Disclaimer, I do not own RWBY
AN/Nani?! Two chapters in a week? So, this was supposed to be out much earlier today, but between having forgotten my lunch and having an issue that caused me to lose all 1800 words in a nearly completed chapter, yeah, that didn't happen as it was supposed to. I'm currently transcribing from pictures on my phone, so I hope you appreciate this. Anyways, on to the chapter!
"Ruby! There you are!" A female voice shouted at the cloaked girl. Ruby's face lit up in excitement when she recognized the owner of the voice.
"Neon! Flynt! I was hoping I would see you guys again!" Ruby shouted in surprise as she was wrapped in a hug by the cat faunus.
"We heard you got into Beacon early, wish we could've talked before the school year started." Flynt said coolly.
"Yeah, it was kinda last minute. How have you guys been? Ciel still got that stick up her ass?" Ruby joked.
"If it's possible, it's up there further. Her teammate is this ginger girl named Penny, and she's been even more rigid ever since being put on a team with her." Neon explained.
"Oh, I've met Penny already. She's really on a team with Ciel?" Ruby asked.
"trust me, we know. How have things been with you?" Flynt asked, gesturing for Ruby to follow.
"Stressful. I got made team leader, and that started about as well as you would expect. Two migraines and a bottled-up supply of blind jokes. On top of that, I've been seeing something I can't quite explain." Ruby explained as Neon began walking circles around them.
"Like, with your aura sight or whatever?" Neon asked.
"Yes, with my aura sight." Ruby deadpanned. "I was doing some exercises in the woods with some friends, and their aura changed. Not in shape, or anything like that, but it looked different."
"Hm, well I heard Winter may or may not be coming by during the tournament, but you didn't hear that from me. Perhaps she can help you out?" Flynt asked.
"Considering I'm sending that report tomorrow, she'll have to. I'm having trouble describing it." Ruby whined.
"So, who's on your team short stack? I'm dying to know who you've been tormenting." Neon asked.
"Don't call me that. And Yang is on my team, and so is Weiss Schnee, she's my partner. And then there's Yang's partner, Blake." Ruby rattled off, not bothering with further explanation.
"Weiss Schnee eh? And how has that been?" Flynt asked, annoyance seeping into his voice.
"Extremely helpful and understanding. Nothing like her father." Ruby said, already knowing where Flynt was going.
"Sorry Ruby, but I can barely bring myself to trust Winter, let alone the heiress of the company." Flynt apologized.
"I understand. Now, where are we going? I know you're not just leading me around so I can get lost again." Ruby joked.
"One time! And it wasn't even on purpose!" Neon defended.
"And yet general Ironwood was very unhappy when he heard that a blind girl had wound up lost in the armory." Ruby said with a serious tone to hide her mocking.
"Yeah, yeah. We were actually wondering if you had any tips for grimm studies. Neon and I could barely focus." Flynt asked.
"Caffeine and a partner that can nitpick entire lectures. I've made so much lien off of selling our notes for that class." Ruby admitted.
"Wow, look at you Ruby, already exploiting your classmates, next thing you know you'll start exploiting the transfer students for slave labor." Neon joked.
"Nah, don't have it in me. And Neon, can you please stop walking circles around us? I get you like to keep a rhythm, but I don't feel like tripping over you." Ruby complained.
"Fine, stick in the mud." Neon groaned as she fell in step beside Ruby.
"So, have you met any of the students from the other academies?" Ruby asked.
"We met some other Beacon students. Bunch of jerks if you ask me. Also met one of the Shade teams." Flynt replied.
"Yeah, that's team CRDL, they're a bunch of bullies. They're also on thin ice with right now with miss Goodwitch." Ruby explained.
"So, I've heard. How about you? Who have you met?" Neon asked.
"Aside from Penny? Only Haven teams so far. But one of them kinda rubs me the wrong way, and I haven't even interacted with them directly." Ruby admitted.
"maybe they're like team CRDL? That or they really don't like to socialize. Who knows, maybe you should try to get to know them." Flynt offered.
"Maybe, now if you'll excuse me, I need to find one of those Haven teams." Ruby dismissed herself.
"Haven's dorms are a straight shot to your left." Flynt said as he waved. As she turned around, Ruby sighed, feeling the breeze push through her cloak.
"Alright, just gotta find Arslan, then I'll find the rest of them."
*Blake*
Tired. That's all Blake could express right now. No matter how much tea she drank, she just felt sluggish. Sighing for the millionth time that day, Blake shut her book in frustration as images of the White Fang danced across her mind.
"Blake? Blake!" Blake sighed, knowing that Yang wouldn't stop until she revealed her hiding spot.
"I'm up here Yang." Blake replied, lacking any enthusiasm or excitement.
"Hey, can we talk for a second? Somewhere private?" Yang asked gently, a surprising change from her usual mannerisms.
"Sure, I guess. Lead the way." Blake replied, hopping down from the tree she had taken refuge in. Yang smiled before leading the way. Noticing that she was being led to the gardens, Blake was about to speak up, but Yang beat her to it.
"We're worried about you Blake, I just want you to talk to me, ok?" Yang offered. Blake narrowed her eyes. Of course, Yang was going to try and play therapist.
"You shouldn't be worried about me, you should be worried about the White Fang!" Blake countered, still following Yang. Suddenly, Yang stopped in a small clearing, surrounded by roses.
