When Torchwick was locked safely away in police custody, I called Ozpin and let him know what we'd been up to. He was quick to come to the station, along with General Ironwood, so they could figure out what to do with a criminal so dangerous and so renowned.

We were all congratulated on a job well done, and for saving so many lives. We were given the next day off so we could recuperate, which really wasn't necessary, but we took it nonetheless.

I knew for a fact that Neopolitan would be looking for a way to break Torchwick out of his holding cell in the station before he got moved somewhere else, so I opted to stay for a while, to keep guard. It was unnecessary, the others told me as much, but I knew Neo, and I knew that these police officers wouldn't stand a chance against her. With her semblance she could get in, release Torchwick, and be done with it.

After I let them all know what Neo's semblance was, they were more understanding, and the police were more on guard. I kept Melodic Cudgel, it wasn't really much in the way of evidence. Ozpin gave Ironwood permission to move him onto one of the Atlesian carrier ships, but it was going to take the whole night to get the cell prepared for him.

That meant I was in for the long haul.

Most everyone else decided to turn in back at the dorms, which I couldn't blame them for. Violet offered to stay, which I was grateful for even if I knew why she was offering. She headed out to her apartment to get some things for our impromptu guard duty, leaving me sitting inside the station with focus on, police officers were wandering around going about their business. Some talked to me, some recognized me from all of the work I'd done stopping dust robberies, others just went about their business.

When Violet returned, she had a blanket, two pillows, and some snacks. I didn't intend to sleep, but at least the snacks would hold us over. I also didn't really need the blanket, it was probably for the best that I avoided anything that might make me doze off. Thankfully the station had a coffee machine I was given free reign over, since the chief heard what I was doing and decided it was better to have two hunters-in-training around watching for someone as dangerous as Neopolitan than to just leave it to the police officers.

We had two chairs placed next to each other not far from Torchwick's cell, he was the only one in the holding cell at the time, which meant it was just the three of us in the room together. Violet had no interest in talking to him, instead she got comfortable in her chair, placed one of the pillows she brought behind her head, and wrapped herself in her blanket.

It didn't take long for me to notice her fall asleep, only about thirty minutes into our stint watching him… I supposed it was a good thing I was the one who really needed to stay awake.

Melodic Cudgel was planted firmly on the ground, I kept both my hands over the top of it as I kept Focus activated. It would have been easy to keep watch on him from here if the one we were worried about wasn't the master of stealth and deception that was Neopolitan.

About three hours in, Torchwick, who was laying back on the bench in the cell with his hands behind his head, spoke, "So, you really are always in the thick of it aren't you? Dust robberies, slave-trading, runaway mechs, when aren't you working?" He didn't sound annoyed, rather he sounded curious.

I let off a single, mirthless laugh, "Hah. Really, I'm always working." I thought back to the day Neo brought me to the club, "Seems like I've always got something or another going on. I don't really… get days off."

Roman tutted, "That's not healthy, kid. Even criminals have their vacations. You're gonna slip up eventually if you don't pace yourself. Are you one of those people who thinks they gotta fix every problem?" Silence hung in the air for a few seconds, and that was enough of an answer for him, "I figured. You know, I used to be one of those people."

That was surprising, Torchwick had always come off as more of a 'roll with the punches' kind of guy, planning ahead sure, but not overly so. I hummed, "Really? You always struck me as more… relaxed. Even now."

He chuckled, "That's 'cause I am, but it took me two decades to get there. Back when I was around your age, I wanted to be a huntsman. Bet you didn't know that." It was a shock to be sure, and it made me wonder what changed, but he didn't leave me wondering for long, "My brother had inherited the crime family and I thought I could do better for the world as a huntsman. Then… Well, my brother got bumped off. He was an idiot, overextended our reach, turned former allies into enemies… You get the picture."

I had to wonder why he was telling me all of this, but I didn't interrupt him as he continued, "Between that, and suddenly having Neo to mentor, I became a real busybody. Threw myself at every problem personally, never delegated, never tried to take a break. Not to say I didn't have help, I did, but I still thought I had to do everything myself. I was running myself into the ground, and then, one day…" His voice softened, "That caught up with me."

I kept my gaze on the entrance to the holding area, even as he continued to explain, "I won't go into the dirty details of it, but I slipped up. I'd been running myself so ragged that I made a mistake bigger than any I'd ever made before. A lot of people died that day." The usually cocky Torchwick sounded mournful, "A lot of them were very close to me. Nothing was the same after that, but what can ya do? I had a lot of expectations that got broken that day, basic things. I expected my family to always stay together, I expected everyone to honor our code… All of that got shattered. So, I ask you kid, what would you do in that situation? When everything you took for granted is shown to be false?"

I looked down on contemplation for a moment and took a deep breath. That had happened to me in small ways before, but never as big as what Torchwick was saying, "I guess… the best thing you can do is to pick up the pieces. Salvage what you can and move forward."

Torchwick sounded both amused and pleased at my answer, "It's never that simple, but you're getting the idea. You either lay down and die, or pick up and get better. My point is, if you keep going without resting, you're going to get people killed, kid. I'm not a good person, but nobody wants the people they care about to die. I don't even need to know what you do on the day to day to tell what that look in your eye is, it's the look of someone who's exhausted, but isn't stopping for shit."

I laughed softly, it was a contemplative, mirthless laugh, I realized exactly how right he was, "You got me…why are you telling me all of this? I'm the one who put you in that holding cell."

Roman was silent for a few moments before he responded, "I think I've said it before. You remind me of me, back when I had that bright bushy tail that people like you have. Before reality smacked me in the face. Why do you think, way back when, I told you to take a better path? Cause I sure as hell wish I could have, sometimes." He chuckled, "But that stays between us."

