let out a silent sigh.

"Alone," she emphasized.

"We are alone," the strained cheeks and gritted teeth were amusing Cinder.

"Without your presence," the bluntness seemed to be enough to crack the girl's thick skull.

"Oooh. I see. Then, enjoy your alone activities specialist, professor." with two bows, Penny trotted away in a manner similar to a toy soldier but much less stiff.

"What is wrong with her?" Cinder asked, mostly to herself.

"Nothing. She's just not… experienced with other people, that's all." Winter's reply was strange, but the huntress paid it no mind. What mattered to her now was that her rival had asked for 'private' time with her.

"So what's this about?" Cinder crossed her arms, looking at the specialist with narrowed eyes.

"I've been thinking about what you said,"

"Oh? I got listened to? By the ice block?" at her smirk, Winter simply glared and continued.

"I think it's time I stop hiding, and tell my sister I'm here. Moreover," Winter turned and started pacing around. "We need to take more direct action. Ozpin is doing nothing to remedy this infiltration, and we find it unacceptable." Cinder was not surprised at all. Ozpin always seemed passive and cold when it came to official matters. Yes, he was warm to students, but did not bat an eye when sending them to deathtraps.

"I see. What are you planning to do?"

"Well, we have some leads thanks to you. Isshin was from Mistral. He had a leave of about two months before he came back, and he went there. It is possible someone is recruiting their infiltrators there. So we must investigate any and all students that came from there."

"Isn't it a bit of a stretch? Marking everyone from Anima as potential targets?" she asked, standing tall and in defiance. Winter was not small by any means, but Cinder was taller, and her frame, despite being well built, was still lean. Indeed, height and gaze were her best weapons when it came to verbal confrontations.

"It is a possibility, a very likely one," Winter replied, expression not changing one bit.

"I'm from anima too, you know? Are you gonna arrest me because of that?" Despite her countless years of bullying and loneliness at the orphanage, she still felt some connection to the continent where she was born. It was as faded as the faces of her real parents that continued to slip away every passing day, but it was still there.

"If I'm telling you this, it's because I consider you trustworthy enough," At this, Cinder retreated in confusion.

"What?" she asked.

"Is it that surprising?" the shadow of a smirk was visible on Winter's face.

"I thought you hated me," she still remembered their not-so-friendly banter from the Vytal Festival in atlas, Winter's smug expression and condescending demeanour directed to everyone around her, but especially Cinder.

"Hate you? Why would I?" Now it was Winter who acted confused.

"Uh… all those comments you flung my way, both here and at the Vytal Festival?" Cinder asked while crossing her arms. Was Winter so conceited she never considered her demeanour unpleasant?

"That? You were the one acting all angry and sarcastic," Winter replied with outrage.

"Only because you," she pointed a finger at the specialist's face. "Acted all high and mighty, frowning at me every single second. I thought you hated me for not being of 'the higher class'"

"I only did that because I thought you were hating me from the beginning. Underestimating me for not being from Beacon," Cinder's eyes widened a little, but would still not back down.

"Well, I did not hate you, so… you were wrong,"

"I was not, I was only defending myself,

"No, you weren't," At this, Winter let out a long sight, almost as if wanting to suppress something deep inside her.

"Whatever. Just, keep an eye out for students coming from Mistral. Alright?" Cinder did not answer, simply staring Winter in the eye. After a few moments of silence, the specialist turned around.

"Then I guess I'll say goodbye for tonight. Have a good rest," As she was leaving however, Cinder stopped her.

"Winter," she called out.

"What is it?" the specialist asked.

"What made you change your mind? About your sister?" Cinder was genuinely curious about what exactly she had said to convince her to talk to Weiss Schnee.

"Just… I don't know if she needs me. I hope she doesn't need me. But I still want to be there for her, if she does. Maybe you should do the same." The huntress glared at the specialist for a moment. She had not implied she was a bad sister, but it felt like it.

She did not regret leaving for Mistral, not one bit. She did not regret killing Isshin either, but she cursed how that action had made Ruby… distant, lately. She did not want to believe Ruby and Yang needed her in any way, mostly so she could do whatever she wanted without guilt. Yet, here she was, trying her best to be distant.

But, maybe, even if her sister's didn't really need her, her presence was good enough. Maybe that was all that they needed. To know she still loved them. Because, deep in her heart, despite not being blood related, she still loved them. They kept her out of that dark hole of cynicism and hate for years, along Tai, Qrow and Summer. Some part of her believed she only loved them as a part of her 'debt' to Summer, but maybe that was not the case.