"This is a secret part of Beacon's gardens, nobody will bother us. Now talk, what has you so worked up over this? More than us, anyways." Yang asked as she sat down in the grass, motioning for Blake to do the same.
"Because something big is happening, and I seem to be the only one sufficiently worried about it!" Blake shouted back, refusing the offer to sit.
"But you're not, Blake. We all want to stop them, really, we do, but you're starting to let this take over your life. I can tell you're tired, how much longer until you stop eating, grades start to drop?" Yang asked. "Can I tell you a story? Or are you going to yell at your partner for trying to help?"
"I guess." Blake replied, guilt and shame dancing across her face.
"When I was younger, I had to take care of Ruby after her mom died. Our dad was too heart broken and our uncle wasn't around often enough." Yang started.
"Wait, aren't you two sisters though?" Blake asked.
"Same dad, different mothers. My mom left us shortly after I was born. As soon as she could I was told. But I wanted to know why she abandoned us, so I made it my mission to find her, and make her tell me why." Yang explained.
"Yang, I'm sorry that happened, but how does that relate to a literal terrorist organization?" Blake asked, interrupting the blonde.
"Because when I got the first little bit of information, I obsessed over it. I made it my life. I was seven, when I did this, I waited until our dad left the house. Once he was gone, I put Ruby in a wagon, and pulled out the picture I found. It was of an old house. I left quickly, I just had to know." Yang explained. Noting Blake's attention, Yang continued.
"I set off into the woods, Ruby in tow, ready to find my mother. I had been walking for what felt like hours. Eventually I found the house, and I felt anger. It was a dead end, abandoned for what must have been years. I was exhausted, and as if to play some cruel trick, grimm began to growl from inside. We should have been dead, because I rushed at the chance to learn something." Yang finished, noticing Blake wanted to say something.
"Yang, I'm sorry that happened, I really am, but I don't see how this applies to the White Fang." Blake argued.
"Because the only reason Ruby and I are alive, is because my uncle noticed me walking into the woods and followed us! We should have been dead! And if you keep it up like this, you will end up like Ruby and I should have been. We don't want you to stop, but you're pushing too hard, we can't lose you." Yang argued back, her eyes going from red to lilac. Blake was shocked, Yang never blew up on anyone like that.
"Yang, I'm sorry. This, it hits so close to home for me, you understand what that means. But, if I've been worrying all of you, then I guess I do need to slow down." Blake apologized.
"That's all I ask. Now come on, the dance is in a few weeks, we need dresses, and you need to ask monkey boy out."
*Ruby*
"Excuse me, but have any of you seen Arslan anywhere?" Ruby asked a small group of Haven students.
"I haven't seen Arslan, but I saw Reese just a little while ago heading up to their room. Honestly I haven't seen any of them all day." He admitted.
"Thanks, what's their room number?" Ruby asked.
"Two fourteen." Another student spoke up.
"Thank you!" Ruby called back as she turned towards the nearest wall, running her hand across the hall as she walked. Feeling for the plates on the wall, Ruby ignored the odd stares she could feel. Finding the first one, Ruby frowned as her hands ghosted over the braille, reading common room. Ruby continued forward, feeling three other plates, frowning at each one not being the one she needed.
"Stupid dorms not having the same layout." Ruby muttered to herself before reading the one she was looking for. Stepping up the stair slowly, Ruby could see one of the few people she didn't want to see. Cresting the stairs, Ruby's blood turned cold.
"Oh, hello. Need some help?" The woman asked, her voice as regal as ever.
"I wouldn't mind some help, can you point which direction two fourteen is?" Ruby asked.
"Of course, it's just that way, to you left, halfway down the hall. My name is Cinder by the way." Cinder offered her hand.
"Ruby, nice to meet you." Ruby introduced herself, shaking her hand. Ruby couldn't shake the feeling of dread that filled her at the contact.
"Well, you should be off, wouldn't want to keep your new friends waiting." Cinder said, dismissing Ruby.
"Right, sorry to hold you up." Ruby apologized before turning down the hall. Feeling for the plates again, Ruby was annoyed to be reading only odd numbers. Looking for any familiar aura, Ruby saw one that felt like she had seen it somewhere before. Running towards it, Ruby sighed in relief as she ran her hand over door plate, reading two fourteen. Knocking, Ruby was suddenly overcome with a sense of nervousness. Ruby watched as the figure in the room opened the door.
"Oh, hello, Ruby, right?" Reese asked as she saw Ruby on the other side of the door.
"Yeah, Reese, right? I was looking for Arslan, have you seen her?" Ruby asked as Reese stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind her.
"Yeah, the rest of my team wanted to explore the forest around Beacon, Arslan especially, want to hang out with me until they get back?" Reese asked.
"Sure, I was going to drop off some old lectures for Arslan, but I have time to kill." Ruby agreed, not knowing just what Reese had in store for her.
AN/ And that's a wrap! What's Reese gonna do? Something funny? Also, I managed to get everything written back down in record time, so yay for that. So, a little announcement, Broken Mind will be making a comeback after this story and Street Gem are finished. I have a new game plan, and I will be restarting it from scratch and changing a few things. Hopefully it goes better this time around. Anyways, until next time, have a great day!