I nodded, even if he couldn't see it. It was a good thing Violet was out cold, this conversation would have been difficult if she wasn't. In spite of everything, I smiled, "Got it. What are you going to do? Ironwood's gonna lock you up until you tell him what he wants to know."

Torchwick chuckled, "I'll do what I do best, lie. Neo's gonna get me out one way or the other, kid, you know she is. Even if it's not here, she won't rest until I'm a free man again."

I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment before opening them again, "I know. Believe me, I know. Here's something to think about, I'm not going to tell you to give up crime, that's ridiculous. I will ask you to think about dropping this whole business with the White Fang, terrorism doesn't really seem your style. Whatever payday you're getting… it's not worth it."

He thought in silence before speaking, "I'll think about it, Neve. No promises."

I responded, "That's all I ask."

The rest of the night was, for the most part, uneventful. Violet stayed asleep through it all, and while I knew for a fact that I'd seen Neo skulking around the station in disguise, she didn't make whatever play she was planning on that night.

The snacks that Violet brought came in handy, I enjoyed some chips and even tossed a bag into the cell for Torchwick, which he appreciated, although eventually he fell asleep too. I wished I could do the same, but I had told myself I would stay awake until Ironwood and his security force came back, and that's exactly what I did, even if by the end of it all I was so exhausted I was disassociating.

Ironwood, Ozpin, and some security forces came thankfully very early in the morning, around six. Ironwood thanked us for keeping watch while Oz looked at least moderately concerned at my physical and mental state, but he didn't say anything at the time. At the very least I was able to keep Melodic Cudgel, nobody seemed interested in taking it. I didn't want to use it, but having it as a keepsake in my dorm meant that Neo couldn't get her hands on it.

Violet was embarrassed to find that she fell asleep as quickly as she did, but I assured her that it was alright. We returned to the school with Ozpin once Ironwood had Torchwick loaded up in a transport van, and as tempting as it was to go to bed as soon as I got back, I knew I couldn't. Going to sleep that early would have made it hard to get it back to normal the next day.

Besides, as it turned out, we had other things to plan for. Ozpin decided that Team CALM should be in charge of the dance for… some reason. He said that it was because Team CFVY was running late returning from their mission, but I could only guess as to why he gave it to my team rather than Team RWBY.

Being given this duty also prompted me with the first major quest that I'd gotten in a long while now.

The Eleventh Hour

The day of the dance is closing in, you have been charged with making sure the dance goes smoothly. However, more importantly, it is the day that Cinder Fall will attempt her infiltration of the CCTS. Your goal is to not only make the dance go off without a hitch, but also to confront the would-be saboteur and stop her.

Rewards

?

…The rewards being a mystery to me for once was new, I wasn't sure exactly what had prompted that, but maybe even the system wasn't sure how everything was going to go. If I succeeded, would it even really feel like a victory.

All would be decided that night.

Before that, though, around three days before the dance, I was in my dorm on my own, reading a book while trying to relax. I had been trying to take Torchwick's advice, so I started busying myself with relaxing, since I knew the things that I had to worry about were still some days off.

That didn't mean I wasn't worried, on the contrary I was terrified. I knew Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury were at Beacon already. I'd seen Mercury spar with Pyrrha just the day before, but Cinder and I had both been trying to avoid each other. I knew she was trying to avoid me, at least, because I only ever caught glimpses of her, and when she noticed me she made it a point to leave. The look on her face was pained, I could tell she wanted to talk to me, and I wanted to talk to her, but what would change? If she didn't switch sides, then nothing at all.

Emerald was surprised to see me, and if the blush on her face was any indication, she still remembered the things I said to her that day. However, I doubted that she was going to try and ask me out or anything like that, she knew why she was here just as much as Cinder and Mercury did. Consorting with people who were supposed to be your enemies was going to lead to nothing but sadness.

I was a hypocrite for thinking that, considering what my relationship with Cinder was like, but I didn't regret what I did. The only thing I would regret is having to fight her, if it came down to that, but part of me still naively hoped that maybe, just maybe, she would change sides. However, the rational part of me knew that the chances of that happening were almost zero, at least at the time.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of a guitar, it wasn't at my door, thankfully, instead it was further down the hall. It was faint, but I still heard it. I had been sitting on my bed with my back against the wall, still in my school uniform while I read, so once I heard the guitar, I bookmarked my place in the book, closed it, then went to put my shoes on so I could head out into the hall.

I exited just in time to see a door get shut on Jaune's face, it was clear that he had been trying to serenade Weiss. Had Pyrrha not made her move yet? That was like her, I supposed… He looked depressed, so I decided a talk between guys was in order. I shut my door behind me and then walked down the hall towards him, "Jaune." I spoke up, although he remained looking down and depressed.

Once I reached him, I patted him on the back and directed him to walk with me. He was still wearing his uniform as well, although he had a guitar in his hands which kind of threw the whole look off. He sighed, "What is it, Neve? I'm trying to be heartbroken right now."

I kept my hand on his back as we walked, "Jaune, I like to think we're good friends. We are, right?" He nodded and I smiled, "Good. As your good friend, I want you to be happy, same with all of my friends. If that means I need to call you stupid sometimes, then so be it." He looked confused as we reached one of the communal rooms in the dorms, which was thankfully free of other people at the time.

This place had two couches, a large TV, and a table, entirely meant for students to socialize. However, naturally most students preferred to hang out in more private spots, which ironically made this a good place for a more personal discussion.

