I've been gone far too long from this wonderful little story, so I'd like to give all our veterans and newcomers a new chapter.

Let's have fun!

Fun in the Sun-Fear in the Snow

The next few weeks were… quiet.

I mean, we still trained, studied, hung out, and generally kept busy. It's just… we didn't see much of the beasts outside of a few packs of small fry, not even a Great Jaggi among them.

I wasn't complaining, Grimm were much less complicated, but the others started getting antsy. Our after-hours training had only gotten more intense the longer we went without a beast to fight, and that stressed everyone to the limit.

On the bright side, all of us were always getting better with each other. At first, Weiss and Blake rarely talked to anyone outside of Yang and I, but now they were a lot more social.

As far as an arrogant disposition and short answers could be considered social, but hey, baby steps.

Anyway, before we knew it, the semester was at an end. There was a two week break after we took our midterms, but we spent that in the tender mercies of Goodwitch. At least until the last day, when we were given the day off and we gathered in the cafeteria.

I, being my wonderful self, slammed a folder thicker than I was onto the lunch table. "Alright, listen up!"

My friends and sister looked up at me, suspicion clear. I ignored it in favor of my prepared speech. "Friends, Family… Weiss."

Weiss stuck her tongue out at me.

"In honor of our rest day," I continued, "I have come up with an entire series of activities and adventures. We will have nothing resembling fun for the coming semester, so we may as well start off with a bang!"

I pointed at Yang, her jaw half open. "No puns! I know I put it out there, but I will not suffer it!"

Yang pouted at me.

"Who's the elder sibling?" Jaune muttered, drawing a giggle from Pyrrha.

I ignored them, instead opening the folder. "Now then, the first activity is a good meal… check!"

I made a check before Weiss started growling. "Wait a minute, is that the folder I had under my desk? Ruby, that had my anatomy project!"

I gulped and tentatively pulled back the cover, the words 'Grimm Anatomy' staring at me from under my self-made title. "…Whoops."

Weiss proceeded to blow up, for good reason. While that was happening, I heard Yang start a conversation, but I didn't focus too much what with Weiss trying to bite my head off.

"So," Yang started. "I never got to ask this with all the stuff going on, but what's it like being in a coed dorm?"

Nora chuckled. "Not that much different from you guys."

"We have to wake up before either of them." Ren stated, frank as ever. "Pyrrha takes an hour all by herself and Nora has a whole routine that can't be interrupted. If we want hot showers, it's an early wake up call."

Nora socked his shoulder, Ren ignoring the pain like an old pro. Pyrrha chuckled and added her thoughts. "The curse of long hair on my part, but it's not that bad. We do our assignments, eat, and sleep in there mostly. Nothing special."

Blake shrugged and looked to Yang's disappointed face. "Were you expecting them to be doing something racy? It's amazing any of us can get in our own beds at the end of the day, let alone do something like that."

"Says the night owl." Yang muttered, glaring at Blake's smug grin. "And don't deny you wanted to know too, Ms. Erotica."

Blake flushed, hand shushing Yang. "Don't say that, it's legitimate literature!"

Yang grumbled around the hand, but her eyes widened at something across the table. Blake, following her eyes, let out a horrified gasp. "Ruby, what did you do?!"

I was too afraid to respond, Weiss trembling next to me as we tried to support each other in a desperate hug. See, Weiss was so mad at me she'd started grabbing food off the table and chucking it at me. I just ate the small stuff, but Weiss eventually grabbed a pie that I let sail past me.

Right into the head of one Coco Adel.

Our table was the only to not notice that, which was weird considering the entire hall went silent, but now they gaped as well.

Coco stood before us, eyes hidden by her usual sunglasses, but we could feel the anger. "You just ruined my favorite beret."

A chocolate cake slice appeared in her hand. "Who's getting this shoved in their hair?"

I thought she sounded far too calm to be threatening a chocolatey death, but let it never be said cowards are stupid. "Weiss did it!"

Weiss gaped at me, tears of betrayal gathering in her eyes before the chocolate was smashed into her hair, Coco rubbing it in to make a point.

"Coco," Velvet tried, walking over to her leader. "It was an accident, you didn't need to do that."

I thought that was cool of her, but a splat of purple hit her head. It was jelly by the looks of it, and I looked back to see Yang pulling back from her pitch. "Sis… are we really going to do this?"

Yang smirked as the rest of team CFVY sidled forward. "We take care of our own. Who cares if it was an accident, they've asked for it now."

