(A/N): Hey everyone, Joey245 here! Let's address the Kikanalo in the room first - no, this is NOT the sequel to Destiny's Divide, nor is it anything nearly as ambitious as either story. Rather, this and any other one-shots are just yadayadayada is anyone even reading these disclaimers anymore?

Bad news is, this is gonna be the last of the interconnecting one-shots for now. Good news is, there's a very good reason for that! I'll explain more in the Author's Note at the end, but that's for dessert - gotta have the main meal first, after all!

For this one, I wanted to do something a little different. I wanted to focus on some of the RWBY character dynamics that I either didn't get a chance to explore in Destiny's Divide, or that didn't get much focus in the other Tales from the Via Magna entries. Because I've always been a firm believer in character-focused writing - after all, the characters are the show's greatest strength in my opinion, and I always love getting a chance to just write them hanging out and being themselves.

In any case, enjoy!

(This is also my first time writing a scene from Jaune's POV! His thought process and inner voice was one of the hardest to nail down, oddly enough, and I hope I did his part well enough.)

"I still don't know why I let you drag me out here, Red."

Emerald groaned as she walked a few steps behind the leader of Team RWBY, who was practically skipping as she made her way through the crowded bazaar of Vacuo city. The smells of various street grills and the sounds of merchants hawking their wares filled the morning winds, but the younger Huntress ignored them all in favor of a path only she could see. There was a laser-focused determination in her silvery eyes, leading the former thief along with a clear destination in mind…no matter how much she grumbled and groused about wasting a rare day off.

"Aw, c'mon Em!" Ruby looked over her shoulder with a giggle and a smile that was damn-near infectious. "It's not like we're going on a shopping spree - I just wanna show you a really cool place I found out here! Plus, we barely hang out alone like this except on missions, so I wanted to spend some time with you. The real you."

"Uh huh." Emerald leveled an unconvinced stare at her unlikely friend. "And you sure you didn't just bring me out to compensate for your utter lack of street smarts?"

Ruby gave a pout that was almost adorable. "I've got street smarts…" she mumbled pithily.

"Really? Then pop quiz, hot shot: where's your wallet?"

"Right in my…!" Silver eyes widened in terror as she patted down an empty pocket, only to narrow in annoyance as she spotted the missing item in the green-haired Huntress's hand. "Em!" she wailed, spinning on her heel and coming to a stop. "We talked about this! No more stealing!"

A chuckle escaped her lips as she handed the wallet back to its indignant owner. "Sorry, just proving a point. You've gotta be on guard in crowds like this - all it takes is one person bold and quick and desperate enough to ruin your day. And don't keep it in your pants, that's the first place pickpockets always look. Try your vest, or at the bottom of a backpack instead."

Ruby took the wallet back with a huff, slipping it into one of the bandolier pockets slung over her red tank top. "Anyone ever tell you that you're paranoid?"

"It's not paranoia if everyone is out to get you," she said with a wink.

"You sound like Qrow…" With a chuckle and a smile, Ruby turned back around and kept walking. "In any case, what I wanna show you isn't much farther. Thanks for the lesson, Em."

Emerald raised an eyebrow. "Most people wouldn't thank the lady who'd just swiped their wallet, Red."

"Yeah, but I'm not most people."

That was a hard statement to disagree with.

Eventually Ruby turned a corner and led Emerald through a sandstone archway into a small forum, then pulled her over to a modest brick-and-mortar shop with floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Swords, crossbows, and axes of varying sizes lined the window shelves, and a pair of crossed silvery hammers hung over a weathered maple door. It became immediately apparent just what kind of store this was - and why the little rose loved it so much.

"Welcome to Sterling's Steel!" Silver eyes beamed brightly as their owner posed dramatically. "The best weapon shop in all of Vacuo! …that I've found so far, anyway."

Emerald was less than enthused. "A weapon shop," she deadpanned. "You dragged me all the way out here to see a weapon shop."

"Yep!"

Annoyance flared up within her throat. "Red, we're Huntresses operating under Shade's jurisdiction - we don't need to buy weapons. And you don't need to pull me halfway across the city just to look at some knives, especially on our day off. I'm happy you're happy, but this kinda thing isn't my scene. They're all the same, far as I'm concerned."

Ruby's smile didn't drop an inch. "Oh trust me, I think you'll like this one. Just…humor me for five minutes, Em. Please?"

…dammit, it was impossible to say "no" to those eyes without feeling like she was kicking a puppy. Emerald rolled her own and relented with a heavy sigh.

"Ladies first," she said, gesturing to the door - and ignoring how Ruby cheered to herself under her breath.

The pair stepped inside and were immediately blasted by a fresh wave of heat. Unlike the warm desert air outside, the weapon shop felt stuffy and smelled of metals and oils. While the interior was arranged neatly enough, with a horseshoe-shaped counter displaying small arms and full-sized racks along the walls for larger weapons, it still felt small and restrictive and not quite cozy. A steel door along the back wall had little slits at the top for windows, revealing a dull orange glow coming from beyond. It was hot, it was cramped, and it was damn near suffocating.

Yet as uncomfortable as the former thief felt, her friend looked ecstatic. Like she was walking into the world's biggest candy shop.

"Sheesh," panted Emerald as she wiped her brow, feeling sweat already form on her skin. "Whose bright idea was it to build an oven out in the middle of the desert?"

"That heat's coming from the furnace and smithy in the back," explained Ruby. "The worst of it gets funneled down to the sands, or blasted into the alley behind the shop. Trust me, the front is a lot cooler than it could be."

"A smithy?" She raised an eyebrow, her curiosity rising. "There's an actual blacksmith out here? You don't see too many of those in Vacuo, what with the lack of mines and supply chains and whatnot."

The little rose nodded eagerly. "Opal, the shop owner, has a Semblance that lets her sense buried ores and scrap metal and Dust chunks out in the sands, so she's basically her own supplier. Usually she brings them back and melts them down into new blades and barrels, but she obviously can't do that or run the store while she's out scavenging for materials. Luckily, she's got a new apprentice who can do both - and who just so happens to be working a shift this morning. Something tells me you'll like her."

With that, Ruby fearlessly stepped up to the counter and rang the bell eagerly.

"Be out there in a sec!" A somewhat-strained sounding woman called out through a hidden speaker. "Just gotta finish quenching!"

"Take your time!" Ruby said back with a smile. "You always do great work, so it's worth the wait!"

The woman on the other end sounded a lot happier. "Oh, hey Ruby. I'm actually working on your order now - gimme a few to reheat this thing and set it in a cooling rack, then we can talk shop while it's annealing."

"Looking forward to it!" She shot a grin back to Emerald. "And I know I'm not the only one, either."

…wait a minute. Why was Ruby looking at her like that?

And why did Emerald recognize that voice?

No way, she thought with a mental balk. There is no way that Blake's ridiculously hot friend is the apprentice here, the one Red was talking about.

As if the universe was actively choosing to prove her wrong, Ilia Amitola stepped out from behind the back door.

