Remnant's Reaper of Hope

by that throwaway

Not Long after she graduated from Signal, Ruby Rose left her home never to be seen again... For a couple of years that is. As she travelled the world and accomplished many feats of heroism, she gained worldwide fame as she persued her mysterious quest. Now, five years since her departure, sights from various sources say that she may be on her way home. (OlderSister!Ruby x Harem)

22. Vol 2 : Chapter 1

Posted on: 2023/09/30

While I can't really do it retroactively, I decided to add the date when I posted the chapters here. The format goes as followed: Year/Month/Day.

The real notes are at the end.

Edit: Well turns out that one of the other website I'm posting this on shows you the date the chapters were posted in the index. I still added them to the other chapters for new readers although the documents for some of them have been remove from because of the 1 year document lifespan (which wouldn't have been a problem if I had revised them when I said I would).

---

"The test will end in two hours. You may begin." Called out Professor Peach from her desk.

The students immediately dove into their papers. The sound of their scribbling pencils echoed throughout the otherwise silent classroom, while the built-up stress from each could be felt at a glance. However, amongst these passionate students, a certain blonde anxiously tapped the tip of her lead onto her test, reading each question over and over again yet unable to understand them. A problem she had become quite accustomed to these past few days. The sound of papers next to her caused the brawler to gaze toward the source of her problem.

Keeping a greater distance than usual, Ruby flipped through the pages of their test, carefully reading each question. Yang knew that her sister had noticed her gaze; when has she not? Yet the ravenette seemingly refused to acknowledge her presence, not even bothering to meet her gaze with her usual warm smile. Although that was barely outside of her expectations since this had become a common behavior since their interrogation in the headmaster's office.

"Miss Rose did not come back yesterday either, did she...?" Weiss wondered out loud while the three women marched toward their next test.

"And the last time anyone has seen her was for our history exam." Added Blake, clutching a book against her stomach and unconsciously letting her covered ears lay flat on her head.

"She's avoiding us." Said Yang with a scowl on her face, which had the other students crossing them step aside in a hurry.

Weiss scoffed while adjusting her grip on the notebook she held underneath her armpit. "That much was obvious." Her gaze fell hesitantly to the floor. "Honestly, I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing."

They marched in silence, their minds racing, wondering how they would react if they had but a short-lived moment alone with the silver-eyed woman.

A sudden metallic hiss had Blake suddenly look over her shoulder with a dreadful gaze, making her teammates stare in the same direction curiously. A student was showing his weapon to his teammates: a katana paired with a dust delivery system along the blade. Simple but efficient.

Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, the two partners set their sights on their perturbed teammate.

"Did… did I wake you up? Last night, I mean." Asked Yang apologetically, with a soft tint of pink on her cheeks.

Their nights had been plagued by nightmares ever since that fateful encounter. Each of various intensities, which would sometimes lead to rather stressful awakenings, but they understood each other's pain and did their best to help one another through them.

Blake grabbed onto the brawler's arm while shaking her head. "No, no, no! It's fine. It did wake me up, but I'm used to that. I'm fine; don't worry. I just didn't expect that."

Weiss gently laid her free hand atop the faunus' shoulder. "It's okay. We'll get through this together. Let's just try to move past it for now."

Their conversation was cut short when a nearby conversation between some students caught their attention.

"Did you see the news? About that warehouse near the docks?"

"Yeah, what a mess. Did a Grimm rampage through there?"

"A robbery gone wrong, apparently."

"As if. Torchwick's gang never left a mess that big before."

"Who says it's him? The White Fang's been causing trouble here too in the past few months."

"In any case, whoever stopped them must have been one hell of a huntsman."

Weiss sighed while flicking her ponytail aside. "We… should go."

"Yeah…" Agreed Blake as they resumed their walk. However, after a few seconds of silence, she couldn't help but touch the subject once more. "I'm surprised the media didn't mention anything about, y'know… the bodies?"

The Schnee crossed her arms while a shiver seemed to run through her. She couldn't let this affect her, not now. With a shake of her head, she pressed on. "No matter, we still have our exams to do."

Yang halted in her tracks, causing her teammates to do the same and face her.

"Doesn't all of this feel… fucked up to any of you?"

"You'll have to explain a bit. This could apply to many things at this point." Said Blake, sharing a curious glance with Weiss.

"We just came back from a fight with criminals and secret ancient superhuman beings, and now we're just supposed to be students again? Act like none if it ever happened?!"

"Would you quiet down!? This isn't something you should shout in the middle of the hall." Harshly hushed Weiss, subtly glancing around them.

"Besides, don't you think that's why we constantly have those one-on-ones with the teachers every day?" Added Blake when her ears picked up the sound of approaching footsteps.

"How have those been going, by the way?" Asked Pyrrha, standing beside them with her usual soft smile. "Sorry for intruding; Yang's outburst was hard to ignore."

"They've... helped... somewhat." Replied the cat-faunus while her white-haired teammate glared at the brawler in a reprimanding fashion.

"That's great to hear. My team and I are always there if you need it." She then subtly eyed her surroundings, making sure no one had been eavesdropping on their conversation. "What about Miss Rose? Still as elusive as you've said?"

Yang rolled her eyes as she began to march once more. "Do you even need to ask at this point?"

Pyrrhad reached into her pocket and took out her scroll, which she opened with a peculiar headline on display. "It's just that she's been sighted quite often around Vale this week, along with your uncle." She flinched and took a step back when the device was swiftly stolen from her grasp.

The three other women huddled around the scroll, reading the article mentioning the few sighted ins and outs of the celebrity. A few pictures were displayed, mainly of both individuals walking into various establishments or sitting in the older man's car. However, what caught their eyes were the ones taken at night, some even having a timestamp of the early morning hours.

"Explains why she's never around, even at night." Muttered Weiss, skimming the article until a section caught her eye. "Wait, 'causing distress to the populace'? Why would her running around cause distress?"

Pyrrha raised a curious eyebrow toward the confused women. "You really should consider reading the news from time to time. It was a rather popular topic for a week about a month or two ago."

They had to stop their conversation temporarily as they headed for their seats once inside the classroom. Each arranged their items in front of them before turning to face the Spartan sitting behind them.

"While it's a mystery – although I may have an idea as to how it took this long for the media to cover the topic – there was a rather negative reaction from the public regarding Miss Rose's class. Many were demanding for the course to be canceled, saying that huntsmen should not be raised into murderers."

"Wha- murderers? Do they think huntsmen never kill?" Retorted the white-haired woman.

"Only when both she and the headmaster attended a conference defending their case did the outcry lessen."

Yang's gaze lowered while she gripped the back of their bench. "How didn't we hear anything about this?"

Pyrrha leaned onto her table, propping her elbow to support her head while raising an eyebrow at them. "Well, considering what I've come to learn about Miss Rose, she most likely didn't want to worry any of you."

Blake stared at the red-haired woman, seemingly inspecting her features curiously. "How are you so… calm about all of this?"

She fell silent for a moment, her gaze held by the faunus' own. She then sighed as signs of anxiety subtly crept onto her expression. "I can't say that I'm unfazed by it all—it was certainly a shock when you told us what happened—and we are talking about a very unique case of cannibalism…" It was then that a soft smile graced her lips while she gazed at her crossed hands. "But then I remember that she went and is going through all of this for you three, for all of us, and I can't help but worry about her. Because who will while she doesn't?"

The monochrome duo properly sat on their bench and reflected on her words, clashing with their own thoughts. However, the blonde brawler only grimaced and glared at the Spartan.

"But she–"

"–is facing enemies whose strength stands beyond what we could ever reach all on her own, has been for almost six years now." Pyrrha Interrupted, glaring back at Yang; the rare occurrence shocking the Xiao Long enough to calm her outburst. "Instead of trying to ostracize her for keeping us away from this threat, we should be the shoulders she can lean on in her times of need." She then caught sight of the rest of her team, along with their teacher, entering the room out of the corner of her eye.

"I suggest you take some time to think about who you believe her to be and what relationship you wish to have with her. After you finish the test, of course." She said, ending with a slight smirk.

An impact against her forehead woke the blonde out of her reminiscing. She blinked in surprise, gazing downward, where a small ball made of paper rolled to a halt. With a curious expression, she faced the direction from which the object came, only to be met with the sight of her sister scribbling at a fast pace onto her test, showing no sign of being the culprit.

The brawler took hold of the paper and unfolded it as subtly as she could, revealing a short message written in the unmistakable handwriting of the ravenette.

