Aero, Vivian, and Natasha strolled through downtown Vale with Team RWBY, admiring the red, yellow, and green streamers and balloons proudly on display. Raven had chosen to skip the outing, a rare occasion as he usually wishes to spend little time at Beacon. But recently he had been spending more time in the training rooms. All seven future huntsmen paused as they saw an elderly shopkeeper set up a large sign above the street.
"The Vytal Festival! Oh, this is absolutely wonderful!" Weiss gushed as she looked up at the sign.
"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much, Weiss." Ruby joked, frowning slightly. "It's kinda weirding me out..." Natasha giggled at Ruby who smiled back
"How could you not smile?" Weiss turned around. "A festival dedicated to the cultures of the world! There will be dances! Parades! A tournament! Oh, the amount of planning and organization that goes into this event is simply breathtaking!"
"You really know how to take a good thing and make it sound boring." Yang sighed as they all followed Weiss down the street.
"Quiet, you!" Weiss scolded.
"Well, she does have a point." Vivian chimed in. "This is one of the few times in the year that people decide to celebrate their similarities while learning about others. Some people spend their whole lives in one place and never realize how small Remnant really is."
"Unlike you." Natasha pointed out. Vivian simply smiled as they all made it to the docks.
"We could learn all that in the comfort of our dorm. So why are we spending our Friday afternoon visiting the stupid docks?"
"Ugh, they smell like fish!" Ruby complained, plugging her nose.
"I'm not sure what else we would be doing." Aero pointed out. "Not like Beacon is bustling with things to do."
"I've heard that students visiting from Vacuo will be arriving by ship today." Weiss gladly explained. "And, as a representative of Beacon, I feel as though it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine kingdom!"
"She wants to spy on them so she'll have the upper hand in the tournament." Blake translated aloud, arms crossed.
"You can't prove that!" Weiss scoffed, turning around as Natasha giggled.
"Whoa." Everyone followed where Ruby looked, spying a shattered window down the street and a door full of yellow caution tape that read Do Not Cross Vale Police Force. In front of the shop were two men. "What happened here?" Ruby asked after they walked over to get a better look.
"Robbery." The first gentleman with a note pad spoke quickly. "Second Dust shop to be hit this week. This place is turning into a jungle." He finishes grumbling.
"That's terrible." Yang sighed.
"They left all the money again." The second gentleman announced, looking into the broken window.
"Huh?" Ruby asked aloud.
"Yeah, just doesn't make a lick of sense. Who needs that much Dust?" The first gentleman inquired.
"I don't know, an army?"
"You thinking the White Fang?"
"Yeah, I'm thinking we don't get paid enough." The second gentleman finished, removing his glasses annoyed.
"Hmph! The White Fang." Weiss spoke first, crossing her arms. "What an awful bunch of degenerates!"
"What's your problem?" Blake spoke up.
"My problem?" Wiess asked confused as she turned to Blake. "I simply don't care for the criminally insane."
"Criminally insane?" Natasha asked aloud.
"The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths." Blake said, ignoring Natasha and crossing her arms. "They're a collection of misguided Faunus."
"Misguided? They want to wipe Humanity off the face of the planet." Weiss countered.
"So then they're very misguided." Blake returned. "Either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a Dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale!"
"It definitely doesn't seem like a good tactic." Vivian said, agreeing with Blake.
"Hmm... Blake and Vivian have got a point." Ruby added. "Besides, the police never caught that Torchwick guy I ran into a few months ago... Maybe it was him." They all turned to look at the detectives still examining the broken window.
"That still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum." Weiss continued, ignoring the others points. "Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal."
"Does Weiss know…" Natasha began asking Aero quietly when a man shouted down by the docks.
"Hey, stop that Faunus!" The future huntsmen rush over to investigate and spot a boy with a monkey tail being chased by two sailors. As they reach the fence of the docks the Faunus jumps off the boat and begins running until he climbs up a lamp post. As the two detectives from the dust shop make their way to him he begins peeling a banana.
"Hey!" They faintly hear the first detective call. "Get down from there this instant!" He responds by tossing the peel onto the detective face. Afterwards he twirls up to a crouching position on the lamppost and acrobatically leaps off as he begins running away from the detectives. He makes his way up the steps of the docks and runs past the huntsmen, with the officers still in pursuit.
"Well, Weiss, you wanted to see the competition, and there it goes..." Yang commented as the rest watched the three fade away.
"Quick! We have to observe him!" Weiss commanded, beginning the pursuit. Everyone else follows her but pause after rounding a corner. The last they all see of the Faunus is him jumping on to a building before disappearing from her view.
"No, he got away!" Weiss cried
"Uhh... Weiss?" Yang said slowly, pointing to a girl lying underneath Wiess.
"How did she not notice that?" Natasha asked aloud as Weiss hastily got up. However everyone seemed focused on the girl still on the ground. She had bright orange hair with a pink bow on the back of her head. She wore what appeared to be a white blouse beneath grey overalls with electric green accents and black stockings that faded into shoes, also with an electric green strip down the side.
"Sal-u-ta-tions!" She greeted them with a wide grin and a wave.
"Um, hello." Ruby answered.
"Are you... okay?" Yang asked, raising an eyebrow at the girl
"I'm wonderful! Thank you for asking." The girl replied ecstatically, still on the ground. All seven future huntsmen looked at each other.
"Do you... wanna get up?" Vivian asked slowly. The girl pause before answering.
"Yes!" With that she leaped back onto her feet in one swift motion. Everyone took a step back. "My name is Penny! It's a pleasure to meet you!"
"Hi Penny. I'm Ruby." She said beginning introductions.
"I'm Weiss."
"Name's Aero."
