so, after dedicating some time towards Weiss n' Burgers, this is finally out! with no small dosage of procrastination and whatnot from me. I play too many video games for my own good.

jeez, I need a life.

What's this? Banned in all four nations? No way!

It's RWBY(R)!

Yang's Arc P. 2: The Amusement Park

A swing and a miss, the doorway chipping under the brute force.

An expert twirl, and another direct strike connecting with nothing but frayed wood.

White teeth glinted in a smirk at their opponent's blind anger.

Darkened blue eyes narrowing, irritated at the fact that their foe was teasing them, fists gripping the mace with whitened-knuckles.

More shouts of how the faunus won't get her prize.

The distinct noise of something snarling, teeth bared and eyes predatory. How the man, clad in shining armor, stood for nothing but anger and hate. How he did nothing good for anyone.

And how the faunus would put him in his place, once and for all.

The combat continued for a minute more. Strikes parried by two blades, fast kicks under the strongman's guard fazing him not.

"Show me your pirouettes, feints, and spins, Belladonna."

She scoffed. "You asked for it." The next techniques were a blur, taking but a moment each to complete.

A spin. Blades arcing downward in purple streaks, after images fading in the air as she pushed the advantage, speed overcoming brute strength.

The twirl. Ribbon fluttering behind the sword, forming a deadly cacophony of noise as mace met bladed sheath multiple times.

A pirouette, a straight jab that made contact with the armor, denting it not but forcing her opponent farther back into their arena.

The counters came next, her opponent attempting to crush her into the ground, to end the fight with large, overbearing strikes. A large swing downwards exposed his midsection, and received a kick for the mistake.

He spun to deliver a large, arcing swing, and only met thin air, his opponent rolling as he fell forward, momentum carrying him too far.

Turning to face his foe, he rose his club in a defensive position.

But a finisher came in the form of a feint, a slice downwards retracted to strike a back kick to the face instead, knocking her foe onto his back, groan accompanied by the sound of screeching metal on the wooden floor.

"Hng…" He tried to get up, but was stopped by a blade pointed right at his throat, edge threatening to do much worse than batter his armor and pride.

"Where. Is it."

He laughed, spitting at her but reaching nothing but air as she sidestepped, and pressed the blade onto his throat, barely touching the hairs of the skin.

"You'll never find it. It's gone already."

"You're lying."

Another evil chuckle. "Try me."

She pressed the blade closer, edge touching the skin. "Oh trust me." She pulled the blade back, and sheathed it. "I'll try you."

Cardin was still lying on the floor, paralyzed by the presence in the room, mace lying too far away for him to retrieve it. He looked at his foe, golden gaze staring him down at his feet.

"So what. You're gonna look at me really funny be-EEEEEEEEE"

Another well-aimed kick, and his voice went up an octave.

The early morning lines hadn't really started up yet, even after Ren had started to slow down his pace slightly. All toll booths were open, Yang and Ren choosing the shortest one as they slowly hobbled their way forward in the fast-moving lines.

"I guess there aren't too many people here today," Yang remarked.

"I suppose."

"What time is it anyway?"

He took out his scroll. "Five past ten," he answered monotonously before putting the scroll back into his pant pocket.

"Wow, we really took our time walking out there."

"Mmm." He took a deep breath, sea breeze still lingering on his nose. "Paid off well though."

"Yeah, I finally got you to loosen up! But the day's not over yet."

"I'm well aware of that. Whether that's a good thing or not, I'm still not sure."

"Oh, come on!" She exclaimed as they stepped up to the entry way, ticket booth situated at its side.

"Two tickets, please!"

The woman behind the counter looked at them one at a time, lowering her glasses. "You two together?"

"Yup."

"That'll be six lien." Yang looked towards Ren, and he reared his head slightly.

"What?"

"I let the guys pay. Besides, I wanna hold onto this lien."

He shook his head. "Of course you do." Stepping closer to the small booth, old woman behind the glass smiling, he took out a five and one denomination lien cards. "Here you go, ma'am."

She slid them under, and handed him back two small passes eligible for entry or reentry today only, along with a built in balance for a maximum of ten rides. "Good luck, kiddo." He looked back at Yang to see a wide grin as he took the tickets with a slight nod and a forced curve of the lips. Moving through the entryway, he looked around to familiarize himself with his surroundings. The park was massive, rides stretching into the skies as blinking signs and arrows redirected his attention downwards, shows and mazes attracting all the attention they could in the early morning sun. Although the lines were short, the park itself was bustling with people, lines forming at many of the larger roller coasters and mirror mazes already.

