Original upload date: 7/24/2020

Revised upload: 3/5/2023

Yikes, this took way to long to get out. I'm very sorry. I'd like to say that I haven't had the time but really it was just a huge difficulty for me to rewrite the first couple pages of this chapter. I don't know why it took me almost four (FOUR) months to get that done. I'm sorry.

As for actual changes, a lot of it was editing. I added a huge scene that I love with Vin at Summer's grave and combined like three PoV's into the last one. But, hey, now that this is in rewrite mode, I can foreshadow things better (keep a look out for that ;))

Please, feel free to follow and comment on predictions, thoughts, etc. I am always looking for new ways to improve my craft. Tell your friends!

Metal like Roses

By ReaderWarrior

I do not own Mistborn or RWBY.

Pregame

When Ruby woke up the next morning, or if it could even be called that, she felt as if something was missing. Not that she was forgetting something… but as if something important had crept over the school and ignored her. A quick glance revealed that the sun had yet to rise and, with the exception of Yang, none of her teammates were in their beds. With a groan, she rolled over and grabbed her scroll.

4:16. She sat up and tried to wipe the sleep sand from her eyes. Our flight's in… fourteen minutes. I still have time-

Ruby slapped her cheeks to remove those betraying thoughts. If she fell asleep, she would wake up too late. So, struggling as she did, Ruby got up out of bed and got changed. When she finished, she walked over to Yang's bunk.

"Psst! Wake up." The young girl nudged her sister's shoulder. "You need to get ready."

Yang turned over. "But I already ate the punching bag."

"Dad says if you don't get up, he's going to send you back to train with Uncle Qrow."

The threat of that made Yang leap out of bed. Faster than Ruby's semblance, the blonde got showered, teeth cleaned, changed, and hair brushed. It wasn't until she was snapping Ember Celica around her wrists that she completely woke up.

Ruby giggled as Yang glared at her. Then she smiled back.

"Ready?"

"Yup!" Ruby gave another look around the room. There was that feeling again. Like something was missing that should have been obvious. It was right in front of her face. Yet… not.

Both sisters quickly made their way down Beacon's dormitory, running to the bullhead docks at the other end of the school. There was always something strange about waking up so early, not like Ruby did it often. It was like a secret hour where only certain people were allowed to be up. Dockhands, some security officers, and Vin.

Wait, Vin?

Ruby paused as she saw Vin atop a bullhead, staring out over Beacon's cliffs. The sky was now a warm purple with the sun creeping out slowly. Her armor was gone but that iconic cloak of hers was still wrapped around her body. As she and Yang walked up, it flowed. For the first time, Ruby could see why she called it a mistcloak.

"What are you doing here?" Yang yelled, waving her arms at her. Vin noticed them and tore her eyes away from the horizon. She jumped down, landing in front of them with grace, and dusted off her pants.

"I… I was wondering if I could come with you," she said. Her gaze flickered back and forth between the two sisters.

Not even thinking about why, Yang wrapped her arm around Vin. "Heck yeah!" Ruby smiled as well, nodding eagerly.

"Weren't you sleeping with team JNPR?" she asked. "Did we wake you?" Did you miss us?

Vin shrugged. "I need a break from here. There's so much of this 'place' I haven't seen yet."

Ruby understood immediately. From what little they knew of Vin's past, she seemed to always end up restricted in some way. Usually kept somewhere she didn't want to be. Like some kind of tool or gun kept on a wall, only taken down when someone else needs it.

"Hey," a voice yelled, "is she with you?" The trio turned to see a man stepping out from the bullhead's front. "Oh, you must be Tai's kids."

"Yup!" Yang nodded and stepped forward, putting herself in front of Vin. "And she's coming with us."

The man shrugged. "Fine by me. Just wanted to make sure she didn't mess with anything up there. The name's Sunshine, by the way. Sunshine Sinclair. I'll be escorting you all back to Patch."

