Chapter 5 – As the Dust Settles

Was this a good idea to be doing? Most likely, no. This man was very clearly a threat. Yang figured that she could hold him off if she needed to, but momentarily trusting him like this? She never would've imagined herself offering a ride to him. A stranger who she had just recently punched out the door. Even still, he rode behind her. Her back was entirely exposed to him. If he wanted to get his revenge, well, she was consciously keeping her aura up. No surprise attacks were allowed.

Trying to multitask like this was giving Yang a headache. Driving her bike, following his directions, and keeping her aura up? At this rate, she was destined for failure. He claims to know of the Branwen tribe. He stands currently as Yang's only lead on finding them. She imagined what the conversation would be like if Taiyang could see her now.

"So, all of my teachings are going to waste? You're just going to drive blindly into danger?" He would say.

"As if, dad. I'm aware he could be setting me up," Yang would respond. "Your teachings will come in handy then."

Yang had many different roads before her that should could take and it wasn't a guaranteed bet that any of them would lead to Ruby. This was her end goal, finding her baby sister. Driving around Anima was bound to get her in danger, especially driving alone. She could traverse the entire continent for years and never once find her sister. Having this possible bandit guide her to Raven would be sent from the gods.

And there were other matters to attend to. Yang would be the one to finally find Raven. From all the stories her dad had bestowed upon her, Yang knew that Raven was a master at not leaving so much as a pebble out of place. The Branwen tribe, despite being the terrors of Mistral, were also subject to rumors of being environmentalists. Before Raven arrived to take over the tribe, they would burn the grounds of where they camped. But too many Huntsmen would find them from this trail they would leave. When Raven took over, she enacted a rule of respecting nature. Taiyang personally saw how Raven behaved during their initiation. Every blade strike was done with intent. Each strike meant a target fell. Not a single leaf harmed on the surrounding trees and shrubbery. The Branwen twins were the scourge of Beacon back then. Most students were scared of them at first. Taiyang moved like a sun, however, and that's all it took.

Yang's mind kept mulling over Ruby. Their last major interaction left a taste in Yang's mouth so sour that she nearly spat without thinking. Regardless of how Yang was then, Ruby was trying her best to be the sister that Yang needed. Her rejection of Ruby's kindness meant agonizing weeks of intrusive thoughts about how she could have stopped Ruby and what she should have done differently. It did not help her recovery in the slightest.

Taiyang would watch her, sometimes coming into her room and laying in bed with her. Yang figured this was just him trying to be caring and comforting for her, but one night she'd woken up and heard him softly crying. It reminded her of when Summer died and how Yang felt towards her dad. How withdrawn and numb he'd become. He saw that in her. It felt like this revelation was what brought her back. A wave of shame and regret drowned the self that had inhabited her body as the new version came to be. She wept alongside him, letting him see that she understood his pain now. She'd had everything she'd wanted. And then it was all gone.

Back to her current matter, Yang's heart tugged slightly. She made sure that Taiyang knew where she was going. Ruby's sudden departure did them no favors, so Yang made sure no more women in that household vanished on him without warning. He would need to know, though, that regardless of where they were…they'd be thinking of their home.

The sting in her eyes reminded her that crying was not the best thing to be doing while driving. She lifted her right arm instinctively and saw the metal finger. She decided to rest it against her cheek thinking it might help calm her down. It was cool and brought a nice chill to her. She wasn't used to it just yet. Trying to become used to it meant remembering what happened the night she lost her arm. She'd never thought about how it would feel to lose a limb. The pain that she'd feel every now and then as if her right arm were still attached. It stabbed into the skin that remained despite there being nothing to cause it. Even now, she could feel the tingling sensation creeping up on her. She shook her head to cast out the thought.

After deciding to work on bettering her state of mind, she created rules. No matter who she was talking to (even in her thoughts), the fall of Beacon was off limits. It had become a non-starter for her. As for a lot of people, talking about what happened in Vale had become difficult. It renewed a lot of racist ideologies against the Faunus among humans and it inspired fear that your neighbor couldn't be trusted. So, talking about Beacon would be inviting a potentially dangerous debate.