"Natasha. Nice to meet you."
"Vivian."
"Blake."
"Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Blake hit Yang. "Oh, I'm Yang." She finished.
"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Penny said smiling.
"You already said that." Weiss pointed out with a raised eyebrow.
"So I did!" Penny agreed
"Well, sorry for running into you!" Weiss cheerfully apologized as everyone turned around to walk away.
"Take care, friend!" Ruby called.
"She was... weird..." Yang drew out after they had all walked a ways.
"I thought she was nice." Natasha commented.
"That doesn't matter now." Weiss interjected looking around. "Ugh, where did that Faunus riff-raff run off to?"
"What did you call me?" Everyone jumped as Penny suddenly appeared in front of them.
"Oh, I'm really sorry, I definitely didn't think you heard me!" Yang apologized as Weiss and Aero both looked back and forth between where Penny used to be and here.
"Nice?" Natasha asked, equally confused at how this girl appeared so quickly."
"No, not you." Penny said, walking through the group and leaning her head down to Ruby. "You!" She finished, looking intently at Ruby.
"Me? I-I don't know. I, what I, um, uh..." Ruby stuttered, startled at this confrontation.
"You called me 'friend'! Am I really your friend?" Penny asked earnestly.
"Uuuum..." Ruby paused as she looked back at the rest of the group with her teammates motioning to deny Penny while Natasha nodded her head. "Y-Yeah, sure! Why not?" She finally answered nervously.
"Sen-sational!" Penny exclaimed, her hands up in the air, as Aero, Vivian, and Natasha all crouch to catch the fainted rest of Team RWBY. "We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!"
"Oh, is this what it was like when you met me?" Ruby groaned as Weiss pushed herself out of Aero's arms.
"No - she seems far more coordinated." She replied.
"So what are you doing in Vale?" Vivian asked
"I'm here to fight in the tournament." Penny explained proudly.
"Wait, you're fighting in the tournament?" Weiss inquired.
"I'm combat ready!" Penny salutes.
"Forgive me, but you hardly look the part." Weiss continued.
"Says the girl wearing a dress." Blake commented dryly.
"It's a combat skirt!" Weiss corrected, arms crossed.
"Yeah!" Ruby agreed, speeding over to her partner and low fives her."
"Wait a minute." Weiss said, walking over to Penny and grabbing her by the shoulders. "If you're here for the tournament, does that mean you know that monkey-tailed... rapscallion?" Natasha and Aero look at Vivian who sighed heavily.
"The who...?" Penny asked confused.
"The filthy Faunus from the boat!" Weiss explained, pulling out a crude Caricature of the unknown Faunus.
"Why do you keep saying that?!" Everyone turned to look at Blake who had sharply spoken up.
"Huh?" Weiss asked confused as Blake walked over to her.
"Stop calling him a rapscallion! Stop calling him a degenerate! He's a person!" Blake said sternly.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Weiss sarcastically apologized as she let go of Penny. "Would you like me to stop referring to the trash can as a trash can? Or this lamppost as a lamppost?"
"Weiss…" Aero put a gently hand on Natasha's wrist and shook his head. She looked over at Vivian who had a clenched fist.
"Stop it!" Blake commanded, eyes narrowed.
"Stop what? He clearly broke the law. Give him time; he'll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang!" Weiss casually claimed, causing Blake to growl.
"You ignorant little brat!" She yelled, turning around and storming away. Everyone looked at Weiss who seemed stunned speechless but then pursued Blake.
"How dare you talk to me like that! I am your teammate!" Natasha looked over at Aero who still hadn't released her wrist. His face was expression less and she didn't resist when he pulled her hand back to walk away. She tried waving goodbye to Ruby and Yang but they stood uncomfortably watching their teammates fight.
After a few paces Aero let go of Natasha and they walked in uncomfortable silence. She looked over at Vivian and, though they were faint, Natasha could tell there were small tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry Viv." Natasha finally whispered. Vivian let a long sigh in response. "Maybe if she knew…"
"I don't think that would be a good move given the situation Natasha." Vivian explained shortly.
"Yeah." Aero agreed. "Not everyone is as…aware of others." He finished, seeming to choose his words carefully.
"Can't we make them aware?" Natasha offered. There has to be a better solution than fighting over this.
"Yes, but there are better ways." Vivian explained, her voice returning to its usual calmness. "With the way Weiss was expressing her opinion of Faunus, there is no guarantee that finding out someone she knows is a Faunus would change that. Opinions like that can run deep. Pointing out someone who is a part of someone's opinion can simply solidify one's opinion. Especially with my family." Vivian finished quietly. Natasha looked over with an open mouth. Vivian had explained how her family often had a strong opposition to fighting for the equality of Faunus. She had never given said a name. But now, she didn't need to.
"Unfortunately, at this point, someone outside both families might be the only thing to start a bridge between them." Aero continued.
"Well, Blake seemed pretty passionate about it. Maybe her?" Natasha offered hopeful.
"It's tough to tell. Started the conversation the way they did almost never leads to an agreement. At least not a peaceful one. I just hope Blake will be ok." Vivian finished, looking down at her feet as she walked.
"Blake seems pretty strong. I mean she's quiet, but she seems a lot like Aero and he did awesome fighting that Grimm back in the Forest."
"Fighting a Grimm isn't the same. It's a different kind of beast." Aero corrected Natasha. She looked back at Vivian who didn't add anything more. Natasha's scroll buzzed and she looked down. The message was from Ravus.
Just finished at training. What about you guys?
Coming back to Beacon. Natasha sent.
Short visit. Anything exciting? Natasha bit her lip as she read the screen.
"Heh," she nervously laughed to herself. "Sorta…"