"Aaaand the winner by knockout is Blake Belladonna!"

The man's voice was muffled, but loud enough to make Yang crack open her eyes.

Yang's vision went in and out, with her ears ringing and her head pounding. She spat out her mouthguard into her hand, finally unclenching her jaw. Using the back of her glove, she wiped the sweat trickling down her forehead and chin. It was only when she finally had enough strength to push herself into a sitting position that she realized cameras weren't focused on her anymore.

From every direction, flashes came into view as the referee held Blake's hand up in victory. Her chest was still heaving, but she held her head up high. Within seconds, her crew swarmed the ring to congratulate her and hype her up with hair ruffles and shouts of glee.

Biting the inside of her cheek, Yang turned away and stepped off of the platform. When she reached her father and uncle, Tai scratched the back of his head, searching for something to say. But Yang felt compelled to speak up first after that messy show of a fight.

"I'm sor —"

"You did good." He gave her shoulder a firm squeeze. "Let's… let's try again another day."

Yang half-smiled. "More training on Wednesdays?"

That was the least she'd assume. If leveling up meant having to face more difficult opponents like Blake, she had to work harder. She knew she could do better and train harder. She wanted to go through with it. She was just waiting for Tai to say the words.

But he shook his head. "On the contrary, I think you should get some rest. That sounds like the best option for now."

"But —"

"Allow yourself some rest." His voice was stern, but at the same time, gentle. It was his way of letting her know that he was only thinking of what was best for her, and any complaints she had would fall on deaf ears. She was not allowed to push herself to her limit. As if that would make things magically better.

It didn't make sense to her at all, as now was the perfect time to throw herself at the gym. She'd just experienced getting trashed for the first time; she was still sour. It was a good opportunity for her to really improve herself. This wasn't the time to slack off and 'rest'. She couldn't afford that when there were probably news articles about the fall of The Golden Dragon — when her defeat was recorded and spread all over the media for all of Remnant to see.

But with the aching in her muscles and the heavy feeling in her chest...

Maybe he was onto something.

Yang hesitantly nodded and handed her mouthguard over to Qrow.

"Atta girl." Tai ruffled her hair and gave her a tight squeeze. "Also, remember we still have to buy ice cream later! You and Ruby look like you deserve a little bit of mint chocolate in your life."

Qrow and Yang both squirmed.

"I think the kids and I will take care of the flavors, thank you."

Tai scoffed, before walking away with a journalist who seemed too eager to come over and ask Yang some questions. "I've got this covered," he told the man as he led the way.

They'd learned early on how much the media loved to twist things for some easy cash. A misleading title or two, a short interview taken out of context, and they were making a living out of ruining someone else's life.

Yeah, no thanks.

"I'm gonna go change," she informed her uncle.

"Alright, just take it easy, kiddo." Qrow gave her a relaxed smile. "You did good tonight."

Yang didn't know how true their words of reassurance were, but it did well on helping her lose the tension on her shoulders.

On her way to remove her gear, Yang stumbled upon a familiar face, making her eyes widen in alert. Both girls stopped in their tracks, quickly breaking eye contact and looking in different directions. What was even the appropriate response here? A nod? A scowl?

When she turned around, Blake's hand was already extended towards her. For a moment, she just stared at it, until the gears started spinning in her head. Yang returned the gesture out of politeness, but had her eyes focused on the ground. She couldn't quite look at her just yet.

"That was a good fight."

Yang bit her lip. Good fight? For you, maybe. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes right then, and when it became apparent that she'd been shaking Blake's hand for too long, she pulled away and apologized. "Oh uh, yeah… good fight."

Leaning down a bit, Blake checked on Yang when she still refused to make eye contact. Ever since the end of their match, she seemed to be out of it, making her worried. She seemed upset, but mostly in disbelief. "Are you doing alright?"

With the apparent concern in Blake's eyes, Yang realized that she'd been acting weird this entire time. She couldn't fall apart now that cameras were still all over the place. She couldn't look pathetic moping like that.