Ruby smiled at Sunshine. "We're Ruby, Yang, and this is Vin. Are you ready to go?"

Instead of responding, Sunshine lifted a key fob and pressed a button. The bullhead roared to life, rotors spinning and lights flashing in the almost-new-day air. Next to her, Vin flinched and stepped back. And, for the first time ever, her emotions were completely visible.

Vin Venture was surprised and in awe.

"Just wait until we start flying," she laughed, pulling Vin forward and into the airship as Yang decided to sit up front with Sunshine. They sat down in the seats and Ruby, like her dad used to, strapped together Vin's harness and belt. Vin didn't seem bothered by the parental act but questioned it.

Ruby smiled. "Trust me, this is not going to be like anything you've ever done before." She quickly sat down, buckled in, and grabbed one of the headsets above her. Its cord stretched as she handed it to Vin before reaching for one of her own. When she got one, she turned back to the Mistborn and giggled as Vin put it on backward. "Like this," she explained, putting it on her head.

Confused, but dutiful, Vin fixed it.

"There. Can you hear me?" Ruby could hear her own electronic voice through the headset. Like an animal seeing fire for the first time, Vin jumped back. Or tried to at least. The belts and seat kept her pretty well secure. "This'll help us talk when we are up in the air."

Vin turned to Ruby with wide eyes. "Why would we need it to talk?"

From the front, Yang turned around with a maniacal smile. "It might get a bit louder."

Before Vin could ask how that was possible, the bullhead lurched forward. They stared out the window, watching as the airship moved to the runway, facing out over the cliff.

The Mistborn grasped the chair's armrests.

"Hang on!" Sunshine ordered as he pushed on the throttle. The lurch turned to a full-on tilt as the bullhead raced toward the ledge. Yang raised her arms up and Ruby smiled as she looked out the window.

"Lord Ruler!"

Then they all went weightless for a moment as they dropped over the ledge. The wind caught them and the airship began its flight to Patch.

Vin, the entire time, muttering obscenities and crushing the armrest in her grip.

On average, Vin was later told, the flight from Beacon Academy to the island of Patch takes roughly half an hour.

Yang and Sunshine were intent on making it in ten.

The entire bullhead echoed with screams as the flying canal moved faster and faster. Ruby and Yang screamed in excitement. Laughing and cheering at the clouds rushing past them with the sun slowly peeking over the horizon. Meanwhile, Vin screamed in terror as the contraption shook and rattled. The engine roared so loudly that Vin doused her tin and still felt it was too loud. It took every ounce of control to not try and jump through a window.

Thankfully, after missing their ten-minute record, Sunshine slowed the ship drastically.

His voice crackled in Vin's ear, speaking through the device on her head. "Sorry about that folks, it appears that we are ahead of schedule and we will be arriving at Patch in five minutes." Vin gave a huge sigh of relief.

Ruby turned to the Mistborn. "You fly all the time, how is this any different?"

Not moving at all and staring at the wall as if it was going to come alive and lunge at her, Vin whispered back, saying, "Pushing and Pulling is natural. This is forcing yourself into the sky." The bullhead shuddered in some turbulence. "And gravity wants you back down!"

"If you look outside," Sunshine said, "you will see that we are, in fact, already in Patch airspace. If you wish to use your own landing strategies, please press the large red button on your communicators. Thank you for flying Sunshine air!"

A quick glance at Ruby's headgear revealed a red dot on the right speaker. "Landing strategy?"

"Oh yeah. You weren't there for that lesson." Ruby muttered. "Well, you see-"

Before Ruby could explain, Yang made her move. She jumped from the copilot's chair and ran over to the duo, pressing the button on Vin's headset. The headgear then sprung off her head, pulled back by its feather to the roof, and the harness uncoupled.

Vin had a moment to think huh? just as the floor directly beneath her disappeared and she was sent into freefall.

