Author's Headnote: Well, It's March, which means April is approaching. You'll know what it means soon enough, or not. But it doesn't matter, Ruby is touring Emerald! And that means this chapter will be a thing! I don't know what else to say here... so here is the chapter.

RWBY: Festival of Blood: Night Before the Storm

Ruby Rose:

Aura Status: 100%

Thirst: Slightly Stated

Semblance: Wilted Petal Burst

Grades:

- Grimm Studies: B +

- History: B -

- Dust Studies: B

- Combat Practice: A -

- Mathematics: C -

- Weapon's Smithing: A -

- Tactics: B -

- Training Missions: C -

Team Activity: Done.

Team Relations:

-Weiss Schnee: Glad to see her being less uppity and snooty. Is planning for Ruby's birthday.

-Blake Belladonna: They're dating, and planning for Ruby's birthday with the rest of the team. Hopefully her teeth won't be pestering.

-Yang Xiao Long: Recovering from a hangover. Is planning for Ruby's birthday.

End of main character status report.

City of Vale, 9:44 PM, Sunday, Old Town

Ruby was touring Emerald around the city. Although she looked bored... which is odd, given that there are tourists from Atlas of all places that visit Vale and all of it's sights. Guess she's looking for something specific. Considering that the one place that the tour hasn't gone to was old town, also known as the historic district. Ruby was showing her all the sites, whilst skipping over the catacombs.

"Wait, what was that place we skipped over?" Emerald asked. Ruby can sense suspicion from here.

"It's the just the catacombs, they closed it off though so there's no visitors." Ruby answered.

"So... perfect place to roam around."

"I don't think we'd find anything fun in the catacombs, besides. Given all the decay and neglect, you'd likely die there."

"Really? And how would you know that?"

"It's a place where people bring their dead. If you find that fun, then we have two different definitions of that word."

"Well, I think I saw people enter them."

"You have?"

"Yep."

"Well... chances are they're not people you'd like to be around. Terrible, terrible people."

"And how do you know that?"

"Well... err... let's continue the tour now, shall we?"

"I think I can find my way back from here."

"You sure?"

"Yep."

"Kay, bye."

Ruby had left Emerald to her own devices as she went out to deliver the things to treat Blake's teeth until they're removed. She has them stored somewhere safe. Incase she's getting bonked or ambushed. When no one is looking, she transformed into her bird shape to start flying. Although she did wish her semblance could grant her some form of flight. Guess she needs to use it more often to develop it. But she figured it's currently faster. She could train her semblance after she enjoyed the festival on her birthday.

Character Change: Ruby Rose - Emerald Sustrai

City of Vale, 9:45 PM, Sunday, Historic District

The silvered eye girl had finally left. 'Ruby' was her name. And from the information she picked up from Neo at mountain glenn is that she's apparently a vampire. That, and Emerald lost 500 Lien to Neo after a bet. First, she finds out that vampires are real, and were created by accident by Cinder's boss no less. Now she finds a picture of a Schnee wearing a White Fang uniform. Everything doesn't make sense anymore, she swears. But she has to give an update on the vampire lair, cause Ruby's defensive attitude means it could be in the catacombs. She started to call Cinder.

"Did you find the lair?" Cinder asked, on the scroll.

"I have a good Idea where it is." Emerald stated.

"Oh, do tell."

"The silver eyed vampire girl gave me a tour of the city, we ended up in the historic district, I pointed at the catacombs and she seemed really defensive in me not going there."

"Odd. Nobody's been in the catacombs for a long time, the infrastructure would have decayed and crumbled."

"I've made up a lie saying that I saw someone enter them. And than she went off saying that those people are terrible."

"Well... it seems that you've done some good work. If the catacombs are not the lair, then they'd lead us straight to the lair. Inform the White Fang that they're to raid the catacombs tomorrow."

"What about the festival?"

"We have plenty of disposable faunas, we can do both."

"I understand."

"Report back to the guest dorm." Cinder hung up.