It was just one match, she reminded herself. Her career wasn't going to crash and burn just yet. After reassuring herself, she was brought back to her usual composure.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just…" Yang chuckled. "You pack a good punch, you know that?"

Blake raised an eyebrow. "You speak as if you don't."

"Oh?" Yang pointed at her nose which, nearly half an hour later, seemed to be glowing red. "I'm sure whatever I did doesn't beat this."

Blake visibly relaxed after hearing her opponent's laugh. She felt more loose, more comfortable. That was a good sign. Offering a smile of her own, she decided to throw a jab at her. "Well, I'm sorry, Rudolph. But is this what you're talking about?" She turned her head, showing how her cheek had turned a dark purple — a result from Yang's panic in the third round. "You nearly had me there."

Yang laughed at the silly nickname, but she was more focused on that last comment. What did she mean by that? Had she been close to actually beating her? When the silence between the two stretched out, Yang shook her head. There was no need to fret about that now. This was just an exhibition match. Next time, she'll get her. She'd lost now, but…

During the fight, Blake genuinely looked dead-tired. Not to mention she did a bad show of hiding her eagerness to finish the match earlier. She'd been just as panicked as Yang, if not more.

She glanced at Blake and drew her conclusion.

A fluke. That must've been it. Either way, she was an interesting opponent.

"I look forward to fighting you again in a real match."

"Yeah? Are you doing anything this Saturday?" Blake asked, her ears perking. "Maybe we could train together at the gym."

Saturday… that was a few days from now and Yang didn't have anything planned. Right before she could say anything though, her dad's voice went off at the back of her head. Get some rest.

Yang's eyes glanced over to where Tai was still talking to the journalist.

It wouldn't hurt to have one session this week. Also! This was a good opportunity to study her opp — her new friend, Blake! Yes. This was the perfect plan. She was a smart girl with smart ideas.

Yang shook her hand eagerly. "Sure, that sounds great!"

From a distance, a loud, high-pitched voice reached their ears.

"YAAAANG!" Ruby stumbled into view and paused beside Yang to catch her breath. "Are you good?"

"I'm alright," Yang answered, locking her into a hug and ruffling her hair.

"Ewww! You're all gross and sweaty!" She complained as she struggled against Yang's hold. She looked like she was having the worst time of her life, while Yang was having the best. Damn latte.

When Blake smiled at the two, Yang spoke up.

"Ruby. My sister," she said, before nodding at her new friend. "Ruby, this is Blake."

"Nice to… meet you…!" she struggled to say, since talking in the middle of a chokehold wasn't exactly her strong suit. Once she'd broken free from the hold, she sought refuge behind Blake and whispered. "A little bit of advice: I hope you're not thinking of befriending her."

"Oh? And what if I am?"

"She gets weirder here on out," Ruby deadpanned.

Seeing as Blake appeared to be convinced by her sister, Yang objected, stomping her foot. "Rude! I'm just the right amount of weird."

In response, Ruby simply inhaled and clasped her hands. "You put on a sock and one shoe, then one sock and another shoe."

"Your point?"

"Nobody does that!"

Blake chuckled when the two stuck their tongues out at each other. Something about the interaction reminded her of why she wished she had siblings. Playful banter 24/7, fighting over food, racing to the bathroom — all the good stuff. The closest she'd ever experienced to having a sibling was spending her summers with her childhood friend Velvet Scarlatina.

But she'd hardly been able to see her friend for a while now. She'd missed that feeling… But now, with the rowdy pair of siblings in front of her, she couldn't help but smile as she realized the relationship she had with her old friend might not be so far from reach after all.

"I'm sure Yang and I can settle our differences."

"Yeah, in fact, Blake and I are going to the gym this weekend." Yang boasted, folding her arms across her chest. "Wanna join us? It'll be fun!"

Ruby squirmed when both sets of eyes turned her way, waiting for an answer. "Ehh… I dunno. I'm kinda busy, so —"

"Blake! I've been looking all over for you!" A voice called out.