Emerald's jaw hit the floor as she watched the chameleon Faunus move to the counter, pulling a pair of gloves off delicately-strong hands and running fingers through a matted red ponytail. Beads of sweat clung to her ivory forehead and blended in with the adorable freckles all over her face, while her bare arms were on display for the world to see thanks to the tight blacksmith's apron. She smiled at Ruby with blue eyes full of light, then instinctively turned to the other person in the shop. Upon noticing the former thief, Ilia's brown spots shifted suddenly to a lovely shade of pink - not that Emerald could blame her, because she was one hundred percent changing colors herself.

"H-hey, Ilia," she choked out, burning cheeks feeling like they were full of cotton.

"Hey yourself, Em," said Ilia with a soft laugh that made the thief's stolen heart skip a beat. "If I'd known you were coming, I'd have worn my heels."

"That feels like a workplace accident waiting to happen," deadpanned Ruby.

"Says the girl whose partner fights in them," quipped Ilia, grinning at what was most likely her best customer. "Here to check on the new blade for Crescent Rose, I'm guessing?"

"Among other things!" The little rose practically vibrated in place. "How'd the advice I gave you last time work out? Did cutting grooves along the fuller help any?"

Ilia smiled as she leaned against the counter. "It helped a lot. Sage said that Pilgrim had never felt lighter or stronger than it did after I reworked its blade, and Yatsuhashi just put an order in for me to give Fulcrum the same treatment. I never would've thought to do that otherwise - then again, I've never really had to work with big weapons before. Most of the smithing I did on Lightning Lash back in the day was precision work, where shaving away extra metal like that really compromises the integrity."

"Yeah, it's a pretty delicate balance at that scale," said Ruby with a nod. "The big parts of Crescent Rose are a lot more hollow than they look, but the connections between all those combined pieces are still enough to basically keep it solid. Not to say that it's easy to handle, especially out here…I had to switch to a heavier blade core when we got to Solitas, 'cause almost all the Grimm there had a lot more armor and muscle to cut through, but here in Vacuo they're frail enough that I can get away with a lighter cutting edge. Should help some more with the weight, y'know?"

"Just make sure to keep the new blade sharp once it's done," warned the apprentice blacksmith. "The Grimm out here rely on numbers, not toughness, so that's a lot more wear and tear than you'd expect."

"I know, I know." Silver eyes brightened. "Oh! How's the other order I placed going? The one with the, uh…" She dropped her voice to a whisper. "The you-know-what?"

Ilia tilted her head in curiosity, then snapped a nod in understanding. "Oh…that one's just about ready. It needs a few more hours to completely set, then I'll have it delivered to Shade for you later. You'll have to let me know how well it works - it's my first time trying that kind of thing…"

Ruby beamed and smiled reassuringly. "If it's anything like those tassels you made for Eisen Blume, I'm sure it'll be great -"

"Eisen Blume?"

"Winter's saber set. The one with a parrying dagger inside that pops out?"

"Oh…so that's what they're called…"

As the pair continued talking at length about weapons and blades and material weight, Emerald let her mind and eyes wander before both eventually settled on Ilia. Much like herself, the chameleon Faunus had crossed paths with Team RWBY as an adversary at first, although she'd spent much more time as Blake's friend than she had her enemy. But after some soul-searching and a lot of compassion on the part of the Belladonna family, she was well on the path to redemption - farther along than Emerald thought she was, at the very least.

Was it a kindred spirit that drew her to Ilia and made her heart race? Was it a hope that the freckled woman could help her heal, after Emerald had spent a lifetime thinking she knew what love was? Or was it really as simple as the shape of her waist, the mosaic of freckles across her skin, the presumed softness of her lips that curved into the most beautiful smile the former thief had ever seen?...

Oh gods. Oh gods. When did the store get so hot? Why did it feel like she was going to faint just from looking at Ilia? And why did her chest ache?

Ruby turned back to Emerald with a smile, then a look of concern at the flustered expression. "…hmm, Em? You okay there?"

"You're looking like a heat stroke victim," noted Ilia with a slow blink. "Hang on, lemme go grab my canteen -"

The thought of drinking from the same bottle as her crush nearly flash-fried her brain. "N-no!" She shook her head violently. "I-it's fine. I'm fine. I'm not very thirsty."

Not for water, at least.

Ilia laughed, then looked down at Emerald's hips with an intrigued grin. "If you say so. Hmm…this is my first time seeing them up close. Never realized just how good they looked before…not bad. You make 'em yourself?"

For one terrifying moment she thought Ilia was teasing her about her figure, then she realized she was talking about the jungle-green revolvers hanging from their holsters. She pulled one out and spun it in her sweaty palm, praying it wouldn't slip out of her grip.

"Y-yeah," she said hastily. "I designed and built Thief's Respite here when I was sixteen. Carried 'em with me ever since, basically unchanged - except for swapping out the wooden handles for some proper metal grips once I had proper materials." Emerald gestured along the length as she did so. "There's a spring-loaded sickle blade under each barrel, and a powered winch with chains near the firing pins. Not only can it slash and slice at just about any range, I can also use it to rappel and swing from perches. Definitely helped when I was on that island - especially in the jungles."

"I can imagine," said Ilia with a smile and a nod. "I do the same thing with Lightning Lash in a pinch, though I try not to rely on it too much. Don't wanna wear down the cutting edges - segmented blades are cool and all, but they are a nightmare to polish and sharpen." She hummed thoughtfully as she cast a critical eye on Thief's Respite. "Still, that's a pretty sweet pair of weapons you've got there. If you're ever thinking about putting some new upgrades in, or just giving them some maintenance, feel free to stop by. I wouldn't mind taking an even closer look at them."

…okay, now Ilia was definitely flirting with her. On purpose. And while Emerald was too flustered to flirt back.

So she settled for babbling and blushing like a nervous school girl around her first crush, which allowed Ruby to swoop in and save her from turning into a puddle.

"Anyway, we should probably get going," said the little rose as she checked her Scroll. "I'm meeting Jaune later over at Shade for sodas, and I'm sure Emerald has some other errands she needs to run on her day off. Thanks for having us, Ilia! You'll let me know when the new blade's ready, right?"

"Of course." Ilia gave one more sweet smile to both departing women, which just set Emerald's heart aflutter all over again. "Come back anytime! Once it's finished annealing I'll grind and polish it for you - and I'll even throw in a can of sand-proofing sealant, free of charge."

"You're the best, Illy! See you around!"

With that the red and green duo finally took their leave, the latter even managing a timid little wave on the way out. As soon as they were outside the shop and back in the bazaar's main streets, Ruby looked up at Emerald with an expectant grin.

"Well? Whaddya think?"

"Hmm…" Emerald hummed as she fought her blush. "Definitely a good shop, with a good person running it when the owner is away. Good workmanship, too. Who knows? Maybe I will come here more often…"

"I knew you'd like it!" Ruby grinned as she elbowed her green-haired partner. "Call it a hunch."

It was hardly an incorrect one.

"Wait…" The gears finally began to spin in Emerald's mind. "Ruby. Did you bring me to this specific weapon shop on purpose? Just to make me talk to Ilia?"

The little rose said nothing, but was already walking away with a soft hum.

"Acting coy just makes you look more suspicious!"

"Mleh!" Ruby looked over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at Emerald in a childish display. She was about to shout back when a pair of very tall ram Faunus walked between the two; by the time they passed by, the silver-eyed Huntress had disappeared into the crowd.

