Chapter 9:Burning the Candle

Ruby was resting her head on a lone table in the ballroom, as the others were preparing the building for the dance. As she sat there, she was startled as Weiss placed two small squares on the table.

"I need you to pick a tablecloth," Weiss said, smiling as she slid the squares near Ruby. Ruby looked down, confused by the sight. The two square had a similar shade of white.

"Aren't they both the same," Ruby asked, making Weiss sigh in frustration.

"I don't even know why I asked!"

Weiss decided to ask Bill, who was placing the decorations on the walls. "Hey, Bill?"

"Yeah, Snow Angle," Bill said, climbing down the ladder.

"Which one should be used as a tablecloth?" She showed him the two white squares, hoping he would have an answer. Bill put on his sunglasses, and started to stare at the squares.

"The left one," he said. "That one seems more appropriate for an event like this."

"Thank you."

As they were talking, Yang was carrying a massive sound speaker. She wobbled towards her sister, and dropped the speaker, making Ruby bounce in her seat. "So, have you picked out a dress yet," Yang asked, brushing her hands.

"What's the point? Who cares about the dance if Blake isn't going," Ruby sadly said.

"Oh, don't worry; she's going." She then saw Weiss placing something down. "Weiss! I thought we agreed: No doilies!"

Weiss walked up to her, pointing in Yang's face, and shouted "If I don't get doilies, you don't get fog machines!" The two were interrupted as the ballroom's doors opened. They all looked to see Neptune and Sun entering.

"Your dance is gonna have fog machines," Neptune asked.

"You god damn right it is," Legion shouted, plugging the fog machines into the wall. "If these two can agree to something."

"That's pretty cool."

Sun walked up and happily asked "You ladies all excited for dress-up?"

"Pfft... Yeah, right," Ruby said, clearly not excited for being in a dress.

"Laugh all you want," Yang started. "I'll be turning heads tomorrow night!"

"What are you two wearing," Weiss asked.

"Uuhhh... this?" Sun started to gesture to his current shirtless outfit.

Neptune stepped in, holding his hand up to his partner's face, saying "Ignore him for he knows not what he says."

"Hey, I may have moved to Mistral, but I grew up in Vacuo. It's not exactly a shirt-and-tie kind of place."

"Yeah, we noticed," Yang said, as the others of RWB2Y gave looks that also said the same thing.

Sun then asked "Soooo... what does Blake think of all this? She still being all, y'know... Blake-y?"

"Obviously," Weiss said, crossing her arms.

"I still can't think of a way to change her mind," Ruby replied.

"Guys." They all turned to Yang, who started to walk out. "Trust me; Blake will be at the dance tomorrow."

"Yang, what are you planning," Bill asked.

"You don't need to know that plan, just that it'll work."

Before she left, the doors opened abruptly, as they heard a shout.

"Yang! Yang!"

"What the?" She turned to see Tucker running in, panting with each step. "Tucker, what is it," Yang asked.

"I…just…wanted to say…that your outfit is already turning my head. Bow chicka bow wow!"

"How did you…"

"Pbht, girl, I have super hearing. It's a gift."

"Okay…I'm just going to…yeah." With that, she left.

"Where's she going," Tucker asked.

"Oh, she's going to convince Blake to come to the dance," Ruby said.

"Oh, I've seen this happen before."

"You have?"

"Yeah…on the internet!"

"Gross," Weiss exclaimed.

"I don't understand…"

"Hopefully, you will never understand," Bill said, making Ruby more confused. "By the way, where's Church?"

"He's over there."

Bill looked at the entrance and saw Church yelling angrily at his Scroll. "There is no eleven, you fucking whore!"

"Language please." He turned to see Glynda walking in.

"Hi, Professor," Ruby happily said.

"Hello, Miss Rose. I just came by to see how the preparations are going. I see they're going well." She frowned when she started to stare at the objects near Legion. "Um…what are those?"

"Oh, um…fog machines," Legion said.

"I'll just…go and let you get back to work."

After she left, Church yelled "This is fucking bullshit!"

"You still trying to get the chocolates," Ruby asked.

"Yes, but they still have me on hold."

"What's the chocolate company called?"

"I think it's…Brownman's Chocolate."

"Oh, they have a place down in Vale."

"What?!"

"Yeah, it's near Hunter's Pizza…no wait, it moved down to Streaming Avenue."

After a moment of silence, Church ended the call. "Well, that takes a lot of weight of my back?"