The three of them turned around as a short girl with white hair walked over to them, hands on her hips.

"Sorry, I was just talking to Yang and Ruby here," she said.

"Your little sister?" Yang teased when the girl stood next to Blake, a whole head shorter.

"Weiss Schnee. I'm her coach." She huffed, eyeing Yang down. Without waiting for a response, she turned to Blake. "Unfortunately, we're running on a tight schedule, so I'm afraid you're gonna have to say goodbye to Ms. Rudolph and Santa over here."

Rudolph…

Yang covered her nose.

Santa…

Ruby tugged on her red hoodie.

Seeing how the two sisters' demeanors did a complete 180, crushed by Weiss' comment, Blake hid a smile with her hand. Her best friend could be a bit much at times, really. She was a bit sassy, but she hoped Yang and Ruby didn't take her words to heart.

"I'll see you on Saturday then?" she directed at Yang, who was still fussing over her nose.

"Yeah! It'll be just us though, since Ruby is busy —"

"—busy preparing for our weekly training session! Which I will attend. This Saturday." Ruby coughed into her hand, after finishing Yang's sentence for her as quickly as she could.

Yang squinted her eyes. Didn't she just say she was occupied? What's even fishier was that she never showed any interest in assisting Yang before. She usually dragged her feet there and complained the entire time. What's the catch, Yang thought.

Then she followed Ruby's gaze.

Yang nearly had a stroke.

Really, Rubes? The Schnee?

"Okay, so I guess we're all going!" Yang cheered, rubbing her hands together.

"See you at… 7AM?" Blake offered.

"7 sounds great!"

"Great!"

"Spectacular!" Ruby cut in between the two. She regretted it instantly when three sets of eyes stared at her.

"Nice to see you getting excited." Blake smiled at her, then nodded at Yang. "I'll see you guys."

They waved each other off and watched the two exit the arena. When Yang noticed a silly grin on her sister's face, she nudged her on the shoulder.

"Alright, Santa, start the car while I change." She dropped the car keys in her hands. "Dad says we're getting ice cream."

"Aww yeah! Maybe today isn't so bad after all." Ruby bit her tongue as soon as the words left her mouth. She hadn't had the opportunity to talk about the elephant in the room since she'd caught her talking with Blake. She couldn't tell if her sister was actually okay or not. It was always hard to read Yang.

"Hey… I just want to ask again, if you don't mind," Ruby started. " Are you really alright?"

For a brief moment, Yang only looked at her, almost as if she was deciding whether or not to answer honestly. Seconds passed by, before she cracked herself up with a laugh.

"Geez, you think too much. Of course, I'm alright!" For safe measure, she explained further. "It's just an exhibition match, Rubes. It's not counted."

"Oh… that's good then! I'll go start the car."

Without looking back, Ruby made her way through the crowded exit, bumping into an endless stream of strangers.

This used to be her favorite part of Yang's fights. The night air was cool and her stomach would grumble, knowing they'd drive by a restaurant to have their own little celebration later on. Not to mention, she could tell the people were still exhilarated, the thrill of the fight still living in their bones.

People used to be up and about, chanting The Golden Dragon's name. They used to wave their banners to show off their support. The whole night, it was lively and festive. Now though…

It was like a funeral procession.

They were like a horde of zombies, staggering on their way out. There was no spark of energy in anyone. A few had their heads hung low, some were shouting into their phones, explaining their displeasure with how the fight just went.

No one was chanting or holding up a bright yellow banner.

Instead, all around her was a mixture of drowned out complaints.

"Can you believe I canceled my appointment for this?"

"I told you we should've just stayed at home."

"How could she lose to that faunus girl?"

"Worst fight I've ever seen."

Before she could completely drown in the negativity, Ruby found herself in the parking lot. Lazily, she walked back to Yang's car and plopped down inside.

She knew Yang was strong and all. She was her big sister, she was a fighter — a tough one at that. But things were changing for them, much faster than either of them would like. Ruby with her shop, Yang with her fame.