…damn. Maybe the kid had some street smarts rattling around in her head, after all.

"YANG! SLOW DOWN! YOU'RE GOING TOO FAST!"

"Relax, Ice Queen, we're not going that fast! I'm barely even pumping the gas!"

"HUMANS WERE NOT MEANT TO GO THIS FAST I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS!"

"Aw, c'mon! This is nothing compared to the Mask of Speed the Toa used! I barely feel anything! Oh, here comes another dune - let's jump it!"

"YAAAAAAAAANG!"

Weiss's scream of terror was almost drowned out by Yang's whoop of delight and the roar of a mighty engine. The world outside the truck cabin suddenly got a lot more tilted as the vehicle raced forward on six massive sturdy wheels, easily scaling the sandy slope with enough speed to launch itself over its peak. These desert-ready trucks - or "dune runners" as the locals called them - were often used by Huntsmen teams responding to emergencies in the Wastelands of Vacuo, and were spacious enough to carry six combat-ready warriors along with enough water, dried food, and ammo for three days. They also boasted reinforced armor plating, ruggedized shock absorbers, and a sand plow with spikes on the front bumper, all of which were effective in navigating through Grimm and difficult terrain alike.

Of course, right now Yang wasn't interested in the combat viability of the dune runner.

She was way more interested in seeing how fast it could go, and how high it could fly. And much to Weiss's horror, the answers ended up being "very fast" and "quite high."

The heiress grunted as the dune runner landed with a heavy slam, shaking around the passenger seat and her alongside it. "Yang Xiao Long," she hissed while clutching her crash webbing. "Are you even capable of driving safely?"

"Where's the fun in that?" Her grin only intensified. "Besides, I never heard you girls complaining about my driving with Bumblebee."

"That's because you refused to let anyone else touch that bike." Weiss huffed. "Now that we're all taking lessons in how to operate a dune runner, it's safe to say we have options for who's in the driver seat - and judging by the last ten minutes, I most certainly won't be counting you among them."

"Ack! Oh, Weiss, you wound me!" Yang wailed melodramatically, then laughed softly. "Well, if you're daydreaming about taking romantic road trips with my little sister, I'm telling you now that you shouldn't get your hopes up. Unless you plan to be the one driving - you do not wanna see Ruby get behind the wheel."

"Why not? She can't be any worse than you!"

"Every dented fire hydrant and toppled stop sign in Patch might disagree with you there, princess. Poor Zippy…the old family car never stood a chance."

"Must you name every vehicle you come into contact with?"

"Oh come on, it adds personality and charm!" Yang grinned. "You can't tell me that the old Schnee family limo didn't have a name."

"Of course it didn't, that would be childish and ridiculous." Weiss folded her arms across her chest, then sighed. "…his name was Winchester Schnee the First."

"Aww, that's adorable!"

"Don't patronize me."

The blonde daredevil smirked as another sandy hill came into view. "If you say so…hey, check it out! An even bigger ramp! What should we do? Should we jump it?"

"Absolutely not!"

"What? Yes we should?" Her grin widened as she floored the gas pedal. "Well, alright then!"

"That is not what I said, Yang!"

"Sorry, little hard to hear you over the roaring engine! You'll have to speak up!"

"Are you seriously just hearing what you want me to say?!"

"Why yes, my hair does smell nice this morning, thanks for noticing!"

Weiss's boot was nearly kicking a hole in the passenger side floorboard with how hard she was slamming the imaginary brake. "SLOW! DOWN!"

"Speed up? If you insist!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!"

The dune runner shot into the sky amidst a chorus of wails and screams and declarations of murder.

And it was the most beautiful symphony Yang had ever heard.

To Blake's surprise and delight, Shade Academy boasted a rather impressive library.

She'd expected to find a dusty old closet stuffed with rolls of parchment and sand-crusted tomes, or a pile of books in a corner somewhere with an ominous warning scribbled into the walls. What she found instead was a decently-sized little hideaway, one that was taller than it was wide, with every square inch of the walls lined with shelves containing pristine, neatly-organized collections of texts. It wasn't all just encyclopedias or reference material, either - there were sections dedicated to novels, manga volumes, and even comics compilations, all of which were categorized by genre and title and whether they were fiction or nonfiction. Granted, most of the stuff she'd found was several years old, released in Vale and the other Kingdoms well before they ever made their way to Vacuo…but it was still a delight to peruse the shelves and take a trip through history, to revisit books that Blake thought were long out of print.

And if that wasn't exciting enough, the library had plenty of creature comforts for avid readers. Couches, tables, chairs, and even swinging hammocks gave visiting students a place to hang out with friends, read things for their classes, or to just lose themselves in dusty pages. The librarian was a stern little bat Faunus who always had one of their ears to the ground, ready to pounce on noisy visitors and shush - or boot - those who'd disrupt their sacred sanctuary. There was even a skylight at the very top of the multi-story library, one that shone the sun's light in the day and gave a breathtaking view of the stars at night.

Needless to say, it was her new favorite place here in Vacuo.

Just behind her parent's new home, Team RWBY's dorm room, or Yang's bed.

Today Blake was sitting at one of the small tables in the corner, amber eyes devouring the tale of a human who stumbled into a world of magic and fell in with an outcast witch and a small demon with a big ego. It was a charming story, with a leading lady that reminded her greatly of Ruby, as well as a frosty rival-turned-friend-turned love-interest that neatly matched Weiss's own personal journey. She was just about to learn who had truly cursed the main character's mentor, who sometimes turned into a ferocious avian beast, when her feline ears perked up at an unexpected sound.

Footsteps.

Light, deliberate footsteps coming from behind her, that were trying far too hard to be quiet. Too soft to be Yang's or Nora's. Too cautious to be Ruby's, and not confident enough to be Weiss's or Emerald's. And unless Sun or any of her other male friends had started wearing high-heeled boots, that really left only one option for who was trying to sneak up behind her.

"Hello, Neo," whispered Blake without even turning her head. "Don't even think about trying to startle me - unless you want to get thrown out."

She was rewarded with the sound of a heavy, disappointed sigh, followed by the sight of a pink-and-brown haired woman stepping around the table and slumping into a seat. The former assassin quietly closed the book she'd been planning to snap shut just behind her unlikely ally; Blake just grinned and slotted a violet slip of paper into her own novel, then set it down and watched Neo start signing and speaking with her hands.

How did you know I was there? Do Faunus have eyes in the back of their heads?

"Some do, but not me. I have these instead." She idly flicked her cat ears to demonstrate. "I can hear pretty much everything, no matter how quiet it might be. Like the whispering four shelves up. Or the humming of Shade's central air conditioner. Or the gold-bellied scorpion crawling onto your chair right now."

Neo practically leapt out of her seat, book held high over her head as she examined her former spot with panicked eyes.

"Just kidding about that last one," Blake said with a wry smile, fighting the urge to burst out laughing at the look Neopolitan shot her way.

And here I thought your girlfriend was the only one who made bad jokes, signed the woman with a silent pout as she sat back down.

"It's one of our mutual interests." Her grin lingered for a moment, before she tilted her head in curiosity. "Was there something you wanted? Or were you just dropping in to say hello?"

