First off, some words for my reviewers: Thank you. Some of you are guest reviewers, and because of that I can't reply via PM, but there are a few things that I would like to say: To the anonymous Guest and WR, who both pointed out Ruby being OOC in chapter 4, I'd like to say thanks. You were absolutely right that Ruby would never just take command the way she did there. Because of that I made a small edit to make it less egregious, in which Dr. Oobleck tells Ruby to take the lead with the stipulation that he'd step in if things go wrong. I still want Ruby to be the one leading the fight, but your points are valid and acknowledged.

To Guest alone now, I feel honored that you're still reading even though you don't like the way I write Ruby. I understand the sentiment completely, so thank you for that. I also took another look at Ruby's language, and changed it a bit to seem more natural for her. My view is that her combat vocabulary is quite rich because she's something of a prodigy in a fight, but I still changed some things that, indeed, felt wrong coming from her. Since my own way of speaking and writing is more like Weiss's (I'm pretentious as all hell sometimes) I find it hard to truly capture the way Ruby talks, but I'll try even harder to pull it off. In any case, on this point as well you were entirely right.

Now, with that out of the way, it's time for the search for the White Fang to begin. Enjoy, and please leave a review. Rest assured that I will take it to heart, though I might not follow every suggestion.

Chapter Six: A Helping Hand

It was still raining when Ruby and I left Mr. DeZwart's house. I sighed as I pulled my white cloak, decorated with the Schnee family crest, around me and put on the hood. As we walked back through the narrow street towards the busier part of the city, Ruby asked, "Have you ever been to Mistral before?"

I didn't answer immediately. I had been to Mistral before, very long ago. The only thing I remembered was a blue sky with gray clouds distant on the horizon, and my father's voice. "Look at those clouds, Weiss. By their shape, you can tell what kind of weather they bring. A storm is coming."

"Weiss?"

I snapped out of my daydream of sorts and said, "I've been here a long time ago, but I was too young to remember it."

"Oh, that's too bad," Ruby said. "But hey, maybe you'll see something that reminds you of it," she went on cheerfully.

"Yeah, maybe," I said. In the back of my mind, I heard the faded echo of my father's voice again. "A storm is coming." Shortly after that trip to Mistral, things had gone downhill. The White Fang became more and more active, and my father became more and more distant. Strikes became riots, people began to disappear, and death threats became common. Maybe that's why I remembered those ominous words most of all.

"Are...are you okay?" Ruby asked, once more bringing me back to the present. I noticed I had my fists clenched and was gritting my teeth. I quickly relaxed and looked into Ruby's worried eyes. Their silver was much friendlier than the forbidding gray of the sky.

"I'm okay, Ruby. I was just...thinking about something. It's not important," I assured her.

"If you say so..." she said uncertainly.

"Really, I'm fine," I pressed, and before she could argue about it I said, "Now, let's find that restaurant and get some information out of them."

I quickly turned around and resumed walking, leaving Ruby no choice but to follow me. This was the second time in two days I'd had to resort to using a quick change of subject to prevent Ruby from asking about me. I honestly don't know why I'm so adamant that she not know what is bothering me. I'd considered telling my teammates more about myself after the debacle with Blake, but for some reason I kept quiet every time. I guess I'm just not a very open person.

We walked past a dozen restaurants, most of them seafood-based because of Mistral's thriving fishery. "What would a seafood restaurant need to do to stand out around here?" I mused idly as we passed yet another restaurant that promised 'the best fish on Remnant'.

"Uh….Oh! I know! Swordfish gladiators!" Ruby said proudly.

I looked at her and opened my mouth to speak, but what does one say to a remark so far removed from making any sort of sense? "How would that even…?" I began.

I knew I should've kept quiet. Ruby would indubitably have this concept completely thought out already. Aside from being great at coming up with battle plans, she's also a natural at coming up with concepts too demented to be believed. If I was entirely honest with myself, though, I had to admit that I actually really like those demented concepts.