She had to really wonder...

Was her sister going to be fine?

Ruby's eyes helplessly wandered back to the arena.

Were either of them going to be fine?

It wasn't often that Yang needed an alarm. She, more or less, already had her body clock conditioned to wake up at specific times. It was very handy when she needed to attend important occasions and events. This was a result of having a little sister she used to cook breakfast for. Not only that, but waking Ruby up in the morning was already a task in and of itself. Because of that, Yang had gotten used to sleeping and waking up early, knowing someone was counting on her, so why…?

Why was Ruby rummaging through her house in the middle of the night?

"Ruby...? What time is it?" she slurred out while rubbing her eyes to see clearer. Right beside her bed, in the dimly-lit room, Yang could barely make out the silhouette of her sister going through her gym bag. When she turned on the lamp, she froze in place. The light revealed Ruby to be stuffing her bag with… junk food?

"What are you doing?"

Carefully, Ruby snuck in what seemed to be a chocolate bar into the gym bag, as if moving slow enough would make Yang unable to see her.

"Uhh, what is that?"

Puffing her chest out, Ruby showcased the chocolate bar next to her, like she was some kind of businessman offering Yang a new product.

"Snipers!" she said. "Because you're not you when you're hungry."

Yang pinched the bridge of her nose. It was too early for this. She could barely process whether this was a dream or not. Wait… what time was it again? Leaning against her headrest, she reached for her phone and turned it on to see… IT WAS 5 AM. Son las cinco.

With a heavy sigh, she melted back into the comfort of her sheets. Maybe if she closed her eyes and let her sister be, then she could get some shut-eye. She needed that if she wanted to recover from her previous fight. Days had passed since then, and she'd already rested plenty. Although she was pushing it by having a secret training session without her dad. He'd told her to take the week off and catch her breath, but it would've been a waste to decline Blake's offer.

And so, off she went back to sleep. But then —

"Yang, we're gonna be late!"

In a panic, Yang fumbled for her phone to check the time once more. Only then did she realize… barely a minute had passed. Without wasting a second, she threw a lumpy pillow that Ruby caught with her face. She grabbed a second pillow, until…

Yang caught a sniff of a fresh batch of pancakes. In an instant, memories of their childhood flooded in. Running in the rain, listening to dad's stories, long walks in the forest. Yang blinked several times in reminiscence, before lowering her pillow.

"You made breakfast?"

"Sure did!" Ruby dropped the pillow onto her lap, then lifted Yang's gym bag for her to see. It was filled to the max, the zipper barely holding the items in place. In her eyes, it looked like a ticking time bomb more than anything. "I packed your stuff for later, too!"

A soft smile crept its way across Yang's face.

She's hopeless.

Still in her pajamas, she scooched over and sat next to Ruby to give her a hug. "Good morning, Rubes."

Confused, Ruby awkwardly patted her back. "Uh, good morning? Now, hurry! We can't be —"

"Late, I know. I'm gonna take a shower first." She stood up and grabbed a towel from her closet. "You think you can relax for a bit while I'm gone?"

"Roger that!" Ruby said with a salute.

The wait wasn't that long — not when Ruby had a whole 300 pages to read of Boxer Jokes 101. 'Why does she need that?' you might ask. Well, have you ever been to the first day of school? Of course you have. There's always been that dreaded period when you didn't know anyone, right? In order to solve this dilemma, teachers came up with a solution.

"Tell us your name and one fun fact about you."

Ruby hated that question. She didn't care that 'hate' was a strong word — she hated it, period. She never knew how to answer that question, which resulted in her not being able to make friends until near the end of the semester. And it was ridiculous! Why would anyone judge a person through a first impression? But now, with Boxer Jokes 101, she'll be able to start a conversation for only 50 percent off! What a bargain!

"Whatcha readin' there?"

"A secret tool that will help us later," Ruby mumbled mostly to herself when Yang snuck up from behind her.