"Sit." I told him when we got close to the couch, and he did as directed, a confused look in his eyes. I had tried to be subtle with him and Pyrrha both, dropping hints, telling Pyrrha the best course of action, but clearly underneath the Invincible Girl's bronze exterior was a shy side, so that meant it was up to Snow to melt the ice, paradoxically enough.

Once I sat down next to him, to my surprise, I got a notification.

Opinions!

While it is true that you can already see how other people view you, you were previously incapable of seeing how people viewed others. That changes now! If you will it, you can view someone's relationship to someone else. However, this is not always accurate, and can't be used on someone you aren't at least at platonic tier 1 with.

…Huh. Well, that would be useful.

I decided to use it on Jaune, thinking of Weiss and then Pyrrha.

Jaune Arc - Weiss Schnee

50/100 - Friends (Tier 1)

5/100 - Crush (Tier 1)

Jaune Arc - Pyrrha Nikos

80/100 - Close Friends (Tier 2)

100/100 - Smitten (Tier 1)

Huh? Really? Then he only pursued Weiss because he thought…

Oh Jaune, always the one with the perception of a blind man.

I dismissed the notifications and asked him, "Alright, Jaune… What's your deal with Weiss? She's not into you, you know that."

Jaune sighed, "Y-Yeah… I know…" He looked down, "She's just… she's so pretty, and smart, and- okay, she's not very funny or even friendly, but still!"

I decided I'd play along for a minute, "Okay, so, why exactly do you keep trying then? You act like you've got something to prove, or like… you're running from something."

He chuckled nervously and shook his head, "What would I be running from? It's not like I'm pursuing her because the girl I want to ask out is so far out of my league it'd never happen-" He caught himself and huffed, "Damn it…"

I chuckled, "Pyrrha." He looked at me with surprise, but I held my gaze, "Don't try to deny it, I know these things Jaune. So why exactly aren't you trying to ask her out rather than wasting your time asking Weiss?"

Jaune leaned back on the couch and looked at the ceiling, "Ugh… okay, fine, yeah. I really really like Pyrrha. She's so… she's so her! Weiss is pretty, Pyrrha is beautiful, Weiss is smart, Pyrrha is smart and clever. Weiss isn't funny or even very nice, Pyrrha is! She's so funny and nice and-" He caught himself rambling and his face heated up as he looked down, "...You get the idea."

He explained further, "I don't want to ask her out because she's all of those things, and she's like… my best friend. If I asked her and she said no, it'd ruin what we already have. I don't want that to happen. So…. I just convinced myself I liked Weiss more than I do. She's a great friend, but… she can be really mean sometimes. Part of that is my fault, though, I can be really annoying."

I hummed, Weiss had her reasons. Between the stress with her team and her just genuine lack of interest in Jaune, she was probably meaner than she really meant to be. Still, I needed to push things in the right direction, "Listen… Jaune, I think you've got the wrong idea here. Pyrrha's great, but she's not an unapproachable goddess. You know that, right?"

Jaune nodded, looking bewildered, "Yeah! I mean…Sometimes I feel intimidated, she's so awesome, but…" He looked down, "She's not perfect. If she doesn't get her full eight hours, she can get really crabby. She and I have argued before, usually because I was being stupid, but this one time it was because she swore that I stole her piece of the cherry pie Ren had made for us. She apologized after Nora fessed up, but still! She's not a goddess, but… somehow those flaws just make her more appealing."

I smiled, at the very least now I could tell that his feelings weren't based on him thinking Pyrrha was above him, "Jaune, how would you like to make a bet?" He looked at me curiously and I continued, "I'll help you ask Pyrrha out, and if she says no… I will wear a dress to the dance." He started to smile at the idea, I knew I had him, "But if she does say yes. You need to wear a dress to the dance."

He looked totally convinced that it wouldn't work, which just made this all the more tempting to him it seemed, "Okay, Neve. You're on. I just hope this doesn't make Pyrrha hate me…" He looked down, "Still," he took a deep breath and managed a smile, "seeing you in a dress will be worth the embarrassment, for once you'll be the one people are joking about instead of me!"

Trying to envision myself in a dress was… something. I pushed the thought out of my head, at the end of the day I knew I would win, "You'll eat those words, Jaune. Okay, come on, we can put a plan together back at my dorm."

We headed back to my dorm, which was thankfully still empty since Jeanne and Violet were training together and Lunus was off with Ruby at a confectionary they liked to visit. I would honestly be incredibly surprised if those two didn't go to the dance together.

The plan we put together was basically all me. Jaune wanted to wear a suit and get his hair fixed so he didn't look so scraggly, but I shut down the idea. Pyrrha would accept him for him, and he was nothing if not scraggly. He did ask to use his guitar, and that was an idea I allowed, because I knew Pyrrha would find his singing endearing rather than embarrassing.

It took us an hour to get everything figured out. He was standing up while I was sitting on my bed, and he asked, "Okay, so uhm… when are we doing this? Tomorrow? The day after?"

I smirked, "Right now."

He blinked dumbly a few times, "What?"

I stood up, "Right now. Come on, you're going to get changed into your regular outfit, then you're taking that guitar of yours and you're going to call Pyrrha up to the roof. I'll be watching, so don't think about chickening out."

Before he could protest, I started to push him out of the door. He knew there was no getting out of this, so reluctantly he went into his dorm to get changed, his guitar was with him the whole time. When he emerged, we went up to the rooftop. Honestly, I kind of wished that I didn't have us do it up there. It reminded me of what I was missing right now, what I could have had.

