August and September haven't been kind to me, so thank you for being patient. Anyway, here's the long-awaited WR chapter!

Hot. It was so damn hot. Maybe she should've brought an umbrella for this godforsaken heat… or maybe she should've locked the door and pretended to be asleep when she heard Yang's car park outside. It wouldn't have been convincing, given that it was late in the afternoon, but she could've tried.

Before she could scramble off of her bed and pretend to have been awake the entire time, Yang had already waltzed in with bags of groceries for tonight's sleepover, which was great! Free food, right? Wrong.

"Say, Ruby…"

"Don't."

"Don't what? I was just gonna say that I —"

"'Left my gloves at the gym,'" Ruby finished for her.

"But I really forgot them this time! And I need to clean them for proper maintenance. Boxing gloves don't just fall out of the sky."

Ruby wished they did, so they could all land on Yang's stupid head. She thought she was some kind of genius, sending Ruby out for 'quests'. Well, she wasn't slick. Ruby knew they were just blatant excuses to make her go outside and socialize, but she'd already been doing that! Sometimes an old lady at the supermarket asks for her help to grab something on a high shelf; surely that counts for something.

Yang didn't need to ask her to retrieve her gloves 500 times a week in hopes of bumping into someone and making a new friend… or more. Yang added that last part with a suggestive smirk, but the likelihood of that happening was almost laughable.

Walking into the gym and picking up the gloves from the locker, Ruby made a quick turn and was ready to show Yang the fruitless results of today's quest.

Although, today proved to be more promising than she thought, because next to the boxing ring was practically a massive event flag waving at her. There, alone on a bench, sat Weiss Schnee, tapping her foot restlessly.

"Weiss! I didn't expect to see you here," Ruby said, hopping over and taking a seat.

Stitching her eyebrows together, Weiss answered, "You're telling me you didn't expect to see a coach… at the gym?"

"Yeah, that wasn't one of my best entrances…" Ruby laughed awkwardly.

Right. She was a coach, and coaches were supposed to be at the gym. Like how Ruby was a mechanic that was supposed to be at her workshop and not embarrassing herself. If only school had taught them how to make friends, Ruby would've learned one useful piece of knowledge. Then again, she didn't pay much attention in classes because she was probably drawing an eye.

Maybe she did need some pointers from Yang…

She was saved from her blunder by the abrupt ringing of Weiss' phone, and the girl immediately tensed up under Ruby's curious gaze. She reverted to her usual self, guarded and restrained, almost annoyed by the persistent person on the other side of the line. Finally, she set it to silent, but left it unanswered like she had before.

Ruby caught a glance before Weiss could flip her phone away from view. It didn't have a contact name, which brought her to a simple conclusion.

"Scam callers, huh? You can just block them," she said. "I learned my lesson when one of them scammed me into buying fifty pairs of underwear."

Weiss chuckled. "I wish it was a scam call."

"Who is it then?" she asked, watching as Weiss' smile dropped.

The question was so simple. Who was it? She didn't even know where to begin. After fretting for several days straight, she thought she'd be able to gather her thoughts by now. But with so many anxieties tugging at her heart, her mind became clouded and that made it all the more difficult to come up with a solution.

How pathetic was that?

She was supposed to be the strategist. She was supposed to know better. Today, she was supposed to prove all of that and more — she can take care of herself and her decisions, whatever they may be, they were going to be hers alone. Additionally, she'd made up her mind that she would settle this in the morning, but she'd only been avoiding the issue entirely by convincing herself she needed a walk around town to clear her mind. But by the time she realized she'd been procrastinating, she'd already mindlessly wandered off into this place again.

What was she even doing here…? Why was she at the gym? In Vale?

She'd asked herself that countless times, out loud in front of a mirror. And everyday, she woke up with the answer becoming more of a blur that was harder to decipher than the previous day. Just thinking about it now… the events that led her to this situation... she couldn't make sense of it all.

Weiss turned to Ruby, her captivating silver eyes intent on drawing her attention back to the present. It was just a single question: 'Who?' All she had to do was start there, and Ruby would listen.

"My father. He… wants me to return to Atlas, saying it's my last chance to have a place to come home to."