'Eyes on your paper 3'

She would be lying if she said it hadn't curled the corner of her lips momentarily. However, she hastily suppressed it and crumpled the message before picking up her pencil.

Only a few days of exams remained; her problems could wait.

---

Or so she thought.

Standing with her classmates in the large combat classroom, she covered her eyes in shame while trying to make herself small.

Up in the arena, her uncle could be seen leaning onto his sword while loudly snoring, much to the students' amusement. Even Blake couldn't help herself from releasing a low chuckle, which she attempted to cover with her fingers before leaning toward the blonde.

"He seemed a lot cooler back in the headmaster's office."

Yang released a desperate groan, which managed to wake the huntsman, who stumbled in surprise. He squinted his eyes at the giggling students, his features twisting while he tried to overcome his exhaustion.

"Right. I'm supposed to…" he muttered to himself, then released a groan of his own. "That girl is gonna kill me at this rate."

He dislodged his sword from the arena, retracted it into its compact form, and clasped it onto his back before marching toward them. "Ok kids, Glynda's not gonna be able to show herself for a while, so I'm gonna be giving you your exam."

He took hold of a clipboard resting underneath his armpit, which he waved around for all to see.

"Got some notes about each of you that I'll be using for your grade." He brought the object in front of his face, squinting once more while attempting to read its content. "Uh, why don't you kids sit down while I read some of these real quick?"

While most did as asked, Yang and her teammates approached the man.

"You okay, uncle Qrow?" She asked, setting a hand on his shoulder.

The man turned to face them, lazily scratching his stubble with a relaxed smirk. "I'd feel better if your sister didn't drag me around the whole damn city. I swear that girl doesn't sleep."

The blonde's eyebrow twitched at the mention of her sibling, which he immediately noticed but remained silent on the matter.

"About that, what have you been running around Vale for?" Asked Blake.

"I'd love to tell you, but I can't talk about ongoing investigations."

A chuckle escaped him when he was met with various confused expressions. "Which is why I'm not telling you that a certain someone wasted no time in using her temporary license to look into a certain incident that happened this Sunday. Y'know? The normal human side of things. It just so happens that I'm getting dragged into it all."

His eyes widened in shock, then glanced regretfully at his niece. "Not that she's not human or anything. Just–." He then shook his head with a defeated groan before leisurely waving them away. "Nevermind. Go on now, to your seats."

Once sure that he had the attention of the entire class, he lowered the clipboard and stood in the middle of the arena. "I'm not sure exactly how Glynda would do this, but I remember that this test didn't take long when we were students. So let's make this interesting. What do you all say?"

This seemed to pique the interest of the students, who began to mutter among themselves, theorizing about what the disheveled man had in mind.

"As per usual, this will be a one-on-one fight with your teacher—me in this case. However, I'll give you the choice to retry once. The best attempt will be your final mark. My notes here seemed to be ordered by teams, so we'll follow that."

The exam itself went surprisingly well. Her uncle, despite his… lack of professionalism, accurately judged the progress of each student who fought against him. He even ended most fights with pointers for the future, much like a certain celebrity had months prior.

A spear clanged onto the arena's floor as Pyrrha fell onto her back. She hissed painfully, propping herself up to sit while rubbing a soothing hand behind her head.

Qrow shouldered his massive sword with an impressed whistle while extending his free hand toward her. "You certainly live up to your reputation. I heard you got one-on-one training with my niece. It shows, but you still fight with arena rules. Get dirty, go for cheap shots, hit while your opponent's down, take 'em by surprise."

The spartan took hold of his hand, pulling herself onto her feet before dusting her clothes. "But you didn't do any of those?"

"Heh, I'm just that good, Kid. You can try again if you want, but I'm telling you right now that you got full marks."

She used her semblance to pull her spear back to her, morphed it into its xiphos form, and sheathed it behind her back along with her shield. "I'll pass on that one. Thank you for your guidance."

Watching her walk away, Qrow scratched his stubble with a perplexed expression. "And here I thought only Schnees talked like that." He shook his head, then brought up his clipboard, searching for the next student on the list. "Speaking of: Weiss Schnee. You're next."

The woman in question stood from her seat and hurried onto the arena grounds, receiving words of encouragement from her teammates along the way. She climbed onto the stage, removing her rapier from its sheath, and took position on the opposite side of their substitute teacher.

The man kept his nonchalant stance while reading some of the entries about the white-haired woman. "Whenever you're ready, Miss Schnee."

Weiss took her usual offensive combat stance, inhaled deeply, and closed her eyes. Suddenly, her mind flashed with the memories of the bodies littering the grounds of the container yard. Her heartbeat hastened, as did her breath. She could feel her hands tremble to her organ's chaotic rhythm, faster and faster until–

"Hey, kid. Not the time for a power nap." Called out Qrow, landing a hand on her shoulder, which made her jolt in place. Even her pupils trembled in panic as she met the man's gaze.

His eyes widened while he turned his back to the spectating students, whispering amongst themselves curiously. He then leaned closer to her before addressing her in a low tone.

"How long has that been going on?"

Seeing the serious expression on his face, Weiss lowered her gaze and slowed her breathing enough to reply after a few tries.

"S-since Sunday. I… I see them, all of them, in my nightmares. When I lose myself in my own head." She stared back at him, uncertainty plastered across her features. "Sometimes I see my own family. Those who have lost their lives to the multiple attacks against our name. Worst of all, sometimes I see them: Yang, Blake, even Miss Rose. I don't want to lose them, Mister Branwen."

"You have appointments with Port, right? He knows about all of this?" She simply nodded, earning herself a comforting pat on her shoulder. "Alright, just in case, I'll have you meet him before leaving for the break. Other than that, you think you're okay for the exam?"

The heiress blinked back a tear and gripped her weapon tightly. "I must."

He observed her for a few seconds before sighing and nodding his head in accord before taking his place in the arena once more. Their fight lasted about as long as Pyrrha's. There were moments where the white-haired woman would seem absent-minded, either staring into empty spaces or slowing down slightly. Qrow would often slow his strikes during those moments while still exploiting the openings she left, enough for her to snap out of her clouded mind and correct her mistakes.

Nonetheless, the fight ended in a similar way as they all have. With the sound of a clang and a fallen student.

"Got a couple of comments; some you've already guessed yourself, and some you've probably heard from someone else." Seeing the way she subtly winced at his comment was enough for him to continue. "Your swordsmanship is definitely well practiced, but to a fault. You slash and stab as if you were practicing. Sure, it might work against beowolves or boarbatusks, but in a real fight, there's no time for elegance or repetition against strong opponents."

Weiss gritted her teeth spitefully but suppressed her anger, acknowledging his judgment.

"I could say a whole bunch about your semblance, but as I said, you've already heard it all." He extended a hand to her. "You pass, by the way. Wanna go again?"

"I'll have to gratefully refuse, thank you." She replied before leaving for her seat.

"Yeah, kinda expected that one." He muttered while bringing his clipboard up to write a few notes.

"You okay?" Asked Yang once Weiss sat in between her teammates.

"Y-yeah. I… I'll have to stay a bit before heading to your place this afternoon."

Blake and Yang shared a worried glance before placing a comforting hand on her shoulders.

"That's fine; we'll wait for you. I'm sure Mr. Xiao Long won't mind, right?" Assured Blake, aiming her question at her blonde teammate.

Yang huffed humorously while waving her free hand dismissively. "He's got plenty to do at home anyway."

While the heiress remained silent, the subtle smile on her lips was enough to reassure both women of her well-being. For the time being, at least.

"Alright. Blake Belladonna! Get down here." Called out Qrow, setting his clipboard aside.

The faunus wasted no time in rushing to the arena while being encouraged by her teammates and friends. She drew her weapon in its pistol form while wielding her sharpened sheath in the other hand. With a deep breath, she lowered herself to an offensive stance, a determined glare pointed at the dark-haired man.

Qrow smirked, scratching his stubble while an amused chuckle escaped him. "Someone's looking serious." He lifted his sword from his shoulders and lowered it in front of himself in a two-handed grip. "Guess I could humor you a little."

Blake dashed forward, firing her weapon along the way. Predictably, the substitute teacher effortlessly blocked each bullet without lifting a foot once. She swung her sheath toward his exposed side but found herself swiftly parried with a twist of his sword before receiving a well-placed strike from his elbow to her stomach. Seeing his fist lift to her face, she used her semblance and pushed herself upward, soaring over the man while shooting a few more bullets down on him. Once she landed, she resumed her assault with her sheath while mixing in a few shots from her pistol every few strikes.