"So, whaddya think, Ren? Impressed?"

He didn't answer for a moment as he kept looking around. Different than what I remember from what I saw with Nora...

"Yes. This is quite... awe-inspiring."

"Tell me about it, man. Alright! Now, where can I get some cotton candy around here?" She walked off towards a map situated on the side for attendees who couldn't find their way, Ren following behind her after a moment's pause of staring at the rides. "Says here that food n' stuff is right over... there." She tapped the map, and started walking in a direction before Ren gave the look another look.

"Yang, that's the wrong way."

"Wha-?" She turned around. "You sure?"

"I'm sure." Blonde hair bounced as she walked back, Ren pointing a finger at their current location noted with a large, red dot. "Food courts are this way."

"Oh. Well, let's go... that way then!" Unfazed by the change in course, she just kept walking.

It was path littered with signs for various acts of magic and dazzling gems, enticing with large letters written on old-fashioned chalk boards or holographic. The park was already starting to come alive, the distant noise of screaming children and adults alike filling their ears.

"You hear that, Ren?"

"I do. They sound terrified."

"I think they are. And we're gonna be screaming like that too."

"I think you will. I won't be screaming."

She rose a blonde eyebrow. "Oh, really now? You won't scream, at all."

He nodded.

"You know, this is another part of relaxing for you."

"And that is?"

"Let yourself go!" She laughed. "I don't know how you can always remain so straight-faced all the time when you're around us at lunch, but that's stopping for at least today."

"What would that imply me doing then?"

"I dunno. Laugh?"

"You want me to laugh?"

"Smile, enjoy yourself, not be Lie Ren..."

"Not be Lie Ren?"

"You know what I mean."

"I really do not."

"Just... be like Nora for a bit! Be carefree like her!"

"Yang, I can't just become Nora for a day."

"What I meant is that you should act how she does everyday!"

"Overexaggerate?"

"Relax."

"Obsess over pancakes?"

"Try diverse food."

"Not do my homework?"

"Worry about the now."

He sighed. "Yang, that's just not who I am."

They continued on in silence until they made it to a small semi-circle of stalls set up with sugary treats and confectionary delights, hot dogs and hamburgers taking second place in the glory of fructose.

"Yeah! Here we go..." Lilac came alive when they saw the stalls, white and blue fluffs of sugar being set-up one by one, nearly untouched by the crowds of the day.

Ren just followed behind her slowly, pacing himself instead of Yang, who was nearly skipping to the stall. The confectioner at the small stall looked up at the teenager with kind eyes, and offered a wide smile as she plucked one from the rack, Yang reflecting the same smile as she bit into the fluffiness. Walking away from the stall with cotton candy in hand, Ren rose an eyebrow.

"You're not going to pay for that?"

"Don't have to." She took another voracious chomp of the cotton candy. "Comes free with our pass."

He didn't notice that feature before. "Ah. I see."

"You want some?"

Ren gave a small grimace. "I would rather not, thank you."

"Oh, come on! This is what I'm talking about! At least try some sugary things instead of those natural mixes you always make!"

"What's wrong with my natural mixes?"

"Honestly, they taste like crap."

"Wait, wha-?"

"And besides, aren't you supposed to get a lot of sugar every day or something?"

"I don't believe sugar is-"

"Yeah! Alright, so let's go grab some." It wasn't really his choice at this point, as she grabbed his arm with an iron grip and pulled him towards the stand, him standing as straight as a board, heels of his shoes making lines in the ground as they tried to bring the involuntary movement to a halt. She plucked another stick off of the rack, the old man not noticing as he was still busy swirling up more in his machine. She shoved it towards Ren's direction. "Now eat."

Looking down at the fluffy sugar wisps, looking back up he nodded in the negatory. "Again, I would rather not."

She rose an eyebrow. "Eat."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Multiple scientific studies and tests have proven that overconsumption of sugary treats such as cotton candy can lead to heart disease."

"You're not gonna have a stroke because you had one stick of cotton candy, Ren."

"That's what you think."

She sighed, exasperated by Ren's constant denial of sugar. "Have you even tried cotton candy before?" Ren just remained silent on the matter as Yang's eyes went wide. "You've never had cotton candy."

Shrug.

"What about... chocolate?"

Another shrug.

"Seriously?"

"I've just never developed a sweet tooth, unlike you and Nora."

There was silence for a bit.

"Ren, I actually feel bad for you. Just try some! It's not like you have to finish the whole stick, anyway."

