A/N: Hello again, sorry for the longer wait but life is just being a bitch lately :/ anyway, I still managed to write this out for you :) thank you for the reviews/faves/follows, the support so far has been amazing :) I hope you all enjoy this chapter :j

Also, this chapter has been un BETA'd as I cannot be bothered to email Bmo at the moment :j but also big thanks to Chris for throwing a shite ton of awesome ideas at me which has improved this story's path, in my opinion anyways, so thanks bud! :D I made Emerald a little OC, but I like this outcome anyway ^_^ and finally, I have changed the time frame a little, so lets pretend that the dance happened about three months before the train, okay? Good :) so, I hope you enjoy the chapter :P

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or any of its characters, they belong to RoosterTeeth and Monty Oum.

Neo watched with bemused fascination as the Headmaster made the announcement of their missing student on the news. Her ever present small smile was still there, her head tilted, pink and brown eyes shining in something resembling amusement at the Headmaster's poker face. He tried to veil his obvious emotional upset, but those who knew what to look for, could tell he was close to breaking.

"Headmaster! Do you not feel any guilt or remorse that a student under your care has been missing, presumed dead, for about a month now?"

"No comment." He replied, tight lipped and barely holding in his glare and the angry reporter.

"What have you done to try and find Ruby Rose?" a second, much calmer, reporter asked.

"We have been conducting search parties through the collapsed tunnel and are now widening our search to the rest of Vale. We refuse to give up on Ruby Rose."

The screen faded back to the main reporter in the studio, who pushed her glasses up her nose before speaking.

"Another student at Beacon, and sister of Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, was also released from custody for attacking a reporter, her bail was paid for by the Schnee Dust Company. We ask and advise all to let the remaining members of Team RWBY grieve in peace."

Neo scoffed and threw an apple pip at the screen, hitting the button dead on and shutting it off. She kicked her legs off of the desk and glanced at the security camera screen, throwing her apple core in the bin with precision.

She could see the girl, Shade as she was now called, attempting to stand from her bed. Neo sighed and stood, rolling her eyes as she silently left and moved towards the younger girl's room.

Shade had been doing this a lot lately. She would get angry and frustrated with herself, and try to move off of her bed. Her cast had been removed a week before which only made her attempts more constant and determined.

Neo rounded the corner and silently opened the door into the room only to stop in her tracks; she ducked back around the corner and peaked around, leaving the door open wide enough for her to see inside.

Cinder was there, she was stood next to Shade with her arms outstretched, Shade using the one arm to support herself as she stood slouched on shaky legs.

"Come on now, you can do this." Cinder told her, her normally cunning voice surprisingly the softest Neo had ever heard before.

Shade grimaced, but with a grunt pushed her back straight, standing properly for the first time in weeks.

"Aha, I-I did it! Thank you Cinder!"

Cinder smiled and slowly started to walk backwards.

"Come on, dear Shadow, let's see if you can walk yet."

Shade winced, but did not hesitate to step. The first step was with her unbroken leg, and seemed only slightly difficult. Neo tilted her head in thought; maybe she could already walk again.

But as soon as Shade brought her other leg forwards and placed her weight on it, she buckled. Cinder immediately caught her, and started gently guiding the frustrated teen back to her bed.

"Damn it!" Shade yelled her remaining fist clenching as she was placed back on the bed, "I can do it! I know I can walk!" She yelled, not at Cinder, but rather in anger at her own weakness.

"Yes, but until you have built up your strength I want you to remain in your bed." Cinder told her, voice now hard with an edge that left no room for disagreement.

Shades huffed and closed her eye, the other still hidden behind newer bandages, and grit her teeth.

"I want to know who did this to me, please Cinder; I need to know who ruined me."

Neo watched surprised as Cinder elegantly sat on the bed next to Shade, with her hand resting on top of Shade's.

"Is that what you think, that this person ruined you? Why do you think this?"

Shade flushed with rage.