As a Mistborn, Vin was used to heights and jumping off from them. Steel-pushing was one of her Allomantic abilities, after all. What she wasn't used to, was falling out of a metal death machine, hundreds of feet in the air, over an island (with no boiling sea!), and all without an anchor.

I'M GOING TO KILL THAT GIRL!

Vin's body reacted faster than her mind. Instinctively, she spun in the air and spread her arms and legs, doing the best she could to stay in the air for as long as possible. The metals in her stomach burned alight as she mentally reached for four physical metals - steel, iron, pewter, and tin (as well as copper and bronze habitually). Zinc and brass weren't going to be that useful now.

From her pocket, Vin pulled out a handful of discs and flung them downward. There was a brief moment when they almost flew back up, right past Vin, but she flared steel and Pushed on them. Now with the added weight, they shoot toward the ground.

The wind howled in her ears and tears flooded her eyes as Vin pointed herself down like an arrow and focused on her 'landing strategy'. Green trees grew larger beneath her as she neared closer and closer to the ground. The discs hit first, and Vin waited for them to hit the ground.

Her descent lurched and Vin let out a sigh as she slowed down. Then, with a loud cheer, Yang flew past. The yellow streak blew her focus and sent Vin falling. Without thinking, she Pulled on the metal line closest to her.

Which, as it turned out, just happened to be Yang's gauntlets. Mistborn and Huntress crashed into each other as they hit the tree line. It was a strange feeling. She had never fallen through a tree before. The foliage she was used to only had painted colors, and that was only at the homes of nobility. Everything else was dead and brown. So the feeling of green, wet, leaves was… startling.

An intent flashed across her mind just before she hit the ground. A flicker of gray, the color of mist, covered her body and flashed brightly.

Aura, Vin groaned, sure was useful. She groaned and sat up, feeling no pain in her back.

"Look out!"

Vin flared pewter and steel together. Once again, using Yang's weapons as an anchor, Vin Pushed the girl away before she could fall on top of her. As Yang is thrown into one bush, Vin leaps backward into another, just to be safe.

Brushing the leaves away, Vin pushes her way through the forest and toward where she saw Yang land. "Did you have to crash into me?" She heard no response. But she did hear something large and animalistic growling over her shoulder. This time, it was Vin who was knocked into a tree as a large black claw slammed into her. Her aura took another hit.

What was- Vin looked up to see a large panting and bipedal wolf. Its fur was an oily black and its head was covered in some sort of white mask that resembled bone. Red markings decorated the creature's mask and large spikes jutted out of its arms.

The creature lunged at Vin, swiping at her with another of its large claws. She quickly jumped backward and unsheathed her daggers. Flaring pewter, Vin charged at the beast. It slashed again, but the Mistborn quickly ducked beneath the claws and slid under its legs. A quick slice of her dagger slices the creature's shins.

Vin crouched as the monster stumbled and both turned to look at their opponent. It howled and Vin displayed the daggers in front of her. She burned bronze and was surprised to hear the thumping of an Allomantic pulse from the creature. Though compared to aura and semblances, the pulse she 'heard' was rough and forced. Like it was being channeled through the beast from somewhere else.

The wolf roared and rushed forward, taking the full focus of Vin's attention. With a pewter-enhanced kick of her legs, Vin sprung upward and leaped over its head. The creature swiped at Vin but missed. However, it did grab the tassels of her mistcloak. It gripped its ribbon-like strips and pulled Vin into the ground with a hard smash.

For the third time today, Vin's aura flickered and she narrowly avoided a bite by rolling to the side. Standing once more, Vin's tin picks up the sound of a twig being snapped and her eyes catch something moving behind the creature. She watched in shock as a middle-aged man burst from a shrub and punched the wolf in its maw.

The man was blonde, with blue eyes and a small stubble on his jaw. He wore brown cargo shorts with a dark brown belt, black shoes, and a red bandana on his left arm. A brown leather vest covered his tan dress shirt with the right sleeve cut off. For armor, the man had a metal spaulder, leather vambrace, and a brown fingerless glove on his right arm.