He looked down at the stick. "If I try some of this, will you avoid recommending food for the rest of the day?"

"No promises."

Sighing to himself, knowing that was the best answer he could probably get, he took the stick. "Alright." Taking a bite from the cotton candy, he looked absolutely indifferent as he chewed. "I did it."

"So whatdya think?"

"My suspicions were correct. This is very sugary." He looked at it. "But it's not bad. I can see how people can become addicted to this."

Yang smiled. "Alright! So you don't hate it?"

"I guess not." Handing the stick to her, he shrugged. "But I can't finish it."

She hesitated for a moment, but plucked it from his hands within a second. "If you say so."

She scarfed it down while Ren turned to the man, thanked him for the cotton candy, earning a smile and an offer for another cotton candy, which Ren turned down politely but vehemently before walking away.

"Woah, wait! Where're you going!" Yang threw away what Ren could only assume what was his cotton candy, only the stick remaining.

"To find a map."

"Oh," she spoke with a mouthful of candy before swallowing, "Remember what I said?"

"You've said a lot of things."

"Okay, one, ouch. Two, don't plan everything out!" She waved her hand. "Just do whatever."

"And if we get lost?"

"Ren, we can't get lost in here. There's signs and stuff everywhere, and if it comes to it we can just use our scrolls."

Thinking about it for a moment before nodding, he stopped walking to let Yang catch up to him. "I suppose it's pointless to ask where we're going first, then."

She popped the 'p.' "Yep."

"Most logical question would be which direction then."

"Nope."

"No?"

"Just walk wherever. I'll follow you."

As much as he wanted to leave the loud, sugar-filled environment, he knew he couldn't just walk out of the amusement park. Looking around, he tried to see something that caught his eye, and a particularly large rollercoaster presented itself as a potential direction to move towards.

"This way, then." He walked in the general direction of the mega-roller coaster, Yang following with her own near-finished cotton candy in hand.

Even more people were in attendance at the park now, children especially as they ran about, parents barely keeping up with their youth. Both Yang and Ren recalled memories of their past as they strolled about in the direction of their destination, stopping occasionally to make a bad joke with wordplay, or a remark on how, through studies, amusement park rides are the safest out there. They also noted that each and every ride promised a vibrant life during the night-time; they were all equipped with lights ranging from neon to fire dust-powered as they lined the horses, guardrails, and railings. The Ferris wheel, however, didn't wait for night to arrive before they turned on the lights. From a distance, only the bright red circle was visible, but upon closer inspection there were multicolored ribbon-like lights that criss-crossed the metalworks, making it seem like a circular rainbow forever in motion.

"Yang?"

"Sup?"

"That Ferris wheel. Did you and Ruby go on it when you were little?"

"Nah, we didn't get a chance to. Why?"

"Hm. Nothing."

Nothing wasn't an answer for Yang, so she kept going. "You plannin' on taking me around for a spin? Eh?"

"Following that wisecrack, I'm not so sure."

"So you were!"

"Past-tense."

"Oh, what!?"

Cardin passed out right after Blake kicked him, pain obviously going to his head as he relaxed his muscles and made the impression that he was sleeping. It didn't take long for the huntress to find her prey; it wasn't very well hidden, the bathroom being a very conspicuous place in itself already. Making off with her prize, she considered deepening the embarrassment for Cardin. Dialing the medical attention hotline from Cardin's scroll, she grinned before pulling the cooler through CRDL's doorway, shutting the door behind them.

"Please, what's wrong with my voice? Why does it sound like this?" The voice, or squeaking, was coming from the one and only Cardin Winchester, sitting on a bed in the nurses office. He was blushing heavily in embarrassment at the sound of his voice, the high-pitched noise making even the nurse laugh out loud when she first heard it.

"Mr. Winchester, did you recently... endure trauma in a certain area of your body?"

He remained silent to preserve what little dignity he had as he nodded in the affirmative fashion, mind flashing back to the battle that he had with a certain someone from Team RWBY. He promised to himself that he would get her back for defeating him twice now, but he had more important issues to worry about at the moment.

The nurse barely stifled another laugh, much to Cardin's ire. "Mr. Winchester, please follow me," managing a sentence through her small chuckles. She made a gesture for him to follow her, and she led them to a small examination room. "There are no cameras, nor monitors of any kind in this room, before you ask. Now, could you please stand over there? I need to take a full body image." She pointed towards a small, cylindrical pod that looked like it would allow someone to stand up straight in it.

Following her orders, he stepped in, and opened his mouth before shutting it again, remembering the predicament he was in with his voice.