Well, I wanted to prank you… A silent sigh escaped Neo's lips. But, actually, I do have a question.

"Go right ahead."

When did you cut your hair? And why?

Blake's hands reached up to her black bob cut, feeling the edges and phantom weight of much longer hair. "Ah…I trimmed most of it back in Atlas, not long after we brought the lamp there. I…"

A heavy sigh escaped her lips, and she leaned forward with a frown. "…how much do you know about Adam Taurus?"

I know that you had to fight him. Yang said he gave you and her no choice. No choice but to… Neo wisely avoided signing out that last word, opting instead to just make a slashing motion.

"Yeah…that's pretty much it." She sighed again, shaking her head as her ears drooped. "It doesn't hurt to talk about…usually. I just…wanted a fresh start in Atlas, after we had to do that. After everything else I did with him. I carried the pain, the anger, the sorrow with me for so long, like I was chained to him even after I left…even after he was gone. Cutting my hair felt like freeing myself, symbolically, from who I used to be…felt like becoming a new person, starting a new chapter of my life. Especially after the last one had such an…ugly ending…"

Neo reached forward and laid a hand over one of Blake's, giving a gentle squeeze that was warmly reciprocated. A silent conversation passed through just their eyes, gazes alone speaking volumes where words failed them both. Blake knew that Neopolitan's story wasn't quite the same as her own - she'd lost Roman to circumstance, while Blake had been forced to put Adam down by her own hand - yet the pain of loss, the complex emotions of mourning a man drenched in darkness, was shared by them both.

After a long moment, the other woman finally withdrew her hand and started signing once again, albeit far less confidently than before.

So…you cut your hair as a way to move on, and leave who you were behind. Is that right?

Blake nodded slowly, watching as Neopolitan took a breath and continued signing with apprehension in her gaze.

Could you…help me cut mine?

It all became clear at that moment. The feline Faunus smiled as her hands spoke on her behalf.

I'd love to.

"…come on, Em. You cannot sit there and tell me that Tartan the Ape-Man would beat Indigo June in a fair fight."

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose and rested her elbows against the restaurant table, trying and failing to drown out the ludicrous argument happening on either side of her. She already had a headache from all the stunts Yang pulled during their little joyride in the dune runner, so when the blonde had offered to treat her to lunch as an apology she was hoping that things would be far calmer and quieter. But then Emerald had found them and invited herself along, dashing that hope against the rocks. After seemingly having a race to see who could eat their mole crab legs the fastest, they'd gotten to talking about their favorite movies, and it was all the heiress could do but sullenly pick at her sand gull omelet while nursing a budding migraine.

Still, at least the remaining two-thirds of their lunch group was having fun.

Even if it was incredibly irritating to hear them cite specific feats as absolute facts.

"I'm just saying it depends on the terrain and the environment," elaborated Emerald after she sipped her soda. "If it was a desert or a grassy field, of course Indy would win. She's a natural sharpshooter and a crack shot with her whip, and not even Tartan can dodge bullets. But if it was a jungle? If he could swing from trees and attack from any angle? He'd take her down, easily."

"Yeah, but Indy's got a Semblance that literally makes her lucky," countered Yang. "I think that would trump being raised by gorillas."

"All the luck in the world can't save her from a spear in the throat. Or a hidden tiger trap. Or a venomous asp biting her heel."

Yang blinked slowly. "…ah. Yeah, the jungle's got snakes, doesn't it?" She sighed, then smirked and put on an obviously fake drawl. "Snakes…why did it hafta be snakes?"

"Tartan friend with all animals," grunted Emerald with a suppressed snort. "Even scaly bitey ones."

That made Yang laugh, a sound her green-haired debate challenger echoed. Weiss could only hope that this meant an end to the incessant discussion about fictional movie characters -

"That being said, Indy's girlfriend would absolutely see the snake first and warn her about it. Maria's not afraid of snakes."

…gods dammit.

Emerald's eyes brightened as her smirk doubled in size. "Oh, are we bringing backup into this hypothetical duel to the death? Because Tartan's husband was a Great War veteran with both sniper and medic training. Jaune would take Maria's head off her shoulders before she could even start to scream."

"Yeah but if Pharah from the first movie was there she could -"

"You're forgetting about Biboo, the loyal and well-trained tamarin -"

"Um. Excuse me. Miss, uh…Miss Huntresses?"

Three sets of eyes turned to the shy-looking teenager approaching their table, whose hands were folded in front of her and whose dog-like ears were drooped so low they nearly blended into her caramel-brown hair. Yang looked at her, looked at her ears, and swore under her breath.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said gently with sincerity in her gaze. "Are we being too loud? We didn't mean to be disruptive - "

"N-no!" The teen shook her head. "My family and I aren't uncomfortable…at least…not because of that…"

A pit formed in Weiss's stomach.

Yang seemed to pick up on the vibe - and the glares that a table with two canine men were sending their way - because her next few words were a little more guarded and a little less friendly. "Ah. Then…what is the issue?"

The dog-eared girl cast her own stare at the heiress. "Well, it's just…my dads…don't really like the company you're keeping. Mostly, ah…her."

Yep, there it was. The tarnished reputation of Weiss's family name striking like a bolt from the blue, catching her friends in the crossfire. Only this time it didn't come from a place of actual hatred or rage - it came from a girl who was barely old enough to be considered a teenager, who knew nothing about the world except what people she trusted told her it was like. Somehow, though, that made it hurt even worse, and made Weiss want nothing more than to melt into a puddle so she wouldn't have to endure such judgment and scorn.

Perhaps this was her just reward for spending so much of her life ignorantly hating the Faunus: to have the mirror of bigotry turned back on her.

Her teammate, unwilling to let her friend suffer in silence, leveled a hard stare at the kid. "And what is wrong with her, exactly?"

Weiss sucked in a breath and clasped the brawler's hand desperately. "Yang…please don't do this here…" she moaned quietly.

But her friend just gave her palm a reassuring squeeze and turned to shoot her a faint smile, revealing eyes full of lavender instead of the dreaded crimson. She knew that Yang had the self-control to not start a public fight on her behalf, especially not with a child, but she could still feel the eyes of the entire restaurant staring at their table. The ambient atmosphere shattered into a heavy silence as everyone - Weiss included - waited with bated breath.

Even Emerald seemed interested in what was going to happen next…though she did keep eyeing up the heiress's half-eaten omelet, as if she was wondering how long it'd take to eat on the run if it came to that.

"It's just, well…" The girl shuffled her feet nervously. "Y-you know what Schnees are like -"

"I know what you think Schnees are like," said the blonde pointedly. "Or rather, I know what your dads think Schnees are like. Rude, bigoted, greedy, and conniving sociopaths who hurt and hate folks like you. Who let people they don't like die in mining accidents all to save a few Lien. That's what they told you, right? That's what they made you come over here and say, instead of being man enough to say themselves right to her face?"