Her sister only laughed in response while drying her hair with a towel. It wasn't her fault she wasn't as good as Yang at the art of human interaction. She'd sell her soul just to find out how Yang had once managed to start a conversation about paper clips with strangers.

Ruby had lost 100 lien and a bit of her pride that day.

Once the sisters finished their meal and were ready to go, they made their way to Oum's Heart Gym. It was a small gym at the center of town, and it was run by a kind man in his early thirties. Yang didn't know if it was because of the nostalgia or the vibe from the place itself, but she couldn't imagine going to a different place for her workouts.

Next to the entrance, there was a cardboard cutout of a cartoonish flame flexing its biceps. Written in bold letters were the words "Feel the burn!" Yang was particularly fond of seeing their mascot every time she visited.

When she and Ruby entered, a man with a solid black V-neck greeted them with a genuine smile; one that never got old.

"Williams or Eraserheads?" he asked from the counter.

Yang chuckled, placing her bag on a bench. "I feel like Eraserheads today."

"Eraserheads coming right up."

Oh yeah, she and Mr. Oum had the same taste for music, so that was a bonus for sure.

A few taps on his phone, then there was the sound of an acoustic guitar accompanied by a set of drums. And that was it; that was their go-to routine.

Maybe that's why she couldn't tear herself away from here. Yang had grown accustomed to the place, basically spending most of her childhood here. She had the layout memorized like the back of her hand. Not only that, but the silly motivational posters had grown on her, despite their torn up edges and overall worn-down appearance.

Closing her eyes and taking a big inhale, she was ready to start the day. With no sign of Blake, she decided to get a head start on warmups. A few stretches of upper and lower body, and she was set.

"Ruby." She did a punching motion, and Ruby took this as her cue to get off the bench.

On her way to the ring, she carried two sets of gloves and handwraps. Yang's were regular boxing gloves, bright yellow adorned with midnight black. Ruby's were focus pads; they were like giant mittens with extra foam to protect her from Yang's incoming punches.

It was an efficient way to practice her aim and her speed.

Both girls raised their fists, guarding their face from the other. First to strike was Yang with a left jab followed by her right hand. It was a quick one-two, one-two motion — similar to how a gun would recoil after each shot. As soon as her fist made contact with the mitts, she pulled it back in place to keep her defense tight.

With each punch, she pushed Ruby back a step, then another, and another.

For a second, she spotted a glint in her sister's eyes. She had that look whenever she had mischief in mind, and Yang already knew how to act accordingly. When she caught sight of Ruby aiming for her stomach, she'd dodged entirely. Once more, she landed a counter on the mitts, forcing her sister to focus on defense.

On any other day, Ruby would've been thrown off by the counterattack, but she had been surprisingly improving her reaction time. Not only that, but her instinct was becoming more precise, guiding her when and where to strike. If she'd been taught more than the basics, she'd be able to surpass most of the amateurs Yang had fought in the past. But if you asked Yang right now, as a training buddy, Ruby was already qualified enough.

"Not bad." Yang smiled. "You're getting better."

"Yeah, well, last time you almost sent me to the dentist."

"That was an accident! I would never hurt my baby sis on purpose, you know that."

"Unless it's for the mystery prize of the limited edition Pumpkin Pete cereal, yeah, you wouldn't," Ruby joked.

Growing up, Ruby and Yang had different interests. Except for this one! Their father never understood their obsession with it. To him, it was just a tiny Pyrrha action figure, but it was basically gold for any kid who got their hands on it. They'd begged for him to purchase an entire aisle of goods, but he only got two boxes.

Who would've thought one of those would be the winning box?

And so, chaos ensued.

T'was a dark day for their family. Luckily, the fire department came over just in time. To this day, the prize is hidden somewhere in their old house.

"That was a decade ago!" Yang retorted before lowering her voice, as if their dad was around. "He totally hid it under one of the roof tiles."

"My guess was between the walls, but we should check both just in case."

"Yeah! So I can finally reclaim my prize."

Ruby stared at her.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! We can split half."