"I guess I will," With those words, Winter was gone.

Standing alone in the night, Cinder realized she really needed to have a talk to Ruby. A real talk.

When Yang came back to the dorm, she seemed satisfied. Ruby had asked her sister where Blake was, she said she was still in the library, and to give her some time.

Ruby trusted her sister, but her worry over Blake won in the end. She exited the dorm room under the pretext of grabbing a night snack before curfew. But in reality, she headed towards where the cat faunus was.

She was instrumental to her plan to get out of the dance, but more importantly, she wanted to make sure her teammate was okay. She was the leader, she had to show care towards her fellow huntsmen, it was her duty.

But also, Blake was her friend. The cat faunus had been trough a lot, from what she was told. She could not really understand her struggles and the cynicism resulting from that, but she wanted to. She wanted to give her hope, to see her smile once again.

Thinking of Blake mad her blush, but she shook those thoughts. She was her friend, friends cared for each other deeply; they shared troubles and experiences. They sought each other out, right?

When she arrived on the closing library, she found it mostly dark save for a few warm lights in the ceiling, the barely awake receptionist, and a single computer screen lit some distance. Sitting in front of it, was the B in RWBY.

She trotted towards her, careful not to disturb her, yet she also ran into a table and made a huge sound. Yet Blake did not move an inch or even react, which was odd. She then got closer, and noticed Blake had her head down in her arms, and was breathing calmly and evenly.

She was asleep. In the library, in an unhealthy posture.

"Blake?" Ruby asked, getting closer. Her teammate did not react. "Blake…" she whispered, shaking the sleeping girl a little. She mumbled something, but otherwise did not move.

"Blake. I don't want to disturb you, but come on, it's almost curfew," with another shake, Blake's eyes blinked a few times before she righted her posture and began to stretch while yawning.

"Ruby? What are you doing here?" asked the cat faunus, looking at her leader with near-closing eyes. Her bags where still there, but at least Blake looked more pleasant.

"I wanted to see… if you were alright." That was not it. Now it was going to take her an eternity to tell her what she wanted to say.

"I'm fine. I just…"

"Decided to sleep in the library?" Ruby asked.

"Very funny. I was just… so tired, after everything that happened. Talking with Yang, it kind of set me straight," at the mention of her sister, Ruby remembered what the brawler had set out to do before leaving Weiss alone to her fate of preparing the dance.

"Oh. I see. Well, you certainly look… better," she said, smiling. It was obviously forced however. Silence lingered between the two.

It was awkward, with Blake looking back at the still lit computer and Ruby going from leaning on her toes to leaning on her ankles.

She didn't know what to say, anything would be out of place, or at least, she felt that way. Yang had told her ways to break the ice with people, but it sounded dumb in her head.

"So… Wanna head back to the dorm? You may want to sleep some more." Ruby pointed to the door, and Blake looked once more towards the computer with narrowed eyes. For a moment, the Red Reaper feared her teammate would opt for another sleepless night.

"You know? That sounds like a good idea," Blake's tired smile smashed that fear away. Suppressing a squeal of happiness, Ruby began to drag the cat faunus out by the arm.

They bid farewell to the librarian, and set towards their dorm, red dragging black by the arm. The shorter girl was far faster than her friend, to the point Blake was nearly falling to the floor.

"Ok, slow down Ruby. Please," With an embarrassed yelp, Ruby let go.

"Sorry. I was just kind of happy to see you were back to normal," she said sheepishly.

"Well, not totally. I still want to stop the White Fang, but… I'll slow down. At least for now. Relax." Blake said with a small smile. Returning it, Ruby set fort towards the dorm with Blake in tow. Once they crossed the central plaza towards the dorms, Ruby summoned her courage and decided to ask Blake once and for all.

"So… you planning on going t-to the dance? You probably find it… useless but…" Ruby did her best to not look Blake. She was not good at being rejected. But she could always try again. And again.

"I wasn't planning to, but your sister told me she'd save me a dance so, better use it. I guess." hearing that, Ruby grinned and turned around while walking backwards.

"That's great! Then… do you think…" Ruby stopped, and made her fingers touch while looking away. "… we could go to...gether?"

Her smile was forced and awkward; and Blake's arched eyebrow and smirk did not help.

"O...kay? I would love to… but… why? I thought you didn't want to go." she said, crossing her arms.