"I'm on Coco's side!" Nora yelled, dragging Ren to join the other side.

Yang pointed to the others. "Then we'll take you on with your better halves! Losers apologize!"

I could only watch as Velvet cleaned the jelly from her face, a rare look of annoyance flashing by. "Alright, fine, if that's what you want."

"This'll be fun." Fox drawled, bouncing on his heels. "What do you think Yasuhashi?"

Yas, as I knew him, grunted and grabbed a table, food clattering in place. With battle about to begin and one of my own allies glaring at me murderously for betrayal, I did the only thing I could.

Smile and get it on.

"Food fight!"

-Aftermath-

The battle was glorious.

Our first clash sent the other students scrambling, tables, food, and bodies flying. At some point, a small fortress of wood and soda machines was constructed, and we did battle with whatever was at hand.

Velvet and Blake dueled with baguettes, Weiss and Ren warred with a swordfish and green onions, and Yang shoved her hands up two whole turkeys while Nora attacked her with a watermelon on a pole. Pyrrha and Coco were spectacular, the red head spinning and leaping about with a leg of roast lamb while Coco ripped out the soda dispensers and rapid fired cans innumerable.

Jaune grabbed the nearest table and a whole fish, desperately holding off Yas who was using a whole side of beef.

I flitted around the battlefield, flinging pies and other debris at the enemy and saving my allies. It had gone well right up until Yang had been smacked through the ceiling by Nora. Weiss avenged the loss by disarming Ren and slapping him with the fish, the shame sending him to the floor.

Blake and Velvet met an unfortunate tie, a surprise volley from Coco painting Blake in rainbows while Velvet met the window after Pyrrha batted her with the lamb.

I took down Yas with a barrage of pies, the poor boy groaning on the floor, when I noticed that Fox had gone missing.

He reappeared behind Jaune with entire grape vines wrapped around his arms, Jaune going down in a flurry of delicious blows. Pyrrha went to avenge her not quite boyfriend, so I took care of Nora with her one weakness.

Pancakes.

While she was groaning atop a table, covered in fluffy disks and sticky syrup, I turned to Coco. "I will have vengeance for my friends! And it will taste like strawberries!"

Coco cocked an eyebrow and her makeshift weapon. "Strawberry, eh?"

I regretted my words a moment later, cans of strawberry soda flying at me. They didn't hit me, but poor Blake got caught in the crossfire again. Thankfully, there were enough cans that hadn't exploded lying around that I had an idea.

I ran to the front of the hall, got in a sprinters stance, and ran for all I was worth. The wind pressure picked up the cans, discarded food, and most of the defeated combatants. Coco, ever unshakeable, stood her ground and kept firing.

I ended up dashing past her and she flew into the vortex, my feet slamming into and cracking the opposite wall. A moment later, everyone I'd caught slammed into the wall and were pelted by the food and drink, soon becoming indistinguishable from the wall.

When they peeled off, I had to sheepishly accept I'd accidently pulled Pyrrha into the finishing move. On the other hand, we'd won!

Until I was slapped into the floor by a fish, Weiss standing over me and poking me with the point. "That's what you get for betraying me."

I just laughed. It was shortly after that when Goodwitch came in and fixed the place up, but we were able to get together and have a good laugh.

Then Yang finally came back to earth and Nora had to promise to pay for meals for the next week. Sending a friend so high into the air over a simple food fight was not ok.

After that, Sun showed up! We hadn't seen him since the night on the docks and he'd brought a friend. Guy's name was Neptune, handsome and smooth talking, but an airhead from what I could tell.

Introductions were made and we all had a good time before Goodwitch shooed us out of the hall. Sure, all of my plans had gone through the shredder, but we all wandered over to the library and started playing board games.

Great ice breaker, even if Blake tended to lose herself in thought every so often.

-Night-

Screw every so often, Blake couldn't get out of her own head!

Yang had forgotten our shower turns and walked in on Blake, but didn't get a response when she apologized. In fact, when Blake came out, she didn't even acknowledge anyone.

Not even when I hugged Weiss after solving an issue with my rifling!

I sighed and approached her, trying to be tactful.

"Hey, Blake. You ok?"

No response.

I frowned and tried again. "Blake?"

Same result.

I bit my lip and bit the bullet, my power coming forth. "Blake!"

The bark made Blake jump, the book she was reading smacking against Yang's bed. "What, who, when!?"

She calmed down after a moment and glared at me. "What was that for?"

