"Why do you insist on being difficult?"

"I should be asking you that!"

"I already gave you a fair explanation and I stand by it."

"How does, 'I don't have wings,' qualify as a fair explanation!?"

"Because I don't. Therefore I do not fly."

Confused? Thought so. For your benefit, let's backtrack a bit.

-Beacon Docks: Around 20 mins ago-

Weiss was at the end of her patience, which admittedly wasn't very long. Her foot tapped incessantly as she glared at the raven haired problem before her. "I'm not repeating myself again. Get. On. The Airship."

His response remained the same, "I do not have wings, so no." He was part wolf, not part eagle or raven or any other avian creature that took to the skies. He liked the ground very much and would not part with it more than necessary. Do not mistake his resistance for fear of flying, because that was ridiculous. He was given claws and fangs, not feathers and talons. "We will travel by foot."

Her eyes twitched, "By foot... and how do you propose we get down?"

*He... hadn't thought of that. She did say that they were on a floating island of sorts. It also didn't help that Yang had apparently had enough with waiting for the two of them and had no qualms with grabbing him suddenly by the collar. Were her eyes always that red?

"Listen 'buddy' we don't have all day. So either get your 'ship' together and get on, or you'll get to see me very 'yangry'." He wasn't sure which was worse, the fact he couldn't fight back out of sheer respect for Ozpin, or the God awful puns. In the end he relented, though not without some minor grumbling.

-Present-

Suffice to say the situation had not improved. The streets of vale were fairly busy this time of day, which meant more people were witness to the pairs bickering. Ruby, although wanting to get to know her partner better and become mega best friends, decided that they had a few issues to work out and spoke up, "Oooookay guys, time out. We can't have fun with you two at each others throats. So! As team leader, I decree that you both need to go ahead without us and work it out! We really don't want Yang to destroy another hotdog stand..." Said blonde was doing her best to keep her temper cool. A lot of things she could handle, but pointless bickering wasn't one of them. 'Maybe that's the motherly side of her,' Ruby mused to herself before pushing on the two of them to move ahead a ways.

The two initially refused, but the mechanical sound of a shell being loaded into Ember Celica urged them onwards.

The walk itself wasn't all that bad. The bustling streets of Vale teemed with life as shopkeepers, chefs, clerks, and many others who did not, or could not, take up the mantle of protector went about their normal lives. The tall brick buildings lined the streets with the occasional calls of the vendors peddling their wares. They walked in silence for a good while... until the tension became unbearable for Weiss.

"You know, this could have been avoided if you'd just stayed at Beacon. I am capable of handling myself, despite this new... development." She didn't really know what to call the last few days frankly. Three days ago, if you had told her any of this would happen she would have personally requested that you be admitted into a psychiatric facility for your saftey and the good of the public. Now... she is considering admitting herself.

"I am aware of that. However, our contract forbids me from straying too far from your side. Were it my choice, I'd have gladly stayed behind. Sadly, I don't have much of an option in these matters." His voice was even, but he could not keep a small amount of frustration from slipping through. He hated this. Being essentially chained to someone and dragged around with little to no say whatsoever. "At this point I'm used to it."

She wanted to press him further but decided against it. That would only lead to another argument and she really didn't want to draw too much attention to herself right now. If people started snapping photos of her walking around with a boy she'd no doubt receive many phone calls from her father that she would not answer, and one call from her sister that she would answer in a heartbeat. Her eyes traveled to the top of his head, left uncovered by the hood, and was slightly relieved to find that his furry ears were not on display. 'That' would spark controversy if nothing else would. Speaking of which...

"There is something I've been meaning to ask you." He turned to look at her, one eyebrow slightly raised to show he was listening, "What... are you, exactly? And no I don't need another explanation of servants. It's just that, well, you're obviously not human, so..."

He hummed, "So what am I?" He considered the question as his eyes scanned the items being shown in the windows of various shops, "A valid question, and one I'd considered coming up at some point. The short answer is, hybrid." Cars rolled by, followed by his curious gaze, "The long answer is my father was a human and my mother was a wolf spirit who guarded a forrest. Don't ask me how they happened to fall in love, because my mother would never tell me and my father was never around."

Something flickered in the distance, causing him to miss the slightly sympathetic and bitter expression of his master, "This world of yours certainly is strange." He started off in the direction of the flicker and found that it was a tiny person, walking and talking, against a glass background. Occasionally it would change, showing their different sides, before returning to their face as they rattled on about something he didn't care about.

"What do you mean?" She asked, not finding anything interesting about an ad for some oxygen based cleaning product.

He rested his hand against to store window, "Take this... T.V. for example. Because of our bond, I can tell you what it is, I can tell you how to turn it on, I can even tell you that there are many 'channels' that you can switch to. But it is difficult for me to understand the concept of a T.V." He backed away, noting the irritated look of the shopkeeper who no doubt just cleaned those windows, "Similar to learning magic, I'll wager."