Despite her best effort, Qrow barely moved from his spot. In fact, he even managed to perfectly predict her attempt at a leg sweep, shoving his sword into the arena floor to block her blow before sending a powerful kick to her head, knocking her onto her back with enough force to make her slide backwards.

"Nice juggling with those two weapons, but I know that your little gun can shift into a sword. Add it to your strikes, and you could be a pretty scary close-quarters assailant." Said the man while picking up his own weapon.

However, his comment seemed to only partially reach the bow-wearing faunus, who seemed to pant with spite while glaring at his feet. He hadn't moved from –the circle– his spot. She couldn't even apply enough pressure to make him move. She was barely a threat; she was weak.

With a bitter grunt, Blake stood up, reloaded her firearm, and bolted toward the dark-haired man once more. She sent a few shots at him again as she closed in, spinning onto her knees to strike with her sheath while shifting her pistol into its sword form. Just as she predicted, Qrow blocked her strike, which allowed her to use his sword as leverage to propel herself upward, twisting herself mid-air to wrap her legs around his arm. She then used her weight to drag him downward while aiming her sword at his neck.

She had not expected him to let himself fall to the ground, dodging her strike while rolling out of her grasp. He used his foot to hit her sword out of her hand, pinned her other arm down by stepping onto her hand while taking hold of the leg she had raised to kick him, and then caught her falling weapon, which he rested against her neck.

"That's more like it! Heck, I'd give you a higher grade than that Nikos girl if I could." He cheered before noticing the odd smirk she had despite her compromising position. "Did I hit you too hard? You kinda look halfway crazy there, kid."

Blake kept her grin, muttering just loud enough for him to hear. "Made you move."

He raised a confused eyebrow at first, gazing curiously where he used to stand while letting her stand up. His eyes suddenly widened, and he grabbed her shoulder after handing the weapon back to her with a serious glare.

"There's nothing you could have done back then. Much less alone."

Blake glared at him and attempted to break out of his grip, unsuccessfully.

"I get it. Feeling weak sucks. Trust me, being told by your niece that you can't help her certainly didn't sit well with me. But after seeing what those guys can do? I can't say that she's all that wrong."

He then released her, silently telling her to head back to her seat. "Just help where and when you can. I'm sure Ozpin must have told you something similar at some point."

Blake stared at him for a moment before abruptly turning to leave the arena.

"Oh, and Belladonna?" He called out, causing her to glance back at him over her shoulder. "Those really were some nice moves. I'll be counting on you to watch over my girls."

The dark-haired woman remained silent, but the subtle curl of her lips spoke loud enough for the man who waved her away.

She marched back to her teammates, who stared at her incredulously.

"Holy shit, Blake. That was awesome!" Cheered Yang, patting her on the back excitedly.

"We've certainly never seen you fight with such intensity before." Added Weiss with a nod of approval.

The hidden faunus thanked them for their praise with a reserved expression but couldn't contain the faint, joyful twitches of her cat ears. Although, she couldn't prevent a small part of her mind from thinking her performance still wasn't enough.

"Yang! It's your turn!" Called out Qrow, not bothering to keep his professional act toward his niece.

The blonde brawler would usually have been ecstatic to spar against her uncle after so long, but the somber expression on his face brought a sense of anxiety to her stomach. Nevertheless, she was cheered on by her friends as she headed for the arena, taking her place on the opposite side of the older man.

She raised her fists at the ready and nervously smirked at her uncle's unchanging face. "Ready to go, old man?"

Qrow sighed, then took a few steps forward while spinning his sword. "I always end up dealing with baggage with you kids, huh?" The clockwork centerpiece of his weapon ticked as it began to morph.

The sword elongated by dividing into four segments, allowing it to bend backwards to form a curved blade that turned with its handle, which stretched outward, forming a scythe as big as a certain famous woman's old weapon.

The spectating students either gasped or cheered at the reveal, drowning out any other sound in the classroom. However, none of it could be heard by the blonde, who froze at the sight of the imposing object. Her relaxed breath had broken into trembling deep intakes, and her arms trembled as she fearfully took a few steps backward.

The older man spun his scythe, raising it over his head before resting it against his back, holding the weapon with both hands. He then lowered himself before taking off toward her at great speed. Once a few meters away from the brawler, he swung himself through the air, positioning the scythe for a downward slash.

Yang tumbled onto her back, then raised her arms defensively in front of her, unable to divert her eyes from the burning silver orbs glaring with animosity into her soul. Seeing the scythe's blade rapidly approaching her, she closed her eyes and braced herself.

When nothing happened, the blonde slowly crept her eyes open, coming face to face with her uncle's red orbs, which gazed at her regretfully.

"You see her, don't you?" He asked in a low tone. "I had a feeling earlier, but of all of them, you're scared of your own sister…"

"I-I…" Yang lowered her gaze with her arms, stuttering. "It's not like that. I didn't mean to–"

He combed his hand through his hair exasperatedly. "Damn it… she can't know about that."

"What?"

"Ruby can't know about that, got it?" He repeated with an intense look.

"I-it's not like I was gonna tell her or anything."

Qrow gazed at the onlookers, who began to gossip among themselves, confused as to what happened to the blonde, who ranks second in their class.

He sighed while extending a helping hand toward his niece. "Come on, you still have a test to pass. I'll also ask Oobleck to see you before you leave for the summer."

"R-right…"

As expected, Yang managed to pass her test with flying colors as soon as she managed to focus on her fight. Even if she lost just as all the others had, she was met with cheers from the students considering how well she had fought against her uncle's scythe. Although, her friends mainly displayed worry for her.

Once the last student had taken their test, a few teams expressed how relieved they were to finally leave for the summer vacations. The others saw their anxiety rise at the thought of what was to come.

Yang approached the desk at which her uncle sat, writing on each student's profile.

"You know people use scrollpads for this kind of thing nowadays, right?" She quipped with a low chuckle.

The older man groaned as he leaned back onto the backrest of his chair, combing his hair back with his hand. "You know I hate using those things."

"Doesn't help that you suck at it."

"I'm perfectly fine using mine for texts, calls, and my huntsman's license." He replied with a glare.

The blonde linked her hands behind herself and rocked back and forth on her feet. She looked toward the entrance, where students were slowly leaving the class with the exception of her teammates, who were waiting for her beside the exit.

"So~ how long are you staying this time?"

"The whole summer at the very least. I don't think they need me at Signal for the next year, so we'll see what happens then." He then yawned before shaking his head. "That's if I don't die from exhaustion."

Her expression fell as she gazed to the side awkwardly. "H-hey, so, about Ruby..."

"Right, you kids have her exam to take. Well, just try to avoid talking to her before seeing Oobleck and you'll be fine."

She blinked incredulously before approaching his desk in protest. "Wait, what? Why would I do that?"

"You're kidding me, right? Look, firecracker, no offense, but she wasn't even here, and you fell over just from seeing my scythe."

Yang slammed both of her hands down onto his desk. Her hair caught ablaze as her pupils turned scarlet, reflecting her uncle's, who mirrored her glare.

"Based on your logic, I'd be scared shitless from just seeing her, which has not happened so far! Hell, we technically talked during Peach's exam!"

Qrow's lips parted, but before he could reply, the monochrome duo called out to the blonde, reminding her that they needed to get to their last exam. The older man groaned before meeting his niece's gaze once more.

"At least make sure she doesn't notice anything."

Yang stared at him for a few seconds before closing her eyes and exhaling. When she opened them once more –revealing their now lilac color– she sent a reluctant grimace toward the dark-haired man and then turned to join her teammates.

---

A certain tension could be felt throughout the amphitheater while Ruby distributed the papers facedown. She seemed to have an absent expression, walking between the tables with a steady gait. Once done, she returned to her desk, sitting atop it, before addressing the entire class.

"I think you know the drill by now—especially those who came to the mock exam—so I won't waste your time by repeating everything."

The students gazed at the clock, waiting for it to turn, when their attention was stolen once more by the ravenette, who raised a finger into the air.

"There is one thing that'll be a bit different, though. I will answer one question per student as long as it's not giving the answer away. However, whoever asks the last question will be subject to a punishment unrelated to the exam."

Among the students nervously whispering at one another, the ravenette's teammates exchanged worried glances and then leaned closer to each other.

"That can't be good." Muttered Blake.

"Shouldn't we try to do something?" Wondered Weiss.