I sighed and let go of the power. "You weren't answering me. Or anyone, for that matter."

"I'm just thinking." Blake shot. "You do it whenever you're working on Crescent Rose."

"You do," Weiss added, looking up from whatever she was working on. "Trying to get you out of there's a task."

I pouted. "Quiet, you're not part of this. Anyway, Blake, what I mean is that you ignored Yang walking in on you."

Blake's eyes widened. "Wait… she did?"

I nodded, very sure to emphasize this part. "Yang was apologizing and everything, but you didn't even know she was there. Could've sat there and ogled you for all you knew."

"Hey!" Yang protested, hanging from her bed. "Don't talk like I'm some creep!"

She wriggled her eyebrows. "Besides, her normal stuff gives plenty to look at anyway."

Blake punched Yang hard enough to send her back up onto the mattress, a light flush on the faunas's face. "Quiet you. Anyway, I'm fine. Just thinking about the next few months."

I felt like that wasn't everything, but decided not to push for now. "Ok, if you're sure. Just try to stay with us, it's hard to get things done when we're missing the voice of reason."

Blake smirked, eyes flashing in amusement. "Oh, I'm reason? What about the others; surely Ren's more reasonable then me?"

I shrugged, deciding it couldn't hurt to share. "Well, Ren's the voice of frankness. He'll say what's on his mind, no matter what. Nora's the voice of insanity, no explanation needed. Jaune's the voice of strategy and frustration, since he has good plans but he gets interrupted giving them."

Yang and Weiss were staring at me now, clearly curious where this was going.

"Pyrrha's the voice of apology because she apologizes… a lot. Yang is the voice of puns and violence."

Blake had started chuckling by the time I got to Yang, but my sister's protest at her assigned voice made Blake hunch over.

"Then what am I, Ruby Rose?" Weiss ground out. "Please, share."

I was already dead at this point. May as well. "Weiss is the voice of knowledge and snootiness. I am the voice of everyone's inner nerd and unflattering commentary."

Blake was curled up by then, almost crying in laughter, but I was glad for it. Not even Weiss's annoyed glare could bring me down.

"You are so getting your butt kicked tomorrow." Yang promised. "But why don't we call it a night? It's supposed to be cold going into the morning."

I sighed, but agreed. I didn't like being cold, even if having a space heater for a sister made that a moot point most of the time, but that's what blankets were for!

"I'll turn in later." Weiss stated, turning back to her scroll. "I have a few more things to do before I'm done."

Yang shrugged and flopped onto her bed. Blake calmed down and thanked me for the laugh before grabbing her book and going back to reading. She looked far more relaxed, which made me a lot more relaxed.

With nothing else to do, I climbed into my bed and started playing a game on my scroll. I wanted to beat Yang's high-score on this thing and I would do so!

And maybe drag Weiss off to bed if she wasn't asleep soon. Someone had to save her from over-working.

-Ozpin-

"I don't like this silence."

Glynda paced in front of me; the woman as frustrated as I was. "Nothing but small creatures, reports of numerous new species popping up left and right, the Grimm attacking these new species. Professor, this isn't normal!"

I sighed and took a sip from my mug. "If I had to guess, those new species are the creatures the beasts prey on. The last few that appeared could likely survive off of the local fauna, but as the seal weakens and more of the beasts escape, they need something to eat."

Glynda growled, not liking that answer. "Yet no one puts the pieces together! The terrestrial species are explainable, but the ocean? Those ones you call Epioths? Vale has existed by the ocean for centuries, there's no way anyone could've missed such large herbivores!"

"Let them draw their own conclusions." I stated, an eye glued to the window. "The less they know for now, the better. We still don't have enough evidence to bring our case before the council and the silence from the beasts is to our benefit."

Glynda sighed and took a seat. "Yet we need the beasts to prove our case. The students have improved greatly after their encounter with the Royal Ludroth, but I still fear they haven't faced enough to understand the full gravity of what's happening."

"I'd be surprised if they did." I muttered, turning back to Glynda. "The thefts of Dust have driven prices higher than they've ever been and the police are incapable of catching the culprit. I've been unable to funnel any resources to that vein of action with the beasts hanging over us and I fear the Witch is moving forward with something big."

Glynda pinched her nose. "Then you think these thefts are her work as well. Are we going to be sharing this with Ironwood when he arrives next week?"