Somehow the girl's ears managed to droop even further down. "Y-yeah…"

Yang squeezed Weiss's palm with a proud smile. "Well, then lemme tell you what I know about the Schnees. Stuff that you can tell your dads and anyone else who thinks they know what my friend and her family are like. All the nasty stuff they did? All the exploitation and corruption and unsafe labor laws? That was the last generation. The new generation of Schnees has all the drive and ambition of the old one, with none of the upper-class pride and prejudice. They saw the mistakes their old man made, and swore not just to never repeat them - but to fix them. And two-thirds of that generation are officially-licensed Huntresses at the top of their game, dedicating their lives to saving Grimm and killing…wait, no. Scratch that, reverse that."

The Faunus teen giggled slightly. "I recognize that quote. My dads like that movie."

"It's a classic." Yang's grin brightened. "Like I was saying, the Schnees are doing everything they can to make sure everyone lives the best life they possibly can, especially after Salem's attack. Weiss here, for example, fought like hell to make sure everyone got out of Atlas and Mantle safely - whether they were rich or poor, Faunus or human, good or bad. She went behind the back of her own Kingdom's worst actors, used its greatest weapon as a tool to make paths halfway across the world, and fought a crazy Maiden with no Aura, no Semblance, and no backup - and lived to tell the tale." She flashed a wink. "She even arrested her dad, for good measure."

The teen's dog ears suddenly shot straight up, her eyes sparkling with amazement as she turned to Weiss. "R-really? Is that true? You…you put Jacques Schnee under arrest? Your own father?"

A pang of guilt shot through Weiss. As much as she wanted to say that in all likelihood she had indirectly killed her father by locking him away just before Salem's siege, she didn't have the heart to shatter the spell Yang was casting on her captive audience. So she opted to simply smile and nod, concealing her true feelings about her lost parent with practiced ease.

"Wow…" breathed the Faunus girl with a growing grin. "Wow! That's so cool. You're so cool!"

Weiss's heart melted.

"That's why we call her 'Ice Queen,'" said Yang with a soft laugh, putting an arm around her shoulder and grinning. "Cause she's the coolest Huntress we know."

…y'know what? Not even a Yang pun could have ruined her mood at this point. Especially not after seeing the teen run back to her table and excitedly retell the news to two other canine Faunus. The burly-looking men both listened cautiously for a moment, eyes widening after she'd finished her awed whispering…before they turned towards Weiss and shot her nods of approval. A quick look around the rest of the diner revealed they weren't alone - some were looking at her with smiles, others were raising their glasses to her, and still others averted their gazes with faint blushes.

"If I ever do take over for the SDC," muttered Weiss, "I'm definitely hiring you as my PR manager, Yang."

The blonde brawler grinned as she patted Weiss's shoulder twice before withdrawing. "Ah, no need for that - unless you want all your slogans to have puns and jokes." Then her smile softened. "Seriously, though…I'll bet a lot of the folks who hate you and your family right now are just hearing stuff through the grapevine, or they're working through their own grief. Not everyone's like that Henry jackass - sure, some of 'em are, but the rest might just be misinformed. And in my experience? The best way to fight a rumor is to spread the truth around…and frame it in such a way that it's more interesting than the lie."

"Interesting tactic, Blondie." Emerald hummed thoughtfully. "And here I used to think you were just an airhead whose fists did most of the talking and thinking."

"Well to be fair, you were just trying to spy on us back in those days, instead of getting to know us like you're doing now." Yang winked. "But yeah. If I'd gone around punching every single person who ever said a bad thing about me or Ruby while we were growing up…well, let's just say I'd have been a lot busier. And a lot more of a troublemaker. Way easier to fight those kinds of battles with words."

The rest of the lunch went smoothly enough after that little incident. Emerald and Yang continued their debate as if it had never been interrupted, while Weiss polished off the omelet and asked to see the desert menu. To her surprise, all three women got treated to a free slice of cheesecake of their choice, courtesy of the canine Faunus family - who asked the waitress to pass a message along expressing thanks and apologies alike. After splitting her blueberry piece with Yang (who insisted on taking her own strawberry slice back for Ruby) and leaving a generous tip for the servers, the Huntresses departed with full stomachs and warm hearts.

Emerald licked the lime-flavored icing off her fingertips. "Well, that was fun. Thanks for letting me tag along, ladies. Should probably head out now - gotta go see a bird about tracking down a scorpion, if you know what I mean."

Yang nodded and pulled Emerald in for a shoulder bump. "I think I can guess. Say hi to my uncle for me?"

"If I feel like it. See you back at Shade, princess."

Weiss smiled and curtsied. "Looking forward to it."

With that Emerald turned and walked away, leaving only Yang and Weiss behind to walk back to the academy. Before the blonde could take a single step, however, Weiss practically threw herself into the strong supportive arms of her friend. Yang might've been loud, brash, corny, a terrible driver, and a very noisy sleeper…but she was also warm and kind and brave, and the former heiress counted herself lucky to have a friend willing to fight for her like that.

"Thank you, Yang…" she mumbled into a bare, muscular shoulder that held her tightly. "For today, and…well. For everything."

A steel hand that somehow felt so warm cradled the back of her head. "Anytime, Weiss. Anytime."

"…so then as soon as we get Kopaka's Miru, Weiss almost immediately wants to try channeling it for herself. I ask if she wants any advice on levitating, but she just shakes her head and goes 'I've seen you do this a thousand times, Ruby - I'm sure I'll get it in one.'"

Jaune laughed softly as Ruby took a sip of her orange soda, swirling around his own grape-flavored drink in its can while he waited. "That sounds like something Weiss would say," he said with a smirk, leaning against the railing of Shade Academy's rooftop. "I'm guessing she ate her words instantly?"

"Pretty much!" The little rose waved her hands animatedly as she told the rest of the story. "See, when we activate the Mask of Levitation on our Scrolls, it shoots us up about…ten feet into the air all at once. That way we don't have to waste time or energy to actually get ourselves off the ground, and so that we can instantly start…y'know. Levitating." Ruby giggled again. "But Weiss didn't know that at first - she hits the button, goes up like a balloon, and then…CLUNK! She slams head-first into a big tree branch!"

The mental image brought another laugh out of the blonde knight. "Ouch, I've been there before. Did it hurt?"

"Nah, her Aura and her pride tanked most of the hit," explained Ruby with a grin. "Especially when her momentum sends her spinning and tumbling up with no way to get down. Kopaka just looks up at her, while she's floating there upside-down with her arms and legs flailing while her hair and her skirt are going everywhere…and he just smiles and says 'Should I be taking notes on your instant mastery of this new mask?' Coming from him, it was so unexpected that we all start laughing until our sides hurt - even Weiss."

The little rose blushed faintly as she tapped her fingers against her half-empty can. "…after we got her down, and after Gali and Kopaka turned in for the night…she said she was ready to learn how to use the mask power from me. I got to give her some one-on-one lessons, and by the end of it she was even better than I was at channeling the Miru. We ended things by dancing among the stars together…it was nice. Like…like something out of a fairy tale…"

"Sounds pretty romantic," said Jaune, though he couldn't hide his shoulders slumping despite his best efforts.