Now that peaked her interest, if only to better understand the power she was flinging around, "How so?" It had occurred to Weiss that he was, possibly, way out of his depth when it came to technology. If the contract link between them explained them for her, however, she wouldn't think too much of it.

He thought a moment before answering, "Perhaps we should find a place to rest. This could take a while to explain."

A half hour later found them sitting on a bench in a small park at the center of the shopping district. The day was nice and warm with a light breeze blowing through, prompting many to stroll around or relax as they had. Ichika, however, wasted no time in beginning his explanation, "Tell me, when you think of the word 'fire' what comes to mind?"

Weiss furrowed her brow in thought. Although a simple question, it was clear he was looking for something specific. "A... fire I suppose?" She had expected him to laugh at her, sigh, frown, or simply reprimand her for a, in her opinion, rather dull answer. Instead, he nodded his head in agreement.

"Yes, most would imagine a fire of any type." As an example, he opened his palm and summoned a tiny, flickering flame, "Something as tame as the flame of a candle, or the roaring, destructive power of an inferno." Closing his hand, he extinguished the flame, "Now tell me, what 'is' fire?"

Again, the most simple answer would have been fire. But he wasn't looking for simple, so Weiss thought a bit more before answering, "Fire is... destruction?" Fire burned away at wood, flesh, and bone. If left untended, even a small cinder could decimate a forest. It could crumble stone, melt metal, and scar vast amounts of land in no time at all.

He nodded again, but this time he seemed a bit unsatisfied. As if she'd missed a few things. "Fire can destroy, yes. In the hands of someone inexperienced or someone who desires evil, fire can be a deadly tool of destruction. However, that is not the only thing it is." Without warning he took her hand in his own, facing her palm upwards. The flame appeared again, but this time it hovered above her open hand.

She gasped, her instincts taking over, but he held her hand firmly, "Don't move. Tell me, what do you feel?" The initial shock wearing off, she began to note that the fire did not burn her. Instead it felt, "Warm. It... feels warm." She looked at his face, trying to gauge his expression, but only saw the fire reflected in his eyes as he stared at it in a trance-like state. It was... calming actually, if she had to be truthful, to see him like this. He didn't exude that uneasy aura of his, and he seemed far less tense.

"Warmth is another trait of fire, but that is not all. Fire is light, a beacon of hope, protection, life, and rebirth. It is easily misused and therefore misunderstood. To make the utmost use of your elemental affinity, you must first understand the many aspects of the element itself." The flame vanished, but his hand never moved. "Your turn. Think of your element, Ice, and what it means."

Her gaze now on their hands, she tried to think of different ways ice could be used. Her initial thought was coldness. The chilling sensation she felt whenever she set foot in her father's study. Or when she tried to speak to her mother between drinks.

"Focus. Do not let your thoughts stray from the task at hand."

His grip tightened for a moment and she noticed a thin sheen of frost covering their hands. She took a breath and tried again, this time thinking of her sister Winter. Winter was the only ray of light in her family that she could count on. No matter what, Winter would always try to be there for her, even if only to push her further. It brought back a memory of when she was very young. Weiss had wanted to stand outside to watch the snow fall and Winter obliged. It was a quiet, happy moment for her, one she rarely got to enjoy before or since. "There you go."

She blinked, snapping out of her own trance, and stared at the object floating in the palm of her hand. It was a snowflake, about the size of small bird, in the shape of her families crest.

Ichika's other hand joined it's kin and cupped her smaller one, raising it between them, "Feelings are powerful when using magic. They can determine the size, shape, and intensity of your spell. In some cases, if you become skilled enough, they can even be used to determine which targets you wish to inflict harm on or protect. Because of this, it is very important to have a cool head when in a combat situation. If your feelings run wild, so too will your magic." He dropped his hands from hers, "And when that happens... you may find that the consequences could prove to be more than you can bear."

His last sentence was spoken so softly, she almost thought he had been talking to himself. Before she could ask, he was already on his feet, his normal self back in place. "Lesson's over, for the time being. I assume we'll want to return to the others? We've been away for quite a while."

Looking around, Weiss found that a lot more time had passed than she'd first realized. How quickly time passes when you're learning something new. "Yes... I suppose we should." Without anything else to say, Weiss pulled up her scroll to call Ruby and figure out where to meet up. She was a little dissapointed that they had ended so abruptly but it was clear that Ichika had no desire to continue any time soon. A short conversation and directions from Yang sent them on their way.

In another section of vale an old man stood in front of his store, a little dust shop called Layers of Dust, patiently waiting for his next patrons. Despite the recent robberies that had taken place, he wasn't the slightest bit worried about his own store possibly being the next target. His shop was in the middle of a busy street overlooking the docks. Plus it was the middle of the day. No thief could possibly be that stu-

"Hello my good sir. Would you mind... giving us your wares?" The old shopkeep turned towards the voice only to find himself staring down the end of a cane. A cane that looked very much like a gun barrel. "And just so we can make this easier, 'No.' is not a suitable answer."

The old man sighed and raised his hands, muttering, "Son of a bitch..."