The next rule was for any time Blake came up. Yang's feelings regarding her former teammate hinged off of many other already existing insecurities she was aware of. Most issues started because of her mother which makes Yang seeking her out a bit ironic. Go back to where it all started and try to figure it out. Yang didn't want to entertain further thought on why Blake was a rule here, so she nixed the topic.

The final rule is regarding the prosthetic. Yang was still getting used to having something fill in the void. Bringing unnecessary attention to it was just inviting disaster. Don't speak on it, don't have to acknowledge it. If she pretends hard enough, maybe it can just be her arm again. She hasn't felt that sensation yet. The acceptance process has been difficult on more than just her physical self. The mental process of that night and all of its consequences has shattered her psyche in ways that can never be mended. But she's getting there. She hopes, at least.

"Hang a left at this tree, the path is hard to see," the man said.

Oops. Yang got so lost in her thoughts that the bandit on her motorcycle was nearly forgotten about. She steered in silence. Her destination was on the horizon.

"Has anyone ever been to the theatre before?" Ruby asked.

Ren and Nora exchanged a look with each other. Jaune and Oscar stood there awkwardly. It was clear from this group that being in the world of Fine Arts wasn't their biggest priority in life. Ruby could figure as such. Even she wasn't too big into the whole song and dance thing. Why Professor Lionheart decided to send them to the theatre is beyond her. Nevertheless, they were going to go.

"Oscar, hold it," Qrow said walking into the living room.

"Hm?" Oscar pointed at himself.

"Leo only sent the four tickets and I'd like for you to not be seen with them," Qrow said. "It'll make people who we don't need to know about you feel suspicion."

The teens looked at the farm boy. They felt bad about excluding him from their activities. If they were going to be experiencing Mistral as a city, leaving him behind would be nuts! All of them traveled this far, it was only fair.

"But nobody would know who he is," Jaune said. "Would it really cause trouble for him if he came along with us?"

"Kid, I get that you're just arguing for him," Qrow started. "The fact of the matter is that Salem has more than just eyes. She doesn't need to be present to figure out what's going on. As far as Leo knows, it's just us five in this house. Oscar will be our element of surprise."

Ruby could tell that no matter what any of them said, Oscar was going to remain here. She thought about it for a moment. Qrow was right. It was a risk that would wind up backfiring on them if Oscar was discovered.

"Okay, I see your point," she said. Qrow nodded towards her, thanking her for her understanding. She turned towards Oscar. "Is there anything you'd like us to bring back for you?" She smiled at him.

"I'm alright for now," he returned the smile. "But I'll ask…is it okay if I read your comics?"

She laughed. "Of course! Just don't make a mess. I like having them in good condition."

"Then it's settled. I'll let you know if I need anything while you're out," he said. With that, Oscar walked back towards the bedrooms. There was an overwhelming sense of regret hanging in the air. They regret not being able to take him to the show.

"Alright, team," Ruby addressed the others before they decided to call anything off. "Let's go face our most dangerous foe yet!"

Nora gasped, "live theatre!"

They laughed and closed the door behind them. The sun was already starting to set on the city, so streetlights began to turn on. The warm glow from the lights were assaulted by bugs. The trees remained dark, but the lights that cast onto them shined a vivid green. Mistral seemed to take a lot of inspiration from the colors of the earth. Whether it's the brown of the soil or the green from the trees. Even the blue waterfalls were incorporated into certain pieces of architecture like inner rooms in Haven or important buildings like banks. Ruby couldn't help but admire the sense of artistry that the city belonged to.

"Where is the theatre located?" Ren asked as they walked.

"According to the map," Jaune started.

"Maybe someone else should hold that," Nora interrupted.

Jaune grew red with embarrassment. "I didn't lose all of our maps on purpose!" Nora laughed in response. "According to the map, it's on one of the upper levels of the city."

"I'd imagine Lionheart spent a lot to get these tickets," Ren appreciated. "Even pulling some strings meant using connections for us."