Yang stared at her sister, who seemed focused on the time on her scroll. She remembered her uncle's warning, which made her scowl before facing the monochrome duo. "Well, this could allow us to talk to her. Might as well ask something near the end."

Ruby suddenly clapped her hands with enough force to drown out the sound of their discussions. "Alright, enough chatting. Exam starts in thirty seconds."

While still difficult in its own right, the students would lie if they said that the mock exam had not been a massive help. Of course, a majority of the questions were altered to make sure that they couldn't simply repeat the same answers. Nevertheless, with ten minutes remaining, most students had already handed over their copy and now waited to be allowed to leave, except for two: Pyrrha and Yang.

An odd sight for sure, but the blonde paid it no mind and raised her hand, exercising her right to a question of a trivial matter. The ravenette had no choice but to answer, although she raised an eyebrow in a mix of confusion and displeasure. Once she faced away from them, her teammates bumped their fists together with a satisfied grin as the brawler stood up to hand in her papers.

On her way back to her seat, she met Pyrrha, who was on her way to the silver-eyed woman's desk. Their gazes crossed one another, and she was immediately overtaken by a strange feeling that stopped her in her tracks. She followed the Spartan's figure, striding confidently toward their teacher.

Ruby took hold of the red-haired woman's papers and couldn't help herself from questioning her. "Is everything alright, Miss Nikos? You don't usually take this long on tests, from what I've come to understand."

The Spartan chuckled while fixing the skirt of her school uniform. "I'm perfectly fine. Thank you for asking. I simply spent too long arguing with myself, that's all." She sent a fleeting gaze toward Yang over her shoulder, then faced their teacher once more. "Say, Miss Rose. Even though I've handed my papers to you, may I still ask a question?"

Ruby raised a doubtful eyebrow while storing the filled tests away. "Of course. I'd be glad to–"

"Of course, it would unfortunately mean that I would receive the punishment you mentioned." Interrupted the Spartan, surprising the entire class, who stopped packing away their supplies.

"I don't see why you would–"

"Now now, miss Rose. Let's keep this fair for everyone." She interrupted, winking at the ravenette while leaning onto her desk. "Besides, I'm sure I can handle whatever it is."

The silver-eyed woman slowly rose from her chair, glaring down at the redhead. She gently rested a fist against the desk and leaned forward, her gaze never breaking away from her student.

"I don't know what you're playing at, Miss Nikos, but I don't think this will end how you think it will."

Pyrrha gained a confident smirk before raising a hand toward her seat, where a large bag could be seen sitting on her desk. It then flew through the air straight into her grasp, from which she pulled out her xiphos and shield, Miló and Akoúo̱.

"I believe this is heading exactly where I figured it would."

Yang swiftly grabbed the Spartan's arm and forced her to face her. "The hell are you do–"

"Miss Xiao Long, take your seat." Interrupted Ruby, motioning her away with her head.

She then reached into one of her desk's drawers, where she materialized a combat knife from her spatial storage, away from the public's eye. Twirling the blade between her fingers, she slowly walked around her desk, keeping her sight on Pyrrha.

"I was planning on doing this next semester, but now I think I changed my mind. Besides, you seem pretty eager for it." Said the silver-eyed woman before sitting in front of the redhead. "Careful, people might get the wrong idea."

The champion's smirk faltered for a moment as a faint tint of pink dusted her cheeks.

"Go on then, what did you want to ask?"

She fastened her shield, then gripped onto her sword while slowly marching toward one end of the amphitheater's grounds. "It's about the last open-ended question of the exam. You've asked, in consideration of everything we've learned so far, what teaching to kill means in our opinion." With a twirl of her blade, she faced the silver-eyed woman with determination. "What would your answer be?"

By then, the students had all stopped whatever they had been doing and sat attentively, none daring to make a single sound.

Ruby hummed with interest, then walked to the opposite side of her daring apprentice. "Let's put this in context. Some of you might be familiar with it." Still dexterously twirling the knife in her hand, she addressed the entire class. "I, Ruby Rose, am a ruthless mass murderer. Having already killed two entire towns in a crazed rampage." She then pointed the blade toward the Spartan. "You are the only huntsman in the vicinity able to rival me."

To the shock of the students, she raised the knife to her hand and made a modest cut on her finger, drawing the slightest amount of blood.

"And my aura has been depleted." With one last twirl, she held the knife in a reverse grip and then assumed an offensive stance. "Let's see if you can find the answer before the bell."

Both women took off at high speed, meeting at the center of the room in no time. Pyrrha parried a slash, then attempted to swipe the ravenette's legs with her own, only to be knocked down as Ruby tackled her. The silver-eyed woman swiftly used her legs to constrict the xiphos wielding arm, deflecting and blocking any attempts from its owner to hit her with her other limbs, before stealing the blade from its grasp.

The older woman wasted no time and kicked herself away from her opponent, both sliding along the floor away from one another. Holding her knife between her teeth, she then shifted the xiphos into its semi-automatic rifle form, which she immediately began to fire.

Pyrrha raised her shield to block the bullets, with moderate success. Unfortunately, while she had been preoccupied with the volley of projectiles, she found herself unable to slow herself down before crashing into the wall of the amphitheater. With a shake of her head, she stumbled to her feet, only to duck when an object flew past her at high speed following a gunshot.

The air current created by the object blew her hair backwards while she slowly gazed over her shoulder. Embedded almost completely into the wall, the smoking end of Miló's spear form shaft could be seen. Pyrrha nervously faced the teacher, who seemed to be gazing at her in a mix of anger and disapproval.

"Could your aura have taken that?" Asked the ravenette, motioning toward the weapon with her head. "Get it back."

The onlookers whispered among themselves, worry and anticipation written all over their faces. To the surprise and confusion of the first- and second-year students, a few of the third- and fourth-years observed the fight intensely while meticulously taking notes.

Weiss leaned closer to her teammates to whisper anxiously. "This is insane! There's no way the headmaster approved something like this!"

"Would she have been this aggressive if it was another student...?" Wondered Yang, unable to suppress a shudder as she imagined herself in Pyrrha's place.

"At least we know that she's massively holding back." Added Blake in an attempt to reassure her teammates. "But she's certainly acting a lot more ruthless than she did before."

The red-haired student grabbed the shaft and pulled on it, only to stumble as it refused to budge. She made a few more attempts before using her semblance, effectively ejecting the spear back into her grasp. She shifted it back into its rifle form, then inspected its magazine. Finding it emptied, she frowned with mild discontent, shifted the weapon back into a xiphos, and assumed a defensive stance.

"I'll let you reload if you want." Offered Ruby, raising her knife in a saber grip.

Pyrrha shook her head, raising her sword and shield defiantly. "A rampaging criminal wouldn't let me."

The ravenette huffed humorously before both rushed to each other once more. The redhead started with a thrust of her sword, dexterously dodged by her adversary, who then delivered a swift and powerful sidekick. Pyrrha stumbled yet managed to raise her shield just in time to block a strike from the silver-eyed woman's knife then followed with a slash of her sword. Ruby dodged the weapon once more; however, having predicted this outcome, the spartan had already twisted herself to deliver a kick of her own to the ravenette's side. Time seemed to slow down as her mind began to spiral into a myriad of thoughts.

Staggered by her strike, she could swear that Ruby was completely open to whatever she would attempt next. A simple spin of her sword would easily allow her to slash the older woman. However, should she? Without her aura, wouldn't this mean...

Her eyes widened once she caught sight of her mentor's expression—the same she had after throwing her spear. A sense of danger gripped her gut, causing the red-haired woman to panic. Keeping her momentum, Pyrrha followed through her spin while raising her shield to strike at her adversary's head.

She could have sworn that she heard the silver-eyed woman groan before ducking under her strike on one leg and raising the other backwards to strike at her chin. Falling onto her back, she caught a glimpse of Ruby in a handstand, elegantly lowering herself back onto her feet.

A sigh escaped her while she spun her knife in her hand. "That's strike two, by the way." She then glanced at the clock on the wall, then back down at her. "We don't have much time. Better get that answer fast."

With a frustrated grunt, Pyrrha slammed her shield onto the ground, picked up her Xiphos, and then pushed herself up to rush at the ravenette in one final attempt. Light on her feet, she shifted Miló into its spear form and spun it around her neck, following with a low sweep and a strike of her shield. No matter how many times her adversary would dodge her barrage, Pyrrha kept up her aggressive assault, blocking or deflecting the occasional retaliation from the knife wielder. She would switch her weapon between its spear and xiphos form, using her shield to fill the gaps in her advance.