Emerald walked back to a bullhead station to return to Beacon Academy, to the hideout of where Cinder is planning her operations. Tomorrow is going to be interesting. With what Cinder already had planned for Pyrefest, and the raid on a historic location... no doubt this for sure would spark up the general to send his mechs.

Character Change: Emerald Sustrai - Ruby Rose

City of Vale, 9:54 PM, Sunday, Uptown

Ruby was flying, and she learned that her semblance could be used in bird form... which accelerated the flight speed. It still does leave wilted rose petals behind though. Although her fast speed was interrupted by a spike of ice, which interrupted her bird shape... and grazed her arm. And she just got this outfit back from the tailor too, it was the one from mountain glenn. It was hard enough to try and make an excuse to the damage from last time, now she'd end up having to come up with it again... presuming her outfit doesn't have any more damage than it already has. And it looks like the Duke sent some vampire mooks after Ruby.

She was falling but she quickly recovered and used her semblance to Blitz at one of them, knocking them back whilst Ruby getting more airtime. She quickly had Crescent Rose turned into it's rifle form and started firing mid-air. As it turns out... these vampires have somehow integrated their vampiric magic with ice dust of all things, being able to turn their grimm claws into projectiles. Ruby was not prepared for that. Since she's getting bombarded by claw spikes.

Ruby is trying her best to avoid any more damage to the outfit than she can. And she has to be really precise about her evasion. Since these guys aims are dead accurate. But she uses her semblance to try and avoid them. Do not go towards them since they'd use the opportunity to shoot. She stays at a distance... using earth dust rounds to try and stun their arms. Although she is being suppressed by all the claw tips... in the mean time... she goes behind cover to ensure her saftey.

After a whole five minutes... they'd stop... likely ran out of dust. Ruby uses this time to shoot their arms and prevent them from having any ranged attacks. Now that they can't attack at a range. Ruby uses her semblance to run up at the walls and up behind them to quickly knock them out from behind. She than grabbed some bloodpacks off of them and a note. Which she had decided to read.

Bring Ruby Hong Rose-Xiao Long alive, she has gotten rogue. The contact in the White Fang hasn't reported back since Wednesday, which means the contact was killed.

-Duke of Bloodshire

That doesn't sound right. She didn't kill the contact, and she saw him again on Thursday. This could mean the contact she met with was likely an imposter. What is she saying? Of course, the contact would be an impostor... or was actually loyal to the White Fang, which means any info provided from him is presumably false.

Ruby has read up on ancient warriors that injected dust into their body to acquire pseudo-magic powers. They were called 'Templars' or something. The topic on them is very vague and reduced down to legend, but Ruby has never seen someone who actually had done it until now. The practice in modern day is seen as frowned upon since doing it is very dangerous. Since the dust can damage the body irreparably. Dust is as convenient as it's dangerous.

But now that the vampires are dealt with, she quickly hopped into bird mode and went on bursting in speed with her semblance. Maybe she'd be fast enough to avoid another ambush from vampires by the time she gets to Beacon. The trouble is that she has to figure out how to slow down in bird form...

Beacon Academy, 9:58 PM, Sunday, RWBY Dorm

SPLAT!

Ruby had crashed onto the window. Instead of trying of pulling anything cool. She flew back to the window and pecked at it. In which she sees Weiss open it.

"You can use the door, y'know." Weiss stated, picking Ruby up and putting her on the ground.

The young fledgling, now turned back into her human shape, closed the window.

"You're lucky you didn't break the window." Weiss scolded.

"I don't think a tiny nevermore beak would be able to break glass, besides... I was being careful." Ruby dismissed Weiss' scolding.

"Well, next time use the door. If that window breaks, you have to sleep in the living room." Weiss stated.

"I know, I know. Don't break the glass. Excuse me, I have to give something to Blake."

Ruby had placed the things she got for Blake on her half of the nightstand. In which Blake has now noticed said bag.

"What's the bag for?" Blake asked.

