"Is that a normal amount?" a voice asked and Ruby very nearly died an early death.

It happened in slow-motion from her perspective: a voice speaking directly into Ruby's ear when previously she'd been alone, her jump, boots catching her cloak as she came back down, then toppling backwards, candy flying high above her head... when everything came back into focus Ruby was flat on the floor, staring up at Penny's puzzled expression.

"Are you okay?" she asked and Ruby thought she could just make out the shutters of her eyes dilating in concern. Ruby let out a massive groan.

"Heeeey, Penny. Can you, um... maybe make a little more noise...?"

Penny just blinked. "No," she chirped. "My father made my movements soundless so as to optimize my chances in battle," and she stuck out a hand, knowing that the subject of fighting would brighten Ruby back up.

Sure enough…

"That's awesome," Ruby breathed, so serious, and let Penny haul her to her feet again. The effort nearly sent her flying.

They just stood there a moment, two girls smiling at one another over a small mound of spilled candy. Penny had forgone her usual mint-green dress in favor of one in the same style, though with a red-orange coloring. It clashed a bit with her hair, but was certainly appropriate for the season. Ruby reached out to tweak one of the black bows.

"You look like a wrapped sweet," she announced and bent to re-pack her bag.

"I do?"

It left Penny staring in wonder around the shop, attempting to theorize how Ruby equated her with any of these pretty confectionaries. It was a losing battle, for though Sweet Treats had only been open a couple of days, it had already drawn up a reputation for its astounding, colorful creations. Rows of tubes—clearly modeled off of dust dispenser—lined the far wall, each of them filled with a different collection of hard or gummy candies. On the other side lay the chocolate, everything from bars to hot, melted fudge, patiently waiting for whoever wanted to make use of the cut fruit and pretzels (Ruby had already snuck three samples). Stacked in boxes and displayed on tables were molds of the Grimm themselves and their hunter counterparts—and Penny immediately made note of the six-inch white chocolate huntress, complete with a scythe. There were cupcakes beneath the main counter, candied houses in preparation for the coming winter season, vases of licorice displayed like flowers, a whole table devoted to different kinds of cookies... Penny felt her respirators catching briefly before booting back up again.

By the time she was done Ruby had her pouch overflowing again, smiling bright and shaking it all out towards Penny.

"Are you here shopping for Grimm's Eve?" She asked, fairly bouncing in her excitement. "Yang and Blake and Weiss were supposed to come but Blake got distracted by a bookstore and Weiss said I'd rot my teeth—but she gave me her card to buy stuff!—and Yang said she'd come later when she and Nora were done and not to eat it all without her or else she'd noogie me to death—" Ruby drew in a massive breath and Penny slipped in a quick,

"Grimm's Eve?"

Ruby's expression plummeted. "You don't know about Grimm's Eve?" She whispered it like a terrible secret, then stuffed one of the chocolates in her mouth for comfort. A passing patron stared.

"Oh no, I do." Penny tilted her head, almost like a bird. "My father uploaded me with all the significant remnant history, Ruby." She straightened, adopting a—possibly?—more robotic posture. "Grimm's Eve marked the night before an anticipated attack by the Creatures of Grimm, back when the kingdoms weren't as heavily guarded as they are now. In defiance, in the hours they had, terrified civilians attempted to make light of the situation by donning—"

"Grimm masks yeah, Penny, I know." Ruby waved her arms wildly. "And they celebrated and their happiness helped fight off the Grimm and ugh you sound like Dr. Oobleck!" She shook Penny lightly at this point, though Ruby's smile implied that this wasn't necessarily an insult. "The important thing is that now we get to eat lots of candy!—oops."

Ruby ducked down as several more patrons turned to glare.

Penny blinked. "You enjoy the commercialization of this historical event?"

"You talk like Weiss sometimes too... don't you like candy?"

"I've never had it," Penny said, with absolutely no idea the sort of emotional chaos her words were causing. She smiled brightly at Ruby's horrified look. "I rarely eat anything at all! Although my father has outfitted me with—"

"Oh my god," Ruby interrupted, voice hollow and stunned.