"You already know you can't use your semblance against me; get creative." Commented Ruby, easily shrugging off the spartan's attempt to move her blade.

Gritting her teeth in frustration, the red-haired woman released a roar as she parried a heavy strike from the ravenette with great force, sending both of her arms upwards. Her opponent now vulnerable, and with adrenaline pumping through her veins, she spun her sword and thrust it toward her chest.

As the blade drew closer to its target, her eyes rose to her mentor's expression. Terror and desperation met her gaze the like she had never seen before. Shock filled the spartan as she took conscience of her actions, now centimeters away from piercing her love interest's flesh. She tried to divert her weapon, tripping on her own feet in the process.

Ruby suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer until their faces were only centimeters apart.

"Strike three." She groaned with a disappointed expression.

"W-what?"

The ravenette pulled on the Spartan's arm, launching her over her head before slamming her back down onto the ground, cracking it in the process. While still protected by her aura, the shock knocked the air out of her lungs, rendering her unable to act as the silver-eyed woman straddled her chest, pinning both of her shoulders with her knees.

To the shock of those present, Ruby began to deliver slow yet seemingly powerful strikes to the student's head, making her aura flash dangerously with every hit. Any attempt from the red-haired woman to block the strikes with her arms was swiftly repelled by the older woman, who would retaliate with another strike.

The teacher's teammates stood from their seats in protest, much like other students did.

"Ok, this is going too far!" Exclaimed Yang.

However, before any of them could leave their desk, they were enclosed on both sides by Coco and Velvet, who simply stared down at the fight below.

"What are you two doing?" Hissed Weiss, marching closer to the beret wearer.

The woman in question lowered her sunglasses, revealing her impassive stare, which drifted toward the fourth-year students. Following her gaze, they noticed that most of them were fervidly taking notes; some were discussing among themselves as if they were watching some kind of tournament match, while a selected few kept sending glances at the clock, revealing that they were mere minutes away from the bell.

Down below, Ruby delivered another punch, then grabbed Pyrrha's by the chin, raising her slightly higher towards her.

"Don't you get how many more innocent lives I'll take if you let yourself get killed like that?! Do something!"

Even with her aura's defense, the Spartan had been too stunned by the barrage of blows to properly form any sort of answer. She instead feebly attempted to hit her assailant back, only managing to deliver a weak slap to her shoulder.

With a sigh, Ruby glanced at the clock and saw that a few seconds remained, leading her to let go of her student. She stood from the redhead's chest, reached into her skirt pocket, and took out a napkin right as the bell began to ring. She knelt on one knee and gently pulled Pyrrha up until she could properly sit.

"Turn off your aura."

Wrapping the paper around two of her fingers, she licked the tip before wiping the few stains on her face.

"I… was a bit rough, I'll admit. Are you okay?"

Pyrrha, having regained enough of her conscience, nodded while a blush dusted her cheeks. However, her flustered state barely lasted a few seconds as she met the older woman's gaze. She nervously glanced at the onlookers before leaning closer to the ravenette.

"Your eyes are glowing." She hastily whispered.

Ruby froze briefly before tucking the napkin away. "How noticeable is it?" She whispered back, pretending to inspect the Spartan's head.

"I doubt anyone would notice unless they got this close."

With a nod, the teacher stood back up, taking a few steps to distance herself from her student before addressing the entire class, which had remained seated despite the bell.

"Can anyone tell me why Miss Nikos lost?"

A second-year student raised their hand before answering. "I don't think anyone could win against you, Miss Rose."

"In a real fight, sure, but she left plenty of openings for her to take advantage of." Said Coco with a scoff, still standing beside the three women of Team RWBY.

Another student, attending their third year, stood while facing the beret wearer. "Yeah, but she took advantage of each of them. They just didn't work since Miss Rose quickly countered her attempts."

Ruby nodded, tilting one of her hands from side to side. "You're not wrong; however, there was a way for her to win each of those times. Can any of you guess why she didn't?" She then stared directly at Pyrrha. "Can you? It's pretty much directly related to your question after all."

When the red-haired woman—who had stored her shield on her back—failed to come up with an answer, the ravenette nudged her head toward one of the fourth-year students who had raised their hand.

"She hesitated and couldn't commit."

Ruby snapped her fingers, then pointed at the student in question. "Exactly." She turned to face the entire class before addressing them. "In a fight to the death, hesitation is lethal. Your enemies will take advantage of any opening they can find; moreso, the more experienced they are."

She scanned her class, seeing that they were all deeply focused and interested in her words. Her gaze stopped once she reached her teammates, lingering as she continued her speech. "When the day comes that you'll face a fight like that, I hope that my class will have taught you the proper reasoning on whether you should kill your opponent and given you the proper tools to make your decision before the first blow is exchanged."

She then lowered her head toward the Spartan as she addressed her. "A decision you struggled with at every opportunity you had."

Pyrrha rubbed her arm, gritting her teeth in a mix of frustration and anxiety. "During our fight, I almost stabbed you in the chest. When I saw your face, you seemed horrified, desperate." She raised her other arm, wrapping both around herself in a comforting manner. "That terror. Why were you so afraid if you could intercept my every move?"

The older woman fell silent, much like the onlookers were, before sighing. She motioned for the redhead to approach her, which she did. Once close enough, she grabbed her chin and angled her head upwards to meet her subtly glowing eyes.

"That expression—why did it affect you?" She said, loud enough for the entire class to hear.

Her mind drowned in a typhoon of emotions. Pyrrha's lips trembled as she barely managed to answer. "I-I just... how could I... I couldn't-"

She was suddenly engulfed in a tight hug, which she soon reciprocated, tearing up slightly.

"I know." Ruby whispered, separating herself just enough to speak out loud without hurting her ear. "There will be days where that face is the only thing you'll see when you close your eyes; sometimes it's the screams or the cries." She ran a hand through the young woman's hair, then cupped her cheek. "But it gets better, I promise."

A fourth-year student coughed awkwardly, causing Pyrrha to swiftly back away from their teacher, a deep blush adorning her features while she fixed her clothes and hair.

"I'm sorry, Miss Rose, but if the purpose of this fight was for Nikos to take advantage of your openings, why did you start to beat her down on the ground in such a merciless way?"

Ruby stared at the student, eyebrow raised impassively. "Are you saying that I left no opening back then?"

The onlookers exchanged perplexed gazes and murmurs for a few seconds.

"I mean… did you?"

The ravenette motioned for Pyrrha to stand on the broken floor where she used to lie and face her. She then crossed her arms nonchalantly and lazily nodded.

"Get your weapon back."

Confused, the Spartan looked around before realizing that Ruby had been standing on Miló's blade. Her lips parted, about to point it out to the teacher, only to fall silent when the older woman glared at her. She raised a hand hesitantly and then, after noticing how her mentor's features eased, attempted to use her semblance to retrieve her weapon. However, the ravenette seemed to hold the Xiphos down with her foot, forcing her to try harder.

Right as she was about to give up, Ruby raised her foot just enough for the weapon to violently dart toward its owner at high speed. Unable to retrieve her shield in time, Pyrrha redeployed what remained of her aura and crossed her arms defensively, her muscles tensing dreadfully.

However, when a brisk breeze brushed past her along with an odd tearing sound, she peeked under her defense when a glint reached her sight. A chill ran down her spine, seeing the tip of her blade resting right underneath her breasts. Following the cold metal while lowering her arms, she met a thick science book, which Miló had pierced through, stopping midway.

Raising her head slightly, she could see Ruby looking down at her with a subtle smirk. The ravenette patted her shoulder as she raised the book, showcasing it to the class.

"I'd like to think that I'm slightly tougher than a book, but I hope you get my point." She met Pyrrha's gaze with an encouraging smile. "You can do a lot more with your semblance than you think. It's just a question of practice and understanding."

She separated the weapon from her ruined book and handed it back to the red-haired student before heading back to her desk. She sat on the edge, observing the entire class. "Does anyone else have a question? If not, you can leave."

The students wasted no time in leaving the amphitheater, gossiping amongst themselves on various topics.

Coco sighed as she turned to face her three juniors. "Things certainly don't stale around that woman. Come on, Velv'."

They watched as the two second-years picked up their things before heading toward their teacher, who gazed absentmindedly at her hand. She snapped out of her reverie when Pyrrha, who had approached her earlier, gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

An exhausted sigh escaped Yang as she faced her teammates, telling them that they should hurry along to their respective obligations. Both agreed and began to pick up their supplies, eyeing the ravenette from time to time while she discussed with the few students that approached her.