"Okay, look," Ruby began. "The fishermen catch the swordfishes…"

"Swordfish," I corrected. "The plural of fish is still fish. 'Fishes' refers to multiple species, rather than multiple individuals."

Ruby made an exasperated noise. "They catch the swordfish," she said with a glare, "And then they take off the sword part, put a hilt on it and have people fight it out, and the loser pays the bill."

"That's…surprisingly viable, coming from you," I said. You have to understand that the last time Ruby came up with a radical concept, it involved machineguns, spaceships, and lemmings, specifically in that order.

"Well, it would be. You're the one who gave me the idea when you used a swordfish in that food fight with Team JNPR," Ruby said with a grin. "Oh, I think the Blue Leaf's over there," she went on before I could reply.

I followed her gaze, and I indeed noticed a sign decorated with a bright blue oak leaf. Underneath the leaf were the words 'Blue Leaf Restaurant'. It was a relatively small and unassuming restaurant compared to the pomp and grandeur the others seemed to possess. I felt my heartrate climb. We were about to go into the lair of the enemy. I then had the none-too-pleasant realization that I was wearing my family crest on my back, and I was about to step into a restaurant filled with White Fang supporters.

"Um, Ruby?" I said hesitantly. She gave me a quizzical look. "They might not take too kindly to a Schnee stepping into their restaurant," I said, indicating my back.

Ruby frowned, but then her eyes lit up. "You could wear my cloak," she said with a smile, and immediately began taking it off. I stopped her before she could unclasp it, however.

"Ruby, we're in a torrential downpour here. You can't just take your cloak off in the middle of that," I chided.

She gave me a dismissive shrug. "We'll be indoors in a moment anyway; I'm sure I'll be fine," she said.

She took off the cloak and handed it to me. I was still a bit unhappy about her decision to stand out in the rain without it, but once Ruby makes up her mind there's no arguing with her. I put on Ruby's cloak over my own, hiding the incriminating crest on my back.

"Come on, let's get inside," I said to Ruby. I grabbed her hand and pulled her with me.


I was still holding Ruby's hand and dragging her along when we entered the restaurant and walked down the tacky red carpet to a Faunus waiter who seemed quite bored with his job. He had two small antlers on his head, the prongs of which had clearly been sharpened. When he saw Ruby and me approaching him, he grinned.

"Aw, how cute. Are the two of you on a date?" he asked mockingly, looking pointedly at our joined hands. Ruby and I looked at each other and then quickly let go. I felt my cheeks flush. Ruby turned bright red as well.

"That is hardly a professional way to greet a customer," I said angrily.

The waiter ignored me. "You're turning just as red as that cloak of yours, princess," he sneered.

"Never mind that, just let me talk to your boss," I snapped.

"Sure, princess," the waiter said with a voice laden with loathing. I growled as he walked off. I really wasn't in the mood to deal with aggravating waiters, certainly not if they were just going to make disparaging remarks about Ruby and me. A date? I mean, come on! I shot a glance at Ruby, who was fidgeting with the hem of her skirt and looking at the ground.

Without wanting to, I found myself wondering what it would actually be like to be on a date with her. It would probably be more fun than the few dates I actually have had in my life. At least Ruby cared about me for me…Wait, what was I thinking? Why was I even considering this? Damn that stupid waiter! I couldn't believe I actually let his mocking get to me, and that just made me angrier.

I saw him returning, followed by a tall man with black hair, narrow golden eyes and two dog-like ears coming from his head. The man was dressed in a black suit and wore a black tie. His look was as cold as ice.

"I am Cyril Cyano, the owner and founder of the Blue Leaf restaurant," he introduced himself. His voice was silky smooth and had a musical undertone. "And you…you should not be here," he went on with an unmistakable threat in his words.

I wanted to open my mouth, but Ruby stepped forward instead. "Sir, why do you want us gone so badly?"