As sad as I felt, though, I wasn't going to let it bring down this idea. My relationship with Cinder was unique, sweet and sour, hot and cold. As much as I wished that we could resolve our issues with a heartfelt song and a confession, it wasn't going to be that simple.

I pushed thoughts of my love life aside as we reached the rooftop. The metal patio chairs were back, the thieves having been apprehended. The white plastic chairs were still there too, so now there were just eight chairs. It was, perhaps, too many chairs.

Luckily, they were all near the edge of the roof, by the raised guard-railing made of stone. So we didn't need to worry about clearing the place out.

Jaune took out his phone and stared at his texts with Pyrrha, clearly incredibly nervous. Yet, to his credit, he took a deep breath and then sent her a text. It only took a couple seconds for him to get one back, he nervously smiled, "She's coming up."

I nodded, "Knock her socks off." Then I walked back to the raised concrete entry/exit to the roof and took up a hiding spot behind it. I kind of wanted to just leave him to it and hear how it went later, but I knew Jaune. I knew that if his nerves got the better of him and there was no one to hold him accountable, that he would chicken out. Life was too short for that, even if, hopefully, I would be able to make Pyrrha's longer.

It took about five minutes for her to arrive, opening the door to the roof and closing it behind her. She was wearing her huntsman gear, which meant she was probably expecting him to ask for some training advice. However, while I couldn't see her facial expression, I could hear the nervous confusion in her voice, "Jaune…? What's this about?"

Jaune took a deep breath and closed his eyes before opening them again. For the briefest second, I saw his vision flick over in my direction, before he returned his attention to Pyrrha and started to play. It was a song he already sort of knew, 'Can't Help Falling in Love with You'.

I would be lying if I said his singing wasn't decent, it wasn't great, but it was passable.

"Wise men say, "Only fools rush in", but I can't help, falling in love with you."

I heard Pyrrha gasp in surprise, she brought her hands up to her mouth and covered it. With her body language, you would think he was proposing to her, not asking her out to a dance.

"Shall I stay? Would it be a sin, if I can't help falling in love with you?"

His voice was a bit exaggerated, as if he was trying to mimic the original singer. It was funny, but Pyrrha seemed to like it.

"Like a river flows, surely to the sea. Darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be."

I felt something roll down my cheek, and I brought my hand up to wipe it off…

I was… crying?

"Take my hand. Take my whole life, too… For I can't help… Falling in love with you"

Seeing those two that happy made me imagine what it would be like if I were the dork with the guitar and Cinder was the girl I was confessing to.

I had been trying not to think of her, but she snuck up on me, as she always did.

"Like a river flows, surely to the sea, darling, so it goes… Some things are meant to be!"

Jaune tripped up on a few chords, but he recovered. Pyrrha giggled, but he seemed emboldened by that, rather than embarrassed.

"Take my hand… Take my whole life, too… For I can't help… Falling in love with you."

As the song reached its end he stepped a bit closer to Pyrrha, even he couldn't deny her positive reception.

"For I can't help… Falling in love…with…you."

As the song came to a somewhat sloppy end, Jaune took a deep breath, "Pyrrha. Would you… uhm, y-you know, if you want to, uh-"

Pyrrha interrupted him by planting a kiss on his cheek, "Yes, Jaune." She sounded elated, and judging by the beaming smile Jaune wore, he was too.

I still had some traitorous tears streaming down my face, but I wiped them away and slipped back. I activated my aura and jumped off the edge of the roof, landing a few stories down on the walkway that led towards the courtyard.

Mission accomplished there, at least. Although it gave me a lot to think about. I slipped my hands into my pockets as I strolled down the path. My mind kept drifting towards the day of the dance, it wasn't far away now.

I spotted a familiar feline faunus walking towards the library. She looked bothered by something, and my mind was drawn further forward to Mountain Glenn. That was another event inexorably changed now, which I wasn't sure was a good or a bad thing.

I decided I'd try to save her some sleepless nights and started making my way towards the library, through the courtyard and into the large building. By the time I'd arrived, Blake was already in the corner, researching away.

She hadn't seen me yet, so I walked over to her. Rather than using a red light or anything like that, I just sat in the chair next to the one she was sitting in. She started in surprise before looking at me, although she relaxed when she saw me. I could tell by the bags under her eyes that she'd already been staying up too late, "Hey, Neve… I'm a bit busy-"

I smiled, "Looking for the White Fang again?" She stared at me for a few seconds silently before nodding. I accessed the computer in front of me, "Well, let me help you a bit. I've gathered some information of my own."

I pulled up a map of Vale, "So we both know they've been planning things from somewhere, right? All of that dust and equipment they've been stealing has to be going somewhere. Well…" I pointed towards Mountain Glenn, "There's an abandoned city here, Vale's greatest failure, Mountain Glenn. It has a lot of subterranean tunnels, tunnels that connect right to Vale, you see where I'm going here?"

Blake's eyes widened and she nodded a few times, "It makes too much sense… I'm still going to need to make sure, look for some other sources, but… It's the best lead I have."

I smiled, "There's nothing you can do about it now, though, so maybe take a break? Get some sleep, you're not a one woman army. If you run yourself ragged, you're going to make a mistake, and if you make a mistake, well… it could end badly."

I went to stand up, but then Blake put her hand on my arm to get me to stop, "Hey." I looked at her, she had a curious look in her eyes, "How are you always one step ahead of me? I appreciate your help, but… you've figured out so much far before I could. Where are you getting this information?"

I looked away for a second before raising my index finger to my lips, "Sshh. Industry secret." She looked annoyed, so I continued, "I'll tell you someday, okay? Not right now, though. We've got other things to worry about."