---

Footsteps echoed through the rapidly draining halls of Beacon while team RWBY marched toward their dorm. While many of the students returned to their homes for the summer break, a great number of them simply rushed to their dorms, exhausted from the stressful week they had. Ruby hummed a soft tune to herself, one arm crossed under her breasts while the other held her scroll, with which she exchanged a few messages with her father.

"I don't think many teams can say that they had a first semester as eventful as you girls'." She chuckled, her eyes never leaving her scroll. "I hope you'll take full advantage of this break to relax a bit."

Had she looked up from her device, she would have noticed how her teammates winced slightly at her words. Blake turned to face her but barely managed to inhale as she was interrupted by Pyrrha, who had tagged along.

"What about you, Miss Rose? The break isn't only for the students."

Ruby hummed curiously, pocketing her scroll to look at her. "Maybe so, but I still have to correct your tests. Then there are a few other matters that I need to take care of."

Weiss faced the older woman with intrigue. "What kind of matters?"

"Nothing that you need to worry about."

"You say that as if you made it easy not to." Said Qrow, standing beside the door to their dorm. He then gazed at the hot and cold duo. You've got time to pack your stuff before your one-on-one."

The ravenette's features quickly turned to worry as she approached the two partners. "What? Is everything okay?"

Both struggled to find an answer, only to freeze when they caught sight of the soft glow in her eyes. Thankfully, Blake had noticed their discomfort and came to their rescue.

"It's nothing like that. They're just getting one last consultation before the break." Seeing the suspicious glare sent her way, Blake's expression faltered for a second. "I-I refused mine. I don't think I really need it."

Ruby visibly relaxed at the faunus' excuse. A relieved sigh escaped her lungs as she patted both partners' shoulders. "Alright, you girls, put whatever you'll need in a bag or one of your suitcases. I'll put them in my storage before leaving."

Her teammates nodded hesitantly, disappearing into their dorm and leaving the older woman with her uncle and apprentice. Qrow raised a curious eyebrow, nudging his thumb toward the door.

"You ain't packing?"

"I already have everything I need."

Awkward discomfort crawled along Pyrrha's skin, making her rub her neck before facing her mentor. "S-so, what will you be doing during the break?"

The silver-eyed woman released a pensive hum as she answered. "I'll have to correct your tests, for one; then there's the bit of damage control that I'll need to take care of after what happened Sunday." She sent the redhead a playful smirk. "Something the girls must have kept you and your team updated on, I'm sure." She received a simple, abashed laugh in return. "After that? Well, I still have a great deal of matters to take care of, so I'll probably do those."

If she noticed the hesitant gazes sent her way by her two companions, she showed no signs of it as she faced the student once more. "What about you? Got anything fun planned with your team?"

"Jaune is going back to Argus to spend some time with his family, while Nora and Ren are planning a trip around the northern towns of Vale." Her expression fell slightly, seemingly lost in her thoughts for a moment. She raised a hand to rub her arm soothingly. "I… think I'll stay here. My parents don't exactly agree with my choice to take your class."

The two adults shared a short, saddened glance. A silent exchange could be perceived, which ended when the dark-haired man shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. With a comforting smile, Ruby pulled the Spartan into her warm embrace.

"You could join us at Patch? We're already having Blake and Weiss over. What's one more, right?" A low chuckle escaped her. "Although, after today, maybe they're not totally wrong about me."

Pyrrha tightly took hold of the older woman's upper arms, lifting her head enough to gaze into her softly glowing eyes with a determined expression of her own. "No, they are, and I'll prove it."

Ruby laughed, a motion infectious to her uncle, who chuckled alongside her. "Will you? How so?"

"I'll become someone strong enough to fight by your side."

Of all the reactions the red-haired woman expected, it certainly wasn't for the older woman's sorrows to increase while they silently stared at one another.

"Uh, is this a bad time?" Awkwardly asked Yang from behind them.

The ravenette slowly separated herself from the Spartan before taking a deep breath. She then approached her teammates, who held onto their luggage, which she swiped with her fingers, sending each into her storage. She paused momentarily after taking Yang's luggage, yet mentioned nothing on the matter.

With a subtle sigh, she sent them a weak smile. "Alright, you two have your appointments to get to. We'll reunite at the airbus." She gazed over her shoulder toward Pyrrha. "You should also pack what you need."

The younger members of team RWBY sent a curious glance at the dark-haired man, who had remained silent for a while.

"Spear girl's coming to Patch." He said with an indifferent tone.

The hot and cold partners sent a hesitant stare at their classmate before being nudged away by the bow-wearing faunus, reminding them of their appointment.

"Alright, well, I need to speak with Ozpin before leaving." Announced Ruby while stretching, a sight that had the three onlookers gaze away considering her lack of an oversized drape covering her body.

Qrow pushed himself away from the wall he leaned on with a grunt. "I'll come with. No offense to you kids, but this guy isn't in his babysitting days anymore."

The ravenette gained an eager grin, unnerving her uncle as she linked an arm around his. She then looked at the two younger women beside them.

"Remember, we'll regroup at the airbus." She said before both adults erupted into a torrent of rose petals, which crashed down the halls out of their sight.

Blake and Pyrrha stood awkwardly in the middle of the hall until the redhead motioned toward her dorm room.

"I wouldn't be against a hand with packing, if you don't mind."

"Oh, uh, sure. Lead the way."

The cat faunus quickly took notice of her friend's missing teammates and questioned her on the matter. Already picking a few clothes from her dresser, the redhead explained her situation, occasionally posing in front of the full-body mirror standing in the corner of the room while asking the ashen-haired woman her opinion. Unfortunately for her, Blake's knowledge of fashion made her a poor judge.

Nevertheless, both enjoyed their time making small conversations while messing around until the faunus' teammates would be done with their appointment.

---

"Again, I'm impressed that you guys managed to make the room fit so well despite having those four beds on the same level, unlike our dorm." Blake said, walking alongside Pyrrha, who dragged her suitcase behind her through the various hallways they went through. "How is that not awkward in any way? Y'know, considering that there are two guys living with you?"

The red-haired woman chuckled. "Nora and Ren took the 'middle beds'. Certainly reduces the risk of an unfortunate situation. We also have a strict schedule for the usage of the bathroom." She raised a curious eyebrow at her. "Do you not have one? Even if you're all women, I feel like it would still be quite embarrassing should something happen."

"Yang's pretty easy-going. It's not uncommon for her to walk around with a towel on. Weiss and I always double check that the door is properly locked before doing any of our business while Ruby..." Her pensive expression strained slightly. "Now that I think about it, she's always up and ready before we wake up and goes to bed way after we do."

"Is that so?" Pondered the redhead.

They caught sight of the airbus stop where the faunus' teammates waited in a somewhat calmer atmosphere than when they last spoke. They began to chat idly, waiting for the ravenette and her uncle to join them for the last departure. Some of their friends and acquaintances would say their goodbyes while passing by.

Only once a few uncomfortable minutes remained until the bus' departure did the sound of Qrow's voice reach Blake's ears.

"I think it could be good for you. Give you a little break and all."

"Need I remind you that we were both in the middle of an important investigation?"

"I remember you dragging me around while I daydreamed of going to bed."

Ruby scoffed as both adults approached the four students. "Anyway, you girls ready for a great vacation?"

"After everything that happened? I don't think you'll find anyone who's more ready than us." Yang jested while stretching. "What were you two talking about? Sounded kinda serious."

"Oh, it's nothing." Replied the ravenette with a dismissive wave of her hand. She was about to say more, but a humorous huff from the dark-haired man interrupted her.

"Old Oz asked her to be the opening act for the Beacon Dance."

"The what?"

Weiss glared at her partner with disapproval. "Have you no culture? A lavish ball organized to welcome the other academies before the Vytal Tournament? Only the most important showcase of courtesy from the kingdom who hosts the event!"

"Can't be that important if it's only for the students…" Yang commented, an eyebrow raised dubiously.

"Lavish isn't exactly how I'd describe the one Vale hosts either, considering how it's organized by whichever team is voted to be representative." Added Qrow, whose expression matched his youngest niece.

"Guys?" Interrupted Ruby, attracting the group's attention. She stood at the entrance of the airbus, hand on her hip, while leaning on the nearest surface with her other arm. "Bus' about to leave."