Ruby didn't need a long pause to figure out what Ren was leading on about. Qrow's entire point of not trusting Lionheart was born from suspicion. Ren's thought process led to a conclusion that the professor's actions spoke louder than words could. Ruby didn't normally think about this kind of topic because of her altruistic nature. Naturally, she'd like to believe in Lionheart and she'd like to believe Qrow just has their best interest in mind.

"What do you guys think the show will be about?" Nora asked. The question brought Ruby back to reality.

"I just hope it's not some romance story," Jaune muttered.

Nora overheard the remark and looked towards Ren. Ever since their encounter with the Nuckelavee, Nora's had an entirely different perspective on what love means. The loss of Pyrrha still weighs on Jaune like as if he were tossed into the ocean while chained to a boulder. Nora had a brief flicker of that loss during the Grimm attack. In a moment, she saw what she would be like without Ren. She saw a woman doing the bare minimum to get by. Someone who was devoid of life and light. Ren was the only family she could turn to. When she had only seconds left to make her action in order to rescue him, it ended up being more than just an instinct. It was as natural of an action as extending her arm. That's how love felt to her now. She wondered how he feels about it.

"It's okay, Jaune," Ren put his hand on his teammate's shoulder. "It's about a girl who's transported to a magical land and meets friends on her journey to return home." He smiled to himself. "A fairy tale, really. I think it's based on The Girl Who Fell Through the World."

"Yeah, a fairy tale," Jaune cringed. It seemed Ren's attempt at comfort only backfired.

"Well, it should be great!" Ruby tried to cheer them up. "Lionheart said that Holly Green is supposed to be an up-and-coming actor. Maybe we'll get an autograph from her!"

"Yeah!" Nora exclaimed. "Then maybe we could sell it secondhand and get a lot of money!"

"Nora, that's not what I meant!" Ruby moaned.

"But it's what I mean now," Nora grinned mischievously.

Jaune tried to smile but it faltered quickly. Nora caught him in that moment.

"Jaune, if you want to talk about it," she started. "We're all open to listening."

"It's fine," he said a bit too quickly. "Nothing to talk about."

"We're your team, remember?" She was starting to become irritated. "Team RNJR, right?"

"Yeah, what a wonderful team," he grimaced.

"Okay, guys," Ruby intercepted. She could see where this conversation was going and refused to allow animosity to spread between her friends. "Let's calm down a bit. If Jaune doesn't want to talk about it, he doesn't have to. Okay, Nora?" Nora sighed. "And Jaune, she's trying to connect with you. You don't need to be rude." Jaune scoffed but gave it a rest. "We're going to be entering another one of these tunnels, so just take it easy."

The trek through the mountainside was tenser than they would've liked it. Nora and Jaune's spat created a silent divide in their group and the tension was palpable. Ruby felt like her words were choking her trying to escape. Finally, they reached the end of the dank passageway and arrived back into the city of Mistral.

She never seemed to be able to get over the view of the gorgeous city. They were a bit higher up this time on arrival, the clouds drooped down lower from the change in weather. The lower rings of the city were completely obscured. She supposed that reason was why unbecoming behavior took place down there. The upper echelons couldn't see it happening and if it didn't affect them then why care?

Ruby shook the thought from her mind as they hiked up the short staircase that led to the theatre building. Its outer trim was made from a shimmering silver and the bright flickering lights along the billboard took their breath away. It was a bit too much, very gaudy. The theatre building was tall and demanded respect, it was colored a light green color that leaned closer to seafoam than the forest that the rest of Mistral was decorated in. On the display above the entry way, lit up in lights, was the title of the show along with Holly Green's name.

"Lionheart wasn't kidding about her being an up-and-coming actor," Nora whistled.

"I'd be lying if I said this wasn't intimidating," Ruby squeaked. The others nodded their heads in agreement.

Without taking another second, they walked up towards the ticket stand and showed their proof of entry. They entered on the right of the stand and took in the grand auditorium that stood beyond the lobby before them. A long building with large and flowing red curtains lined the walls. What wasn't covered in the red curtains was a vibrant golden sheen. Box seats positioned high above the typical seating were occupied by Mistral's elite. The four of them walked down the aisle to find the seats labeled on their tickets.