"... Ruby?"

She steered them firmly towards the nearest display.

It was, Penny decided, the fourth greatest moment of her existence.

The first of course was when she'd met Ruby, that exact 3.2 seconds where the word "friend" had been spoken in Penny's general direction, with no one behind her, and conveyed in a serious enough manner that Penny could only conclude that the word was meant for her—as unlikely as it had seemed at the time. Then of course there was the moment Ruby had instantly and completely accepted her android status... that would have been the greatest moment, except that meeting Ruby was retroactively made even better by that other moment (something that had never happened to Penny before—or since. This strange rewiring of old memories based on the accumulation of new ones...). The third greatest experience, objectively speaking, was when she'd fought alongside Ruby at the docks. As an equal.

And this was the fourth.

"You didn't answer my question," Penny said, not at all put out by the observation. "Is it normal to consume this many sweets during the days leading up to Grimm's Eve?" Her arms, straight, strong, and sturdy, were piled high with everything Ruby was insisting she needed to try. It seemed as if they'd taken a sample from the whole shop at this point.

Ruby cast a shifty glance at their growing mound. "I mean... I can kinda... eat all that in one night? Ahahaha...Oohh lollipops! Here, this one matches your eyes," and Ruby dangled a green sweet before Penny, giggling when she went cross-eyed to see it.

"Should I eat this one first?" she asked.

"You should eat them all first," Ruby said emphatically, now cooing over the marshmallow bunnies. Penny was left wondering if her stomach cavity could contain all of it at once. Perhaps she should ask Father for some kind of upgrade?

She was just considering the possible benefits when a cough and furious snicker sounded behind her.

"Man, I leave you alone for twenty minutes..."

Yang stood in a yellow sweater and jeans, knee-high boots and a bag slung over each arm. She masterfully transferred one to the other though as Ruby leapt onto her side, babbling sixty miles an hour about how Penny had never had sweets, Yang, and I don't know which to get her, and do you think Weiss will notice if I spend just a liiiiitle more than I said I would?

It was fascinating, watching Yang's expression morph from amused to downright wicked in the span of an instant. Penny caught something about 'Ms. Ice can afford it' and Ruby's shriek of joy before they were suddenly at the counter, telling the bemused owner that they'd take three of everything, please.

Yes, good sir. You heard right.

They ended up outside on a park-bench, huddled together for warmth. Penny couldn't feel the cold exactly, though she greatly enjoyed the press of Ruby's body against hers, as well as her cloak. The red fur on this one tickled her arm casing pleasantly.

Yang yawned and kicked out her legs, sliding down the bench. "This is the life," she said. "Leaving Blake stranded in the bookstore—should probably go back for her at some point, huh?—restocking my bullet collection, spending Schnee money in the best way possible..." Her foot nudged the three massive bags laid out before them.

"One of them is for the team, okay? I'm sure even Weiss likes candy on Grimm's eve..." Ruby sounded a little unsure about that though. Then she brightened. "And this one is for you, Penny!"

"Thank you..."

Penny stared at the gift in faint awe. It was, to date, one of only five non-essentials she'd ever been given. She leaned forward curiously. "Who is the last one for though?"

"To hand out to the kiddies, of course," Yang said. She had a chocolate Grimm that she happily bit the head off of. "It's cool I guess. I'm looking forward to Mr. O's party though."

"Mr...?"

Ruby grumbled and squirmed. "The headmaster. That's such a lame nickname, Yang."

"You're lame."

"No, you."

"You."

"You're the lamest—!"

It went on for a solid minute and only ended when Yang leaned over Ruby, smashing a hand in her face and grinning at Penny.

"Gonna come?" she asked. "I think it's pretty much just Beacon students, but Mr. O isn't gonna mind if you tag along. Also Nora's gonna try to spike the punch, so."

"Pleeeeease stop calling him that."

"Just gotta get yourself a costume."

It was slightly overwhelming, all this different input from Ruby and Yang both. Ruby's excitement over the prospect of Penny coming briefly grabbed the attention of all her sensors. It took Penny longer than it should have to dredge up her files on costumes: specific outfits depicting fictional, historical, and otherwise fantastical beings. Penny was going to voice her concern that she didn't have a costume when Ruby seized both her hands.