"You know we're old enough to buy our own, right?" The sisters laughed, knowing full well they had to settle this one day. With less fire hopefully.

At that moment, the door clicked and welcomed two new customers. Both followed a monochrome pattern, with one in a loose shirt and shorts, and the other in a coach uniform. For better mobility, they had neat ponytails keeping their hair in place.

"Blake, over here!" Yang waved for her.

Immediately, Blake spotted the sisters at the ring and nodded at Weiss to join her. Like Yang, the two performed their sets of stretches before stationing themselves on the other side of the ring.

"Did you guys wait long?" Blake asked while putting on her gloves.

"Nope!" was Yang's cheery response. "We just started, don't worry."

Blake was happy to hear that. Lines to coffee shops were filled during this time of the day, but caffeine was pretty high on Weiss' hierarchy of needs. As she turned to her best friend, she noticed the very obvious and very skeptical glance she was aiming towards Ruby.

Oh boy, what is it this time…

"How often do you go to the gym?" Weiss asked.

Ruby, still holding her hands up for Yang to throw punches at, looked at the ceiling for answers. "Eh, I'll say… maybe every other day? Sometimes I'm busy at the shop though, so…"

Hearing this, Yang missed by a mile and accidentally punched Ruby's arm. She let out a startled 'Ow!' as she rubbed her elbow, but Yang couldn't handle the urge to laugh at the blatant lie.

"Sorry, sorry." She lowered her voice and had a smirk plastered to her face. "Every other day, huh?"

While the two had another round of their usual shenanigans, Blake watched her friend return to her side, still eyeing the sisters down. It took quite a lot of convincing to make Weiss join, but she finally agreed at the promise of a ticket to see… A Woof's Purpose. She'd muttered something about how it was the closest thing she could have to ever owning a dog because as a coach, she had a tight schedule which prevented her from being able to raise a healthy 'son'.

Yes, that was the word she used. Blake nearly spat out her drink at the time. The very recollection of that memory almost sent her into another laughing fit. She could just picture Weiss in a nursery room filled with toddler toys… carrying a full-grown pug in her arms.

Just as she had that thought, she turned to Weiss, who'd already thrown a rocket punch her way.

Even with a limited time to process the attack, Blake was able to dodge. With a quick jab, she was able to make some distance between her and her opponent.

Unfazed, Weiss charged, throwing a flurry of punches, all of which Blake perfectly avoided. It looked more like she was playing one of those dance games at the arcade than anything. This girl had her footwork down to a T; that much was evident. They could barely see any changes in her expression either, making her all the more threatening.

Sometimes putting up a determined front could decide the winner of a match. Boxers who kept stoic expressions and never let their opponents grasp the thoughts behind their eyes were fearsome foes. They had the ability to make others feel small, doubtful — and hesitation had no place in the ring. Yang learned that much.

While the two were sparring, Yang slid next to her bag and pulled out a pencil and a notebook. Taking her gloves off, she started making quick sketches to capture the scene in front of her. It wasn't stealing or cheating… technically. On the contrary, it was a devilishly brilliant plan. Think of it this way: it was like memorizing the secret combination to defeat the final boss.

At least that's what she thought she was doing. Soon her hand moved on its own, slowing down to carefully entail more of Blake's features instead of her actions. Maybe a minute or two passed, but she didn't notice. She was too focused, drawn in by the girl's beauty.

Her eyes were fixated on Blake's, golden yellows blinking and analyzing the fight at hand. They contrasted so well with the dark hair that moved freely behind her ponytail whenever she shifted from side to side.

It was too late for Yang. As more seconds passed by, she found it harder to escape and drop her pencil. Her only hope was that no one would noti—

Weiss coughed.

"Right." Yang forced a smile, slapping her pencil down. "I almost forgot Santa's little helper was here."

Weiss raised an eyebrow at the snobby response. "Excuse me? What are you doing?"

"Nothing you should be worried about."

Sensing the commotion, Blake walked up to them and spotted herself on the notebook. "Hey, that's a nice drawing."