"Look what they did to me Cinder, I'm repulsive. I haven't even looked under these bandages and I don't want to anymore. All I want is to find this person and… hurt them."

Neo wasn't even facing Cinder, but she knew that if she was, she would be able to look past the raven haired woman's poker face to see the start of a plan growing in her mind.

"Well let's make a deal, my Shadow. When you can make it to the wall and back to your bed by yourself, I will tell you what I have discovered and who hurt you."

Shade's head snapped up, looking hopeful.

"R-really?"

"Yes, and also we will start training you for the revenge you were promised."

A grin broke through Shade's face, and she nodded thankfully.

"Thank you Cinder! I promise to help you with whatever you need, it's the only way I can repay you for doing this!"

Cinder 'humm'ed, and nodded.

"I expected you would say this, very well. You shall be trained to not only help with your revenge, but to aid us in creating our new world."

Shade's smile slowly started to drop.

"New world? What do you mean?"

Cinder laughed lightly and shook her head.

"When you can walk, my dear. In due time, then you will know all you will need to know."

Shade sighed but still smiled.

"Okay, thank you Cinder."

Cinder nodded, and then did the most shocking thing Neo has ever seen her do.

She leant forwards, and placed a kiss on Shade's forehead.

Shade blushed a deep red, while Neo gasped silently and Cinder smirked.

"I'll be seeing you, my Shadow."

Then she stood, and Neo silently ran back to her position in the camera room. She got there in record time, threw her feet back on the desk and plucked a second apple from the fruit bowl, holding it by her lips.

But she did not bite it, simply held it there as she stared at the camera screens.

Cinder had kissed Shade, on the head.

She took a single bite out of her apple, spitting out a pip to throw back at the TV, turning it onto some random show so she looked as inconspicuous as she could.

Things are changing.

~Ax~

Weiss slowly opened her eyes, feeling tired and achy. She had slept for too long, her back was cramped and her shoulders hurt, as well as her neck. She reached behind her and stretched her arm, sighing in content when the dull click sounded in her ears. She dropped her arm and focused her eyes.

Across from her were Yang and Blake, sleeping on Yang's bunk. She knew they would be sharing today, as Yang had been gone since the day before yesterday, only being released from jail thanks to her parents the night before. Blake would want to make sure she was safe. The darker haired girl had her head ducked in Yang's neck with the brawlers arms wrapped around her, her face buried in Blake's hair.

Weiss felt a sting in her eyes and an ache in her gut. She closed her sky blues and buried her head in the pillow. She took a breath of the pillow, and smiled, if only slightly, at the smell.

Roses and cookies, obviously.

Weiss sniffed and wiped her eye as a stubborn tear escaped. She needed to be doing something, needed to distract herself.

She sat up and rubbed her eye, reaching her other arm behind her as she again stretched. Once done, she silently jumped from the top bunk and landed just as quietly, gathering some random clothes and walking to the bathroom.

On the way to the door, her eyes accidently strayed across and to the desk in the corner of the room, with several framed photos on it.

One was of Yang and Blake, the brute having her arm around Blake's shoulder and grinning while holding a thumbs up to the camera, Blake had her arm around Yang's waist, and rather than look at the camera, she was looking at Yang with a soft and loving expression.

The second was of all of them, a few months after team RWBY had been formed, around the start of this term. Ruby had taken it on her scroll, using the front camera option. It was in the corner of the dorm, and the team had little time to figure out what was going on, having heard their leader yell 'surprise selfie!' and having moments to react when they figured out what was happening.

Ruby was in the corner, grinning wide with a childish gleam in her eyes. Yang had decided to dive off of her bed, and the photo was taken while she was in the air posing with a peace sign. Blake was looking with slight surprise and a soft blush, Ninjas of Love in her hands. And Weiss had thrown a pillow, which was sailing right behind Ruby's head, hitting her seconds after the photo was taken.