The threat was sent through a plain text — no 'good morning's or 'how are you's — just straight to the point. She figured the consecutive calls from the past few days were his attempts at a final warning. If she didn't pick the phone up soon, he'd have his answer.

But she needed more time to sort things out…

"You ran away?"

"Something like that. He doesn't exactly approve of my career choices. I used to be a boxer myself, so you can only imagine how he'd blown a fuse when he heard news of me quitting to train Blake Belladonna, The Shadow Boxer. And that's why…" she trailed off before pointing at her phone.

It was funny in an ironic sense. When she leaped into the boxing world as a coach, she did so without an ounce of hesitation. No question about it, Weiss was confident that it was the right thing to do that she went so far as to bet her whole reputation and career into this vision of hers. She was so sure she wouldn't have any regrets either.

But being presented with her father's threat… it made her feel small. Like always, he could make her feel inadequate and insecure with just a few words. It was irritating. She was an adult; she shouldn't be feeling this way anymore.

The name Jacques Schnee shouldn't bother her so much she'd constantly be sent into a downwards spiral of emotions, yet anything that resembled him… it frightened her too much. At one point, she didn't even feel safe at her own home. Going outside used to be such a hassle, she'd live off of deliveries or whatever meal Blake would share with her.

Thousands of miles away, and he still had that much control over her.

It was exhausting.

After a few months of silence, she'd worked up the courage to step outside again. With Blake's help, she was able to feel… safe. She could be herself again. She could make new friends. Why did he have to show up when, for once, things were looking up for her?

Any problem she dealt with as of late, she could resolve after cleaning her house. It calmed her nerves and gave her ample time to think things through. But the threat of being locked away from what she used to consider her home, never seeing her mother again, never seeing her siblings… nothing seemed to fill in that void, not even the private training sessions that used to make her happy.

A foolish part of her had assumed she'd at least be given the chance to explain herself by the end of it all — the chance to say that she was only doing the right thing. That was the plan.

Despite having been in bad terms with her family, she hadn't meant to leave permanently. Why would she when all she could think of were the happy memories? The longer she stayed in Vale, the more she forgot about all the fighting and the screaming. It made coming back home seem possible, that was, until the text message.

All of a sudden, her perfect world had a large, gashing crack. She wasn't so sure about herself or her decisions anymore. With the bad outweighing the good, she couldn't help but feel cheated.

She had to step back and think: Was training Blake worth it all?

Weiss felt a gentle hand brush against her back.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Ruby said, her shoulders slumping down. When Weiss appeared to appreciate the kind gesture, she let her hand rest on her shoulder.

She didn't want Weiss to leave; she'd just made friends! And she finally warmed up to Yang, too. It would suck big time if she were to go home now. It didn't even look like she wanted to.

"What brings you here?" Weiss quickly changed the topic.

Ruby took that as a sign that Weiss already had enough on her mind and didn't want to talk about the issue anymore. Looking down at the golden gloves in her lap, she could almost hear two puzzle pieces clicking together as her eyes widened.

"I'm here to train!"

Weiss snorted. "You?"

"Whaaaat? Don't believe me?"

"Oh, I believe you," Weiss said, unable to resist the urge to snicker while observing the lumps from Ruby's hoodie. "You look like you could use a lot of the training."

Perfect. Or, well, ouch. But that was exactly the response she'd been waiting for. Everything was going according to the plan. It was a bit of a spur-of-the-moment plan, but that's what Ruby was best at. Always unpredictable and spontaneous, sometimes hazardous and stupid, but it all worked out in the end.

"Why don't you show me the ropes then, coach?" Ruby quipped, nudging Weiss with her elbow.

"Oh, you'll be seeing a lot of the ropes — hugging them in fact," she answered just as quickly, welcoming Ruby's attempt at humoring her to temporarily forget about the bigger issue at hand.

"Maaaaybe the sparring could wait, but the basics could be a good start!"

"Hmm, I suppose I could show you some moves," Weiss said thoughtfully, her focus on the equipment in Ruby's lap. "But you have to use gloves your size, because those are definitely not yours."

"Right! These are Yang's. I'll go get mine."

As she scrambled to return the gloves in Yang's locker, she gave herself a pat on the back. She had no idea what she just got herself into, but it will probably be okay — big emphasis on 'probably'.