She stood aside, apologizing to the driver, who seemingly shied away from her while the others marched aboard. The ride from Beacon to Vale was filled with pleasant conversations, mainly between the celebrity and the multiple students who took the bus with them. Most were curious as to what she had planned for the break, to which the silver-eyed woman would give ambiguous answers.

The problem arose when they transferred to another airbus heading for the island of Patch. The station would quiet down wherever the ravenette went, while she and those who followed her would be bombarded by stares of various nature. Blake had not even bothered to hold herself back from folding her cat ears against her head in an attempt to reduce the amount of whispered conversations she could hear. Unfortunately, many still managed to reach her. Murmurs of fright and anxiety aimed at the older woman...

"That's her sister, right? To stick so close to her, she must have been groomed from a young age. You never know with these people."

Having caught that last comment, Yang's eyes turned hot red as she turned to glare at whoever dared to say such things about her sibling. She was stopped by the sudden pressure that filled the station, forcing many civilians to the ground while those with a moderate amount of training strained to keep themselves up.

Ruby's glowing gaze would have turned the offender to ashes if it could. Instead, it screamed for blood, freezing any who met its radiance. The entire world seemed to slow down as she took a step forward, the simple motion causing all who stood in front of her to stumble backwards. Her arms were instantly grabbed by the four students behind her, while her uncle held a tight grip on her shoulder.

"The hell are you doing?" He muttered, glancing between the terrified civilians and the back of her head.

"Come on, Ruby. Let's go home." Whispered Yang, gently tugging on her sister's arm.

The glow in the ravenette's eyes dimmed until only a subtle shimmer remained, lifting the pressure from the air. Her gaze lowered to her sibling's hand, which seemed to twitch nervously around her. She then met the blonde's gaze with a sigh.

"Right. Home." She said, turning to approach the ticket booth. "Six for the island of Patch."

"Proof of residence?" Asked the man as if unaffected by her previous display.

Surprised by his calm demeanor, she took a few seconds to answer. "W-what?"

"Due to major construction work, Patch has closed its entries to local circulation only." He leaned to the side, inspecting the five people standing behind the silver-eyed woman. "If they're going to stay at your place, you'll need to fill out a form before buying your tickets."

Ruby, Yang, and Qrow took out their scrolls. The older pair displayed their huntsmen licenses, while the other had her student ID, all featuring their legal address on them. The man then took out three forms, which he handed to the remaining students while Ruby and Qrow exchanged a few words with the booth attendee in an attempt to pry information on this sudden change in policy. Their efforts for naught; they bought their tickets and headed for the gates.

"Oh, and Miss Rose." Called out the man, stealing their attention. He slightly opened his coat, revealing a black rose in one of his inner pockets. "Do try and enjoy your break."

The group stared dumbfounded for a few seconds. Eventually, Ruby's expression hardened into a mix of irritation and confusion before she passed the gate with a huff. The rest quietly followed after her, still somewhat confused by the current events.

The aircraft was empty save for the pilot, who nodded at them on their way in. Once each had taken their seat, the bus immediately took off. With a short grunt, Ruby turned toward Qrow.

"Didn't think they'd get confident or resourceful enough to block off Patch entirely." A chuckle escaped her as she leaned against his shoulder. "Probably gonna owe them another rose for this."

The dark-haired man separated himself from her with a harsh gaze pointed at her. "What the hell was that back there?"

The ravenette rolled her eyes as she sat back up. "That guy was badmouthing Yang, and I got a little angry. I fail to see why you're getting so worked up over it."

"Worked up?! Ruby, you used your eyes against civilians!" Qrow chastised, his glare intensifying. "I don't even want to imagine what would have happened if we hadn't decided to stop you."

The older sibling stared at the man silently. The others had shifted their focus to their conversation when the red-eyed man raised his voice.

"Do… did you really think I was gonna kill that guy?"

"Kill–" He had to pause as a heated chuckle escaped him while he stood from his seat. "Because simply hurting civilians isn't off the table?!"

Ruby stood in front of him, eyes narrowing offensively while their glow faintly intensified. "I wasn't going to hurt him either! You know damn well what I meant!"

"Oh really? Could have fooled me! With all of those stuck to the ground!"

The lights of the airbus flickered and dimmed while the aircraft began to shake and sway, affected by the pressure released by the ravenette. Amongst the darkened interior, the silver-eyed woman's glowing orbs stood out to her friends and family, her furious glare never leaving her uncle despite the turbulence.

"No need to panic! I've got this under control!" Alerted the pilot, oblivious to the cause of his vehicle's troubles.

Ruby glanced over her shoulder at the man, then closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. Eventually, the airbus stabilized, the lights halted their flickering, and the older woman's eyes dimmed down once again.

"Sorry about that, ladies and gentlemen. Should be smooth sailing from here on out."

The two adults stared at one another defiantly, tension rising once more between the two while the onlookers could only watch and hope for a safe landing. Almost a minute passed before Ruby relaxed her posture with a sigh and a shake of her head. She then brushed past her uncle toward the aircraft's washroom.

Qrow called out to her as she opened the door, causing her to freeze, yet she did not turn to meet his gaze.

"You better get this sorted out. This isn't you."

A metal crunch could be heard before the ravenette left their sight. A closer inspection revealed a crushed door handle. With a groan, the older man slid back into his seat, cursing under his breath. The strained atmosphere that remained had the students gaze at one another anxiously.

---

"Thank you for flying with us." Said the pilot over the intercom as they landed.

The five passengers stood up, each glancing with various expressions toward the washroom, which the silver-eyed woman had not left yet.

"Oh for…" Grumbled Qrow, about to head over.

However, Blake stepped in front of the man with a nervous smile. "M-maybe you could leave her to me? I am supposed to be her partner and all?"

The man raised an eyebrow doubtfully, then jerked his head with a tired groan. "Make it quick."

With a thankful nod and a reassuring wave toward her friends, the faunus marched toward the washroom. Stopping in front of the door, she swallowed nervously as a certain pressure could be felt from behind the metallic entry, no doubt coming from the silver-eyed woman.

"Ruby? We've landed." She called out with a knock. When no answers came, an awkward chuckle escaped her. "We wouldn't want to get kicked out of someplace on our first day of vacation, right? Sounds more like Yang's alley."

Met with silence once more, her nervousness turned to anxiety. She excused herself rather loudly and reached for the handle. The door thankfully unlocked; she swung it open and frantically scanned the room for any signs of danger. She stopped and stared in confusion and worry when her eyes met her partner's figure.

Leaning against the sink with a tight grip, Ruby glared intensely into her own reflection. With a few tentative steps forward while calling out to the older woman, Blake inspected the ravenette's expression, finding her to be highly focused despite her lack of reactions. Upon closer inspection, she noticed how the skin surrounding her eyes puffed out while the lower skin remained slightly damp. The bow-wearer's eyes drifted into the other woman's, meeting their now-reddened white and shimmering silver. With a sympathetic smile, Blake reached out to place a comforting hand atop the older woman's but found herself drawn in by an odd detail.

Had the corners of Ruby's eyes always been this dark?

Before she could look closer, both women jumped in fright as the faunus' fingers brushed against her partner's skin.

"Blake!? Don't scare me like that!" Exclaimed the silver-eyed woman, her hand retracted close against her chest.

"Y-y-you weren't answering when I called out to you." She replied, attempting to suppress her stutter. However, the heavy sense of dread that crawled up her spine couldn't be pushed aside as she thought of the light breeze that had brushed against her neck.

"Oh… uh, sorry."

They stood silently for a while. Ruby averted her eyes guiltily and took a short breath before approaching her shivering partner.

"Come on, let's go. The others are probably worried enough as it is." She said softly, running a gentle hand across the faunus' shoulder.

The ravenette left first, leaving her teammate standing alone in front of the mirror. Blake met her own gaze, noticing her meager expression along with the way she subtly trembled. With a frustrated chuff, she clenched her fists and glared at her reflection.

Ruby had harmed her multiple times and even came close to killing her! Yet here she was mad at herself. Why? It made no sense. Even so, the thought of how feeble she felt near the silver-eyed woman infuriated her.

She decided to become a huntsman because she believed it could lead to good changes. Because it could allow her to fight not just for the faunus but for the good of all. Because she believed in the woman who inspired her all those years ago.

A part of her even hoped that by becoming a huntsman, she could one day fight alongside that woman, but... Did Ruby need her? Would she ever? The warehouse heist made it rather clear that those she's truly fighting against are far more powerful than anything she could ever achieve. Pyrrha's already more proficient than she is, and yet she's nowhere near able to fight against the ravenette while she's heavily holding back.