In the library, Blake was sitting at a table with a holographic computer in front of her. She was obviously more sleep-deprived than ever, barely focusing on what she's seeing... until a small, bright red light appeared on the screen. Moving up and down, Blake's eyes follow it down to her hand, and then disappeared entirely. She looked behind herself, obviously irritated, but no one walking among the tables is her culprit.

Turning back to the computer, she started typing on the beeping keyboard before the laser dot appeared on her hand briefly, prompting her to look around again and still find no one. The red point showed up on the screen, moving around in circles until Blake scowled and pounded her fists on the table. She stood up from her chair and found the light on the floor, following it blindly through shelves of books until both the dot and its pursuer turn the corner, only for Blake to bump, shocked and shaken out of her more "animal" instincts, into...

"He-lloooo," Yang said in a sing-song.

"What are you...?"

Before Blake could finish, Yang grabbed her by the arm and said "We need to talk." She pulled her away from the library, ready to tell Blake her tale.

Emerging from the steaming bathroom in nothing but a pink towel wrapped around his lower body, Ren sighed in contentedness and started walking away, only to be stopped by Jaune suddenly appearing in front of him.

"We need to talk," he said before pulling him away.

After the two sat on Jaune's bed, Jaune began "Ren... I'm just gonna say it. You are one of my best friends. These past few months, I feel like we've really bonded, even though you don't say much. I mean, you're really quiet. To be perfectly honest, I don't know that much about you, personally, but darnit, I consider you to be the brother I never had!"

"And I you," Ren said, looking uncomfortable as he was staring at his outfit, which was on the closet hanger.

"Which is why I wanted to get your advice on... girls."

"Girls?"

As Jaune was still speaking, Ren was reaching for his outfit. "I just... don't know... how to... girls. Um, I-I guess what I'm asking is... Well, how did you and Nora... y'know..."

This made Ren more awkward. "Uh... uh... uh…"

Before anyone else spoke, the two heard their other teammate, Nora, clearing her throat and getting their attention. As she got them, she laughed nervously and said "We're actually not "together-together..."

"NORA I SAID HEADPHONES ON," Jaune shouted, making the orange-haired girl do it.

"Jaune, what is this all about," Ren asked, having full attention on his leader.

Jaune sighed deeply as he began to speak. "It's Weiss. I'm completely head-over-heels for her, and she won't even give me a chance. She's cold, but she's also incredible. She's smart, and graceful, and talented. I mean, have you heard her sing? I-I just wish she's take me seriously, y'know? I wish I could tell her how I feel without messing it all up."

"Then do it."

Everyone in the dorm looked up to see Pyrrha standing in the doorway.

"Uh, wha," Jaune asked, confused.

"Tell her exactly what you said," Pyrrha started. "No ridiculous schemes, no pick-up lines. Just... be honest."

"But what if I-"

"Jaune. You can't get it wrong if it's the truth."

After the talk with Pyrrha, he looked up with new confidence. "You're right." As he stood up, ready to leave, he said "Thanks, Pyrrha! Good talk, Ren!"

As the leader left, Pyrrha became noticeably less cheerful as she walked over to her desk, with a concerned Nora watching her with sad eyes. "Practice what you preach, Pyrrha," Nora sadly said.

In Beacon's courtyard, Church and Caboose hid behind a bush, watching their objective. "Alright, Caboose," Church started. "There she is."

Penny was on a bench, sitting alone and looking lonely.

"You ready?"

"Yeah, uh, no," Caboose said. "I feel like there's something in my belly."

"Oh god, Caboose, please don't tell me you ate butterflies again."

"I thought they were magic…and that they were made of butter."

"Just go."

Penny sat on the bench, looking sadly onto the courtyard. She was interrupted when someone said "Hello!"

She looked up to see Caboose. "Oh, hello Caboose," Penny said, with a smile on her face.

"Um, you…um, look pretty today."

"Why do you keep saying that?"

"Why do I keep saying what?"

"That 'I look pretty,' or 'You have beautiful hair.' You only seem to tell that to me. Why?"

"Oh, because I…like you."

Saying this made Penny blush. "You…like me?"

"Yes, and I want to ask you a question."

"What is it?"

"Would you like to go to the dance…with me?"

"The dance?"

"Yes."

Penny was now conflicted. She was told by her father and the General that she couldn't see anyone. She looked at Caboose, knowing that under his helmet, he was smiling. "I'll think about it, Caboose," Penny said, as she stood and walked away."

"Oh, ok…bye."

With that, she was gone. Church came out of the bush, went up to Caboose and asked "So, how'd it go?"

"She said she'll think about it."

"Well… yeah, I don't know if that's a good or bad thing."

In an empty class, Yang sat cross-legged on the central desk while Blake was pacing around the room. "Yang, if you're going to tell me to stop, you may as well save your breath," Blake said, irritated.