"Alright, I need you to raise your hands above you," she demonstrated, "Like this." He did as he was told, and she closed the door. A blue light washed over him, and a beeping noise followed by a sign instructing him to hold still flashed above his head. After ten more seconds, the door opened without noise and Cardin stepped out to see the nurse holding a scroll, a diagram of what he could only assume was his own body by the looks of it. Gesturing with her open hand to step to her side, he did as she asked. This time, he noticed, the woman was actually not laughing, but putting on a serious expression.

She pointed at his crotch, and spoke. "Mr. Winchester, I can either give you the good news or the bad news first. Which one do you want?"

He spoke with his high-pitched squeaking. "Good."

"Alright, well, your voice won't stay like this forever. I'd give it a week, two at most."

He twitched his eye. Was that really the good news? School was starting tomorrow, and he had to give a speech on dust application on weaponry on Tuesday. He opened his mouth, but the nurse interrupted him.

"I will be letting the teachers know of your..." She cleared her throat, covering her mouth with a fist that barely concealed a smirk, "condition. Now, onto the bad news."

Cardin frowned.

"Your voice... is stuck in it's prepubescent stage." His eyes went wide, and he wanted to threaten the woman, make her pay for what she said. But she was right, his voice sounded too childish to do anything frightening. She took it for shock, and consoled him with the comforting tone of a nurse. "Again, it'll only last a week or two at most. But at this stage of time, I would recommend avoiding further trauma to your testes lest you want to reduce your odds of procreating to zero."

"I... don't understand! How could this happen?" He sounded like a child crying about their toy.

"Well, excessive force to your testicles forced them to recede upwards, reaching the point where you did not reach puberty yet."

"So my balls haven't dropped yet."

She winced slightly at the vulgar language, but she nodded. "Yes, that would be correct."

"Isn't there anything else you can do? Something I can do or eat or something?"

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Winchester. You're just going to have to wait for your testes to return to their normal position. There is... nothing more to it, I'm afraid."

"... You're not pranking me, are you."

"Mr. Winchester, I do not prank or joke with medical conditions. This is a serious matter, and I will treat it as such. Now, I would recommend getting rest. It won't speed up your recovery, but it won't slow it down either."

After a moment of conflicting reactions, he turned around and left without another word, fuming at his situation and how the nurse was making herself as neutral as possible. What made the wound go deeper was how after he turned the corner away from the nurse's office, he heard her uncontrollable laughter radiate through the hallways, making him duck his head in embarrassment as he trailed back to his dorm room.

"Please make sure arms, legs, and tails are inside the cart at all times," droned the amusement park worker's voice. A black railing lowered itself over the rider's chests, and they pulled it towards them, clicking each time. "Thank you for riding with us today. Have fun." The intercom shut off and the ride started whirring up.

Yang looked over at Ren, who insisted that they sit together so that she could finally see him make an expression that wasn't skeptical, confused, or slightly happy. He vehemently argued that he wouldn't scream, but even he wasn't so sure now. He didn't let it show, but the large roller-coaster was intimidating already. It was called the Grimm Twist, involved multiple corkscrews and flips, and was acclaimed to be one of Remnant's best corkscrew-coasters. In his mind, he was regretting walking towards the largest thing in sight, but Yang seemed very excited by the prospect.

"So, you ready Ren?" Her arms were on the side of the arm rails, one hand each closer to her head. "I'm not going easy on you when I picked this one."

"I'm not sure if one can prepare themselves for something like this," he replied. Taking the same position with his hands, he kept looking forward. "Are you not going to tie your hair back?"

"Nah. I like to let it run loose once in awhile."

"I see." They were suddenly jolted forward slightly as the coaster finally started moving, climbing upwards bit by bit. The ascent was fairly steep, making them lean back in their seats each time they slowly went upwards.

"Soooo you're sure you're not nervous?"

He gulped, but Yang didn't see it. "I am prepared for what lies ahead."

She laughed. "Oh, hoh... that's a good one." They were halfway up now, and Ren looked out of his peripherals to see how high they were. He estimated that they were about 50 meters up, and he turned his gaze back to Yang, who was beaming and... closing her eyes?

"You plan on sleeping?"

"I'm collecting my voice." She opened her eyes and gave a toothy grin. "If you won't scream, that doesn't mean that I can't."

"I'm well aware of that."

"You'll learn that screaming makes it more fun! Otherwise you're keeping all of that stuff inside of you; that can't be good for your health."

"And you are an expert on health?"