"It's to help with your wisdom teeth until you get them removed." Ruby stated.

"Ruby, you shouldn't have."

"I know, but I'd like to make your wisdom teeth less painful to deal with."

"Thanks Ruby."

"Hey, it's what I'm here for."

Ruby quickly smooched Blake and waited for her team to go to sleep. She knows Yang's asleep by now. Ruby was surprised that the rest of her team was still up. Yet again, she did arrive earlier than planned given her semblance and all.

Character Change: Ruby Rose - Jaune Arc

Beacon Academy, 9:30 PM, Sunday, JNPR Dorm

It doesn't make any sense.

Jaune had finished investigating the Blackout Case. No leads, no motives, no suspects, nothing. The only possible explanation is if the perpetrator works for some sort secret, underground conspiracy in order to bring down Beacon Academy. But that makes no sense. What would anyone gain for getting rid of a huntsman academy? Since Blake had confirmed the White Fang aren't responsible, then it's not to overthrow the Valean establishment.

It just doesn't make any sense. Who would steal it? What would they gain from it if they aren't selling it? And why would they do it in the first place? Jaune is just baffled from the case, it's as if he's missing some important mission, he just doesn't know what that is.

Perhaps it's connected to what happened to the other would-be third year students two years ago... Maybe it's the same perpetrator. It seems Jaune has entered a rabbit-hole. He went on to the dorm computer and opened up the browser to search up the events that happened two years ago.

Mmm... no. No. Nope. Nadda. Negative.

He's been browsing for things that took place two years ago... although the list of events had stopped after the thirty-ninth Vytal festival. Whatever happened in Mistral two years ago caused all the students from Vale to disappear... except one.

And a mass-kidnapping would be tracked on the news. Yet again, mistral is notorious for it's organized crime. One of the crime families could have covered it up. And the only one who may know about it is the third-year student himself.

Although Blake claimed that the White Fang did not steal the dust capacitor, their activity has increased since their first mission... particularly around Downtown and the Industrial district, they may not be suspects... but they're up to something. Jaune would have to be on his guard in the morning. In addition, there's still that nostferatu on the loose. Whatever that grimm looks like, Jaune won't be afraid of what it looks like. He prefers it if his blood stays in his body, and not inside a grimm.

"Jaune, you're still investigating the case?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yes, Pyrrha. This person is still out there, And I just have a hunch that it may be connected to whatever happened to the Beacon students on the thirty-ninth Vytal festival." Jaune stated in a serious tone.

"It's almost 10 PM, you need to go to bed. You'd have all the time to investigate the Blackout on November."

"I have a hunch, if I don't do this now, I'd forget or dismiss it..."

"Well, if you're tired on Pyrefest, don't complain to me."

"I'll get to bed eventually. And I honestly don't care about the holiday."

"Even though you were invited to a Birthday party tomorrow."

"Whose party?"

"Ruby's."

"She turns sixteen tomorrow?"

"Yep."

"Isn't it weird she tends to go out at night very often?"

"Well, she is younger than most of us, and she may be more of a night person. You never know."

"Well, I guess your right. But now I need to look something up."

"Suit yourself, I'm heading to bed." Pyrrha said, heading to the bedroom.

Jaune just waved and went back to researching... he found nothing, but he wrote down about the thirty ninth Vytal festival... since he's getting tired, he'll be doing some research later in November. Jaune decided to head to bed.

Character Change: Jaune Arc - Ruby Rose

Beacon Academy, 11:59 PM, Sunday, RWBY Dormitory

Ruby was in her pajamas... watching the clock tick down to midnight. The thing about her vampirism is that she can stay up and watch the clock count to midnight without passing out. Ruby can't even get tired anyway, although she still needs to sleep... albeit during daytime cause the sun would kill her. She's staring at the clock with one of those party horns... it's at the final minute... final thirty seconds...

Ten...

Nine...

Eight...

Seven...

Six...

Five...

Four...

Three...

Two...