"I believe we may be underdressed," Ren assessed.

"I didn't pack my dress when we left Vale," Nora gasped.

"I couldn't have ever imagined being in such a fancy place," Jaune choked out. "Maybe my semblance is perfect hindsight." Nora stifled a laugh and Ruby giggled.

They passed by people who were already seated and apologized the entire way through. The theatregoers seemed miffed and slightly appalled by the teens' apparent lack of proper dress. They sat down in their assigned seats and stayed silent. They were already obviously out of their normal world and didn't want the other people here to be given more reason to dislike them.

This might be the kind of decorum Weiss was used to. Ruby laughed to herself when thinking of the expression Weiss would give if she saw the four of them in a fancy building like this one and dressed how they were. At least they were trying to act the part, but that didn't change the fish out of water kind of vibe they were experiencing. It made Ruby feel the cold chill of sadness for a second. Would Weiss have been excited to see this show? She found herself missing her teammates more and more as the days passed her by. Sure, she really appreciated her current teammates and the work they put into their journey, but the sisterhood between Ruby and the others could not be replicated.

Before she could dwell on these thoughts any more, the lights dimmed and the current rose. Holly Green took the stage for the opening number. As her name would advertise, her clothing was based around the color green. Surely, the company had decided on that due to name recognition and connectivity. The curly blonde locks that bounced with every step she took were just as captivating as her bubbly soprano singing voice.

Ruby looked over to her friends. Ren was deep in thought, no doubt analyzing the performance and the show in its whole. Jaune was engaged throughout and seemed to have forgotten his earlier preconceived notions regarding the musical. Nora, however, was bored. Her elbow had taken real estate of one of the armrests and her left cheek was now resting against her palm. Ruby couldn't get over how they were all so different. It was the unique nature that made her happy. Nothing would change that.

It wasn't too long before intermission. Ruby had become as engrossed as Jaune in the story that evolved before them. The natural progression was a tad wonky but she didn't care because the spectacle was fun. Other patrons had decided in that moment to go get some water from the store in the lobby or use the bathroom. Looking at the curtain that had drawn the stage, Ruby began to wonder what exactly she'd need to do for work in order to see another show like this.

"So, how are we liking the show so far?" A bubbly voice asked her.

Ruby turned and nearly shouted as Holly Green stood to her right. When did she get there?

"Are you asking us?" Jaune pointed to them individually. Holly nodded her head in response. "Why?"

"Why?" She put her manicured finger on her chin. "Because you're clearly not like the others here tonight! I figured there had to be a reason why you're so poorly dressed for an occasion and felt you'd be more interesting to engage with." Nora just blinked in response.

"We got some tickets from Professor Lionheart, he encouraged us to become invested with the culture of Mistral," Ren asserted. "He said he knows your family."

"Well, yes, but it's more of they're investors to a few groups in Mistral. One of them being Haven Academy, so naturally they became friendly with Lionheart," Holly qualified. "But that's entirely besides the question. How are we liking the show so far?"

"Oh, it's great! I'm just hoping that your character makes it out alright," Jaune seemed to overflow with word vomit. "The story has taken some liberties from its origin and I'm not sure what it'll end up being."

Holly laughed airily. "I would tell you but that would be spoiling the show." She suddenly looked around to make sure someone wasn't after her yet. "I actually have a specific reason why I'm sneaking out to meet you guys personally. I know you all fought in the Vytal Festival and I'm a big fan!" The teens were instantly stunned. They hadn't been recognized much on their trek through Anima and it helped that they'd changed their attire not long after arrival. "I'm sure other people here tonight were also watching the tournament. They just might not be putting the pieces together yet." She stopped once more to look around.

"You seem a little paranoid," Nora stated.

"Ah, well, I'm not supposed to be out here at all. It's going to just be a few minutes before one of my security agents figures out where I am and come running," she mitigated. As if on cue, a man wearing dark attire stepped out from a side door. He scanned the audience until looking directly at Holly. Without hesitating, he made a beeline straight for her. "Uh oh. That's my guy! Make sure to stay for after the show! I have something to say then!"