"Yeah…it was…" sighed Ruby wistfully, before she blinked several times and shook her head. "Oh! I'm sorry…I didn't mean - I hope I'm not making things too awkward? Me talking about Weiss that way, I mean…I know you had a pretty big crush on her back at Beacon, and well…I'm dating her now…"

Another soft laugh rang out from Jaune as he took a sip of grape soda. "Nah, it's fine," he assured her. "It's water under the bridge, at this point. Whatever feelings I might've had for her back then…they feel like a schoolboy crush these days. Especially after…"

Especially after I couldn't be there for my partner, the way you've been there for yours.

He bit his lower lip to keep from voicing his insecurities once more. Ruby came up to the roof of Shade Academy with him to relax and drink sodas, not to heal his emotional trauma. Plus he knew his friend still had nightmares about not being able to save Pyrrha - what right did he have to make things worse, by bringing up the love that he'd been too blind to see all along?

But even if he didn't say anything, Ruby picked up on his sudden sorrow all the same. She leaned over and nuzzled against his bare shoulder, wrapping her sleeveless arms around his own and squeezing softly. For a moment, the two team leaders said nothing - merely letting the memory of their fallen friend linger between them for a solemn, peaceful moment.

Silver eyes flitted up to the blue-gold sky. "You think she's up there, somewhere? Watching us from beyond Remnant?"

"I like to believe she is, yeah," said Jaune with a small nod and a smile. "Feels like she's in every wind at my back, every sunbeam shining down on me. Every time I think to myself that I'm not good enough, that I'm a failure…it's her voice that rises up to tell me the opposite. Her voice, her memories, her lessons…they push me forward, even on days where I feel like I'm stumbling back. On days where I want to stand still, and let the world leave me behind."

He took a deep breath as he wiped one misting eye, looking up to the sky himself.

"She's the reason I keep going and fighting. Her and everyone else. And if she is up there, watching all of us as we finish the fight she started…I hope we're making her proud. I hope that…that I'm making her proud."

Ruby ran her fingers down his arm with a smile. "I'd say you are, Jaune. You're certainly making me proud. You've grown so much, and come so far…I couldn't have dreamed up a better friend if I tried."

He felt his face heat up. "D'oh, stooooop…"

"Nnnope!" The little rose popped her P's and puffed her cheeks out into an adorable pout. "Nnnope! I'm complimenting you, whether you like it or not!"

"Well I refuse to take it!" he said melodramatically. "You can't make me!"

Ruby started shoving her nearly-empty can of soda into his cheek, giggling uncontrollably as he pushed it back. "This is a representation of my love and approval for you, Jaune Arc! Take it!"

"Never!"

"Take iiiiiiit!"

"I refuuuuse!"

"Take the metaphysical compliment Jaune Arc or so help me I'll - whoop!"

The can slipped out of their fingers mid-tussle, falling towards the distant street below. Before it could go too far Ruby had taken off to follow it in a burst of rose petals, scooping it up and landing right next to Jaune as if nothing had happened. He leveled a flat glance at her as she offered it back to him.

"…seriously?"

"Yes seriously," she said glibly. "It's good soda, plus I've gotta keep a clean nose as an officially-licensed Huntress. Littering's a crime, y'know."

He looked down at the fluttering red petals in the air, which twirled and danced on their way down to the streets far far below. "And…scattering roses like that doesn't count as littering?"

"Eh, they usually fade away after a few hours," Ruby said with a shrug before draining the can. "Kinda annoying that they don't last forever, sometimes. Hmm…wonder if they'd stick around longer if you boosted my Semblance with yours?"

"We'll have to try that at some point," he said with another soft laugh. "Before you and Weiss eventually have your wedding - I assume that's why you're asking? You wanna cover the entire venue in rose petals for the ceremony?"

Now it was his friend's turn to blush, turning as red as both her namesakes. "I mean…" she mumbled as she tapped the sides of her can. "It isn't not why I'm asking…i-if that's what she wants, I mean."

"I don't see why she wouldn't someday, after all this insanity," said Jaune with an encouraging nudge. "Heck, maybe that's why all my flirting attempts failed on Weiss back in the day - I was trying to fill a Ruby-shaped hole in her heart, when you were the perfect fit all along. I can tell just from watching you two that you've got something special…that you mean the world to each other."

He flashed a wry grin. "Just avoid the explosive sneezes and I think you'll be fine."

Ruby matched his gaze with one of her own. "Oh? Are we ribbing each other now? Is that what's happening? Because I've got plenty of ammo for you, Mister Arc. In fact, I've got a silver bullet that'll cause you instant mental damage. Ready?"

"I've been inside a giant Grimm whale, Rubes. Try me. Do your worst."

"My plan exactly," she said with a dangerous smile. "Two words: guitar serenade."

"Hrnk! Gah! Whyyyyyyyy?"

Jaune groaned and flopped onto the railing melodramatically, clutching his heart as waves of cringe threatened to stop its beating. Damn. The leader of Team RWBY really was as ruthless as folks said, and not just towards the Grimm.

Eventually, after writhing in imagined agony for a moment, he stood up normally - though he still hung his head with a huff. "Gods…you're evil, Ruby."

"Mwahahahahaha…" The little rose let out a manic cackle, which devolved into a childish giggle a moment later.

"Wish everyone would just forget about that stupid guitar." He sighed and smiled and shook his head in disbelief. "Wish I could forget about that. Good grief…I was such a dork."

"We all were." Ruby patted his shoulder in comfort. "Especially you and me…but hey, at least we were dorks together, right? And we still are. That much hasn't changed, at least. Even after everything, Crater Face and Vomit Boy are still taking on the world as one odd pair."

"…that sounds like a team-up between the world's lamest superheroes," said Jaune with a small laugh.

Ruby giggled, then dropped her voice to a dramatic growl. "Coming this summer, to a cinema near you…two socially-awkward teens will navigate the perils of academy life, and enter the dangerous world of subtle body language and unspoken social cues. Watch them fumble their way through every conversation, misinterpret every act of kindness as confused flirting, and cling to the punch bowl at parties like lifelines in a storm. Will they survive four years of emotional turmoil? Or will they disavow society and seal themselves in their rooms to play video games for the rest of their lives? Find out in…Crater Face and Vomit Boy: School Dance Disaster! Thisfilmisnotyetrated."

Jaune, who'd chosen the wrong moment to take a drink, nearly snorted grape soda out his nose. "I take it back," he coughed and sputtered. "That sounds like an awesome movie."

"It really does! I'd watch it during its midnight premiere!"

"And I'd be right there with you, pointing out all the inconsistencies and changes they made to the source material."

"Yep!"

The two team leaders laughed together into the mid-afternoon sky for a long moment, before Ruby settled down and leaned against Jaune once more. He smiled as he put one bare arm around her shoulders, bringing her in for a side hug that she accepted and returned warmly. Jaune knew that the little rose had captured the hearts of so many people, including himself, and in moments like these it wasn't hard to see why.

In the afterglow of their laughter, Ruby hummed with a smile. "Hey, Jaune?"

"Yeah, Ruby?"

"Thanks for finding me in the Beacon Courtyard that day, and for staying by my side since then. Even after…well, everything."

Jaune gave a smile of his own as he rested his head on top of reddish-brown curls.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be than right here," he assured her with a soft laugh. "Thanks for letting me be part of this…for believing in me as a team leader…and for being my friend."

Ruby smiled, tightening her grip around his waist with a gentle squeeze. "There's nothing else I'd rather be."