"Well, Weiss is kind of forcing me to go. As well as Yang. And while Cinder would help me get out, I really don't feel like asking her," Ruby's expression turned, for the briefest moment, sour, but she managed to smile again. "However, if I go with you, who didn't want to go, I figured we could just act like we're there, stand around for a while and then say we're bored and go back to the dorm. Sounds like a plan, right?" Ruby opened her arms wide, if somewhat awkwardly. Blake chuckled at this display.

"Alright? Yeah sounds like a plan," Ruby felt relief. Everything had gone well. "But I kind of want to dance, if we're there already," Or was going well.

"But I don't really know how to dance!" whined the red reaper.

"Well, I don't either. But we can still try." the cat faunus' smile was genuine, and it calmed Ruby's heart for a moment.

"I guess we can. Even if we make fools of ourselves,"

"At least we'll do it together," Blake looked at Ruby with amber eyes that betrayed happiness. She had missed those eyes, that smile. What was happening to her?

"Yeah, together," Smiling again, her anxiety gone, Ruby once again turned around. "Alright, let's get some sleep.

"Sounds good," Once again they walked towards their dorms. However, Ruby still had one lingering question.

"So… what did you and Yang talk about?" Ruby asked. It came out of nowhere, that interest in the relationship between her sister and her partner. It was more than curiosity, but the Red Reaper couldn't place what it was exactly.

"Oh… Umm… She kind of told me to slow down, not let this destroy me, but still keep going. And…" Blake's trail of thought lingered, and the cat faunus' ears bent down, as if afraid of continuing.

"And…?" Ruby leaned closer, to hear her friend better. Blake took a deep breath, and spoke.

"She told me about, one time she, you and Cinder went out to look for her mother, her biological mother," Ruby's chest grew cold at that memory. She did not remember much, except for the sound of her sister yelling at each other; the sleepiness she felt, and the dark grey skies. But at the time, it felt only like a long trip with her beloved sisters.

"Oh… that. Yeah, it was crazy…" She said, scratching the back of her head.

"I'm so sorry,"

"It's okay Blake. Really. My mom…" Talking about Summer, she didn't show it to anyone but, it pained her. She missed her a lot, left a gaping hole in her heart that could not be filled by neither Yang nor Cinder. "She was just great. What else did Yang tell you?"

"She spoke about a fight with Cinder, how she didn't want her to go but followed anyways, and how Cinder almost got killed defending you two," Ruby smiled with sadness at that.

"Yeah. Cinder truly is great, isn't she?" she wanted to believe that. All her memories told her that she was 'super sis', yet…

"She's harsh, and kind of grumpy. But I can tell she loves you." Blake smiled, but Ruby could not force herself to return it. Her memory of Isshin, being killed by a merciless Cinder. Her sister had spoken an apology, but her face and eyes were cold and hard like steel. Nothing like the person she grew up with. Or maybe she was that person all along. "Ruby? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Everything's all right. Are you alright?" Blake narrowed her eyes, almost as if she could see trough her attempts to steer the conversation away. The cat faunus stopped abruptly, and Ruby followed suit.

"Ruby… you're not alright. I can tell," she spoke softly.

"You're right. But I can deal with it on my own. So please, don't worry," she didn't want to burden Blake, she already had too much on her mind. But her teammate would not let up.

"Ruby, you are the one who always says 'we are in this together'. Isn't it kind of hypocritical to push us away when you are the one having a hard time?" Ruby winced under her hard gaze.

"I… it's not important. That's all…"

"Ruby… please," she felt Blake's hand land on her shoulder. Was it alright to open up to her? Just this one time? She didn't have the same kind of closeness with Blake that Yang had. But… maybe she wanted to have that.

"It's just… it's Cinder." she let out her worries with a shaky breath, uncertain of how her teammate would react.

"What's wrong with her?"

"In the warehouse, she killed Isshin. I saw it." Blake's eyes widened for a moment; and something like fear blanketed her features.

"Oh…"

"And… I don't know how to feel. She's my super sis, she's a great huntress, she's always been there for me and Yang and I love her. But when I think of what she did…" Blake closed the distance between them, taking them face to face.

"Ruby, we're huntsmen, we sometimes will have to–"

"–I know Blake. I know we sometimes will have to kill someone to protect others. I'm not blind to that, but sill, I can't help but feel disappointed in Cinder." Blake looked at her with a sad, understanding expression.

"I know that feeling. You're disillusioned." Ruby's eyes widened.

"How do you know?" At the question, Blake stepped away from her, turning around and hugging herself.