...should she contact her dentist for an advanced appointment?

There wasn't much time to mull over the idea as she put together an ensemble that was her boxing gear: shoes, hand wraps, and gloves. The gloves were originally her father's, passed down to Yang, and now to her. In spite of their old age, Ruby acknowledged their history, and so, she took care of them twice as much as Yang did with her own.

Next up was the headgear, but Yang was usually there to assist her while putting it on. Right now, there was no Yang.

"Um…" she glanced at Weiss.

Walking over, Weiss snatched the red item from Ruby's hands. "Here, hold it up to your face."

As the girl followed her instructions, she tied the top into several knots and secured the strap at the back of her head, keeping the headgear in place. After Ruby did the same for her, they went to the ring.

"Let's have a review, shall we? Give me a rundown of what you know and it'll serve as a refresher, then we can go on from there."

Nodding, Ruby set into her stance. She was more comfortable this time, having done this with Weiss before. And apart from that, she's had plenty of training sessions with Yang. She wasn't a complete boxing newbie as most people would assume.

"The most important punch is known as the jab or the number one. It helps you measure the range." With her lead hand, Ruby sent a punch in slow motion before stopping at Weiss' nose. "Then we have a cross — the number two."

It was the same as a jab, but it was done with the rear hand next to her chin and dealt more significant damage. The name was easy to remember since it came from the motion of her fist crossing her body when she charged forward to land a pretend hit on Weiss.

"Three and four are your lead and rear hooks."

She swung her arm into a hook shape and aimed for the jaw, the side of the head, then the lower body.

"Yes, and to increase efficiency, you have to keep your elbow on the same level as your fist," Weiss said, lifting Ruby's elbow so it paralleled the floor.

Nodding, Ruby continued, "Five and six are the lead and rear uppercuts."

Everybody knew what an uppercut was. It was flashy and always a sight to see. It was one of the first moves Yang wanted to learn with Ruby as a kid. By now, she couldn't count how many times they'd practiced this together. She had to go low to charge it up with energy, then as she sprang up with her knees, she smacked the opponent's chin and let her elbow glide against their ribs.

"And the numbers? What are they for?" Weiss asked.

"Combinations. They're all connected to practice combos. Shouting one-two-three would mean a jab, a cross, then a hook."

Not only did Ruby have to deal with numbers at school, all of that chaos she had to take home, too. When they'd first started out sparring, her life (and more importantly, her face) more or less depended on her ability to memorize these codes and integrate them into muscle memory.

Thankfully, that was only a case of the distant past. Currently, she was a combination boss. No more punching bag Ruby and no more having to wear Yang's heart-shaped sunglasses in public. The weird looks were always better than the abrupt 'Eugh!' her classmates would make out of surprise. She couldn't blame them though; most boxing-related injuries only looked worse than they usually were.

"What about defense?" Weiss asked.

"There's blocking, slipping, shoulder rolls —"

"Okay, hold on for a sec. There are different kinds of blocks. You have the catch block, otherwise known as the parry." Slowly, she threw a fist towards Ruby, inviting her to participate in the demonstration. "You shove their gloves away, but you have to wait or else you'll bite on a feint."

She changed the course of her attack, avoiding Ruby's defense before landing a hit on the side of her head.

"You'll leave yourself vulnerable," she said, enjoying the look of admiration from the younger girl.

"Oh yeah, you're so smart, Weiss!"

These were only the basics. Weiss had this knowledge practically coded into her brain as if it were just another one of her body's involuntary movements right next to breathing and blinking. But it was refreshing, much like going back to play with building blocks in a giant playroom after years of writing 10-page essays on her desk.

Seeing Ruby pay attention and nod enthusiastically to every word she spoke was flattering in its own way. It seemed so easy to impress her. She probably already knew the techniques Weiss was repeating for her but played along anyway to cheer her up. Whether or not it was true, it felt genuine… and sweet.

"This is called cover blocking." She raised Ruby's fist beside her head. "You guard the side of your face from hooks, or you form a barrier up front with both hands. The key here is to not lift too high or your body will be defenseless."

"And that's where elbow blocks come in," Ruby added, hugging the sides of her body to protect her ribs.

"Precisely. And now for forearm blocks."

