I laughed as Elise came into the hall carrying two speakers, three times as tall as her and four times as wide.

"What's so funny?" She asked as Yang came in carrying one and Peyton carrying one.

I shook my head and continued my part of the decorating. I rolled tables out and set them exactly where Weiss told me.

Ruby sat at one looking dejected. Weiss walked over with two off white cards. "I need you to pick a table cloth." She said smiling at Ruby. Ruby startled out of thought looked at the cards.

"Aren't they both the same?" I rolled another table. Weiss sighed. "I don't even know why I asked." She came over to me and held them up. I randomly chose the one in her right hand.

"That's what I was thinking." She said walking off.

Yang, Elise and Peyton set their loads down and Elise flexed her arms for Peyton who did the same. He had biceps the size of her head.

"So have you picked out a dress yet?" Yang asked Ruby and I. I rolled my eyes. "Daren insisted on having his friend design me a dress. We aren't even going as dates, just as dance partners. Besides, it's Elise he really wants to go with." I said the last part in a whisper.

Ruby sighed. "What's the point? Who cares about the dance if Blake's not going?" I snorted.

"I do. It's going to be great." I said airily.

"And don't worry. She's going... Weiss! I thought we agreed, no doilies!" Yang cried looking at the snow girl. "If I don't get doilies, you don't get fog machines." Weiss shot back getting in Yang's face.

I rolled my eyes when I felt Neptune and Sun coming.

"You're dance is gonna have fog machines?" Neptune said coming in first. "We were thinking about it." Weiss said, almost simpering. "That's pretty cool."

Sun smiled at us. "You ladies all excited for dress up?" He flicked his fingers at us.

Ruby snorted. "Yeah right."

Yang crossed her arms looking smug. "Laugh all you want, I'll be turning heads tomorrow night."

I raised an eyebrow at her and she winked.

I leaned a hip against Orchid. "What are you two wearing?"

"Pfft, uh, this?" Sun said motioning to his usual attire. Neptune was horrified and held up his hand. "Ignore him for he knows not what he says."

Sun knocked the hand in his face out of the way. "Hey, I may have moved to Mistral but I grew up in Vacuo. Not exactly a shirt and tie kind of place."

Yang gave him a look. "Yeah, we noticed." I stifled a laugh. Sun never wore a shirt much less a tie.

"You'll look nice. Neptune and I will make sure of it." I said and Sun blanched.

"So, what does Blake think of all this? Is she still being all, you know... Blake-y?" He asked making a face at the end. Weiss crossed her arms. "Obviously." Ruby sighed again. "I just can't think of a way to change her mind." Yang and I looked at each other.

"Guys. Trust me. Blake will be at the dance tomorrow." She said before walking away.

Secretly, I slid a laser pointer into her hand and the ointment I had cooked up. All Yang had to do was smear this on the palm of her glove and touch Blake with it. She'd be out for hours.

Because I'm a wonderful older sister.

"Have fun." I murmured before disappearing down another hall.

I had to go look over my own notes.

Tonight, I'd hit all my contacts one last time before I would get sent out on my first mission as a Huntress-in-training.

I rubbed my eyes with the heel of my hand and shifted to send a wave of pain up my leg.

I had to stay awake. Omar's children were still hunting.

A creak startled me awake.

It was nearly nightfall and the moon had risen into the sky.

Oh no, I fell asleep.

I sat up confused. My body must have shut down on me.

I sighed. This is what I get for not sleeping for so many weeks.

So what woke me up?

A hiss of metal against a sheath was all the warning I got.

A burning pain erupted in my back and in my heart.

I turned and blindly swung at my attacker with Orchid. They weren't fast enough and they were lifted off the ground.

They had left their knife plunged in my back, in my heart and it burned.

I immediately wrapped my legs around their arms, for he was rather large and I used my inner elbow to begin choking them.

It took me a long time but finally he stopped kicking. I eased back and pressed my fingers to his jugular.

He was dead.

I didn't recognize his face but I couldn't leave him here. So I stuffed the body into my clothes chest. I'd bury him later and I knew exactly where I would.

I couldn't reach the knife, so I threw a cloak over my shoulders and dashed out of the room.

None of my team were close, they were with team RWBY and team JNPR playing games in the library and I wasn't going to go ask for help with everyone watching. They'd all want to know how a knife had gotten in my heart.

It really hurt as my body tried to heal around the knife, but it kept cutting and it couldn't heal.

So I went to the only other person I trusted.

He was in his office when I requested entry.

It opened and he looked confused. "Ms. Derivalle? Can I help you with something?" He noticed my pain pinched face.

"Yes, Professor." I said faintly.

He ushered me in and clicked off his cameras. "Dahlia, what's wrong?" He asked worried.

"I need you to do something for me." I said softly, nearly fainting as my body tried again to heal itself.

I unclipped my cloak and it slithered off my shoulders. "Anything." He said as I turned around.

"I need you to pull this out." I said. He was silent and filled with alarm.

There was a dagger buried hilt deep in my back behind my heart.

"Pull it out, Oz." I said as he gripped the handle hesitantly.

"Pull it out now!" I yelled and he jerked his hand back. There was a tearing sound as the knife came free of my flesh and a new wave of pain rolled over me and then began to vanish.

He was holding the knife like one would a poisonous snake.

I waited till I healed all the way before turning around. "Thank you." I said holding my hand out for the dagger.

"Dahlia... what happened? How did… Who… what-" He asked handing it to me reluctantly.

"Nothing you need to worry about." I said wrapping it in my cloak.

I knew they had been waiting for me to sleep.

One assassination attempt, check. There would be more to come.

"Dahlia." Oz thundered.

I looked at him with a blank expression on my face.

"What. Happened." He said, looking like a true Headmaster.

I bowed my head so he wouldn't see the lie in my eyes. "An accident, sir. Some exchange students were horsing around and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time." I mumbled.

He stared at me steadily. I felt guilty. I had never lied to him before and it killed me that I had.

"If you don't want to tell me, fine. But do not insult me by lying, Ms. Derivalle." He said coldly. It hurt him that I wouldn't trust him with the truth.

I wanted to go to him and soothe away the hurt but I couldn't bring myself to drag him into this dangerous situation.

I couldn't tell him that someone had tried to kill me. Not this close to the Vytal Festival.

"I mean no insult. I am just trying to protect you." I said as he turned away from me. His anger flared.

"I am a Huntsman! I do not need your protection! You are not Mommy Quicksilver to me!" He hissed.

I stiffened.

I would not be treated this way. "I apologize, Professor. It will not happen again." I said neutrally before turning with the cloak wrapped dagger under my left arm.

The doors began sliding closed behind me when I heard him call my name.

I didn't turn around. I pretended not to hear.

Whatever he had to say, I wasn't ready to hear it.

He knew of my need to take care of people I care for. He knew that it was deeply ingrained in me and I couldn't help but try to protect those I loved. How dare he insult that.

Yes, I shouldn't have lied. On that I was of one mind. It was stupid of me.

I should have just evaded like usual.

I sighed and leaned on Orchid.

I felt scared, exhausted and isolated. I couldn't sleep again. Too dangerous.

The assassin they had sent obviously was not prepared for the Quick Heal which meant he was not sent by Omar.

Omar would be furious with whichever of his children had sent the dead man.

I remembered my fear when I realized Torchwick wanted me alive.

I quickly went back for the body before my team came back and dragged it to the special garden. I buried him beneath the thick bushes, where no one would see the freshly disturbed soil.

Yes, Omar would be very angry.