She sighed, "Alright." She let go of my arm, "Thanks."

I nodded, "Don't mention it." I left, hoping that maybe this extra bit of information would get her to relax.

Once I got outside, I sighed and looked up at the sky. It was a bit overcast, I figured it might rain soon. However, on my way towards the dorms, I saw Violet coming towards me. The look of apprehension in her eyes matched with the fact that the dance was so soon made me apprehensive, I seriously didn't want to have to do this…

She took a deep breath as she stopped a few feet away from me, "U-Uhm… Neve?" I put on a smile and looked at her, "So, uhm…" She looked down, her tail swaying behind me, "Do you… have a date to the dance?"

I lied as naturally as I breathed, "Uhm, yeah. I'm going with Cinder." I tried to sound casual, like I didn't know why she was asking me.

She didn't look surprised, instead she nodded a few times, "Y-Yeah, I figured." She looked sad, but nonetheless she smiled and looked down, "You're… you're too great to not have a girlfriend already."

I realized that this wasn't enough, I couldn't just lie to her, she deserved so much better than that. So, I took a deep breath, "Cinder and I aren't dating right now, it's… complicated." I switched gears, "Violet." She looked up at me and in spite of how hard it was, I looked her in the eyes, "You're an absolutely wonderful girl, you're friendly, funny, cool, smart… You've got your demons, but I don't want you to think that's why… why I don't think it would work between us."

She only looked marginally surprised that I was directly addressing her feelings. I placed my hands on her shoulders, "It won't work, because… you deserve someone that's so much better than me." She looked like she wanted to disagree, but I kept going, "Violet… I'm not a good person. I lie, manipulate, and fake my way through life. I act like I have everything figured out, but I don't." I smiled a sad smile, I would be lying if I said I didn't feel torn apart by this, and yet I pushed on, "You deserve someone who can be there for you in your darkest moments, who won't lie to you, who won't spend their life chasing shadows. That person… That person isn't me. I would be glad to call you one of my closest friends, even a sister, but in that way… I don't deserve you."

Violet opened her mouth to respond before she closed it and managed a sad smile. To my surprise, she reached her hand up to my face and cupped my cheek in it, causing my face to heat up as she spoke, "I… I know you lie. You lie a lot, I… I might not look or act like it, but I can tell. You're… you're a real mystery, Neve Cadere. Yet you're also so friendly, so warm, you do so much for us all… You think you're a bad person, and maybe in some ways you are, but in others you're one of the nicest and most amazing people I've ever met."

She had tears welling up in her eyes, and yet she smiled, "So chase your shadows, you wonderful mystery, whatever fight you're fighting that you won't tell us about… you only need to ask me, and I'll drop everything to help you. You think you're alone, I can see it, but you're not. You have me, and everyone else. I just… have a favor to ask you." Tears were streaming down her face now, "Before I…I let you go, before I have to move on, can I do one thing?"

I didn't know what she wanted to do, but I nodded nonetheless. I wouldn't deny her this request.

At the okay, she leaned up and kissed my cheek, causing my already warm blush to heat up even further. I would be lying if that simple act didn't make me imagine, make my mind wander. She took her hand off my cheek and stepped back, "Okay…" She took a deep, shaky breath, then she smiled, "...I'll see you at the dorm." After that, she turned around and left, towards the dorms.

I couldn't bring myself to say anything, I didn't trust my own voice. I wasn't upset because I rejected her, if I didn't I would have been lying to her by acting like I was interested in her that way. Yet still, I couldn't help but wonder how things could have been, were I not so set on my path, if Cinder was not the girl who walked into that cafe that day.

…Maybe it would have been great, but probably not. I believed exactly what I said, she deserved better. One day, she'd find someone, but it wasn't going to be me.

I stuck my hands in my pockets and decided to go for a walk, taking a deep breath, the air had that smell to it, the one that told you that it was about to rain. Honestly, I didn't really care that much. I wasn't going to go back to the dorms right then, and a bit of rain wasn't going to kill me.

There were a lot of couples milling about the campus grounds, it was kind of like Valentine's Day but later in the year. It seemed like almost everyone that wasn't partnered off was trying to get a date, or looked resigned to being dateless.

Such is life, I supposed.

I didn't have a destination in mind, so I just meandered about. Eventually, I found myself near the Headmaster's tower. I was going to walk right past it, but as I started to leave it behind, I heard a voice behind me, at the tower, "Mr. Cadere." It was Oz, I turned around and saw him resting his hands on his cane as he observed me, "It's a nice afternoon, isn't it?"

I looked around and nodded, "Uhm… yeah. I always like this kind of weather, before it rains."

He smiled, "I'm of the same mind. Would you mind coming with me to my office? I'd like to speak with you. Nothing's wrong, I assure you." I was curious, Oz and I only ever really interacted when he was training me in the usage of magic, or rarely for something else like when he gave my team the job managing the dance, this was new, to say the least.

Still, I nodded and followed him into the building, up the tower and into his office, which looked the same as it always did. There were two cups of what looked like hot chocolate on his desk, they still looked hot, so I had to assume they were fresh. He took his mug and nodded for me to take the other, so I did.

Then, he walked over to the large window behind his desk and stared out at the campus. I joined him, sipping on the delicious beverage in my hands, admittedly it was a great relief after what had just happened. He asked, "Neve, what do you see when you look out of this window?"

The obvious answer was 'The Academy' but I knew that wasn't what he was looking for, "I see… a beacon of hope. The place that guarantees there will be future generations of protectors to fight against the Grimm."