She gestured for Ruby to throw a punch and as she did, Weiss swatted her attacks. The beauty of this move was its application for multipurposes, acting both as a sword and shield. Swatting away Ruby's arm subsequently created a punching lane, and that opening was the chink in a boxer's armor. Rushing forward, she stopped her glove only mere centimeters away from Ruby's face before pulling away.

"When they aim towards your head, swing your hands up. When they aim for the body, point your fist down to flex your arms like —"

"Like this?" Ruby asked, flexing to reveal toned arms that momentarily had Weiss' eyes bulging out of surprise.

"Oh," she said faintly. "Yes, like that… yeah." Coughing into her hand, she continued, "Here's one of my favorites."

Weiss bent her knees before shifting left and right.

"Slipping is used for jabs. Picture it as a fist coming your way in a straight path, also known as the centerline. The goal is to keep your head out of that line, and you do that by bringing your shoulder to your opposite knee."

She motioned for Ruby to extend her arm as if she were to punch Weiss for them to have a clearer visual of the centerline.

"The best way to do a slip is by only bending slightly, so as to maintain your balance and prepare for a counter."

She dipped her head, keeping her eyes locked on Ruby to make sure she's taking in this part of the lesson. Weight placement also played an important role in preparing attacks and movement — it wasn't to be overlooked. If a fighter was unbalanced, they would limit themself both in defense and offense.

"While there's an opening, you can sneak in an opportunity to throw a combo." She fired two jabs. "Bap, bap. Just like that."

While Ruby giggled at the silly sound effects, Weiss silently chided herself but went on with her lesson.

"Next up is another one of my favorites."

"You seem to have a lot of those when it comes to defense," Ruby said with an amused smile.

"Boxing isn't all about throwing punches, you know. I like to think of it as an elegant dance of sorts. You need a little finesse in the mix." To explain further, Weiss sprinkled some invisible glitter with her fingers like she was some kind of chef.

"Really?"

"Yes, it's the type of dance where if they step on you, you get to stomp on their feet twice as hard. And people pay to see it!" she exclaimed

Ruby snickered as she imagined just that — a ballroom filled with people stepping on each other for a competition that was aired on national television.

"That doesn't seem so elegant."

"I suppose… but it is entertaining." Weiss shrugged.

In that moment, a funny memory flickered in Ruby's mind. Way before Yang's pro-boxer days, she had to undergo a multitude of training techniques, some of which were unorthodox practices from across the globe. Ruby had been a willing participant for one of these lessons.

"Part of Yang's old routine included me hitting her with a stick."

For a second, Weiss choked on air before dissolving into a fit of laughter that Ruby soon joined after.

Gods, it's been so long since the Piñata Yang Era. Normally, people would look at her with concern when she'd joke about it, but Weiss must've already had an idea about the practice she was talking about. It was meant for conditioning the body so the fighter wouldn't be thrown off of their game when the time came and they took a bad blow. It had a weird name Ruby could never remember, so she stated it as simply as 'hitting Yang with a stick'. Thinking about it now, she understood why people would react with concern, but it was a real thing! Look it up!

"You should've seen her face when I took out the rolling pin," Ruby recalled.

Before Weiss could catch her breath, she burst into another round of laughter. Holding her hand up to show she couldn't take anymore, Weiss wiped away her tears and soothed herself until the last waves of elation washed over her.

Ruby scratched the back of her head, smiling at Weiss who was trying to steady her breathing.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, but I think we got a bit sidetracked."

"I don't mind," Weiss said, letting out a final exhale.

It was just so easy to loosen up around Ruby. Weiss had grown to be levelheaded and time-conscious, but if getting sidetracked meant she could laugh like that again, she'd do it in a heartbeat. Although that would have to wait another time. She had to remember Ruby mentioned earlier that she was here to train.

"The shoulder roll is one of the most efficacious forms of defense. For one, you start with a bladed stance." Raising her fists, Weiss angled her body in a way that turned her into a smaller, narrower target. "Sometimes you're not fast enough to defend with your hands, so instead, you move just one hand to protect your lower body, while the other stays to block punches aimed at your face."

"Woah…"

"'Woah' is correct. Perhaps the best trait of this technique is how you can roll in to receive the punch, and once it glides off of your shoulder, you immediately roll out to whack their head."