Cyano laughed. I'd expected it to sound like a dog's bark, but it sounded like more like a hoarse opera singer. "You're Humans," he spat. "And you're obviously not from around here or you would know that we don't take kindly to them."

I took a deep breath. I'd known from the start this was going to take some manipulation. Fortunately, I'm a Schnee. "You know, you might want to figure out if a Human stepping in here could possibly be an ally, instead of immediately insulting them," I said, putting my hands on my hips to accentuate my words.

Cyano fixed his eyes on me. I could say he was like a wolf looking at his prey, but that would give him too much credit. "Ally? To what cause, pray tell?"

I rolled my eyes. "Don't play dumb with me, Cyril. I know you support the White Fang."

In my heart, I crossed my fingers. While racism is sadly abundant, not many would openly admit to supporting terrorists…or take kindly to being accused of doing so. Saying this was a huge gamble. From the corner of my eye I saw Ruby tensing up as well.

Cyano's nostrils flared and for a moment I expected him to draw a weapon, but then he calmed down. "You have guts to make such accusations," he said, lowering his voice.

"And you're doing an excellent job of denying it," I said sarcastically. My father once told me that business negotiations often contained a lot of veiled hostility, because angry people are easier to manipulate.

I was hoping that his words had been true, and that Cyano didn't possess the emotional control my father and sister had to simply ignore any insults. Fortunately, he seemed to fall for it. His breathing was getting heavier. "Careful there, Cyril. All that anger can't be good for your heart," I said coolly.

My heart was hammering against my ribs. If my father hadn't trained me in this for most of my life I would've already fallen to pieces. I wasn't afraid of a fight, necessarily, but dealing with people is much scarier than the mindless beasts of Grimm.

With an angry growl, Cyano threw his hands up in the air. "Alright, Ice Queen," he said. God damn it. Now even the people in Mistral are calling me by that inane name. "What do you want?"

"We need to know where the next White Fang rally is being held," I said.

"Why?" Cyano demanded.

I made an impatient noise. "Listen, Cyril, we need to get to that rally and Adam didn't think it was smart to tell us too much from the start, so he sent us here. Now tell me the location, or he'll want a word with you," I said.

"Adam, huh? Never liked him," Cyano spat. Despite those words, he relaxed almost imperceptibly. Maybe we would actually get the information. I certainly hoped so, because my nerves were really starting to get frayed from all the bluffing. Cyano remained silent for a moment and I was just about to make another sarcastic remark, when…

"Weiss, get down!" Ruby pulled me down to the ground with her and the air above me was ripped apart by gunfire. I'd been so focused on Cyril that I hadn't even noticed another Faunus drawing a gun behind me. That did explain why Cyano relaxed, however. So much for my manipulative skills.

I didn't have time to say anything to Ruby, because Cyano had now drawn a revolver and aimed it at my head. At this range, my Aura would never be able to block it, so I summoned a glyph and blew him into the far wall of the restaurant. I unsheathed Myrtenaster as Ruby unfolded Crescent Rose.

"I don't think your plan worked, Weiss," Ruby said, completely earnestly.

I looked at her like she'd lost her mind. "No, really, you think?"

"Well…"

"I was being sarcastic! Weren't you paying attention just now?! Oh, forget it, we need to get out of here."

That was easier said than done, however. Cyano's goons had blocked off the exit and although we were more than capable of simply killing them it wasn't an option I liked to consider. Fortunately, I saw the green glow of an emergency exit behind the insufferable waiter, who was now brandishing an assault rifle at us.

"Behind the waiter," I whispered.

Ruby nodded. I stabbed Myrtenaster's blade into the floor and used my ice Dust to trap the waiter's rifle. At the same moment, Ruby hooked Crescent Rose underneath a nearby table and swung it into the group of Faunus behind us.

We ran for the emergency exit with the bullets of the unharmed Faunus whizzing around us. I felt a couple of them hitting me, but my Aura was strong enough to deflect the glancing blows. Ruby reached the door before I did and didn't bother opening it the normal way. Instead, she cut out the entire door with one twirl of her scythe.