He smiled, satisfied with my answer, "Yes, exactly. Beacon may outwardly only be a school, but its most important function, aside from guarding the Relic of Choice, is to train future generations of hunters. I have dedicated my life to keeping it safe, so that students like you will have a chance to grow, to experience the best part of your youth before you enter the cold world. I like to think it's part of my job to make sure everyone is not unduly suffering, no matter how special of a case a student might be. So, I have to ask you… Are you alright, Neve? You look… tired."

I couldn't help but chuckle. First Torchwick and now Oz? It must have really been obvious, "You know, you're not the first person to point that out." Torchwick may have given me a life lesson, but I couldn't exactly confide in him about anything. I couldn't really with Oz, either, but I could at least say a bit more, "You're right… I am tired. I feel like no matter how hard I try I can't relax. The last time I did, a really good friend of mine got a crush on me and I had to turn her down."

The absurdity of the whole thing made me laugh softly, I closed my eyes and shook my head, "Can you believe that? It's crazy, right? The one day, the one time I try to take a break, and that happens!" I opened my eyes again and sipped my hot chocolate, trying to calm down, "Sometimes I think I'm cursed with bad luck."

Oz only looked more concerned, "If I may ask, why exactly did you turn her down? Experiencing a romantic relationship is one of the greatest joys in this life. Even I have allowed myself that much. Were you simply not interested?" I had to wonder who Oz had a romantic relationship with. Glynda, maybe? I didn't really want to ask.

I frowned, "That, and, well… I'm not worth it, she's too great for someone like me, and I told her that much. I don't know how you're able to lie as much as you do Oz. Between that and everything else I've been doing to try and keep people safe, I feel like I'm near my limit."

Oz nodded in understanding, "I've turned down a few opportunities like that in my life for similar reasons. What you did was very selfless, Neve, I hope you can appreciate that. As for how I am able to tolerate doing what I do… I remind myself that while I may lie, I never do it with ill intent. I won't lie to you, sometimes I do feel tired, sometimes I do wish I could just tell someone else my every secret. Maybe that's why the God of Light blessed me the way he did, it certainly helps."

I took a deep breath and sighed, "Unfortunately I don't think that's part of my deal. Maybe it is, but I'm not really keen on finding out, at least not anytime soon."

He sipped his drink before he responded, "Understandable. Unfortunately the duty that both of us have been charged with is not one that always affords us time to breathe. It may not be a solution, but the best thing I can suggest is to continue to try and find time to relax. Take days to yourself if you must, it will be easier that way. The dance is coming up soon, and I have no doubt that your team will make it one to remember. Perhaps you can use that as an opportunity to relax?"

Oh if he only knew.

I managed a smile in spite of myself, "I'll try. It might not work, but I'll try."

Oz and I talked for a while longer about what was coming next. The day after the dance every team would be going on a mission to shadow a licensed hunter, either a professor or someone else who volunteered for the job. I didn't mention Mountain Glenn to him just yet, I figured that maybe my team and team RWBY could get a mission in the same general area if nothing else, so we could deal with what was to come together.

Eventually I returned to the dorms, everyone was back by then. We continued to hash out how the dance was going to go. It was easy, mostly because I was just choosing the same things that I remembered existing in the original timeline. The school wanted it to be formal, so we made sure it was formal, the DJ was set to play a mixture of slower songs and faster-paced songs, with some wildcards thrown into the mix.

The final few days went by incredibly quickly, too quickly in my opinion. Every day was a flurry of classes and preparation, there was a lot of pressure on Team CALM to provide the best experience we possibly could for everyone who attended. If we pulled it off, our team would receive a lot of praise, if it went bad, we'd be laughingstocks for the rest of the semester, if not longer.

On the day of the dance, everyone on the team was in the ballroom, making sure everything was being set up properly. Jeanne was making sure the cloth that wrapped around the walls and had balloons attached to them were properly hung, Lunus was moving tables into place for the caterers with the help of his semblance, and Violet was making sure the stage was set for the DJs.

I, meanwhile, was making sure the entryway was properly decorated and that the guest book was ready for people to write their names in. It wasn't really necessary, but it was a nice way to keep track of everyone who attended.

Eventually I walked towards the middle of the room, the place was basically completely ready for dancing both slow and fast, all that was left was to wait. Jeanne, having finished what she was doing, approached. She was wearing a white dress with gold accents. She smiled at me, "I think everything's ready. Are you excited?"

I smiled and rubbed the back of my head, "Eh, I just hope that everything works out, you know?" Truthfully that wasn't what I was nervous about at all, I was nervous about what I would have to do today, or at least, what I assumed I would have to do today.

Jeanne kept her usual exuberant outlook, "Oh, don't be such a worrywort. It's going to be great! Speaking of, when are you going to change into your suit? You can't knock socks off if you just wear your huntsman gear like you always do."

I was, in fact, still wearing my huntsman gear, but that was for a good reason. I smiled, "I'll get around to it, I was never really a big fan of suits, you know? Too… stuffy." That was true, I had anticipated possibly fighting in a suit but that wasn't something I wanted to do.

Lunus approached now that he was done with tables and patted my back. He was wearing a suit and had a necklace around his neck, what looked like a platinum chain with a crescent moon made out of ruby on it. He mentioned that Ruby gave it to him when she asked him to the dance, which I thought was sweet. He smiled at me, "Come on, I'm wearing this thing, you've already got a suit in your locker, why not put it on now? If I gotta do it, you gotta do it."

Violet came over as well, she was wearing a black dress with red accents in much the same fashion as her huntress gear, "Yeah! Even I'm wearing something fancy! There's no way you're getting out of this." Things were a bit awkward between Violet and I, but we both were taking steps to make sure that our friendship wasn't damaged by our exchange.