After they repeated the sequence, with Ruby in defense to try it out for herself, she bounced in exhilaration.

"That is pretty cool!"

Weiss puffed her chest out. "Already impressed? You haven't even seen Blake perform one of her signature rolls yet."

"What's that?" Ruby asked. It sounded familiar, but there were so many terms, she mixed them all up sometimes.

"Gimme a hook." Beckoning another punch from Ruby, Weiss then proceeded with her demo as she simplified the steps in real-time.

"It's when you roll under a punch in a U-shape, then you bounce back up. Taking it a step further, while someone is throwing a flurry of punches at you, you can move back and forth, kind of like —"

"Weaving?"

"Yes! Exactly. The first time she pulled one of those, her opponent missed six consecutive shots. The crowd went wild."

The memory was clear as day to her — Blake calmly taking steps back, mere inches from the desperate fighter's grasp. With the audience roaring louder, Weiss could feel the goosebumps forming across her arms. That night, she'd felt a spectrum of emotions swell in her chest, enough to lift her off the ground. She was so honored and proud… to be Blake's coach.

For a moment, Ruby was slack-jawed.

"Blake must be something else..."

"Or maybe she had an equally awesome coach to give her a hand." Weiss winked.

Blinking, Ruby chuckled as she felt her cheeks heat up. "That, too. I can't imagine being on your level."

"Nonsense. Even Blake and I had to start somewhere." With a hushed voice and a blush of her own, Weiss added, "You too… I'm sure you can do anything."

Ruby doubted that. It was the type of thing people told her without much thought to make her feel better; there was nothing more to it. But hearing it from Weiss somehow felt different, like she wanted to believe in herself, too. She guessed those were the perks of a good coach, and that's exactly what Weiss was!

At times, she could be too honest for her own good, but that only meant her compliments were from the heart. Ruby greatly appreciated knowing that someone trusted in her abilities; it made her feel a little more confident about herself.

Weiss raised her glove. "Wanna give it a try?"

"Uh, what?"

"Sparring."

Startled, Ruby took a step back. "Oh no, I don't think I can. I'm not really…" She made vague hand gestures and explosion sound effects. "Like Yang."

She was okay; she had the basics down and then some, but she wasn't a pro. Not to mention, getting her butt handed to her by Weiss Schnee wasn't in her schedule for today… or any day for that matter.

"No need to be tense," Weiss reassured. "The whole point of sparring is to figure out what you need to improve. There isn't necessarily a winner or a loser."

Ruby stared at her scruffy, brown gloves. In her palms was her father's symbol peeling off bit by bit, becoming one with the dull background. Lost in her thoughts, she was brought back to that night — the lifeless march away from the arena, the lazy, droned out voices that seemed to follow her all the way to her home.

What needs to be improved… She needed this to help Yang.

Clenching her fists, Ruby nodded resolutely at Weiss.

"I'll give it a try."

"That's all you have to do." Weiss smiled.

Returning to her locker, Ruby folded her hoodie and placed it inside. Step one of sparring: wear light clothes. Step two: warm ups! She didn't want to walk with a limp for the next few days; she'd made that mistake too many times by now.

While Weiss did her own thing, Ruby took one of the corners and once she'd worked up a good sweat, she was ready to get into the action. Rolling her shoulders one last time, she walked over to the ring.

"Okay, Weiss, I'm re…"

The words died in her mouth as she looked up at the exact moment Weiss lifted her shirt to wipe the sweat off of her face. Little droplets trickled down her well-defined abs and Ruby gulped out of instinct.

Red. She was red down to her neck and her ears were hot. She didn't even know what got her here in the first place, but if she did, she'd thank every deity in existence — past, present, and future. When Weiss let go of her shirt to reveal messy bangs and a dreamy smile, Ruby heard a rapid succession of thumps against her chest.

"Hey..." she muttered breathlessly as she did a little wave.

"Hey." Amused, Weiss tilted her head and returned the gesture. "Come on, there's no need to be nervous," she said while taking her stance.

"Right." Ruby shook her head and raised her own fists, wondering what went over her.

Well… there was no turning back.

No one has made a move yet, but the anticipation had her heart racing in no time. What was Weiss' fighting style? Was it similar to hers? It would mean big trouble if it was, because Ruby would never be able to outplay a professional. Then again, all she had to do today was try.