Also on his right arm was a strange tattoo of a heart. That symbol, Vin realized, it looks like-

Yang's frame burst around the man and rushed at the wolf. As she began to fight it, explosive punches striking it all over, the man walked over to Vin and held a hand out for her to grab.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "My name is Taiyang. I'm a Huntsman."

Vin nodded her thanks and took the hand. He pulled her up and watched as Vin dusted herself off. "What is that thing?"

The man's jaw dropped. "You don't know what a Beowolf is? A creature of Grimm?"

So that's what the Grimm look like, Vin realized. She had been told of the creatures but, over the few days she had been here, hadn't yet seen one. "I've just never seen one this up close before," she lied. A quick Soothe of his emotions and his confusion disappeared. As did his paranoia and suspicions.

"Beowolves are one of the most common species of Grimm," Taiyang explained. They both watched as Yang lifted the Grimm above her head and smashed it into the ground.

"I'm here with my teammates Ruby and Yang. We're supposed to be visiting their mother." She nods at the emblem tattoo and then to Yang's emblem. "I take it you know them?"

Taiyang's face went dark for a moment. It was if the wind blew a branch's shadow over his face. But, just as quickly as it blew, it disappeared. "Oh," he smiled. "You must be Vin. Ruby's told me a lot about you. Yang too, but Ruby tends to hog the scroll."

As if she heard her name being called, Yang gave one last punch to the beowolf and dusted her hands. As she walked over to Vin and Taiyang, the Grimm began to disappear - like ash freshly fallen from the sky.

Yang gave the man a large hug. "Heya pops!"

"Hi there little dragon," he smiled. Taiyang kissed his daughter's forehead and smiled before waving at Vin. "Are you going to introduce us?"

"Dad," she smiled, "this is my newest teammate, Vin Venture. Vin, this is my dad, Taiyang Xiao-Long."

Vin nodded. "It's a pleasure. Where's your wife?"

Using her landing strategy of utilizing Crescent Rose to slide around a tree trunk (in a way to reduce speed and velocity), Ruby landed in the outskirts of a clearing. A very familiar one.

She pulled up her cloak and smiled at the sight of a large cabin just a few yards away. Sunshine must have directly flown over their home. Ruby's mind flashes back to all the times she played in this clearing - pretending to be a Huntress, imagining what it would be like to be a hero, and… and even trying to imagine what it would have been like if Mom had come home all those nights ago.

As she walked across the clearing, Ruby remembered what she had said.

"I'm sorry Ruby, but Mommy has to go help someone. Just like how you helped Yang yesterday."

Ruby, all but a toddler, grabbed the white cloak on Mom's bed. The rest of her garments were already being worn, Mom was just packing up some last-minute things. "But why you, Mommy?"

Chuckling, her mother picked her up and kissed Ruby on the cheek. "Because I know I can help," she explained. Ruby was plopped onto the bed. "It's the right thing to do."

Mom picked up her cloak and walked to the door. "I'll be back tonight. I love you."

Shaking her head, Ruby ignored the tears that began to form around her eyes. She had made it to the backyard porch and rested her hand against one of the tables Dad had made. It was one of the first ones, so not as good as the others. But it was still standing even after that time Yang tried to jump out of the window and onto it to go to a party.

Emphasis on tried.

Ruby's fingers brushed over the indentations, as well as a corner where she, Yang, Mom, Dad, and even Uncle Qrow had scratched their names. Again, those stupid tears. Ruby made a quick run inside to grab a cookie (okay, fine. Three!) and leave a note before heading out to see Mom.

It didn't take long. The cliffside was a short walk from the cabin and Ruby knew the path well.