If anything, I would argue that we ended up with a stronger friendship as a result of the experience. I had no idea how that worked, but it did. At the time though, with the memories still so fresh in our mind, there was still an air of awkwardness. Still, I relented, "Fine, fine…I'll be right back."

I turned and headed to the locker room so I could change into the suit I'd brought. Most students were probably changing in their dorms, but I figured that having the suit here would be easier since we had to be there early. Besides, having all of my equipment easily available meant I'd be able to take Dawn, its sheaths, and its quiver quickly at the very least.

The suit wasn't the cheapest thing in the world. I had it made by a shop owned by twins, a boy and a girl, who specialized in making all kinds of outfits, mostly for hunters. The guy could weave fabric into clothes with his semblance and the girl could take measurements by simply glancing at people, which made the whole thing a lot quicker and less painless than it would have been otherwise. If I had gone to a different tailor, it would have taken weeks for it to be ready, weeks I didn't have.

The suit, I think, looked pretty good. A navy blue dress shirt and an ice blue tie with the standard black suit jacket, dress pants, and shoes. It was comfortable and easy to move around in, and the tailor twins made sure that it had ice dust woven into the tie. The whole thing was woven with dust to reinforce it, but most of it wasn't the kind I could channel into my weapons, just the tie. I would have to live with that.

Once I was changed, I headed back out to the others, smiling awkwardly as they appraised me. Jeanne clapped her hands together, "See?! You look amazing! You're gonna stunlock your date!"

Violet smacked her arm, "Hey! That's something I'm supposed to say!" She huffed as Jeanne and Lunus both laughed. Then, she crossed her arms, "Moving in on my brand like that, I swear… I'll sue, you know!"

I smiled and crossed my arms, "On what grounds?" I was glad to have the attention taken off of me for a change,

Violet huffed and crossed her arms, "Uhh… defamation of character!" That had nothing to do with stealing someone's brand, but I wasn't sure what kind of copyright laws Vale had, if any.

Not long after that, the DJs and the caterers arrived and started setting up for their part of the dance. It started at around ten and was expected to go until one AM at the latest, which meant we were in for a long night of partying. I supposed that was for the best, considering the next day we would be going on our mission shadowing someone. Best to get in some fun before something that serious, so everyone would be in good spirits.

People started to arrive around the designated time, with one of the first groups to arrive being Team RWBY. It seemed they almost all had dates. Ruby was with Lunus, Blake decided to take Sun, and Yang was with her friend, who's name I learned was Ven. He was the guy with dark blue hair that fell to his upper back that was kept straight, his features were very refined as well. Just as before, I was amazed that he and Yang were friends, they seemed like, well… sun and moon.

The two of them had approached me while I was watching everyone enter, at that point Violet was off looking for snacks to eat, Jeanne was drinking punch, and Lunus was with Ruby. I wasn't sure why they were approaching me at first, until Yang grinned at me, "Hey, Snowboy! Where's your date? I know you've got one!" Yang was wearing a low-cut yellow mini-dress, exactly the type of thing I expected her to wear.

Ven nudged Yang with a smirk on his face, "Yang, she's probably not here yet. The dance hasn't even been going for five minutes." Ven was wearing a regular black suit with a white dress shirt, it looked like one of the ones the school offered for students who had none.

Yang placed a hand on her hip and shook her head, "So what if it's only been five minutes? Psh, if you were here putting this together I'd be right there with you! And we're not even the lovey-dovey kind of date, like Lunus and Ruby are." She cast her gaze over to them, and so did I.

Lunus was smiling brightly while Ruby talked to him in an exaggerated manner about something. I could tell they were both enjoying themselves, and I wondered if maybe they'd actually dance. Ruby was wearing a red dress, much like the one she wore in the original timeline. Internally, I hoped that this date they had would keep Ruby from noticing Cinder, because what was to come didn't need a third party.

It only took two to tango.

I crossed my arms and looked back at Yang, "She's busy. I'm sure she'll be around before long, don't worry too much about it. So are you two…?"

Ven and Yang shared a look before they both shrugged. Ven smiled, "Neither of us had a date, we've always defaulted to going with each other when that happens."

Yang nodded, "Which is… every dance we've been to, actually. Funny how that works out, huh?"

Ah, one of these kinds of situations. Well, I might have helped Jaune and Pyrrha, but whatever they had going on between the two of them could be between them. Yang smirked at me, "And hey, if your date ghosts you, you can always dance with Weiss, or one of your teammates." She looked in Weiss' direction, she was sitting in a chair looking rather downcast, "We thought that she'd go with Neptune, but she said she wasn't interested in him."

Ven added speculatively, "From what I've seen of her, she acts like there's someone she's already interested in."

Yang huffed and crossed her arms, "Yeah? Well if that's the case, then where are they? She's never told us anything about this mystery person that's got her looking like that, I swear…"

That was new, nothing like the original timeline. I rubbed my chin, "Maybe someone from Atlas? She is from there, after all…"

They both accepted that was probably the case, and then they left to go start dancing. That left me alone to continue observing new people as they came in. Team JNPR was the next one of interest, Jaune was indeed wearing a dress, the same kind he wore in the original timeline. He drew some looks and laughs, but I personally thought he pulled it off. Pyrrha and him both approached me, Pyrrha had perhaps the brightest smile I'd ever seen her have to date, while Jaune looked rather awkwardly in my direction, even if he had a small, nervous smile.

Jaune spoke first, "Hey, Neve. Did you set this up with Pyrrha or something? She told me you knew she was interested in me! You could have said that." He didn't seem actually upset, thankfully.