As soon as Weiss dashed forward, Ruby blocked the first blow. Her opponent wasn't as strong and aggressive as Yang, but she was quick on her feet like Blake. It was also worth noting that she had a tendency of closing the gap between them and overwhelming her with a combination of punches.

Taking those factors together would make Weiss… a swarmer!

They were the same! Look at her, doing all this analytical stuff in the middle of a match. It felt like such a huge achievement, and it was! Now though, she had to form a strategy plan.

Being a swarmer meant constantly shooting yourself forward to attack and pulling away at the last second. Their agility made up for their lack of power.

Weiss could have a lot of tricks up her sleeve, and Ruby's only strength may be her speed, but she had no choice — she had to rely on her instincts and previous lessons to prove she could be taken seriously.

When Weiss stepped in, Ruby had her eyes shifting left and right, waiting precisely for that little twitch that would give her away.

Movement came from the left and she blinked, so she was fully depending on muscle memory to react on time. As she opened her eyes, she was in the middle of parrying Weiss' attack with one hand, and slashing a hook into her head with another. The force sent Weiss stumbling, and for a while, the two stood there bewildered.

"I - I'm so sorry! I didn't know that would work!"

"No, keep it coming," she said, clearly impressed by Ruby's spectacular reaction time. "But don't close your eyes next time, you dolt! You could seriously get injured if you keep doing that."

A moment later, they were back to their rhythm of going back and forth, trying to slip past each other's defenses and fleeing before the other could react. It was a fun game of spotting for any misstep or miscalculations. When Ruby would jump in too early, Weiss wouldn't hesitate to ram her fist across her face.

"Remember to be patient. You wait for that punch and let it come towards you."

Thinking about it from a strategic point of view, yes, waiting was the logical thing to do. But letting a punch come towards you was easier said than done, especially when Weiss was fully warmed up. She came in heavier with each jab, reaching levels greater than Yang.

Left with no choice, Ruby absorbed the powerful blows and tried her best to deflect as much as she could. Panicking now would only make her much more of an easy target. So what if Weiss hit her harder than Yang ever has? She only had to stand her ground and find a way around that.

Ruby still found herself blinking from time to time, and Weiss had no problem exploiting that mistake.

Although, the longer their match was drawn out, the more Ruby got accustomed to her attacks. Pretty soon, they were going toe-to-toe as their fight transformed into that silly ballroom dance Weiss mentioned earlier. Ruby found it easier to evade the incoming missiles, and she herself slid across the canvas with frightening speed, which provided her with instances where she could position herself just how she wanted with one of her fists hidden from view.

Weiss would react to her feint, but Ruby's stronger offense would pop out of nowhere and crash with her cheek.

It helped that Weiss was being such a good sport and that she even praised her whenever she'd land a hit that Weiss didn't anticipate.

'Hey, that was a good one!' she'd say.

Even better was the fact that Weiss wasn't pulling her punches. How did Ruby know that? Well, her face was substantial evidence. Her muscles too were aching at a steady level, but that's what made this so exciting. She knew Weiss wasn't taking her lightly or brushing her off despite the gap between their abilities. It urged her to give her best and have fun at the same time.

Speaking of fun, Weiss seemed to be having a lot of it. Sometimes, Ruby would hear her chuckle or throw in a joke as a commentator for their pretend fight. Earlier, Weiss had been so visibly stiff and troubled; she couldn't fool Ruby with her attempts at humor to lighten up the mood.

However, Weiss on the ring was an entirely different person; she was lively and beaming with energy. Her smiles came more naturally and she never missed an opportunity to share that lighthearted feeling with Ruby. With each nudge, she was able to demonstrate why she loved the sport and Ruby was growing to understand why.

Ten minutes in, and she wasn't even nervous anymore. She wondered how that could be when she was exchanging punches with another girl, but it was clear to her then — this was something she could get used to.

Once exhaustion took over, the two paused and made their way out of the ring.

"Feeling better?" Ruby asked as they slumped down on a bench where they could try to catch their breath. There was a steady pounding in her ears while she wiped the sweat from her eyes.

"Yes," Weiss answered honestly, fanning herself with her shirt to cool off. "That was the most fun I've had in a while."