"Nope!" She pulled out sunglasses from her pants pocket, making Ren wonder how he didn't see them before. "I'm an expert on fun."

He was about to question the eyewear, but the rollercoaster decided for him. They reached had reached the apex of the rollercoaster, and they stayed there for a moment, breeze high above the ground ruffling everyone's hair. They stayed there for a few more moments, making Ren think that the ride was broken, mind immediately racing to situations where they were stuck on a cart with ten other people one hundred meters up.

And then it dropped. The feeling of adrenaline, euphoric dropping feeling as one's stomach rose up, filled them with exhilaration. The first movement was a straight downwards plunge, eliciting screams from everybody except Ren already as they kept dropping, arms being risen into the air as they let the cart take them where it wanted. It twisted and curved right, gaining ground once again as purple anti-gravitational dust activated, ensuring that the cart remained on the track. The surrounding blended into a mixed up blur, colors melding together as they continued to rush through the ride. After the large curve, Ren saw a corkscrew ahead, and gripped the handlebars of his harness with whitened knuckles. Purple dust surrounded the sides of the cart yet again, and they went through the screwing motion once, curving them through as the ride, as smooth as it was, made Ren feel like he was going to fall off. Sitting at the front of the cart didn't help either; it let him see what was coming next. The coaster took a dive again after a short ascent, and corkscrewed as it was curving, making his head spin literally and momentarily filling his field of vision with Yang's hair. Looking over, he saw that she had her hands raised into the air, screaming all the while as she enjoyed the rush.

The ride began to slow down as Ren returned his gaze to what was in front of him, the same station where he got in the cart already in sight. The cloud nine sensation leaving their minds, everyone in the cart began to calm down, fixing their hair and laughing with their friends, some taking their scrolls out to snap a picture of themselves or the others in the cart. Yang took to ruffling her hair a few times, and miraculously it looked better after a few frazzles of the hand. Looking over at Ren, who was glued to his chair with wide eyes, she grinned.

"How was it?"

He didn't respond for a moment, blinking a few times as he coughed. "It was new." He didn't make eye contact as he remained back pressed into the cushioned chair, Yang already relaxing.

"Ya'know, if you were screaming during the ride, you wouldn't be so tense right now."

"I don't believe that."

"Dude, I could poke you with a stick and you'd shatter. I know tense; I'm on a team with it."

The cart, returning to the station with a click, disengaged the black handlebar harnesses, and everyone stood up, stretching as the workers gave them a helping hand stepping out. They were still talking about the ride when Ren and Yang, the former's face still slightly paled while Yang looked as vibrant as always, stepped off and walked away.

Eager to get to their next destination, she looked over, color slowly returning to the quiet teenager's face. "So, where to next, Ren?"

He twitched an eye. "I could use a break before I went for another ride, Yang."

"Aw, but you've gotta keep the streak going! It's like a combo in my fighting games, you've gotta chain them together in order to make an awesome finisher!"

"Awesome finisher?" The very concept of a rollercoaster that would prove itself to be 'awesome' in Yang's book nearly made Ren shudder.

"Yeah! Unless you can't take the heat."

Raising an eyebrow, he look at her. "Was that another pun with your semblance?"

"No. But thanks for telling me." He mentally facepalmed for his mistake. "Now, why didn't you scream?"

"I'm not one to scream."

"But it's relaxing! Gets out all the kinks and stuff in your body."

"I doubt that's how bodies work."

She thought for a moment, bringing a hand to her chin. "Hm. Well, let's try it."

"Try?..."

"Well, you're gonna try it. You are going to scream today, Ren."

"I doubt that."

"Oh, you should never doubt the powers of a Xiao-Long. Especially when we set our minds to a task."

He sighed. "Yang, I'm not going to scream."

"Ren, I will seriously make it my job to make you scream today."

Shrugging, he kept walking.

Twenty minutes later...

"Alright! Trial number one, Ren." They were on another rollercoaster already, Ren saying that he could still use a bit more time to rest, Yang countering with the reasoning that it was her job to keep the adrenaline levels up for the day. "Since that last one wasn't good enough, we're going to try this one." The same message of keeping all body parts inside the cart repeated over the intercom, and the same black guards lowered themselves over the people.