I quickly took in our surroundings. We were in a narrow alley, blocked off by a wall on one side and connecting to a series of other alleys on the other. Without waiting for our pursuers, we began to run. The system of alleys was a real maze, with dead ends at seemingly random places, but to my immense relief Cyano's goons didn't seem to be following us. Despite this, we kept running until we finally emerged onto a large street, where bright neon signs lit up the city, their light reflecting from the deep puddles on the road. When I saw the puddles I turned around to look at Ruby, who had been behind me in the alleys. I was still wearing her cloak, and Ruby was drenched to the bone and shivering violently.

"Oh God, Ruby," I whispered. I immediately took off her cloak and clasped it around her shivering shoulders.

"I-I'm f-f-fine, Weiss," she said through chattering teeth. She pulled her cloak tighter around her.

"You're obviously not fine," I said sternly. "What if you've got hypothermia? We need to get you indoors, come on."

I grabbed her hand, and when I did I thought about the waiter's remark about Ruby and me again. Now was not the time to dwell on it, however. I had to get Ruby somewhere warm, and to do that I first needed to find out where we were. Looking around, I spotted a wide arch that led into some old shopping streets. I pulled Ruby with me under the arch, so that we were at least out of the rain. I pulled out my scroll and took a glance at the map of the area. I looked at the street names and zoomed out a bit, hoping to find the street name of either our hotel or Mr. DeZwart's house.

"W-Weiss?" Ruby said. I looked up from my scroll. "I-I'm not so fine as I t-t-thought I w-was," she said.

She looked smaller than usual because of the way she was huddled up, and it pained me to see her like this, even more so because it was my fault that she was like this.

"I'm finding out where we are so we can get to a warm place," I said. "You'll feel better once you're all warm and dry again."

I said that as much for my own conscience as to soothe her. I dreaded the thought that I might have made her sick. I looked at the street names surrounding ours and soon found the street our hotel was in. I memorized the route, then grabbed Ruby's hand again.

"We're going to the hotel, Ruby. It's only two streets away," I promised her. She nodded, but didn't reply. While we walked, I texted the others to let them know we were headed to the hotel, hoping things had gone better for them than they had for Ruby and me.


The Mistral Grand Hotel was the largest building by far in the street. It was widely used by businessmen and politicians, and somehow Headmaster Ozpin had managed to arrange rooms for us in it. The only problem was that we couldn't enter our rooms yet, because Dr. Oobleck had to fill out the paperwork.

So, Ruby and I sat in the lobby, waiting for the others to join us at the hotel, hopefully with our bags. The original plan had been to return to Mr. DeZwart's home first to retrieve our bags, and then travel to the hotel together. I wasn't about to put Ruby through that in her current condition, however. She was still sopping wet and shivering, even though we sat close to the heater.

The man behind the counter was giving us a very disapproving look for getting the extremely expensive seats wet. Before I joined Beacon and met Ruby and the other, my reaction would've been the same. Now, though, I couldn't care less about the damage I caused to the seats, as long as Ruby was okay.

I looked around the rest of the hotel lobby. The floors were high quality marble, the seats covered with exquisite leather. To the right of the reception desk was a coffee bar that sold only the most expensive brands imported from all over Remnant. Seeing the bar gave me an idea.

"Ruby, wait here for a moment. I'll be right back," I promised her.

She nodded once, and then resumed her shivering. I strode over to the coffee bar. Fortunately there wasn't a line.

"How may I help you?" the bartender asked.

"Do you sell hot chocolate with whipped cream?" I asked.

"Fifteen lien," the bartender replied.

Having grown up in a wealthy family, the steep price didn't surprise me much, but after my time at Beacon, where the same chocolate milk went for three lien, it was a rather unwelcome wake-up call. "I'll have two then, please," I said, digging up the money from my wallet.