Yang's eyes widened at the compliment, momentarily looking flushed. "You think so?" she asked before handing the sketch over.

"Yeah! It's really — why are my ears disfigured?"

"I can't draw cat ears."

Blake burst into giggles. The 'ears' looked more like wrinkly Doritos than anything, but everything else looked stunning.

"I suppose I was always the artist of the family," Ruby chimed in, feeling pretty proud of herself. "Tell her, Yang."

"Oh definitely. If she wasn't drawing, she was tinkering with weird stuff at home," Yang said. "Ruby's favorite toy was her scythe!"

"You gave me a plastic banana taped to a bat!"

This time, it was Weiss' turn to stifle her laughter. The utter frustration in Ruby's voice, not to mention the pink hue of her face, and the visualization of a small child swinging a banana bat — it was all too much for her.

When Yang sent her a knowing look, she dropped the face immediately.

"Emergency meeting." Weiss pulled Blake back to their corner, keeping her voice low. "Out of all the boxers you could've befriended, you just had to pick her."

"What? She seems nice." Blake took a peek behind Weiss and caught sight of a cheerful Yang waving at her. "See? And you have to admit, she's really pretty."

Weiss snorted and crossed her arms. "I'd say her sister has more charm."

"Oh?"

"Blake!"

Did she say charming? She'd meant tolerable.

Dropping the teasing tone, Blake picked up her water bottle and rested her elbow against the ropes. "You haven't made any friends since you got here. You should try talking to them."

"Yeah! And we can do karaoke and have sleepovers and we can go rollerblading towards the sunset!"

There was a beat.

"This is why you don't have friends." Blake sent her a look before taking a gulp of her drink.

Weiss shrunk at the implication of her comment, suddenly wondering if their friendship had been one-sided this whole time. She had her eyebrows furrowed together while looking back and forth between Blake and the floor.

"Well… I have you, don't I?" she asked as though she were a kid requesting for confirmation on the status of their friendship.

Blake spat her water out like a fountain on laughing gas.

"Oh for crying out loud!"

From the other side of the ring, Ruby and Yang couldn't hear a thing, save for Blake's sudden outburst. She was hunched over, one hand spilling water everywhere and the other clutching her stomach.

"What do you think they're laughing about?" Ruby asked.

"Banana Rose."

"Yang!"

"Ohhh she's coming our way. Act naturally."

"Wait, who?"

Ruby's question was answered when she heard the person behind her ask, "May I speak with you?"

She'd turned to see it was Weiss, who didn't appear to be happy about the situation. In fact, she looked annoyed, like she'd been forced to talk to her. But who was she to assume that? Maybe Weiss was just the type who physically didn't know how to smile.

"Sure…?"

She followed Weiss to their own corner, while Yang and Blake sent her a thumbs up and paired up by themselves. Ruby had no idea what brought this on, but she wasn't about to complain.

"Your form is all wrong," Weiss scolded.

Ruby wanted to complain.

"I'll keep this short, miss…?" Weiss held her hand out.

"Rose. Ruby Rose."

"Well, Ruby, I will put it plainly," she began. "You look like a shrimp who works a 9 to 5 job."

"Oh?"

"At the call center."

"Oh."

"Come on, stomach in, chest out," Weiss instructed. Ruby followed, looking pretty awkward and wobbly, like she wasn't used to it. But that was as good a start as any. "I suppose that will have to do for now. Show me your fighting stance."

It took Ruby a good amount of time to remember what a boxer stance was before she lowered her knees and raised her fists. You know how your body forgets every ounce of artistic skill you've ever had when someone watches you draw over your shoulder? Well, it was kinda like that. She'd been taught the basics so she thought she did alright, but the stare Weiss gave her said otherwise.

The coach moved closer to her and adjusted her limbs as necessary. With her foot, she pushed Ruby's leg back to extend the gap between her legs. She held her hands, momentarily pausing. "Righty or lefty?"

"Lefty."