"I used to know someone I admired greatly. He was my mentor, my friend and… Whatever the case, he was my hero. I thought he fought for our cause, but then he began killing, and hurting others for the sake of it. That was when I realized his true nature. Without my fantasy of him clouding my mind, I could really see what a monster he truly was." Ruby could not believe how much pain Blake had gone trough. She just wanted to run up to her and hug her, and she did just that. She rushed her friend and embraced her from behind, wrapping her arms around the faunus.

"I'm so sorry," she said into her back. Blake said nothing, opting to gently touch her interlocked hands.

"It's okay. I doubt he can find me here. But I know what you're feeling Ruby. You're not alone," The Red Reaper felt relief, so much relief at getting all those doubts out of her system, even if not all of them were answered.

"You don't think… Cinder could turn bad, do you?" Blake said nothing for a moment, and Ruby started to fear her answer.

"I… can't really say. Cinder is different. But if you're worried, you should talk to her," Separating from Blake, both girls looked at each other. Ruby had a determined expression on her face.

"Okay. I'll talk to her." At her declaration Blake smiled.

That was all the encouragement she needed.

Beacon had, in it's main building, a large workshop. Students where expected to maintain, create, remake, upgrade and check their weapons. A special class, 'Weapon Maintenance', 'Weapon construction' and others were held there. They had several dark classrooms with several tools, forges, materials and other appliances for weapon making.

If Cinder knew anything, it was that Ruby loved weapons. All sizes and shapes, complex and simple, she appreciated them all. The first time she had shown her 'Midnight', the little girl had squealed in delight, showering her with questions about it's efficiency and construction. That joy and glee appeared again when she showed her the newly built Crescent Rose, who Cinder thought was too big for her, but the way Ruby wielded it was phenomenal and beautiful. Like a petal flying in the wind.

Her sister was a true weapon nerd, and when bothered, always relied on cleaning and maintaining 'her baby'. So she figured her best chance at finding her little step sister was to search the workshop. Luckily for her, Ruby was one of the only few who would spent the free day of the week holed up in the forge.

And there she found her, on a table, tinkering with precision tools on the barrel of her oversized scythe, eyes covered by safety googles.

"Ruby," she spoke loud and clear, enough for the girl in the nearly dark room to look at her in surprise.

"Hey, sis," she said, without much energy. The girl in red lifted her googles as the huntress sat beside her.

Cinder crossed her arms, looking at her sister, who returned her stare with one of confusion and awkwardness.

She had prepared everything she was going to say, but now that she had to do it, she found herself lost for words. She hadn't done anything wrong killing Isshin. She wasn't going to apologize for it, only explain it to Ruby. But she had to do it in a convincing manner. Yet, she also didn't want to lose her sister's appreciation.

"So… pretty hot in here, huh? With the forge and all…" said the small girl. Cinder nodded at her statement. It was hot, and kind of cramped.

"Agreed. But I've had worse." said Cinder.

"Really?" Ruby arched an eyebrow.

"Yes. We were in Mistral, and a huge quake came over. A mountain was infested with centinels, and it caused a huge crack to open and spew lava everywhere. The entire forest was on fire. But we pulled trough, like always."

"With your team?" Ruby was showing far less interest than she expected, which was weird. The Red Reaper always listened to huntsmen stories intently, since she was a child.

"Yes. My team." She ended that thought there.

"You never talk about them,"

"I've only been here a month, Ruby. Not much time to delve deep into my past." She told her, somewhat harshly. She really didn't feel like bringing up those memories. What happened, happened.

"Okay," with that, the girl turned around to tend to Crescent Rose. Another unusual behaviour. Cinder tired of this dancing around.

"Ruby, tell me what's wrong. You've been avoiding me." There, she said it. Since the warehouse incident, the Red Reaper had been quiet in her classes, handed her papers with haste, and didn't even try to cross paths with her sister. She didn't care for it, but she wanted to know if the girl was having this problem with others.

Ruby stopped her maintenance once again, and fidgeted awkwardly.

"You don't have to worry about me," the girl's tone was low, which was also unusual.

"But I do. I'm…" your sister. "…concerned about you. So, spill it out before it becomes a problem." the girl said nothing, looking at her weapon intently. "Is this about Isshin?"

"No,"

"Then what? That I killed?" this time, Ruby turned to her with a mild look of irritation.

"No. I'm not five anymore sis, I know that as huntsmen we have to kill to protect others. I've known that for a long time. Uncle Qrow was very clear about it. It's about you," she said. Cinder raised an eyebrow.