When Yang and Taiyang took her to their home, Vin wasn't expecting to find a cabin that could rival a House Lord's, but there it was. Taiyang whistled as they neared the front entrance and out bounded a small canine. The pup barked and rushed at Yang, jumping up and knocking her down to the ground. Reminded of a wolfhound's ferocity, Vin reached for her knives but stopped as Yang began to laugh.

"Get off!" Yang giggled, trying to push the pup off of her as it licked her face. "Zwei! I missed you too!" Laughing, Taiyang walked passed and opened the door. Vin moved to do so as well, but Zwei saw her and froze. It panted and a bright gleam appeared in its eyes as Vin stared back.

Yang sat up. "Vin, run!"

Confused, she cocked her head to the side. The dog then leaped off of Yang's stomach and rushed toward Vin. She quickly dropped a disc and Pushed on it. Aiming for the tree branch behind her, Vin watched as the dog gave chase and barked. When she landed and crouched on the branch, Zwei pushed against the tree's trunk and tried to jump to her. But it was only able to get a few feet up before falling back down.

The dog's barking grew louder and more energetic as it looked up at Vin. Though this would have been life-dangering and terrifying back home, here, it was… comical. She didn't feel any real danger from the dog and a part of her wanted to let the dog lick her.

Lick my hand, not my face. Vin was about to drop down when Yang picked the dog up and waved its paw at her.

"You can come down now," she laughed. "Want to pet him?"

Vin dropped down and nodded. With Yang still holding the pup, Vin outstretched her hand and let it lick her.

Not unlike Oreseur's - Tensoon's - tongue, it was rough. But small and energetic and it made no move to bite off any of her fingers. Vin giggled.

Placing Zwei on the ground, the two girls then made their way inside. "Woah," Yang frowned. "What happened in here?" She waved to a broken window and an overturned clock.

"A break-in. Nothing was taken." Taiyang's voice called out from a separate room. "Don't worry, all of your dolls are still in your-"

"Dad!" Yang yelled. "Stop! Was it the Henna brothers? They're always causing trouble."

Taiyang stepped out with a paper in his hand. "Ruby's already been here," he said, ignoring Yang's last comment. "She's gone to see her."

Confused, Vin turned to Yang as he headed toward the back. 'Our mom' she mouthed. They, along with Zwei, then followed after the man. He led them a few meters away to a cliff's edge. Near it, Ruby was standing and talking to someone Vin couldn't see. What she could see, however, was a small grave. Flaring tin, she could even read the name.

Summer Rose.

Summer Rose's tombstone sat just on the ledge. At the right time, this time, the sun would peak over the horizon and right on the top of the marker. From here, she could see miles and miles of endless ocean and sky. Dad often said this was Mom's favorite spot. And, like a lot of Remnant's people, the bodies aren't always there to be buried - so he built her memorial here.

Like most times when she would come to visit, Ruby felt as if Mom was waiting for her. Happy to listen to the new story Ruby would tell. Some fictional and some real. And even though she knew it didn't matter, Ruby always tried to give them happy endings.

Because who didn't love those?

Ruby pulled down her hood and gave a small smile. "Hey, Mom. Sorry I haven't come by in a while. Things have been… Well, things have been pretty busy. I got accepted into Beacon. Beacon! Two whole years ahead of everyone else. It does make it weird when everyone is older than me, though.

"Oh, but I got made a team leader! Just like you, Mom. Let's see, there's Weiss. She's kind of mean, but I think she just wants everything to go well. She's starting to come out of her shell too! Then there's Blake! She's like a ninja. And, don't tell anyone, but she's a Faunus too. With cute little cat ears too. She had this problem with the White Fang a while ago, but I think she's doing better. Yang is on my team too! She keeps teasing me like I'm just the sister and not the leader. But I don't mind. I like being a younger sister. Even if I end up with one-to-many noogies. She's still as crazy as she used to be. 'Punch it until it breaks'!"

A giggle fell out of her lips as she brushed away a tear.