"I don't want you to stop; I want you to slow down," Yang calmly said.

"We don't have the luxury to slow down."

"It's not a luxury; it's a necessity."

"The "necessity" is stopping Torchwick."

"And we're going to. But first you have to sit down and listen to what I have to say." She started to pat the part of the desk that she wasn't sitting on.

After looking away for a moment, Blake said "Fine," and sat there.

After she sat, Yang began her story. "Ruby and I grew up in Patch, an island off the coast of Vale. Our parents were Huntsmen. Our dad taught at Signal, and our mom took on missions around the kingdom. Her name was Summer Rose, and she was, like... Super-Mom: Baker of cookies and slayer of giant monsters. And then... one day she left for a mission and never came back. It was tough. Ruby was really torn up, but... I think she was still too young to really get what was going on, y'know? And my dad just kind of... shut down. It wasn't long before I learned why. Summer wasn't the first love he lost; she was the second. The first... was my mom." Blake looked amazed when Yang said that. "He wouldn't tell me everything, but I learned that the two of them had been on a team together with Summer and Qrow, and that she'd left me with him right after I was born. No one had seen her since."

"Why did she leave you," Blake asked, as Yang got up and went to the chalkboard.

"That question... Why?" She picked up a piece of chalk and started to draw something, still telling her story. "I didn't know an answer, but I was determined to find out. It was all I thought about. I would ask anyone I could about what they knew about her. Then, one day, I found something. What I thought was a clue that could lead me to answers, or maybe even my mother. I waited for Dad to leave the house, put Ruby in a wagon, and headed out. I must've walked for hours. I had cuts and bruises, I was totally exhausted, but I wasn't gonna let anything stop me. When we finally got there, I could barely stand, but I didn't care; I had made it. And then I saw them. Those burning red eyes... There we were: A toddler sleeping in the back of a wagon and a stupid girl too exhausted to even cry for help. We might as well have been served on a silver platter. But, as luck would have it, our uncle showed up just in time."

As Yang finished her drawing, a clockwork eye, she sadly said " My stubbornness should've gotten us killed that night."

Asfter finishing, Blake said "Yang... I'm sorry that happened to you, and I understand what you're trying to tell me, but this is different. I'm not a child, and this isn't just a search for answers! I can't just-"

"I told you: I'm not telling you to stop," Yang said, still facing the board. "I haven't! To this day, I still want to know what happened to my mother and why she left me, but I will never let that search control me. We're going to find the answers we're looking for, Blake. But if we destroy ourselves in the process, what good are we?"

"You don't understand! I'm the only one who can do this!"

As Blake said this, Yang turned around sharply, revealing her red eyes, as flames appeared around her. "No, you don't understand! If Roman Torchwick walked through that door, what would you do?"

"I'd fight him!"

"You'd lose!" She pushed Blake away.

" I can stop him!" She tried to do the same, but failed.

"You can't even stop me!" She pushed Blake once more, into the desk. Blake looked at Yang and saw her coming towards her, still anger in her eyes. What Blake didn't except from the angry Yang was a heart-warming hug. "I'm not asking you to stop," Yang said, still hugging the Faunus. "Just please, get some rest." She pulled back to look at her partner. "Not just for you, but for the people you care about." She started walk away from Blake, intending to leave, when she said over her shoulder "And if you feel like coming out tomorrow…" She looked back, winked at Blake, and said "I'll save you a dance."

As she left, Blake still stood there. She breathed heavily, and left as well.

In an Air-ship, high above the academy, Penny was about to ask General Ironwood a very important question.

"Um, Mr. Ironwood, sir," Penny began.

"Yes, Penny," Ironwood said, looking at a map.

"So, about the dance…"

"What about the dance?" He looked away to put his attention on the cyborg.

"I…was asked by someone to attend the dance with them."

"Absolutely not."

"But sir-!"

"No buts. Penny…" He went up to the girl and put his hand on her shoulders. "We can't risk anyone knowing your secret."

"But this person won't. He really nice."

"Tell me who he is and I'll consider it."

"His name is Michael J. Caboose."

Before he could search this boy up, Ironwood looked back at Penny and said "Wait a minute. Is this Caboose part of that Blue team that came from Blood Gulch?"

"Yes?"

"Which one is he?"

"He's the blue one."

'The stupid one,' Ironwood thought. "Alright, you can go with him."

His answer made Penny smile brightly, and hug the General. "Oh, thank you, sir," Penny said. "Thank you!"

Back at the campus, Jaune held a white rose in his hand, hoping to find Weiss and give it to her. As he was about to go around a corner, he heard a shout.