"Me?"

"Yes. I'm concerned about you." Ruby told her, raising her voice.

"Because I killed?" she countered.

"Because of how you did it!" Ruby nearly shouted this time, which almost made Cinder flinch. "You didn't hesitate, at all. I don't think you felt anything at all. You were so… cold." Slowly, Ruby's voice fell in tone, and Cinder was left with a cold sensation on her chest. "That isn't the Cinder I know." The Cinder she knew. The one that played, cooked, fought Grimm and took her on 'adventures' along with Yang. She had been that girl for a time, but mostly because Yang, Ruby and Tai needed her. She had enjoyed it, those were happy memories.

"Well, that is me now." she answered, somewhat coldly. Ruby turned around, face strained. It hurt, looking at her sister's saddened face.

"You've killed before, haven't you?" Cinder's eyes widened, but in the end decided to be honest, for the sake of her sister.

"Yes." Ruby turned around, fixing her with those mesmerizing silver eyes. Her gaze was stern, almost as if judging her. But also, concerned.

"And you had to do it, right? They left you no choice?" Cinder had killed bandits, criminals and terrorists in Mistral. She was sure all of them would have killed her. Except…

The Madame and her daughters. They were evil, they deserved it. But… they would not have killed her. They did not have aura, and she did. That night, they were not a physical threat, once she got the collar out. Yet, she killed them anyways. She enjoyed snapping the madame's neck, slashing her sisters apart. She relished in her newfound freedom. Until Rhodes came in, and saw the horror show.

But that was something Ruby would never know.

"Of course." She answered, lying with a straight face. Ruby looked at her in the eye, as if searching for something amiss, but then relaxed.

"Okay." she turned back, not saying anything else. But Cinder had to make sure, make sure there were no doubts.

"Ruby," she grabbed her shoulders as she kneeled in front of her. "I know I'm not… the person you want or expect me to be, but, I'm not going to stop caring about you. Never. I'm… sorry I left so suddenly. I won't do it again." she saw Ruby's expression turn into one of surprise, and then her eyes watered. Admitting fault was not something Cinder did regularly, so it was a relief to see it had some positive effect to do it.

"Promise?" Her sister asked, half smiling.

"Promise." She answered. Suddenly, Ruby lunged forward and wrapped her in a tight hug.

"I love you. You're still the best sister ever." Hearing her words, Cinder returned the embrace. For some reason, her eyes stung with happiness.

Emerald paced around the room. Their dorm was big, courtesy of being a team of two who 'lost their fellow team members', which automatically removed two beds. Yet the green haired girl used the space only to be annoyingly anxious.

"Can you please stop? You need to enjoy yourself." Mercury said from his own bed. His partner turned her garnet eyes to him in anger.

"I'm tired of this. All we do is attend useless classes, fight some scrubs, and do nothing." Mercury sighed. How petulant could someone be?

"You really don't know anything about infiltration. You need to be patient."

"While that bitch does whatever she wants with her 'friends'? She's supposed to be calling us." After saying this, her scroll rung. Mercury smirked at her terrified expression. "You don't think she heard me, did you?"

"If she did, it would be hilarious," he grinned even more at her expression. Emerald picked up the call.

"Yes?" on the other side, she could hear the voice of a young woman.

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? What about the dance?"

"You are going, aren't you?"

"Yes, but… if we disappear…"

"You have your semblance, don't you? Make sure you and Mercury are there," from the other side of the room, Mercury grinned. Poor Emerald was being sidelined.

"What about you?"

"I've got my own escapade. Besides, if I'm missing for a few seconds, no one will suspect a thing."

"Alright. Were do we meet?"

"CCT tower, after the slow song. You'll know the one. The mistress will be pleased."

"Of course. W-We got this." Without a word, the line was hung.

"And here I thought she was courteous." said Mercury, getting up and stretching.

"Going somewhere?" Emerald asked.

"I need a suit. And you need a dress, or a suit too if that's your fancy." With a glare, Emerald followed him to the exit.

"I'll take a suit."

A/N: Alright! Next chapter, the Beacon Dance and CCT infiltration. Sorry it took so long to upload, I was dealing with some stuff. I hope you enjoyed it.

Also, Dark and Witch were da bomb. I loved them, and loved the dialogue between Ruby and Blake. They have some good chemistry for me, which is why I love writing them. That is all for now. Comment any dislikes or likes. Chiao!