"And then there's Vin," she sighed. "What? Did you think I only got three teammates? Well, you were wrong!

"Vin's… kinda special. She's really cool and really strong, but I think she hurts inside. She grew up in a horrible place, Mom. I don't know if I can help her. I'm worried that she'll hurt herself or get herself killed. Or that I won't be there to help her. I don't want to lose anyone. But… at least I haven't gotten kicked out yet. So that's cool. I think being on a team with Yang helps." Ruby leaned forward and whispered, "I keep her in line."

"Did you realize our team name is RWVBY? It causes a lot of confusion. Anyways, I made a bunch of new friends, and I met some… let's just say 'odd' teachers. Oh! We also stopped some bad guys too! I guess it's like what they say. 'Like mother, like daughter'."

Ruby rocked back and forth on her feet. She saw Mom standing there, cloak billowing in the breeze and a smile that was almost as bright as the sun. Even if it was all in her head, she could tell her mom was hanging on to every word.

"I still wonder why Ozpin let me into the school early, but I guess he'll tell me one day. You know how he is. It's funny. The more I get to know him, the more he starts sounding like Uncle Qrow."

There was a small rustle and Ruby turned around in surprise. A respectful distance away, Yang, Dad, and Vin were all walking up but they stopped before getting too close.

"Looks like Dad's here," she smiled. "I gotta go. He says he's got a bunch of RWVBY merchandise he wants us to sign before we go win the Vytal tournament. Wish me luck!" She takes a few steps back to her family but stops to give one last glance back. "It was good to talk."

Vin… Vin forgot that Ruby's mother was dead. She now remembered that night when she snapped and attacked her team, Ruby had commented how great of a mom she had. But the way they talked about it, it was like she was still there. And for Vin, that was just something she couldn't understand. Her mom was a whore, used by Nobles, and insane. She had killed Vin's sister with her earring and would have likely killed her too if it wasn't for Reen.

Ever since she had come here, her brother's voice had been mostly silent. And that earring was left back at the Well. All she had was her mistcloak.

And yet, here at the grave of her friend's mother, Ruby felt as if she didn't deserve to be here. Like this was a special occasion and she hadn't been invited. A mother's love was alien to her, so why was she here to witness a child's restitution?

"It was good to talk."

Ruby walked back over to the small group. She gave Taiyang a hug and let Yang her hair before turning to Vin.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"It's not your fault," Ruby smiled. She ignored a tear rolling down her cheek. "It was a while ago."

Vin felt as if a Rioter was testing her emotions. "I didn't… I forgot that she was…"

The girl placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's fine. We've been kind of busy after all. Would you like to say hi?"

Before Vin could say no, Yang grabbed her arm and pulled her to the cliff. "C'mon, I'll introduce you. It's kind of my job today."

They stopped just in front of the grave. From here, Vin could now see a small inscription at the bottom of the stone.

Summer Rose; It read. Thus Kindly I Scatter.

"Heya Mom!" Yang smiled. "It's Yang. I brought a friend today, her name is Vin. Ruby might have told you about her though." She turned to Vin and pointed at the tombstone.

"Oh," the Mistborn mumbled. "Um, good morning, Lady Rose? I… I've heard a lot of great things from your daughters. And I think-" Vin glanced back at Ruby and caught Yang's eye "-that I owe it to you for how they've been able to help me. Thank you."

Yang smiled and wrapped her arm around Vin's shoulder. "See, Mom? I'm not getting into too much trouble. Vin's like our new sister and she's going to help us win the Vytal championship. She's almost as strong and awesome as me!"

"I'll do my best," Vin whispered.

"I'm going to make you proud of me, Mom."

And that was it. Vin's meeting with Ruby and Yang's mother was over. The blonde turned to walk away and headed back to her family.