"Alright…all done. Thoughts?"

Neopolitan's eyes widened as her chair was spun around, letting her finally face the mirror in Team RWBY's dorm room. A silent gasp slipped out as she covered her mouth, mismatched eyes pooling with emotion as they examined her reflection. Rather than a wild, untamed mess of matted locks and faded color, her face was now framed by a well-combed, tidy little bob of fresh pink and chocolate brown. Longer in the front and trimmed halfway down her neck in the back, her bangs were freshly dyed and shortened just enough to no longer fall into view. Her collar and scalp felt loose and free after being buried in long hair. She'd noticed that her cheeks had been getting fuller and rosier over the last few weeks, a far cry from how gaunt she'd looked and felt while lost in vengeance, but the subtle changes really became apparent with the new haircut.

It felt like looking at a brand-new woman.

It felt like being a brand-new woman.

She sobbed soundlessly for a moment, then stood up and pulled her voluntary barber into a warm, happy hug.

Blake chuckled as she returned the embrace, nuzzling her chin against the shorter woman's temple. "I take it that you approve?"

Neo nodded eagerly, smiling her sweetest smile.

"Glad to hear it." The feline Faunus gently reached up and fluffed the tips of her new hair. "The dyes here in Vacuo are more sun-resistant by necessity, so it shouldn't fade for a while. Not to mention how much time you save on showers."

A silent giggle rang out as she stepped back. Emerald will be happy about that, she signed with a smirk. She's always grousing about how much water I'm hogging…even though Maria takes twice as long as I do.

"Wait…" Blake tilted her head. "You're sharing a dorm room here with Emerald…and Maria?"

Yes.

"…that must be incredibly awkward."

You have no idea. But at least she's fun, and plays a mean hand of cards. I think we're getting along better…now that she knows that Ruby is safe from me.

Blake smiled, then perked up as her ear twitched. "Speaking of Ruby…better brace yourself. I can hear her running down the hall, and she's very excited."

Neo did just that instants before the door to Team RWBY's dorm room burst open in a flurry of rose petals.

"IT'S HEEEEEERE!" proclaimed the silver-eyed Huntress, waving a box wrapped in brown canvas around with a triumphant little dance. "It's here! It'shereit'shereit'shereit'sheeeeere…"

"Hey Ruby," said Blake with a soft laugh. "What've you got there?"

"You'll have to wait and seeee!~" she said in a sing-song voice. "No peeking! And no guessing! I want it to be a surprise for everyone - for you, Yang, Weiss, Emerald, and…"

Her eyes finally fell on the tiny little woman, then widened in delight.

"Oh, perfect, you're already here Neo! That means we just gotta wait for the others. Love the new look, by the way - welcome to the Short Hair Club!"

Biting back a faint blush, Neo smirked as she signed. I didn't know that was a thing.

"It is now!" Ruby practically flopped into one of the bunk beds, giggling like a little girl getting everything she wanted on her birthday. "Oh man…you guys are gonna love this!"

Less than an hour later, the rest of Team RWBY returned to their dorm room with eager yet confused looks in their eyes. Weiss opened her arms and accepted her hyper ballistic girlfriend coming in for kisses like an enthusiastic puppy, while Yang softly and gently stepped into an embrace and a forehead nuzzle with her feline partner. Then the pairs traded off for more platonic (but no less warm) greetings, with Blake giving the heiress a gentle hug as Ruby jumped into the arms of her big sister. As the girls all talked about their day while Neopolitan listened intently, Emerald finally arrived just before the sun started going down beyond their window, pulling herself up to the balcony by her chained sickles and clambering over the railing.

"You can't just come in the normal way?" said Blake with a soft chuckle.

I think she's allergic to doors, signed Neo, grinning glibly.

"Hey, you can never be too careful," responded the former thief as she stowed Thief's Respite. "There could always be a trip wire tied to the doorknob, primed to set off a bomb - not that I think you'd do that, but better safe than sorry."

"Looks like you're taking Uncle Qrow's lessons to heart, alright," laughed Yang. "How'd the scorpion hunt go today?"

"Not great, but we'll find him eventually," answered Emerald. "He's probably just burrowed right now, waiting for a storm."

Neopolitan frowned at the coded message's meaning. Odd. Being in the same room as Tyrian for five minutes had taught her that the madman would never be content to just sit and wait. And Emerald had said that Mercury was currently working with him, so that was double the impatience with half the fuse. What were they planning? Were they planning anything?...

She pushed the thought out of her mind, as Ruby proudly unwrapped her box.

"I suppose you're wondering why I called you all here today -"

"We live here," deadpanned Blake.

"- and that's because I've got a super-cool, extra-special present for all of you! For all of us! Bum bum ba bum! Ta-daaaaaa!"

Ruby threw open the box's lid and held it out for girls to see the insides, which contained over a dozen spools of colorful thread arranged neatly and meticulously within their inserts. Red, yellow, blue, green, pale white and dark brown…it was odd that the silver-eyed Huntress would be so excited about something so mundane, until Neopolitan looked closer. This was no ordinary sewing kit, she soon realized, and these spools held no common fibers. Something seemed to sparkle and crackle within them, shimmering faintly even in the ambient light of a fading sun.

While the former assassin recognized what made it special instantly, the rest of the group was a little slower to understand. (Except Weiss, who gasped in amazement.)

"Your present to us is…thread?" Emerald asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not just thread!" Ruby beamed as she hopped off the bed, walking among the group and letting them take a closer look as she explained. "These are specially treated and woven with Dust deposits along the fibers, so that you can sew it into clothes and stuff. Remember how we learned that old Hunters used Dust Weaves to do spells and stuff? All it'd take was a pulse of their Aura to activate the energy, letting 'em sling fireballs, make ice walls, or even throw lightning!

"Ilia treated these spools with a special blend of chemicals that's supposed to slowly recharge the Dust after you use it, so you don't have to sew new patterns after one elemental blast. It can either be built back up slowly, using your own ambient Aura…or, in a pinch, you can use other Dust to charge it back up in an instant! Though that obviously depletes the other piece - still, it's good for emergencies, if nothing else. Either way, it should be helpful!"

"That's…huh." The former thief hummed thoughtfully, then nodded. "That's actually pretty smart."

"I've got the sharpest, most clever little sister in the whole world!" Yang cooed as she affectionately hugged Ruby from behind, much to the latter's feigned disdain.

"It does make sense to have a reusable option, since there's a Dust ration in effect…" mused Blake with a nod of understanding. "And having a few aces up our sleeves can only be a good thing, either as pure elemental attacks or as Semblance modifiers. I'm not much of a seamstress, though…"

Neopolitan grinned as she quickly typed out a message on her Scroll, sending a text to everyone else in the room.

Well luckily for you ladies, I am! :D

"I know!" giggled the silver-eyed Huntress. "That's why I invited you! Well that, and because you're our friend too now."

…oh wow, her cheeks were getting hot again? Goodness.

"Of course you'd have already thought about all of that." Weiss smiled as her girlfriend finally wormed her way out of Yang's hug. "What kinds of Dust did you get for all of us?"