Weiss then placed Ruby's left hand next to her chin, leaving the other fist up front to serve as her protection. Once the upper and lower body were set, she took a step back to inspect their progress. Again, it was… something.

"How do I look?"

"You look like you're about to mug my Nana Schnee."

"Would I win?"

"No, she'd kick your butt just in time before supper."

"Harsh."

Weiss chuckled at the very idea, but there was not an ounce of exaggeration in her words. That woman could crush you with her biceps and she'd think you two were just hugging. Must be from all the morning exercise and the oatmeal, Weiss thought. She'd jokingly suggested adding that to Blake's diet once, but she only rolled her eyes. Jokes on her, because Weiss was going to live to a hundred.

"This is called an orthodox stance. Your dominant side is hidden, while your weaker side is placed on the front," she explained. "If you switch them, it turns into a southpaw stance."

"Is there a reason behind that?" Ruby asked, suddenly interested in the topic.

"Well, your weaker hand is there to prioritize defense and quick jabs. The source of your main attacks should come from your stronger hand. If you place it farther back, it has more of a racing start to really pack a punch. Are we good?" she asked before continuing.

Ruby nodded.

"Okay so, here's the fun part." This time, Weiss had a huge smile on her face, like she was about to ramble about her favorite topic. Ruby made sure to show her enthusiasm in whatever Weiss had to say. "Right-handed southpaw boxers have an advantage over orthodox fighters, because they're not used to the mirrored stance. It leaves them vulnerable to attacks and with less openings for counter attacks. But since you're already left-handed, that's like, double the bonus for you!"

"Sweet!"

On the opposite side of the ring, Yang and Blake were getting to know each other more. As far as they knew, they had one thing in common now: they both liked the misery of others. Weiss and Ruby's, specifically.

"You did not just tell her that."

"Oh, but I did," Blake said. "She has to make friends sooner or later, and by the looks of it, they seem to be getting along pretty well."

Yang could hardly believe her eyes, but she was right. Ruby looked so natural standing next to Weiss. Her face softened into a smile as she watched the two share a laugh. Maybe losing to Blake wasn't so bad if it gave them this new opportunity… Just a few days ago, she thought she wouldn't be able to hear that laugh again, and Yang feared that more than anything. But as of now, she found it easier to breathe knowing her defeat wasn't all for nothing.

That doesn't mean she's gonna lose a second time though.

"You up for a round?" Blake offered, a slight curl in her lips. "Just you and me."

Yang really hoped her dad would buy that she and Ruby were out fishing right now, or she was gonna be in huge trouble. A secret training session was one thing, a surprise rematch with her latest opponent was another.

"Promise to go easy on me for now?"

Blake tilted her head, even looking up and placing a hand on her chin to make it look like she was weighing her options. "I'll think about it."

Then, their banter took the form of a sparring match. Powerful punches were exchanged, avoided, and slammed across each other's faces. Both were too eager, testing each other to see how far their limit would go. They would've gone at that pace for as much as they desired, but a stern look from Weiss brought them back to Remnant.

Don't push it, her eyes said.

Obediently, Blake toned it down as well as Yang. They weren't looking forward to a scolding from both their coaches today.

"Wanna join me next month to see what I can really do?"

"What happens by then?" Yang asked.

"Just another match. I could use some support," Blake answered with a wink.

Maybe it was just the exhaustion, but Yang had to shake her head to make sure she wasn't seeing things. These days, she's had to do a double take on everything she sees and hears. Some nights, she could hear an echo of the referee counting down to zero, the crowd crying out in a mixture of rage and desperation to wake her up. Some nights, all she saw were amber eyes staring back at her.

Now that another opportunity presents itself, who was she to say no?

Boxer Jokes 101:

"I'm surprised you don't know these techniques already."

"Well, I'm not exactly a fighter." Ruby stepped out of the ring and walked back to their bench. "But I am something of a pro-boxer myself," she said while lifting a cardboard box.

"Did your sister just carry an empty box to the gym for that joke?" Blake asked.

Yang sucked in a breath. "You are so bad at this."