I shrugged, "Would you have believed me?" He thought for a second before huffing, causing me to smirk, "Exactly. The way I see it, someone had to shape you up."

Pyrrha, who had her arms wrapped around one of Jaune's, kept her smile as she spoke in a happy tone, "I need to thank you, Neve. You told me to ask him but I was much too nervous. I never expected you to actually get him to ask me."

My smirk turned into a full smile, "Eh, I just gave him a push. I really didn't do that much." I looked out at the dance floor, the song Still Into You was playing right now. I wondered just how many songs from the old world were mirrored in this one. I supposed it didn't matter.

They left to go dance, and I was left again to keep watch. I saw Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury enter. It looked like Emerald and Mercury were the fake date this time, whereas Cinder was on her own. Emerald wore a dress as green as her namesake, and Mercury wore a standard tuxedo.

Cinder wore a formal black evening gown that had a black glass design on it, accompanied with two long black gloves and her glass slippers. She looked beautiful, sexy, elegant, and so many other words. I found myself staring at her as she walked to the other end of the ballroom. Eventually I was able to pull my eyes off of her, but it took some effort.

Especially because I still needed to keep an eye on her. I had an idea as to when she was going to be leaving to prepare for her infiltration, but I was still going to keep an eye on her, with Focus activated just so I wouldn't lose her or fall for an illusion.

Thus, I settled into doing that. I pretended to be busy by talking with the others, some of them asked about my date but I just pushed it off. I kept my eyes on Cinder the whole time, I could have sworn I caught her staring at me once, but I couldn't be sure at the time.

It took over an hour, but around 11:40, she seemed to start looking for an opportunity to leave, although fortunately for me, she got waylaid by Jeanne, who saw her and decided to strike up a conversation.

That gave me the time I needed to head for the locker room and grab Dawn along with its quiver and sheaths. I put them on and then slipped out of the dance. I distinctly remember the song that was being played was I Want it That Way, honestly I felt the song fit Cinder and I a bit too well. We were worlds apart, it seemed.

The question was, would that gap be crossed, or would we remain like this?

I didn't need to sneak into the CCTS, given that I was a student. I just showed them my training license and they allowed me up top.

Once I was there, I walked to the back, where the terminal that Cinder intended to hack was, and leaned against the wall near it. I decided that I might as well check my stats while I waited, it had been awhile.

Neve Cadere

Level 12 Wannabe Hero

Age - Eighteen

HP

100/100

Aura

140/140

Stats

Vigor - 20

Mind - 31

Charisma - 38

Endurance - 26

Strength - 18

Dexterity - 39

Intelligence - 20

Sorcery - 9

Skills

Sword Fighting

55/100

Archery

55/100

Fist Fighting

37/100

Dodging

63/100

Blocking

36/100

Aura Usage

60/100

Dust Usage

55/100

Stealth

50/100

Deception

70/100

Leadership

56/100

I sighed and dismissed the textbox. I was good, much better than I used to be, although the others at Beacon had continued to improve beyond me. I knew at this speed, I would be at their level at the festival. Maybe I'd even be comparable to Pyrrha…

Despite knowing it wouldn't mean anything, I also decided to check my relationship status with Cinder.

Cinder Fall

-5/100 (Betrayed, Tier 2)

-5/100 (Heartbroken, Tier 1)

It'd gone up slightly, but not enough to matter, I knew. What I said to her was bound to still be fresh in her mind, that whole argument was still fresh on mine, even this long after. Seeing her again reminded me just how much she means to me, but more than anything that just strengthened my resolve.

I checked my scroll, 11:50. I knew that she'd have likely slipped away from Jeanne by now. That meant that sooner rather than later, she'd be making her way up this elevator towards me.

It was at that moment that I unlocked a new element to the hud.

Pivotal Information!

During key moments in quests, you will enter into situations where you'll want to see certain bits of information on the fly. When these situations arise, you will see the pivotal information in the bottom right corner of your vision, it will remain there until the moment has passed.

I saw that Cinder's relationship status to me had become pivotal information, the bigger text box replaced with a smaller one in the corner of my vision.

It took almost another 10 minutes for something to happen, at 11:59, I heard the elevator start moving.

I stared at my scroll for a moment longer as I pushed off the wall and moved to stand in the middle of the room, still on the opposite side of the elevator.

Midnight.

The doors slid open, I pocketed my scroll and drew Dawn, keeping the blades at my side. Cinder was wearing a black sleeveless jacket, long gloves, stiletto heel boots, a black glass masquerade mask, and had several straps of Dust lined across her pants.

She didn't notice me at first, as she stepped out of the elevator, I spoke in a melancholic tone, recalling back to our old training sessions, "After fall…" For a moment, her relationship score jumped up to twenty, only to fall down to ten in a matter of seconds.

She stopped dead in her tracks and her eyes widened as she looked at me. She reached up and removed her mask, staring me in the eyes, hers glistening with tears. Her score jumped up to thirty for another few seconds before falling to five, she responded in a broken up voice, "Comes winter… W-why are you here, Neve? W-Why… why you, of all people?"

Her score continued to jump around, thirty to zero, up to forty and then to five.

I managed a strained smile, "You know why, Cinder. Because you're here. I asked you to make a decision, months ago. Now, I'm asking you again. Salem, or Me?" I took a deep breath as she shakily started to unsheath Midnight off of her back, I continued, "I'm still not the best fighter at Beacon, Cinder, but I'm far past where I used to be. I don't know if I'll be able to stop you, but…" I lifted the sword that I had on my shoulder and pointed it at her.

"I've gotta try."