One...

Ruby blows the party horn as it reaches midnight. It's officially October thirty-first. Her birthday, and the Pyrefest on the other window of the night. She spends the first four hours of her birthday to herself. She has all this time for herself. Sure, on any other day it would be sad... but on her birthday... it's still kind of sad, but it's her birthday so she's celebrating it. She's sixteen now... If she was alive, she could apply for a learner's permit and get a driver's license. Maybe build a Tank to drive over the traffic. Yang's a good driver, but traffic jams incite her road rage, and it's comparable to whenever she loses hair... not to mention she gets very vulgar during road rage.

Too bad she can't do that... Vale doesn't have night-time driver's tests. Twenty years ago, the Valean council back than decided to bar all night-time education. Ruby understands why that would be needed, and that Headmaster Ozpin holding a permanent seat being he's the headmaster of Beacon. But the no-nighttime class thing makes things incredibly inconvenient for Ruby. She'd have to show up at the school at the crack of dawn and return rushing with her semblance or wait out the sun.

But this is her life. She's celebrating a milestone of her life. Well... post-life. She got her first kiss, and her own girlfriend. Funny thing, it took being made into an undead creature of the night for her to be more socially outward. She may as well use this time to make some tune-ups on Crescent Rose.

Beacon Academy, 12:15 AM, Monday (It's Her Birthday, yay!), Weapon Forge

It's time to give Ruby a little birthday present to herself. But first, she needs to give Crescent Rose her tune-ups. Anytime she uses it, she should give it tune-ups ASAP. Need to keep her in tip-top shape, if the weapon is not at peak condition, it inhibits the combat effectiveness. Since she mostly used it in rifle mode so the firing mechanism needs to be tune-up along with anything near it... she does a couple tune-ups... and it's now at peak condition... currently.

Wonder if she could have a rotating blade... could be convenient. Could be able to rotate at 180 degrees. It sounds like something Atlassian weapons are capable of. But Ruby's skilled at building weapons and a rotating blade is a realistic upgrade in the Beacon forge.

She spent a couple of hours tinkering the Blade part of her weapon and the barrel to be able to be fired at it's rotated status. As for the Blade... it appears to be stable... now to give it the swing test... she starts swinging the scythe in the test room. So far, it's nothing out of the ordinary. It's just that the Scythe blade is being backwards is setting off. She than rotates it back to it's original position. She feels like this upgrade will come in handy.

Ruby feels the upgrade has been a success. Surely going to give the people in the Vytal tournament a few rounds at the qualifying round. Whether she feels like Ruby would be stable enough to make it to the doubles or even the singles are up to her team... given that she could go feral and cause a scene. But who knows, she can't predict the future. No matter, still in her pajamas, she heads back to the dorm to have her solo-party, celebrating the first hours of her sixteenth birthday.

Beacon Academy, 2:20 AM, Monday, RWBY Dormitory

Ruby had sat down on the living room couch and put her headphones on... may as well browse social media and the internet...

Let's see here... now she's got the pictures of puppies and kittens. How adorable. Sure, there's more to the internet than pictures of cute animals... and babies. But Ruby dares not to go near those places. Especially on her birthday of all times.

After done with the browsing, she figures she'd play some quick video games before bed. Ruby knows her team is going to wake her up early. Well... earlier than 1:00 PM, which is still too early for Ruby now. Well, she just hopes the events that is her birthday is going to go well. After all, her entire team planned the day.

Author's Footnote: Something a bit short today, I originally planned for Ruby to end up getting mind controlled by the Duke and having the rest of the team try to save her, but than I thought that wouldn't make any sense so I scrapped that Idea. But the power of the Duke will be seen... soon. In the next chapter which will be the end of the arc and than an intermission and Volume 3 will begin. And oh boy, that's when the twists are furthered twisted. And yes, I gave Crescent Rose it's Volume 7 upgrades early. So... what do you think? If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, criticisms, etc. Leave them in the reviews and see ya next chapter.