Ruby was thrilled to hear that; it meant her plan had been successful. Knowing that, she was able to relax into her seat and heave out a sigh.

"At least now you know you don't have to go back to Atlas."

Tilting her head, Weiss asked, "What do you mean?"

"You already have a home! Here in Vale," Ruby beamed and Weiss pursed her lips.

A home… in Vale. A place where she was free to stargaze at her front porch, wait for the sunrise, and nap while it rained outside — all of that didn't sound half bad. She couldn't believe she almost overlooked life's simplest treasures without even seeing things through. What kind of coach would that make her if she abandoned Blake now?

It was too late to back out. Weiss had made a promise that she and Blake were in this together, and she wouldn't have it any other way. How could she have forgotten that? She wouldn't have been able to forgive herself if she gave in to her cowardice as soon as there was a bump on the road. What she needed to do was trust her past self's judgement. If there was a version of herself that was selfless enough to forfeit everything for a greater purpose, then she shouldn't question it and she sure as hell shouldn't give up on it now.

This afternoon only solidified her determination. And to think, all she needed was an encouraging nudge from a little rose.

Meeting new people was another thing she loved about her job. At first, her skeptical side might've taken over, but Blake was always there to support her into stepping out of her comfort zone, and what a rewarding experience that was.

Her mind drifted off to Blake, Ruby, and Yang. All four of them had their fair share of causing trouble, which made it all the better when they were together. Goofing around and jumping into leaf piles… who would've thought? Certainly not her. This wasn't the result of a singular decision; this wasn't the first time Weiss ever doubted herself. It was because of a continuous desire to seek out the truth — who she was, why she was here. And the truth was…

She loved being a coach.

There wasn't anything she'd rather do in this world.

"You're right..." Weiss gave Ruby an earnest smile, which she returned twice as bright. "Thank you."

"No problemo, Fredo!"

"It's - it's Weiss," she corrected.

Ruby giggled. "I guess I have to thank you, too, Weiss. You could already tell, but boxing isn't my strong suit."

"Nobody said there was a rush," she replied, but when Ruby shook her head, she figured there was more to her story.

"No, I mean - I only got dragged into it because our dad has an injury and Yang needed a sparring partner. So we were both taught when we were kids."

There was a smile on her lips, but Weiss noticed it had less of a sparkle this time.

Ruby stared off into the distance, recalling the nostalgia of their training days at home with a hint of sadness in her eyes. Then, all of a sudden, they were brought to this gym. Yang had been excited — of course she was. Ruby, on the other hand, had a harder time understanding the abrupt change. Sitting here today, she still didn't understand. All she knew was that she was scared of disappointing Yang.

"These days, it feels harder to catch up to her…"

Ruby felt a twinge of guilt gnawing at her chest. It had been fun when they were kids, but the more they grew, the more intense and competitive the atmosphere became. She had to constantly remind herself that this was an actual competition. Yang's most recent fight with Blake was enough evidence for that. And while Yang was more confident in her abilities, that kind of self-assurance was something Ruby lacked.

"Sometimes I think she just puts up with me because we can't afford any fancy training programs for her."

Weiss frowned, thinking long and hard for something to say, not wanting Ruby to continue with that train of thought.

"Perhaps. Or maybe she just trusts you." When Ruby raised her eyebrow, she explained in more detail, "A sparring partner isn't someone you get to choose willy-nilly. Sure, she could pay for the best coach out there, but it's much more complicated than that. Each fighter has a certain style, equipped with varying attitudes and habits. What's important is the bond you have with your partner."

For a moment, Ruby stared with her mouth slightly open, then she drew her gaze down to the gloves that felt like relics passed down to her.

"Ruby, I don't know 100% of what's going through Yang's head," Weiss admitted. "But the gist of it is that, out of everyone else, she trusts you the most."

The new perspective had her eyes widen like discs. Quickly, she turned to Weiss who'd just told her something so simple, yet so life-changing. There was so much she wanted to say, but after blinking several times, she slouched in her seat.

"I never thought of it that way…" she said while lightly caressing the symbol on her palm.

Saying that it changed a lot was an understatement. Who knew how many times she'd had this dilemma, only for Weiss to wipe it all away in a single blow. She should've gone outside earlier!