"You'd look great as anything," she gushed.

…she would?

That took so much computing that Penny didn't even notice Blake and Weiss' arrival. All sensors had honed in on Ruby's hands in hers.

There was much talk after that. Yang and Ruby announced firmly that Penny would definitely be coming. Blake joked that they obviously loved her more because Penny hadn't been abandoned yet. ("That was so not my fault. Not when you pick boring ass stores to hang in.") Weiss had a small conniption at the amount of candy they'd purchased. There was a tussle as she tried to confiscate some of the sweets. Ruby defended her territory. Yang and Blake continued a calm, happy discussion on costumes while mayhem reigned around them, mostly in the form of glyphs and rose petals...

Penny noticed none of it. Except, perhaps, for the use of the word 'loved.'

"I don't know what to wear," she finally announced, scared that this would keep her from joining in. From accompanying Ruby.

All the commotion stop.

"Don't worry," Blake said. She shrugged kindly. "Just don't dress up as a faunus and you'll be fine."

Ruby smiled wide. "Yeah! It'll be great, Penny. Dress up as something you love."

Love?

It was something to contemplate—which Penny did, sitting completely still long after Ruby and her friends had needed to head back to Beacon. It was nearly an hour later that she finally bent, rummaged through the bag they'd left her, and came back up with a particular sweet.

Penny understood as soon as the green lollipop passed her lips.

"Oh," she said, both surprised and pleased.

The Grimm's Eve annual ball was a rather extravagant affair. Unlike the other dances that were organized by students themselves, the Remnant-wide holiday was considered an official celebration, second only to the winter solstice and, in recent years, the Vytal Festival. In that spirit the administration had gone all out in their decorations. The great hall glowed with spooky lights and hints of fall. Where there wasn't room to dance there were tables, piled high with assorted hors d'oeuvres, drinks and—of course—more candy. What truly brought joy to the night though was the people, packed in and pressed close, each dressed in some fantastical manner. Some had opted for the traditional all black ensemble and a Grimm mask—a clear defiance in the face of their enemy. Others had adopted more modern costumes, creatures from stories and even some of history's more famous huntsmen. Everyone was someone new tonight, changed in some way, but the important thing was that they'd all still come together.

Which was why Ruby was once again hiding by the punch bowl.

"Feeling any more like a... what was it? Ah, a 'fancy, pantsy, dancey sort of girl?'" Ozpin smiled, sidling up to take his place on Ruby's left. "I imagine you're a fair bit more comfortable in this outfit than your heels."

Ruby nodded, rocking back on her heels to demonstrate her dexterity. Jaune's armor was surprisingly comfortable. The boots were sturdy, his breastplate lighter than she would have imagined…and the sword was cool. Not nearly as cool as Crescent Rose of course, and Ruby would admit she'd thought it was a little… boring when they'd first met, but actually having it in her hand was kind of awesome. Ruby could feel its perfect balance now, the smoothness of the handle—worn through generations of hunters and huntresses handling it. Ruby literally held a piece of history in her hand.

Ugh. Now she sounded like Oobleck.

"We're JNPR now," Ruby said brightly. "And JNPR is RWBY." At her point Ozpin caught sight of a group on the far side of the room, clustered together through shared excitement and embarrassment. Ren had spent a lot of time in the last week remaking outfits to make sure they fit, though it had all been worth it in the end: Yang and Nora were nose-to-nose, showing off their literal and metaphorical guns, Ember Celica nearly drowning Nora's skinnier arms and Nora's heart-shaped cut in her shirt now showing off Yang's assets. They looked ready for a friendly brawl right there in ballroom.

Weiss and Blake were arm-in-arm, cuddling and each shy in their own way. Blake had chosen a pink bow instead of dying a strip of her hair, though she kept running her hand down the front of Ren's clothes as if she couldn't get over the texture. Weiss looked two seconds away from fainting at the fact that she was Pyrrah for the night—or perhaps at the fact that Pyrrah was her (she'd never wash the hilt of Myrtenaster again).