I sipped at my mug and looked back to the window. "The beasts, yes… but I fear he'll do something drastic if he becomes aware of the Witch's movements. His heart's in the right place, but all he'll do is drive her to ground and make her smarter. We're closer to deciphering her plans than ever before, I refuse to see that effort and sacrifice destroyed for an impulsive act that carries little chance of changing things."

Glynda was silent for a time before nodding. "Very well. I hope he'll come with good news on the beasts."

I blinked and laid my hands on the desk. "How do you mean?"

"I mean I hope the beasts have been limited to Vale." Glynda answered. "If they start appearing in the other kingdoms…"

I hummed and glanced to my desk, but no message popped up. Looks like the gods weren't that cruel today. "I hope not as well. The other kingdoms may not be as… prudent."

-Atlas Mountains-

"How much longer are we walking?"

A man sighed as another squall of snow screeched by, his companion's voice barely reaching him. "We'll be at the research site soon! Stop complaining while you're at it, aren't you the one that wanted to come?"

The woman huffed and tightened her coat as another biting gale buffeted them. "No, that was my brother! It's not my fault there's only two mammologists in Atlas and one of them broke his stupid leg!"

The man grunted and waved off the complaint. "It doesn't matter. I just hope they have something warm to eat."

The woman didn't answer. It was silent for another half-hour before light bloomed through the blizzard and the duo breathed a sigh of relief.

The complex they entered was mostly easy to set up tents and a few sturdier buildings to hold various scientific equipment. There were few people walking about, but the man spotted several of the new Atlesian Knight 200s patrolling the area.

Odd, he thought. Those models just entered production. Was it really that big a discovery?

The woman ignored the androids and stomped up to the largest building, banging on the door when she got there. "Hey, we're here! Passcode 214539: Dr. Latia Orson and Leon Dresden!"

The door let out a series of beeps before swishing open, a jolly man on the other side. "Ah, Latia! Good to see you made it in one piece, and the same to you, Leon."

Leon bowed to the man, his features hidden behind winter gear. "Not a problem Dr. Keller. Have to say, it's a surprise to see the new Knights out and about."

"They're being tested." Keller answered. "The manufacturers wanted to know if they could stand the elevation and cold in turn. So far, they've done fabulously, but that's not why you're here."

He ushered Latia and Leon inside, guiding them through several research aides. Keller stopped them just before a corral, Latia letting her strawberry-blonde hair free when she got a look inside. "Wow…"

Inside the corral were several hairy quadrupeds with stocky builds and tusks that ranged from large to diminutive. In fact, they reminded her of small, hairy goliaths that weren't trying to kill them. "This is the new species?"

"Amazing isn't it?" Keller agreed. "Best part is, from what we can tell, they came from the other side of the mountain."

Leon grunted, pulling his hood down to reveal dark brown hair. "I thought that place had nothing but Grimm. Sure, they may not attack other animals, but the area's desolate otherwise."

Keller scratched his chin, curiosity clear. "That's why I asked Latia to come. I'm a Grimm researcher, so I don't have a clue how these creatures work. Latia, give us the word and we'll start any tests you ask for."

Latia smiled and started to list her needs. "Ok, we'll need to see if they have sexual dimorphism, their genetics, and I need samples of that coat. After that, blood samples and a vivisection-!"

One of the animals looked up sharply, snuffs quieting Latia. The other animals took notice of this and the smaller members were huddled together while the large ones formed a circle.

"What are they doing?" Leon muttered. "Did they get spooked by your voice?"

Latia glared at him. "Impossible, they can't hear me. Besides, this is herd behavior, circling the young to protect them from threats. I just don't see any threat."

Keller grew confused, but a beep on his scroll drew his attention. "Wait, one of the Knights went offline!"

Latia had a bad feeling about that and tore the scroll from his hand. As she watched, two more Knights went offline, their dots on the scroll's map disappearing.

They all formed a line, heading for the building they were in.

"Get all the Knights over here!" Latia yelled, startling the aides that were still working. "Everyone else, take shelter! Whatever's coming is not friendly!"

The aides began to run around in a panic, ducking under tables and workstations. Latia and Leon hid with Keller underneath the lip of the corral, each waiting around Keller's scroll.

The dots on the map showed the Knights encircled around the corral building, several messages in the corner from other researchers demanding to know what was going on. Keller was about to start answering when Leon stopped him. "Quiet, don't move."

Keller froze and all was silent for a moment. Then, they heard a thud. Then another… and another…

"It's massive." Latia whispered, fright gripping her heart. "Four legs, giant size… it could be a goliath!"