And under it was a normal photo, this one with the whole team ready for the camera. They were sat on Blake's bed, with Blake squished to Yang's side, and a slightly flustered but surprisingly smiling Weiss practically on Ruby's lap.

The last was another surprise, this one with good outcomes however. It was taken by Nora the night of the school dance, who had decided to follow Ruby and Weiss when they left for a talk. The picture was of the two of them out on the balcony, broken moon lighting the night sky behind them, and the two partners in a passionate embrace.

That was their first kiss.

Weiss' throat burned and she stormed into the shower, quickly undressing and washing. She was done quickly, and after drying her hair and getting changed she left the bathroom.

The Heiress had no plans for that day, so her outfit consisted of her hair being down, jogging bottoms and a large baggy black and red hoodie.

Ruby's favourite hoodie.

Weiss put the fabric over her nose and breathed in the smell of roses and cookies, climbing up to Ruby's bed as she lay down.

It had been a month since the fight, and not a single thing was found. She knew that everyone else but herself and her team thought Ruby was dead, even the Headmaster was giving up hope. But she wouldn't give up on Ruby.

If she did, what kind of girlfriend would she be then?

She pulled the quilt over her and sighed, she was tired. She was always tired nowadays.

With a second glance at her sleeping team mates, Weiss too fell into a restless sleep, her mind never straying from the missing girl in the dorm.

~Ax~

Shade gritted her teeth in an attempt to block out the pain from her leg. She was using her one arm to hold onto the bed post as she stood on unsteady legs.

It was the day after Cinder had helped and motivated her. Now, with the prospect of helping Cinder in return, and finding out who hurt her, she was even more determined to walk properly again.

Now if only these dammed legs would work!

She decided to try standing again, pushing away from the wall and supporting her own weight on her own two legs. A slightly breathless smile edged at her lips, she was still rather pleased that she could manage standing alone.

But of course, she got too cocky; she took a step forwards, previously broken leg first, and quickly fell to the tough tiled floor.

Her silver eye shut in expectation of impact, only to gasp with an 'oof' when warm arms wrapped around her waist.

She groaned when the person sighed in frustration and threw her back on the bed, making her bounce a few times. She shook her head and reopened her eye, and frowned at the unfamiliar face.

"Urm, who are you?"

The dark skinned, red eyed, green haired girl scoffed in annoyance and shook her head.

"Charming, I save your life and I don't even get a thank you."

A feeling sparked in the back of Ruby's mind, begging her to say 'It was hardly saving my life', but luckily she held it down.

"Thank you."

"There we go; anyway, I'm Emerald, the weapons tech girl."

"Hey sis, thanks for upgrading E and C for me!" a blonde figure called, her back to Shade's view.

"Well with how much you demand and upgrade, it its probably second nature to her now." A second voice and figure said, sat at a desk next to the blonde, all Shade could make out of her was the black of her hair and the paleness of her skin.

"I don't demand anything, but my sis knows I like going out with the best around!" the blonde leaned towards the dark haired girl, and spoke in a flirty way, "Which is why I am dating you, kitty."

The raved haired girl sighed, and Shade almost jumped out of her skin when there was a second sigh from a third voice sat besides her. Her head turned and noted the third and final, white haired figure.

"Your sister is such a dolt."

Shade must have mumbled some reply, as the person turned to her, and she could see a blurry pale face with sky blue eyes. The figure laughed and nodded.

"Of course you'll be my number one dolt."

The blonde figure groaned, and Shade glanced at her to see her shaking her head.

"Not in front of me Princess! She's my sister!"

"Hush your mouth, brute!"

The blonde snorted.

"And hey, she isn't a dolt! She's quite smart to be able to do all this to our weapons and stuff, 'ight sis?"

Shade felt her lips move and a mumbled reply leave her mouth, but still could not make out what she had said. Apparently it was something funny, as the blonde and raven haired girls laughed while the ivory skinned girl beside her flushed red.