It was a corkscrew-free rollercoaster this time, consisting mainly of high ascents and sudden drops. Yang took to it quickly, and pulled him into line with her quite literally as Ren just remained silent. He questioned the sudden enthusiasm, but Yang would only dodge the question with other topics. It was daunting by itself already, the coaster proving itself to be a challenging one, even to those of seasoned expertise riding. It was called, "Life's Ways," and Ren could only assume it was a wordplay on the ups and downs of life. He found the metaphor to be aesthetically and audibly pleasing until the ride started up. The same noise could be heard, the click of locks on the cart disengaging as it slowly climbed upwards, gravity forcing him to lean backwards as his eyes and neck were the only things that still retained their field of motion. Yang, again to his right in the paired seating, had her eyes closed yet again, so when she opened her mouth to address Ren he was surprised for a moment.

"I can see you staring, Ren."

"I am not staring at you, Yang."

Opening her eyes, lilac met pale pink. "Yeah, whatever you say. You're staring right now."

"I'm simply maintaining eye contact. There is a difference between the two."

"Mhm."

As she turned away to look at how high they were, Ren did as well. He immediately noted that in the thirty-so seconds that had passed, they were now much higher than the previous rollercoaster, at least ten meters more as people started to shrink. That strange feeling when you get high enough in the air filled his mind, and he wasn't sure if it was fear, excitement, or a mixture of both.

I'm assuming it's fear, he thought as the cart finally started to slow. Looking over again, he noticed how precarious the cart looked at first glance. While there were railings at the side of each cart and anti-gravitational dust infused into said railings, it still made the impression that if one leaned over hard enough, the whole cart would tip off of the railing. The thought filling his mind, he shook it off as the cart slowly crawled forward again, giving him an unbridled view of the clear blue sky.

And then it dropped again. The ascent was terrifyingly exciting in itself, and he heard shrill screams from men, woman, and huntress-in-training alike as they made their first plunge, headlong into the next rise. Resisting to close his eyes due to the wind getting in, he took to blinking rapidly as he took in his surroundings again through the near-drowning noise of screams. After they started to rise again, the track curved downwards and put them on a thirty-degree angle, purple dust seen momentarily every now and then to stabilize the carts.

If it's just drops and ascents, this is a rather simpl-

Ren's thoughts were interrupted by darkness. Complete darkness. They had entered an underground tunnel, and the screams echoed in the cavern as he felt his stomach go upwards, implying that they were going down.

Wait. Down? The sinking feeling kept going until the cart suddenly jolted to a stop. All he could see in the darkness were the lilac of Yang's eyes, and they were still wide with excitement as she look at Ren. He could only assume she was grinning when she spoke.

"Alright, ready for part two?"

"... Part two?" Ren repeated the words with a skeptical tone. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, just give it a second. It's just winding up."

He was confused as to what she meant until he heard something hissing underneath him. It sounded awfully similar to an airbus's thruster engines when they were lifting off...

"Yang, are we going-!?"

The cart (literally) took off in the direction it came from, purple dust emanating from their end of the cart as a combination of powerful, manmade thrusters and natural dust pushed them upwards. Facing the back of the ride felt strange in itself, so when light suddenly swamped them yet again from behind, he had to blink to make sure he knew what he was seeing. It only took the combination of thruster and dust ten seconds to exit the cavern, and a friendly-sounding male voice spoke loudly from the speakers in front of each seat.

"Please hold on to the handlebars."

Ren held on for dear life while Yang just threw her hands up, ignoring the worker's request.

"WOOOOHOOOOOO!" She sounded like she was having the time of her life, and she looked over at Ren a few times to check how he was doing. Back smushed into his chair, whitened knuckles were still grabbing onto the black handlebars when she made the decision to make Ren try something new. Dropping her hands, and knowing what was coming next, she pried Ren's hands off of the grips quickly enough that it didn't look like he noticed in the rush of the moment.

His face was one of pure shock and terror when they finally hit the highest point that they had ever reached on the ride. But the most surprising thing that came after was not the fact that they were experiencing a harsh plunge, or Ren's realization that he was no longer holding onto the handlebars, but that they were floating.

Midair.

Thrusters still hissing and dust emanating their light, Ren dared to look over the edge. Surely enough, the cart itself was levitating in the air for a few moments, and he felt a finger tap him on the shoulder. Turning around by instinct, he was met by Yang's scroll reflecting their image, and she pressed a button to snap a photo. Grinning, she laughed to herself as she put away the scroll.

"Oh, your face... I've gotta show Rubes once she gets home. Comedy gold."

The cart then began turning, facing front once more. Ren was amazed by the complexity of the technology; the planning and tech required to complete such maneuvers were on par with Atlesian air carriers.

"Yang, did you know this would happen?"

She chuckled. "Eyup. I'm surprised you didn't scream when I made you let go, though."

"That was you?"