"Just the four basics, plus a few of the combined states." Ruby pointed to each spool of colored thread as she spoke. "There's Fire, Water, Electric, Wind, Ice, and Earth…nothing too fancy or intensive, since this was Ilia's first time working with Dust like this." She blushed faintly. "Besides…I figured this way, we could share an elemental connection with the Toa. Carry their spirit forward, y'know?"

Neopolitan smiled wistfully, thinking fondly of Pohatu and his friendly, dependable nature. Though she'd tricked him at first and taken advantage of him, he'd never given up on her - not even when she was willing and ready to give up on herself. While the Toa of Stone's signature element didn't have an equivalent on Remnant…Earth Dust, which encompassed the world's geokinetic fury, would be a more than acceptable substitute.

I think that's a wonderful idea, she messaged. Let me know what kinda pattern you all want, which element, and where you want it, and I'll sew it up as quickly as I can. I think we're all overdue for some outfit changes. ;P

"You're the best, Neo!" The little rose set the box down and launched herself at her former adversary - not for an attack, but for the biggest and warmest hug imaginable.

One that Neopolitan, new and improved with a fresh and liberating haircut, eagerly returned.

"So yeah…we're hitting up the bazaar tomorrow after patrol to pick out some new clothes for the Dust Weaves. All of us are just going with one, except for Weiss - she wants three different elements, for modifying her Semblance."

Takua didn't understand half the words coming out of the Scroll, but Penny clearly did. The Maiden of Mata Nui swung contentedly in her leafy hammock, rocking back and forth with a small smile and making the Chronicler nauseous with each movement. He had no idea how Le-Matoran managed to sleep on beds like this, much less how a human with squishy insides could do the same - but it made his friend happy, so he kept his complaint locked up in his mind.

"That sounds sensational, Ruby." Penny gave a soft laugh and a warm smile. "You will have to show me the new outfits when they are complete - I am certain you will be both adorable and combat ready."

"Heehee, that's the plan!' The silver-eyed human on the glowing screen giggled and blushed. Then she blinked and groaned. "Shoot, is it that late already? Guess I better go…wouldn't want another earful from Qrow about not going to bed on time."

"You would think he has noticed that you are not a child anymore, and thus he has no authority over your bedtime protocols," said Penny glibly with a grin and a small giggle.

Ruby didn't laugh back. "Yeah, you'd think so, huh? Not him, apparently…"

Takua raised an eyebrow behind his mask at the Huntress's sudden grimace. Penny seemed to notice it too, because her gaze softened and her smile drooped.

"Ruby?" Her voice was now full of concern. "Is…everything okay between you and Qrow?"

"I thought so, but lately he's been…" A heavy sigh came from the glowing rectangle. "I don't know. It feels like…like he's breathing down my neck one week and completely distant the next. Berates me for whatever flaws he thinks he sees in me, then scolds me for trying to do things differently. He's not like this with anyone else, not even Yang. It's just me he's doing this with…and whenever I call him out, he just deflects or finds something else to snap at me about. It's exhausting…"

Emerald eyes pooled with tears. "Oh, Ruby…"

The distant woman shook her head. "Sorry. These talks are supposed to be about you and your day. About how you're learning carving from Hafu and building cool new stuff with Nuparu. I shouldn't be filling 'em with family drama…"

"It is okay," said the Maiden with a gentle smile. "I can always talk about my sculpting lessons or the new prototypes under development another time. If you need to vent about things that trouble you, I will listen. I will always listen."

"Same here," added Takua. Then he put on a wry smile behind his mask. "Don't worry - I'll make sure all your issues get carved in stone to be immortalized for future generations."

That finally got a laugh out of Ruby. "Heh…thanks guys. I appreciate it…talk tomorrow?"

"I look forward to it, as always. Goodnight, Ruby Rose…my very good friend."

"Night, Penny. Never forget how special you are to me. Take care of her, alright Takua?"

"Always."

The call ended a moment later, and Penny sighed and withdrew the wires from her Scroll. She stopped swinging at long last and sat up within the hammock, giving Takua a chance to hop out of her lap and touch down on the grassy ground of Ga-Wahi. The Maiden of Mata Nui had debated long and hard over what village to live in, but had eventually settled for constructing her own hut along the path to Hero's Landing. Not only did this give her easy access to both Lake Naho and Ta-Koro, it also boosted the signal when it came to calling Ruby on Remnant - and although it was a little too cool and humid for Takua's tastes, it was the perfect temperature for a human like Penny.

"Well, I should probably start heading back to Ta-Koro," he said after a moment. "Got a meeting with Jaller bright and early about expanding the Wall of History, and you know how much he likes his guests being on time."

"Mm." Penny folded her hands in her lap and looked down at her feet, rocking in her hammock back and forth with a tenth of her usual cheer.

Takua looked away from Pewku's saddle, noticing her uncharacteristically low spirits. "Everything alright, Penny?"

The Maiden was quiet for a moment, before she sighed and turned a wistful, tear-laden gaze towards him.

"Takua…could you please stay with me tonight?" she pleaded. "I…do not want to be alone…"

Much as he wanted to protest, he caved almost instantly. He was well aware that his friend sometimes had nightmares about how her new life had started, as well as terrible memories after the fact of all the times it has very nearly ended - and the one time it did. Not only that, he knew that as happy as Penny was on the island of Mata Nui, to live among the Toa and the Matoran and the Rahi who all loved her…there was a part of her that still dearly missed Remnant, that missed a kingdom that no longer existed, and that missed the friends who still lived there more than anything.

And on nights like these, when the Maiden of Mata Nui felt alone and lost in the darkness of her own mind, the Chronicler swore to be the light she desperately needed.

Just like she'd been for him.

"Alright," he said with a warm smile beneath his mask. "I guess I can power down here until daybreak, if it'll help you do the same. Hope you don't mind Pewku sleeping under you, though - I'll never slip into stasis if the bed keeps moving."

With a nod and a thankful smile, Penny reached out with her Semblance and adjusted the gears at the hammock's mounting points, bringing the leafy swing low enough so that its underside rested on the Ussal crab scuttling over to lay beneath her. Takua climbed back up her bare legs and nestled into her lap once more, feeling a pair of warm hands hug him and hold him close. After a little bit of shuffling to find a prone position comfortable for human and Matoran alike, the pair settled down for the night and let themselves slip away into the realm of dreams.

Completely unaware of the pensive gazes studying them in the shadows, which watched the odd duo in darkness for a moment before vanishing yet again.

(A/N): And there we go! This is most certainly gonna be the last one-shot that comes out before Dutiful Destruction, as I'm gearing up to be in full sequel mode.

Oh, speaking of which…expect that to drop veeeeeery soon! You all have been nothing but patient, and I promise that the wait is gonna be worth it! I have a pretty substantive chunk of backlogs that'll hopefully let me keep writing and stay ahead of the update curve. If all goes well, I should have it ready to debut by October 31st, 2023 (AKA Ruby's birthday…totally didn't pick that date for that reason, haha) but I won't make any promises I can't keep. I will say that it'll be cross-posted on both FFNet and AO3 - just like all the rest of the stories I've done in this saga!

In any event, thanks for reading, and I'll be seeing you all next time! Stay safe, stay sane, and keep being awesome!