Vin stared at the grave. The metals in her stomach were not being burned, it somehow felt… wrong. But she reached inside of her and looked for a metal she had only burned a few times before. Ozpin and Ironwood didn't give her too much and, though Vin thought it to be fairly useless, she still put a bit of it in her vials. Just small flecks of gold.

Augur's can see a shadow of themselves if they made different choices in the past. It was thanks to this that Vin realized what the 11th Metal, malatium, was and how it would help her take down the Lord Ruler.

Burning gold, Vin felt herself looking at herself from two different people. The first was who she was now: no longer a Mistborn and yet more powerful than before. She was tall, armored, carrying fantastical weapons, and loved by a small family. She could feel the pain in her heart for how she hurt them and others in her past.

The other Vin… she was very different. Vin had arrived on Remnant and completely closed herself off. When RWBY tried to help her, she snapped and, for once, didn't hold back. She went on the run as armies of soldiers with no faces were sent to hunt her down. She wore her tattered mistcloak over the remains of the clothes she arrived in. No armor and weapons yet her heart was encased in steel and her hands were coated in red.

Vin glared at Vin and her eyes hardened. She saw a girl who let herself trust be hurt. She saw a girl who let herself be arrested. She saw a girl who was about to cry over the long-ago death of a parent that wasn't even her own.

Vin looked at Vin and her eyes softened. She saw a girl who couldn't afford to let herself feel anything anymore. She saw a girl who cut off every attempt to make ties to her. She saw a girl who was willing to cause someone else the heartbreak of loss just so she wouldn't feel it again.

The gold reserve ran out and Vin, the one Vin gasped. She was here, she was whole, and she was part of a family. She may have not been a Mistborn anymore, but she wasn't a huntress either. She was an alloy.

And she was stronger because of it.

The girl walked away from the sunrise as a flock of birds flew overhead.

"Ready to go, old man?" Yang grinned.

Taiyang picked up a satchel and slung it over his shoulder. "Who're you calling old?"

They had returned back to the cabin. Ruby and Yang's father insisted that they, at least, rested their feet for a bit before their flight back and had a cup of tea. Vin was confused at the short stay of their expedition, but she was told that they really only came here to see their mom and Taiyang would drop them off. As they sat, Yang and her father started poking at each other.

The banter even made Vin smile as Zwei rubbed his fur on her leg. It reminded her of Breeze and Ham.

Ruby rolled her eyes as Yang smirked. "The only one here with gray hairs pops," she countered.

"I may be old, but at least I can still hit what I'm punching at. Or are you still missing every third strike?"

Vin nodded. "She does." The room went silent and Vin could swear she heard Yang's neck creak as it turned to face Vin - her eyes gave a harsh red glare - and then back to her father.

"Good luck Dad!" Ruby quickly grabbed Vin's arm and pulled her outside. Behind them, Vin heard the sound of a small explosion. The two sat down at a porch table and Ruby giggled. "Want to head to the bullhead?"

Normally, Vin would have shrugged but this time she gave her direct answer in the form of a nod. "Shouldn't we wait for them first?" There was another explosion and Vin heard Yang yell something about her hair and Taiyang's lack of it.

"Nah, they'll be fine. It's been a few months so they'll probably be done in a few minutes." Ruby brushed off her skirt and started walking toward a path in the woods.

Vin followed and enjoyed the path. The air smelled clean and wet. They followed a path of orange gravel with logs along the edges. The trees, so green and beautiful, were thick and alive. For once, Ruby was quiet too. Even she must have understood the beauty of this forest.

"Did… something happen last night?"

Vin froze. She had been avoiding that topic all day. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell her, or Yang, it was just… they had other things to worry about. The Vytal Tournament was today and Vin knew how excited they were about that. If the sisters knew that she, Blake, Weiss, and JNPR kept them out of the loop…

It wouldn't go great.

So Vin burned brass and Soothed Ruby's worries. "We can talk about it later," she said. "Everyone's fine, there's nothing to worry about."