When I had the two mugs of chocolate milk, I returned to Ruby. I handed her a mug and noticed that the receptionist now seemed absolutely livid that we had the audacity to enjoy a beverage on these expensive chairs. I knew he wasn't allowed to tell off customers, however.

"Thanks, W-Weiss," Ruby said.

"It's the least I could do," I said. "It's my fault you didn't have your cloak."

Ruby took a sip of her chocolate milk. "Don't feel g-guilty, Weiss. It was my own c-choice," she said. She was still shivering, but the chocolate milk at least seemed to help a little. She smiled and took another sip.

At that moment, Dr. Oobleck, Yang, and Blake entered the hotel. Yang and Blake were carrying the bags of Ruby and me. While Dr. Oobleck walked over to the reception, Yang and Blake made their way to us.

"Wow, sis, did you go for a swim or something?" Yang joked upon seeing Ruby's still dripping clothes. Ruby merely shivered in response.

"What happened?" Blake asked, ignoring Yang as well.

"Ruby lent me her cloak because mine had the Schnee crest on it," I said.

A look of understanding appeared on Blake's face. "So when everything went wrong, you had to run, and Ruby didn't have her cloak," she concluded.

I nodded, feeling my face light up in shame.

Yang shook her head. "You're way too nice sis," she said. "Now you got hosed," she added with a grin.

I groaned at the lame pun. "Yang, please," I said.

"Alright, alright. Geez, tough crowd tonight," Yang complained.

Dr. Oobleck strode over to us. He didn't look happy. "Rooms 435 through 437 are ours," he began. He looked at Ruby. "Miss Rose, I expected you to know better than to give up your gear when the weather obviously doesn't allow it. When a mission encounters a snag like this, you must never endanger yourself if it's not necessary. You should have gone back and picked up a spare cloak for Miss Schnee."

It was new for me to hear Dr. Oobleck being so critical, but he was entirely right with what he said. Ruby nodded. "I'm s-sorry, Dr. Oobleck."

Dr. Oobleck sighed. "Apology accepted, Miss Rose, but try to be more careful in the future. And Miss Schnee," he added with a look at me. "Please make sure you think well before heading into a mission. The mistake you made in wearing that cloak has led to this. Exercise more caution in the future."

I looked into Dr. Oobleck's eyes and said, "Yes, Dr. Oobleck. I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted," Dr. Oobleck said. "Now come on. Miss Rose needs to get into some dry clothes."


I lay back on the bed in the hotel room. It was much springier than the one in the outpost had been. Ruby was taking a hot shower while her clothes hung to dry on some coat hangers. As soon as she was done, we were going to discuss the findings of the others and plan our next move.

Once again, I thought about the remark of the Faunus waiter. The idea of a being on a date with Ruby was strange, but now that my gut reaction had settled and I finally had moment to actually think about it, I realized that the thought was actually a quite pleasant one. Could it be? Did I really have feelings for Beacon's number one dolt? I recalled the way my eyes had lingered on her in the fight yesterday, and how beautiful she'd looked in the setting sun. I recalled the sense of strange pride I'd felt when Ruby reacted more strongly to what I'd said at her mother's grave than to Blake's words. Weird as it was for me to accept it, I had to admit to myself that it was true: I'd fallen in love with Ruby Rose.

Just as that realization really hit me, the bathroom door opened and Ruby came out in a cloud of steam. The first thing I noticed was that her corset wasn't laced properly and that her hair hadn't been done. A feeling of apprehension filled me.

"Ruby?" I said uncertainly.

She staggered over towards her bed, the one closest to the bathroom, and sat down on it.

"I'm feeling really fuzzy," she said. She sounded very fragile when she said that.

I got off my bed and knelt down next to her. I put my hand to her forehead. "You're burning up…" I whispered. Things had just taken a turn for the worse.

Oh dear, Ruby is sick! How will this affect the search for the White Fang? When did I become the narrator of a bad show? The answers to all of these will be revealed in the next chapter! Don't forget to leave a review, because as the lengthy intro to this chapter proves, I need them.