"You're doing it again."

"Hm?"

Scrunching her nose up, Weiss giggled. "Just like at the ring. You're gonna get wrinkles."

"What? Noooo," Ruby protested, scrunching and unscrunching her nose at the nearest mirror to see for herself.

"Oh yes, you should try being more relaxed like Yang. Otherwise, you'll look older than my nana."

"Says the girl with white hair," she quickly retorted. When Weiss sent her a look, she returned it with a grin. It was mostly her fault for setting it up so perfectly.

"You're just as cheeky as your sister."

Ruby only shrugged, accepting the reasonable accusation. "You learn a lot by spending two decades with someone."

Since day one, Yang had been there to teach her everything she knew. From tying her shoes to dealing with bullies, Ruby had the complete set of Yang Survival Guides — all six handwritten volumes. Granted, they mostly consisted of drawings scribbled in with crayon, but they were still heavy.

Even though they'd ditched the idea as they grew older and went for a more practical and eco-friendly process of offering each other advice, Ruby would always appreciate and go through the pages from time to time. What she was going to do with six survival books, she didn't know, but she cherished the idea of having a piece of their childhood with her in her apartment. It made her new home feel a little less lonely.

It was sweet how Yang could easily lend her support without Ruby ever having to ask her. She'd always been her number one supporter. And while she'd been so worried about the whole sparring partner situation, little did she know that was also her sister's way of showing how much she treasured their bond.

Ruby would have to pay her back one day.

"I have to keep getting better," she muttered to herself.

Happy to see that she was able to alleviate Ruby's worries, Weiss looked at her in awe as she marvelled at the girl's ability to lift herself up with determination in her eyes.

"Yang must be so lucky."

"I wouldn't say that," Ruby instantly flushed while scratching her cheek. "Blake's totally the lucky one!"

"We didn't always start off as friends, you know."

Narrowing her eyes, Ruby waited for the big punchline, but when she realized that there was none and that Weiss was completely serious, she gasped.

"But you guys are like two peas in a pod! Vanilla and chocolate! The two kids in class that only meet up during recess to judge other people!"

Weiss laughed at the specific comparison. "Well, we were different people back then."

'We' being mostly Weiss. She couldn't say she was the same person she was last year or last month, but that wasn't a bad thing. Meeting Blake had been the biggest turning point in her life and has changed her for the better. The story of their friendship was something she fondly looked back on, and it was a story Ruby appeared to be intent on listening to.

"How about I tell you the story over dinner? My treat."

Surprised by the invitation, Ruby stammered, "A-are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose."

"No, I insist." Weiss gave her a side glance. "Unless you don't want to hear about me and Blake's super ultra showdown…"

"You two had a fight?!" Ruby leaned forward, a plethora of questions bubbling within her, but Weiss only made a show of zipping her mouth and smiled. When she realized her stubbornness wouldn't be getting her any of the juicy details, she gave in. "Oh, alright. But next time, you'll have to let me treat you to something."

Weiss unzipped her mouth, pleased to have won the quasi-battle. "That settles it then. Where would you like to eat?"

"Silver Seas! But this time, I wanna try eating on their floating boat!"

"You mean their floating restaurant?"

Ruby realized her mistake and blushed. "Yeah, that."

"I'd be very surprised to hear about a boat that doesn't float… or a coach at the gym."

"Weeeeiss…" she grumbled at the unexpected jab but nevertheless found the girl's playful side endearing.

Standing up, Weiss offered her hand. "Come on, we have lots to catch up on."

How to Write Fights: The Yang Way

Yang: Writing tip numero uno! You never list out all the moves. Instead, put yourself in the character's shoes. Guide the readers to their thoughts and emotions as the fight progresses.

Ruby: I already know that, but my writing still feels a little off… I'm having a lot of trouble with the wording, I think?

Yang: Well, dear sister of mine, you gotta use powerful verbs. Stuff like crash, slam, and wham!

Ruby: What do you do when you've used all of them?

Yang:

Yang: Tune in next time for the Monobros chapter! We'll see you there!

A/N: I'll be starting college in a few weeks, so my co-writer suggested to post chapter updates on tumblr (same username). You guys can also send me asks if you'd like! That's all, and thank you again for reading.