Ruby nodded. And yet Vin felt guilty. She stopped and clenched her fist.

"Vin? What's wrong?" Ruby turned around and watched as Vin took a deep breath.

"I've… I haven't been a good friend. To you. Or Yang. Or the rest of your team. The entire time I've been here, with you all, I've been forcing your attention onto me. You've given me a home. Family. You have even made my weapons and armor. And I've done nothing for you. I haven't-"

Vin was cut off by a hug from Ruby

"It's okay," she whispered. "I wanted to make the weapons. And don't forget, it's our team. Not mine. We want to help you." Ruby held Vin tighter. "We're your friends. And you are ours. Don't think you're bad just because you've problems. You just came with me and Yang to go see my mom's grave!" Ruby stepped back and smiled.

"Thank you for being my friend."

The flight back was uneventful (with the exception of Vin not being able to think anything but AAAAAAAAAAAH! the entire ride). Ruby and Vin didn't wait for long with Sunshine before Yang and Taiyang arrived. They each had a few scuff marks on their outfits, though. He and his daughters said goodbye, hugged, and kissed, before jumping into the bullhead.

"Take care of them," he told Vin, who nodded. I will.

Vin kept quiet the entire time about what happened last night, mentally flinching at Sunshine's comment of "Something happened at the embassy last night" and when Yang pointed to the smoke still lingering above the building's remains.

They shortly landed and, thankfully, there was no need for a landing strategy. The bullhead landed on a platform and, as the three got off, they were greeted by Blake and Weiss.

"Hey, Blake!" Yang smiled, holding her arms out for a hug. "Miss me?" The Faunus rolled her eyes but the smile said she did.

"What're you doing here?" Ruby asked.

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Is it wrong for a team to meet with their team leader after she just got back from a small trip?"

"No," Yang smirked, "but that still doesn't answer why you are doing it."

The Heiress 'hmph!s' and pulls out a briefcase from behind her. "I thought you might need to reload your dust supplies. And Vin didn't grab her armor after the soldiers dropped it off."

Yang frowned. "Why did the soldiers have her armor?"

A glance was shared between the three members of RWVBY who didn't get much sleep last night. Vin shook her head and Weiss gave a glare. Blake nodded.

"She needed them inspected for registration in the tournament," Blake lied. "Or else she wouldn't have been allowed to use them."

"I thought I took care of all that," Ruby mumbled. She shook her head - with no manipulation by Vin - and smiled. "Thanks for doing that, I was going to run back to the room and grab some extra rounds."

Weiss tossed her a few containers of bullets. And a couple to Yang. Blake walks up and hands Vin her case.

"Are you sure about this?" she whispered.

Opening up the case, Vin was greeted with her polished and shining aluminum armor. "They need to focus. We'll tell them afterward." She put the pieces on her body, once again remarking how strong and weightless it was, and replenished her disc supply.

Ruby slid her rifle onto the back of her belt and covered it with her cape.

Weiss sheathed her rapier into a loop on her belt.

Vin slid a new round of flame dust into her blades before putting them on her belt.

Blake reloaded her gun and placed it over her shoulder.

Yang gave a few punches before folding her gauntlets into their more bracelet-like form.

"Ready?"

"Of course we are!"

"I am."

"We've got this."

"Let's kick some butt!"

Together, team RWVBY marched their way toward Amity Colosseum. They were no longer a collection of girls, but a true team. Their differences made them unique and their goals were aligned. Fight until victory.

Together.

"Let's do this!" Ruby cheered.

WVBY raised their fist to match R's. "YEAH!"

We finally made it to the main show!

This chapter was really enlightening. I notice that I am very adept at writing fight scenes, but people talking seems to be difficult for me XD.

xFel: I'm glad to hear you like it. I already have an idea for the investiture that Remnanters are using, and (hint) it may be similar to something you've already seen in the Cosmere.

Jerry12344321: Thanks! I'm glad you do!