Keller growled, hoping that wasn't the case, but more beeps from the scroll and the crashing of metal met his ears. As he watched, the Knights slowly blipped off the map, several bangs echoing through the building as something crashed into the walls.

Silence fell after the last Knight went offline.

Latia could feel her heart thudding in her ears, breath coming deep and ragged. There was no way this could happen, they'd just gotten there!

The screech of bending metal made everyone cover their ears, a cry unlike anything heard tearing the air. A blast of cold air and the screech of metal told Latia the wall or roof had been torn off, but she'd long since curled into a ball.

All she could do was cover her ears and bury herself into the snow, ignoring the screams of the aides and cries of the creatures. A crashing, piercing cry filled the air and Latia's last view was that of an ice encrusted foot before she finished covering herself in snow.

It was cold in her little shelter, but all sound was muffled to the point of near silence. She could only thank every deity she knew that the floor hadn't been covered yet and pray that whatever was out there didn't find her.

That, and hope Keller or Leon had hidden themselves too. She didn't want to be alone, not out here.

…

…

…

It was quiet again, but she still didn't move. Not one muscle, locked in fear, so much as twitched for another thirty minutes before she dared peek out of her shelter.

The sight nearly made her heave.

The building was crushed beyond anything she thought salvageable, the remains of computers and machines strewn about along with torn walls and twisted trolleys. What made her ill were the bodies of the people, most of them crushed flat or with burst heads. A few had outright heinous slash wounds from what she could see, but it was hard enough to look as was.

Gulping down her bile, she looked to her left to find two similar hills in the snow, but one had a hole punched through it and leaked blood.

The other trembled before Leon's head popped out, gaping at the massacre before him. "By the gods…!"

Latia agreed, but she pulled her arm free and reached for him. "Leon, we need to leave! Whatever that was could still be around, we need to go!"

-Meanwhile, Cliffside-

"Sloppy work, Do'gus."

The Gammoth in question snorted, red eyes glaring at the lounging Baroth. "It is through your folly that the Popo were able to roam so far. The herds are not yet healthy enough and I cannot go and retrieve every lost family."

The Barroth chuffed, its green-blue hide clinking as it stood. "I'm well aware. By the way, I smell two that yet live. If it will keep you quiet on this incident, I'll take care of them."

Do'gus shook his body, snow cascading from its fur. "Go, see neither live. We are not yet ready to reveal ourselves to the world and the Baggi have yet to return from their foray to the south."

The Barroth groaned and hopped from its perch. "I will see it done. Don't wait up for me, I know the way back."

Do'gus snorted again before stomping away. "I don't wait on slackers."

-Latia-

The pair waited another few minutes before scrambling out of the snow, trudging to the edge of camp and avoiding the slaughtered remains of the researchers and the Knights. It was surreal to see the supposed face of the Alas military get defeated so easily, but here they were.

Neither spoke, the shock was too great for words, but the thud of large feet hitting the ground made them throw themselves into a snow drift, praying once again that whatever it was would leave them alone.

The rattling of the earth and the sharp crack of bones proved Latia wrong, Leon's spot pulverized and sending her rolling out of the snow.

She came to a stop and sprang to her feet, running with all the strength she held, and for a moment thought she'd make the cliff.

Something solid ramming into her legs and sending her flying over the cliff and into the open air snuffed that hope, what was once her hope now her doom.

The Barroth that had attacked her watched the human scream to the ground, wincing sympathetically when the scream was silenced with a thud. "Didn't know that was there. I hate doing it messy, unneeded suffering."

The Barroth shook its head before beginning the trek down the cliff.

Messy or not, it still needed to clean up, and meat was meat.

It was feeling kind today though, so why not gather up any identifying marks and gather them together?

It'd make a good statement when the search teams came.

Ch. End

Here we have a case of going from light to dark. What do you think?

Also, review responses, because I don't have anything else to say right now!

OccasionallyCompetent: Still not dead, hope you enjoy!

Tounen: I actually thought of this a few years ago when I first found RWBY. Happens when your brother's a big fan of Monster Hunter.

Star's Keyblade4114: It makes sense if you ask me. When you have weapons that are proven to work on Grimm and small fry but not on the big boys, you try things. Considering the book mentions the beasts fighting each other, it makes sense to use their natural weapons against them.

Sonic: Hope you like this one too!

That's all she wrote for this one people, wish me luck on finals!