She remained silent, but the snicker and smile said everything.

Finally landing with a hiss of hydraulics, the voice over the intercom flared to life again. "You may now let go of the handlebars." Yang readjusted her position in the chair.

"Ready for more?"

He lowered his head. "Of course."

Sure enough, the cart went the same way it came back, running down the track yet again at high speeds. This time, however, Ren tried putting his hands in the air for a few moments at a time, and found it to be... semi-enjoyable.

It can't kill me to try, after all. Everybody else is doing it.

Soon enough, the ride came to a close as they stopped back at the same station, the next group of twelve eagerly awaiting their chance to ride the special roller coaster. Stepping off and moving towards the exit, Yang punched Ren on the shoulder, eliciting a look at the blonde of the two.

"Yes?"

"Geez, you're still not loosened up yet?"

"If you are asking if I screamed or not, I didn't."

"Of course you didn't, you're like Blake. You keep all that stuff bottled up."

"Yang, this is my normal personality."

"Your normal personality doesn't like to have fun?"

"It's to remain calm. That does not mean that I'm no fun."

"Really?" She chuckled. "Alright, if you say so man."

"Weiss, behind you!"

She turned and fired a bolt from Myrtenaster by pure instinct, trusting her partner's call. Sure enough, a small beowolf collapsed behind her, mouth still open in the biting position. She looked back over at Ruby, who was already finished with her side of enemies, jumping up and down and shooting her fist in the air while holding her Crescent Rose idly. Weiss returned the gesture with a small smile, making Ruby jump even higher and run over to her in a literal flash.

"Oh, Weiss that was so cool! You were all like, woosh, woosh, pow!" She made the crude imitations of Weiss' slices and stabs while adding her own sound effects. Raising her own weapon, she swung it in tiny arcs and pretended to aim at Grimm. "And I was all like, Bang! Bang! Ska-"

"Yes, you two were very impressive." Ruby's eyes went wide, and she immediately calmed down, smoothing out her dress awkwardly. Walking up to them was none other than Professor Peach, small smile on her face as she walked up with a clipboard. "In this small period of time, I've seen much improvement between you and your partner, Ms. Rose." She looked at Weiss. "As well as you, Ms. Schnee." Ruby just gave a sheepish grin while Weiss made a small curtsy.

"Thank you for the praise, Professor Peach," replied the more composed of the two.

"Now, I do believe that a rest is in order."

"Aww, but come on! We were just getting started out there!"

Their instructor raised an eyebrow. "You would like to continue training?"

"Well, I mean... if it's okay with you, Weiss."

All eyes went to the heiress, and she replied without a catch in her voice. "Practice makes perfect, right?" She pretended to ignore Ruby's wide grin as she spoke those words, but Professor Peach obviously noticed the brunette's excitement.

"Hm. Alright then. Allow me a moment, take this as your respite. The next wave will be themed after a defense setting. You will be tasked with defending a control center."

They both nodded, eager smile on Ruby's lips and confidence in her partner's. As Professor Peach walked off, their surroundings turned themselves back into a blank template, slowly fading into the normal black with white outline squares that made their simulation zone.

"I still can't believe they can make real trees from this stuff!"

"Atlesian technology is quite marvellous, I agree."

She looked at Weiss, still smiling. "So, why'd you wanna keep training? You usually take showers after each session, and I have to wait for you for like, thirty minutes!"

Weiss put on an act of being offended. "Thirty minutes? You should check your own time, Ruby!" Her team leader just stuck out her tongue when Weiss dropped the act with a smile. "I decided that more training can't hurt. Besides, I'll be getting dirty again anyway later today. She's going to have us do that intolerable cardio routine again."

"Oh, but cardio's fun! It's full of running!"

"I know that, Ruby. That's why I hate it."

"Stamina's still a good thing to have though! What if you're trying to play tag and you can't catch up to the person you're trying to get?"

Weiss was once again reminded that even though Ruby was the most lethal fifteen year old on Remnant, she still had a surprisingly childish mind. It garnered a tiny smirk, something that only her teammates could ever get her to do. "Ruby, I don't think playing tag is at the top of our to-do lists."

"What's more important than the occasional game of tag?"

She counted them on her fingers. "Protecting the world from the Grimm, making sure the White Fang doesn't terrorize all of Remnant, making sure Nora doesn't blow up the chemistry room, among other things."

Ruby just shrugged, holstered Crescent Rose, and poked Weiss on the arm. "Tag! You're it!"

"Wha-! Ruby! Now's not the time for games like this!"