"Yeah, who knew that Weiss had a thing for weapon tech girls?" the raven haired girl asked, she and the blonde started to laugh as Shade felt her cheeks burn just as red as the blurry blue eyed figure besides her.

She was brought back into reality as fingers clicked impatiently before her eyes.

"Hey, anyone still in there? Hello? Ah, there you are. I must say, that was the first time someone zoned out simply from an introduction."

"Sorry, I- I just had a thought…"

"Well great for you," Emerald sighed, again, and put her hands on her hips, "I'm here on Cinder's orders so let's get going with this already. I am aware your arm is currently; well, gone, so I say we start planning what your replacement will be like, sound good?"

Shade absently rubbed her head, trying to dull the ache she felt in it, and nodded.

"Yeah, sure. What were you thinking?"

Emerald smirked and brought her fingers up to her mouth to whistle sharply; Shade winced at the sound and shot the green haired girl a glare.

"Well, when we found you this was near you. And since I am all for recycling, I thought we could use it."

Three White Fang members, two large males and an equally large female, were struggling to carry something between them. They heaved and stepped on shaky legs, but finally got in front of Shade's bed, dropping it with a loud clang followed by their relieved sighs.

Shade sat up in her bed and looked at what they had dropped on the floor, not noting the devious look in Emerald's eyes.

What she saw was… strange. It was black, red and silver, and was quite big, that blade itself was about the length of her entire body, maybe even longer. She squinted and tilted her head, seeing a trigger and gun barrel, figuring that this massive scythe must have had some sort of gun mechanism built into it too.

"Is that necessary sis?"

Shade faced the blonde figure, which seemed shorter now, most likely younger, and spoke without hearing what she had said.

"It's a what? A High-Caliber Sniper-Scythe? Dad let you have two weapons in one?!"

Shade's vision moved, and she guessed the person she was viewing the world through was laughing.

"Oh very funny, and you even gave it a name?" the blonde shook her head and sighed with a laugh, "Well, it's a good name. Crescent Rose, seems fitting."

Shade gasped and held her head; Emerald frowned and faced the younger girl once more, having been previously admiring the scythe that not even that creepy White Fang leader could pick up.

"Shade? You okay?"

The girl nodded with a groan, and dropped her hand from her head.

"Yeah, I just remembered something. Its not important."

Emerald frowned even deeper.

We may need to move faster if she's remembering already, I'll have to tell Cinder.

"Okayyy," she drawled, playing it cool, "but what do you think? Shall we use this as your new arm?"

Shade felt like someone had punched her in the chest and crushed her soul when she replied.

"Yes."

"Good. In that case we will continue this another time when we have dismantled this weapon."

But then, watching as the three Faunus struggled to pick up the weapon and make their way to the door, Shade felt something inside her burn to life.

"Wait!"

The three Faunus froze, clearly struggling to hold the weapon; Emerald turned and shot her a questioning look.

"What?"

"Don't destroy it. I want it as my weapon."

Emerald scoffed and shook her head.

"No offence kid, but number one; you can barely walk let alone lift this thing, and number two; its quite an obvious weapon, you wouldn't be able to go anywhere without someone recognising you."

"I'll change it then, alter it. It won't look the same but it will still be the same."

Silver eye locked with ruby eyes, and eventually the silver won out.

"Urgh, fine. Keep your stupid weapon. Faunus, take it to weapons holding."

"B-but that's four floors up!"

"Do you think I care?"

She was answered with whimpering as the Faunus carried the massive weapon, the dark skinned girl slamming the door behind them as they left.

Shade fell back on her bed and felt her breath leave her.

Why did she care so much about that stupid weapon? It was just that, a weapon.

But she's your weapon.

Shade squeezed her eyes shut and ignored the voice in her head.

Sleep. That's all I need. Sleep.

And sure enough, her wish was granted, and Shade fell into a deep uninterrupted sleep.

A/N: So what do you think? Like? Please let me know in a PM or a review! Thank you for your support guys, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Until next time, thank you for reading. :)