Ren and Jaune were both bright red in their adorable outfits. Jaune in particular tried to hide in Ruby's hood.

"Very creative," Ozpin finally said. He took a slow sip of his drink, seeming to savor it. "Excellent costumes and a strong representation of your bond. There aren't many huntsmen out there who would lend their weapons, even to friends. Even for just a night." Ozpin approvingly eyed the careful way Ruby held Crocea Mors at her side.

"I trust Jaune with Crescent," Ruby said simply. "…and I think he's too scared to open her, sooooo…"

"Hmm."

They stood in comfortable silence together, enjoying all the movement and laughter around them. At one point a server passed with a plate of tiny quiches and Ruby snatched two, so fast that she left a few rose petals there on the tray. She passed one to Ozpin and they ate, sharing amusement as Yang and Nora really did try to go head-to-head, Magnhild held high and a few shell-casings already littering the floor. Ms. Goodwitch (wearing nothing but a pointed hat) got between them just in time though, Oobleck backing her up in a blur of green and white.

"He's a doctor," Ruby snickered. Sure enough Oobleck was decked out in a physician's coat and a dust-infused scanner.

"The moment he's been waiting for," Ozpin agreed, smiling around his cup.

"But what are you?"

It was the first time Ruby had really bothered to look, too consumed with otherwise watching the door. The headmaster was still in his signature green, though he'd put aside the suit in favor of a simple shirt, open brown vest, and a broad-rimmed hat that looked like it belonged to someone living outside the Kingdoms. He seemed simpler dressed like that, open… and somehow younger too. It took Ruby a moment to realize that he wasn't wearing his glasses.

Ozpin cast her a cryptic look. "Why, if Glynda is a witch then I must be a wizard, yes?" He quickly sidestepped her further questions. "But tell me, Ruby, why the solitude? Your friends are over there and you seem to be in good spirits for joining them." Ozpin leaned in conspiratorially. "I assure you, if you were looking to swipe some of Ms. Valkyrie doctored punch I fear Peter has already confiscated it."

Ruby snickered again. "Nah. I'm just waiting for someone."

Ozpin's expression cleared, then grew soft. "Someone like that?"

At the front entrance stood Penny, flanked by a number of robotic guards and General Ironwood himself, hovering protectively behind her. They'd obviously tried to slip in unnoticed, though that was a losing cause all around, especially given Penny's outfit. She looked larger than life in those full skirts and the bright color attracted everyone's eye.

She was dressed up as Ruby.

And Ruby herself had frozen, feeling something new tightening up in her stomach. Ozpin's hand on her shoulder brought her back. His fingers tightened there, somehow managing to convey both restraint and reassurance.

"As I've said, Ruby," he murmured. "These are the nights for forming bonds. Don't waste a moment of it."

So Ruby nodded, dropped the rest of her quiche, and moved forward.

She caught bits and pieces of conversation as she crossed the room: Professor Peach laughing tipsily with a friend, Weiss hailing her, Neptune trying to scare Sun, Ozpin quietly teasing Ironwood for not wearing a costume…

Ruby barely heard any of it. The only thing that permeated was,

"Salutations!"

Up close Ruby could see the detail Penny had put into her costume. How her red hair really didn't compliment the red of the dress—not that Ruby minded—and how, instinctually, both of them reached forward to clasp their hands together, swaying slightly as if to dance.

Something slipped against Ruby's palm. It felt like a lollipop.

"You dressed like me," she said, and it was somewhere between a squeal and a squeak.

"Of course!"

When Penny smiled at Ruby she shone more brightly than all candles and fairy lights combined.

"After all, Ruby, you told me to come as something I love."

Fin.

Bonus:

Jaune gave Penny a once-over, his lips pursed. "Well one of us is going to have to change…"

"Except not," Weiss drawled, "because you both look great."

"Agreed," Pyrrah said, starting a chain reaction of agreement.

So, crisis averted, team RWBY, JNPR, and a plus one all went to find some candy.

Penny had developed a real taste for the stuff after all.