"Nyeh-nyeh-nyeh! I'm Weiss! Now's not the time for games like this!" She spoke in a mocking voice, just the way she knew Weiss would get irritated at.

Twitching an eye, she decided it was time for a tit for tat rule. "Alright. You wanna play?" She set up a glyph under her feet, and propelled herself past Ruby, poking her with a finger before landing gracefully behind her. "Tag. You're it."

"Hey, no cheating!" Using her semblance again, she disappeared and reappeared in a puff of rose petals, poking Weiss right under her ribs before dashing back again to avoid Weiss' hand.

"You're using your semblance! Why can't I use mine?"

"I'm hearing loser-talk."

"Bu-"

"Looooser."

"Ru-"

"Looooooooooooser!"

"Ruby, I swear to Ou-"

"LOOOS- AHHH!" Having enough of it, Weiss projected a high power glyph under her feet and launched, angry-face her expression. Ruby barely dodged, and Weiss kept up the chase with glyph after glyph, becoming only more infuriated by the girl two years her junior. From a one-way viewing screen, Professor Peach was holding the same clipboard as before, marking down the events with a smile.

"Partners. What can you do," she said to no one in particular as Ruby proclaimed in a dramatic voice that she'll never be caught alive, Weiss following up on that promise with a direct lunge.

and that's a wrap. again. ren and yang didn't get all the action-y comic scenes this time around... again, but I'm working on it. I promise!

also, allow me to shamelessly self-advertise my OTHER story, Weiss n' Burgers! if Ren just isn't your cup of tea, I have started on a little story about how Weiss hasn't ever had a burger in her whole life.

apparently people like it, so should you!

*proceeds to ignore the feeling of self-pity*

finished reading these little notes? good for you! here's some extra stuff.

AND NOW, THE MOMENT THAT YOU WERE ALL WAITING FOR BUT NOT REALLY BECAUSE I JUST BROUGHT IT UP IN THE PREVIOUS SENTENCE AND HOLY CRAP THIS IS A RUN ON!

IT'S RANDOM BANTER!

(takes place Saturday night.)

"Pyrrha?"

"Yes, Jaune?"

"What do you think about Ren and Nora?" They were in their dorm room, each on their respective bed as the night began winding down.

"What do you mean?" She was busy polishing her weapon on her lap, Jaune putting down his comic book for a second as he made eye contact.

"Like, they're friends but they're not. It's weird."

"Well, they've told us that they're not together in the romantic sense, so that leaves best friends."

"Yeah, and I can see that. But they always hang out together and do everything together, and it throws me off."

She glanced up and gave him a curious look. "Jaune, where are you going with this?"

"Well, ever since Ren left for that dare Nora made for him, she's been acting really really hyper. You can't tell me you haven't noticed."

"Yes, I have noticed." She put her weapon to her side, and shrugged. "Perhaps Ren balances out Nora with his demeanor, and she's been cut loose."

"That's what I was thinking too! And that's also why I'm scared for why she hasn't come back yet. What if she's out there, terrorizing all of the innocent diners for their pancakes and syrup?"

Pyrrha laughed at the thought, even though Jaune didn't think it was that funny, but he laughed a bit too before Pyrrha spoke.

"Yes, I could see that happening..."

"Alright, man. You've got ten seconds to tell me where the pancakes are, or I'm sendin' you all the way to Vacuo and back!"

"Wh-wh-wh-what? Vacu-?"

"Where ARE THE PANCAKES!"

"Ma'am, we... we don't have pancakes right now!"

She got closer. "And why would that be."

The diner's proprietor gulped. "It-it's night time, and nobody wants pancakes at seven?"

"WELL GUESS WHO DOES!" She backed up, pointing two thumbs at herself. "THIS NOBODY DOES!"

Trying to back away from the sudden loudness of her voice, the man offered her some lien in a shaky hand. "Pl-please take it! I don't want it! Take it! Just don't h-hurt me!"

"Why does everyone give me lien? I don't want that!" She slapped it away, the cards lying on the counter as she put both hands flat down on the granite countertop. "I just want my pancakes."

"But Nora wouldn't do that, would she?"

A moment of silence passed between the two, awkwardly passing the time with thought. They came to the realization of what Nora could possibly be doing right now at the same time, sky-blue and emerald-green eyes flaring wide.

"Oh dear," Pyrrha said.

"Should we tell Ozpin?"

"I think that as good students, Jaune... we should stay out of this. I'm sure matters will resolve themselves."

Trusting in his partner's advice, he shrugged and picked his comic book back up. "Alright."