"Bill!"

He ducked behind the corner, and peeked to see Weiss go up to Bill.

"Oh, hey Weiss," Bill said, smiling.

"I was looking for you," both of them say at the same time, causing them to blush.

"Let me guess, you wanted to ask me something," Bill said.

"Yeah…you too," Weiss asked.

"Yup. You go first."

Weiss put her hands behind her back and began "I know this is a little unorthodox, but..." The incoming words made Jaune's smile drop. "Would you... like to accompany me to the dance?"

Jaune started to walk away, dropping the rose, when he heard Bill say "I thought you'd never ask." As he kept walking, he heard the sounds of Weiss' giggling as Bill picked her up and started to swing her in circles.

"Ok, ok, that's enough," Weiss said, still laughing.

"So, what are you wearing," Bill asked.

"It's a surprise."

"Oh."

"Actually, I have to go to Vale to buy a new dress. Someone stole mine."

"Well, I'm sure it'll show up." Then, the two stared at each other, as their Scrolls ringed. They both looked at it to see a message from Ruby, telling them to get back to the dorm so they could all sleep.

"I guess that's our cue to get back," Weiss said, preparing to leave as Bill grabbed her shoulder, spun her so their faces would meet, and kissed her cheek. "W-what." Weiss' face was now red.

"That's just a sneak peek of what's to come, Snow Angle," Bill said, smirking.

Two days after that night was the day of the dance. Near the front of the ballroom's entrance was Yang, in a short white dress with black heels, standing on a podium when the doors opened, and smiled brightly. "Ooohh, you look beautiful," Yang shouted, as Ruby groaned.

Ruby looked distressed in her red dress with black lace, belt, and pumps. "Can we have a serious talk about how Weiss fights in these," Ruby asked, as she tried to maintain balance. Yang laughed as Ruby tried to walk.

Outside, Sun was walking towards the ballroom, as he stopped to fix his tie. He choice was a new black jacket (now closed up) with a white tie hung around his neck. "Stupid... dumb... neck trap," he said, as he heard a voice behind him.

"I knew you'd look better in a tie."

He turned around as he saw Blake in a dark purple dress and bright blue bow, replacing the usual black bow. She walked forward, took his arm, and started walking with him. "Sooo, does this mean we're going... together," Sun asked.

"Technically, though my first dance is spoken for."

Inside the ballroom, streamers are hung through glass chandeliers, pink and blue balloons are everywhere, and students in dark suits and bright dresses are stepping with each other to the music between the white-clothed tables. In the middle of it all was Yang and Blake finishing their dance. As they finished, they both bowed. Yang then gestured to Blake's real date to dance, as she left. She met up with Ruby and Legion, who was wearing a bow tie on his neck. The three stared at Sun and Blake, who was actually having fun.

"I told you she would come," Yang said.

"Mission accomplished," Legion replied.

Ruby looked at her teammates and asked "Soooo, what do we do now?"

"Just have fun!" Yang and Legion left, going different directions, and leaving Ruby behind.

"Does that mean I can change out of these stupid things and into my hood now," Ruby shouted at her sister. She waddled around to see the crowd dancing, saying "Stupid lady stilts!"

"Not enjoying yourself?"

Ruby was startled as she turned to see Ozpin, in his regular outfit.

"Oh, no, everything's fine! I'm just not much of a fancy pantsy... dancey girl."

"Well, you can't spend your whole life on the battlefield, even if you may want to," Ozpin replied.

"Yeah, that lesson's been floating around a lot lately."

As they looked at the dancing couples, Ozpin says "If you think about it, fighting and dancing aren't so different. Two partners interlocked, although one wrong move on the ballroom merely leads to a swollen foot."

"Or a twisted ankle," Ruby added.

"It's not every day that friends are able to come together like this. Time has a way of testing our bonds, but it's nights like these that can help keep them stronger than ever. Nights like these are ones we'll never forget."

Ruby smiled at his words as she heard the doors open.

Yang, now back at the podium looked up at the late arrivals and said "You guys are just in time!"

The two were Mercury and Emerald. Mercury was wearing a suit that was black and orange, while Emerald was wearing a green dress with a black cummerbund on her waist.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Mercury said.

There goes another chapter. Anyway, you guys may be wondering, 'Who is going to go missing?' If you don't think that, then I'm still going to tell you! The person will go missing next chapter. So, stay tune! And, you may notice that I've been releasing the chapters every Sunday. Now, that's going to keep going until this story is over. After that, I will release the next one after I'm done with all the chapters. Review please and thank you for reading.