"Holly! What are you doing out here?" The agent was upon her before she could say more. He obscured her from view and led her backstage.

The four started laughing to each other. What an interesting turn of events.

Back at the house, Oscar was sitting on a chair reading Ruby's comics. He was trying his best to not leave an impact in the room considering it wasn't his. It was merely offered to him during his stay. He was raised to not leave a mess wherever he was, so it was a natural reflex to be clean and orderly. He was just mildly on edge considering he had never stayed a good deal of time away from home. Even still, he tried his best to make sure none of the comics got damaged. He didn't know Ruby that well yet and tried moving the comics over to his room as gently as he could. As of this moment, he hadn't even progressed halfway through the first volume. He had too much on his mind to really engage with the story. He heard a soft tapping on the door and placed the comic over on his bed. He wasn't that invested in the story anyway.

"Hey, Oscar?" Qrow asked.

"Yeah, I'm in here," Oscar answered. Qrow opened the door and stepped inside.

"Are you keeping Ruby's comics safe? Kid isn't particular about much other than her scythe, her cape, and her comics," Qrow warned.

Oscar gestured to the neat stack on his bed. "I've been trying my best to keep it in order."

"I see," Qrow nodded. "Let's talk out in the living room. I think I'd feel more comfortable there than in here." Oscar got up from the chair and followed Qrow out.

"What do you want to talk about?" Oscar asked. "Is it something for Ozpin? I know you wanted to talk to him in private."

"No, not right now," Qrow waved off the question. "Really, I wanted to talk about you."

Oscar felt confused. "Me? I mean, I don't really have a lot going on right now." They sat down on the sofa and chair in the living room. They adjusted themselves in their seats to make conversation easier between the two of them.

Qrow chuckled a bit. "Yeah, but I'm sure you're feeling a little fish out of water here. Maybe a bit in over your head, too." Oscar nodded. "I was like you some time ago. My sister and I, we weren't really the best of our bunch. Our names were a bit on the nose because for a while we had to scavenge for food just to survive in the woods. The bandits weren't nearly as strong back then." He looked to see if Oscar was still listening and he was. "When we first went to Beacon, it was like walking into an entirely different world. Warm meals whenever we needed them, soft beds to rest in at night, no need for surviving just to get by. It was a blessing, really."

"I'm not sure I understand where I come into this," Oscar felt flushed. "I appreciate you telling me it all, but I'm just a farm hand. I never had to scavenge or survive, I just had to do my chores."

Qrow produced his flask from inside his shirt. "That's just what I mean. You had a regular thing you attended to, then you were suddenly inside another world." Qrow took a swig. "I just want to know how you're feeling about it."

"It…it would be a lie to say I'm not scared," Oscar responded. "The whole situation with Ozpin, I've never felt more isolated before in my life. I tried to research in the books my aunt owns this phenomena but I couldn't find anything." He gripped his pants as he became frustrated. "No matter what I do or say, I feel a nagging sensation that he's just not telling me everything. Like, inside of me, there's this well of knowledge and truth that's accumulated…but it's kept behind a locked door."

Qrow's expression turned from sincere to perplexed. "Oz always guarded specific details away so that there were never threats of leaked information. Sometimes, he would keep important details secret until the right time. But other times…" He took another swig. "It was very rare that Oz let slip something important. I'm sure if there is anything he's not telling you, it's for good reason."

"I don't know, it feels like I'm just another husk waiting to become a new and merged soul," Oscar shuddered. "That entire process sounds horrifying to me." He looked up at Qrow with deep and understanding eyes. Eyes that reflected the fear that his voice was now caked with. "If I'm merged with him, will I ever come back? Will I ever be me again?"

Qrow hadn't the words to respond to the farm boy. Even if he knew exactly the words to say, none of them would properly reassure him. He hoped that Oscar would understand, if not one day allow himself to forgive Qrow.

"I just know that you're here now," Qrow smiled.

Oscar frowned. "Yeah."

Wrong choice of words. Qrow sighed.

"Thank you all for coming out tonight!" Holly exclaimed in joy as she re-entered the stage. The overall crowd had shrunk dramatically after the cast took their bows. It was really just team RNJR and a select group of adults. Two of which hovered not too far away from Holly on stage. Ruby assumed they were her parents. "I wanted to make two big statements before we disperse tonight." She cleared her throat before gesturing to team RNJR. "We are in the midst of some true celebrities tonight! I had the honor to meet and talk to some Huntsmen academy students that fought in the Vytal Festival and the fall of Beacon during intermission. I just wanted to give a shout out to them and thank them for all the hard work they've done. Let's give them a hand!" Some oohs and aahs resonated from the audience. It appeared that recognition had worked in the end, even if they didn't want the attention. "Please, would you come up here with me and introduce yourselves?"

Ruby looked over at her teammates. They all seemed to be thinking the same thing – they didn't have a choice in the matter. Appearing nicely before the people was part of their expected duties. They stood and the crowd began to applaud them. Ruby glanced behind her towards Nora as they made their way to the stairs. Nora was flushed and bothered by the attention. Normally, Nora was the more energetic character in their group but this seemed to strike a nerve deep within her. The group ascended the stairs to take the stage. The lights that shone upon them were blinding. Ruby had to raise her hand to block them out just to see the people better.

"Go ahead," Holly cued.

"Uh," Ruby looked to her teammates. Jaune was clearly stricken with stage fright while Ren seemed to be working overtime to maintain a calm façade. It was up to Ruby. She really didn't want to address this crowd. She wasn't one for public speaking. "Hello, everyone. My name is Ruby Rose, I'm a student from Beacon Academy. These are my teammates: Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren, and Jaune Arc." She attempted to swallow but her mouth was suddenly dry. "It's a pleasure to be here tonight to watch this show. I've personally never seen a musical before, so this was a first. I learned in my social studies classes that Mistral is very rich in its Fine Arts. Seeing it personally was just something else." The audience seemed to approve of her words and gave her another set of applause. "Didn't you have something else to say, Holly?" Ruby wanted the attention off of her immediately.

"I do! Would you like to take a seat or remain up here with me?" Ruby, once again, looked at her team and saw the array of emotions. They each stared back at her with pleading expressions.

"We'll sit back down in the audience," she finally answered. "Thank you, for giving us this opportunity."

"No problem!" Holly clapped for the team which started the crowd up again. Ruby was blushing furiously and beyond control. The group returned down the stairs but a lot quicker than their ascent. "My next statement is regarding the fall of Beacon. We all sadly watched that televised horror prior to the CCT tower breaking our connection with the other countries." Holly decided to sit down on the edge of the stage. She smoothed her skirt down as she sat. "In that time, we saw the attacks from Grimm and the White Fang against innocent civilians." Some members of the crowd murmured uncomfortably at the mention of the White Fang. "Since then, Mistral has seen a rise in discriminatory actions against the Faunus and it's just not right! I wanted to sit here today and tell you that everything is fine and dandy, but that's just a lie. I exercise a specific privilege to be here before you today. I figured it best to actually say something seeing as how I've become a public figure myself." She turned to look at the others on the stage and they walked over towards her. As they approached, they separated to stand on both sides of Holly. "My parents have deliberated with the council long and hard about this and we've all come to an agreement that saying something is better than nothing at all! I promise you here and now that a third of my earnings here tonight will be donated towards Faunus shelters located in Mistral and working towards stopping Faunus discrimination!" The crowd applauded her.

Holly looked out towards the team and they just stared in response. They weren't sure what to say at all. Holly smiled and Ruby halfheartedly smiled in return.

"This sounds good," Nora said to Ren. "But something doesn't feel right to me."

"Me neither," Ren said. "Let's hope that what we've witnessed tonight is true goodness."

Ruby looked towards her friends and her eyebrows came together in thought. Why would Holly wait until after introducing them to make a speech that's honestly more important? This didn't sit right with her. She just hoped that Ren was right. Otherwise, things were going to get complicated.