Her eyebrows furrowed deeper at the thought of their supernatural assailants. Those silver-eyed people, those Light's Chosen. These real superhumans who are mostly alluded to in the book lent to her by Ozpin. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Ruby might be the only one able to fight against them.

There was the Black Rose, but the agent they spoke to seemed powerless against the ravenette. If that display reflected the rest of their group, they couldn't be counted as a fighting force against the Chosen.

However, now that she had time to think, if that were true: Why are they hiding themselves? These ancient battle maniacs could have taken over the world an infinite number of times over, yet instead they made themselves forgotten to history.

What–

"Blake?" Asked Ruby from behind her. "Are you okay?"

Both held each other's gaze for a few seconds, neither uttering a single word. Standing under those glowing silver orbs had the faunus' mind racing once more.

Seeing her inner turmoil, Ruby approached her partner with slow steps before gently bringing her into her arms. She laid her head against her chest and leaned closer to her ear.

"It's okay. I'll take care of everything."

Blake wanted nothing more than to say that this was problematic in itself, but then she would remind herself of the strength displayed at the container yard, halting the words in her throat.

"Why don't we leave this place? Obviously, this bathroom isn't doing the best of things to us."

With a nod, they untangled themselves and left the room hand-in-hand. Leaving the ship and making sure to thank the pilot as they passed by, they reunited with the others who waited nearby.

"About time." Scowled Qrow, pushing himself off the wall he was leaning on. His gaze, along with the others', landed on the two women's linked hands, then on Blake's uncertain expression. "Wanna tell us what you did back there?"

Ruby let go of her partner and approached her uncle with a sigh. "Nothing."

Once close enough, the older man's eyes widened slightly when he caught sight of the fading red tint in his niece's eyes.

"Yang, why don't you show the girls around town? I'm sure Madam Berthelotii would love to meet the girls." Said the ravenette before leaning closer with an uncertain expression. "She still runs the flower shop, right? I can't believe I didn't pass by last time."

Receiving a nod in confirmation, she suddenly grabbed her uncle's arm with a serious face. "Let's talk." She said before both of them suddenly burst into a cloud of petals, which darted away.

Left alone, the four students blinked in surprise while staring at the retreating rose storm.

"Might as well…" Muttered Yang with a defeated shake of her head. "Madam Berthelotii's close by. Let's start there."

Weiss raised an eyebrow while gesturing toward the direction the two adults went. "Should we be worried?"

The blonde shrugged her shoulders. "Looks like they're heading home. We'll see them later."

They were about to leave when Blake called out to them. "Actually, there's something I'd like to tell you guys. Well, a lot of things, actually."

---

"You bring quite a few good points." Observed Pyrrha before sipping on her bubble tea.

They each bought a refreshment before finding a secluded spot to discuss the questions floating inside the faunus' mind.

"Unfortunately, there aren't many answers we'd be able to find by ourselves." Continued the redhead. "Although, if you want to talk about your feelings toward Miss Rose, I'm sure we'd all be glad to hear you out."

Blake stared at them for a few seconds as a confused expression slowly formed on her face. "I… think I can figure that one out by myself. You girls aren't curious at all about all of this?"

Weiss rolled her eyes as she leaned against the table. "Of course we are, but I doubt asking Miss Rose would lead to any answers."

The bow-wearer gazed at her friends incredulously. "So we're just going to sit here and do nothing?"

"Yes, we are." Came Weiss' immediate reply. "That man most likely left to regroup with others of his kind. All we can do is prepare for when they'll come back." She then stood up, taking her drink with her, before motioning for the others to do the same. "Rest. Take some time for yourself. Try to sort out your feelings. The world will not end in two months."

They began to follow Yang as she guided them toward the florist shop as initially planned. Once they neared their destination, the Schnee's eyes widened in realization, then faced her dark-haired teammate.

"As for The Black Rose, they've been around for at least a few years, from what we've been told. If they want to be found, they'll approach us first. Besides, you've heard them. They seem more focused on helping Miss Rose than anything."

Blake nodded in acknowledgement, albeit reluctantly, as they stopped in front of the shop. The relatively small establishment was arranged with a counter at the front where a few common plants and flowers were set up on display outside while the exotic varieties remained protected inside the building.

Yang approached the counter before knocking on its surface. "Yo, Madam Berthelotii! How's business?"

Weiss hissed at the blonde's rude attitude, then straightened her posture as the old woman behind the counter turned to face them. She adjusted her glasses with a strained expression, which swiftly turned to joy once she caught sight of the young Xiao Long.

"Yang! Back from Beacon already? Did you get expelled?" She asked, a teasing undertone present in her voice at the last question. "Are these your new friends? Aren't you a lovely bunch?"

The brawler exchanged pleasantries with the florist while her friends stood awkwardly at her side, sometimes answering a few questions sent their way. Blake browsed the various plants, admiring their beauty. She wasn't versed in gardening work, but the little knowledge passed down by her mother was enough for her to recognize how much care went into each plant. She gazed up toward the shop's banner, observing the careful craftsmanship of the wooden letters spelling "Berthelotii's Garden" and the floral decoration surrounding it.

The faunus suddenly froze when her eyes met with the largest decoration piece of the whole banner, her mind racing with questions at the familiar design. With her eyes still locked onto it, she tugged at Weiss' sleeve, prompting the white-haired woman to stare at her curiously before following her gaze. Her eyes widened in shock and, in a similar fashion as her dark-themed teammate, reached out toward Pyrrha, turning her attention to the symbol.

The redhead stared curiously, unable to understand what was so shocking about the banner. "What's wrong?"

Her question, loud enough for Yang to hear, brought the blonde's attention to the symbol they were staring at. At first, she was as confused as the spartan. What was so shocking about a flower emblem at a flower shop? However, she couldn't help but feel as if she had seen that pattern before.

While she racked her brain in an attempt to remember, she hadn't noticed that the shopkeeper had crouched under the counter in search of something.

"Oh! Before I forget." She said, coming back into view with a pot in her hands. "Would you bring this to little Ruby for me? Tell her that she can come by anytime for maintenance supplies."

The four students stared at the plant then at the old woman in shock. The potted plant sitting in front of them was none other than a fully blooming black rose. However, their stupor did not end there, as next to the flower laid a single high-caliber bullet.

"And tell your dad to be quick if he wants to plant it in his garden."

Blinking their surprise away, the four women approached the counter, about to shout in protest, when the florist raised a hand to stop them.

"Young lady, you know we don't like when people make a scene around here." She chastised, making them aware of the various gazes sent their way by the surrounding citizens.

They reluctantly backed away, Yang stumbling over her words before releasing a frustrated groan. She then grabbed the pot and turned to leave.

"And girls." Called out Berthelotii. "Enjoy your vacation, now."

A few of the people surrounding them tipped their hats or made various gestures of acknowledgement before returning to their business, sending a certain chill down their spine.

"Let's just go home…" Yang muttered loud enough for the others to hear.

The group walked at a fast pace down Patch's main street, occasionally stopping when someone would recognize Yang and approach them for a quick conversation. Although they found their cadence accelerating whenever they would find traces of the Black Rose across town. While rare, it would seem that the hidden association had claimed most of the main markets. From Burgundy's Butchery to Laurel's Library, each would either have a potted black rose tastefully placed on display or sport the insignia somewhere on their banner. The same they had seen on Stargate's mask. What unnerved the blonde the most was that the storekeepers each greeted her as if nothing had changed.

No matter how much she racked her brain in an attempt to remember, the brawler couldn't quite remember if those signs and roses had been there before she left for Beacon.

Lost in their own thoughts, the girls found themselves walking along the gravel road to the Xiao Long residence.

Pyrrha glanced at the potted rose in Yang's arms with disturbed curiosity. "So... they're here?"

"It certainly would seem so." Replied Weiss, massaging her temple with two fingers. "But why? What do they gain from staying here? From what I've gathered, Patch is quite isolated from the rest of Vale, nor does it possess any significant installations or resources."

Blake and Yang raised their sight toward the house coming into view.

"They're not after something. Rather, they're looking after someone." Mumbled Blake loud enough for them to hear. She then eyed the blonde. "And others."

Lilac eyes drifted downward to the plant their owner held. She recalled as many of her childhood memories as she could, trying to find any trace of interference from the organization. "I wonder how long..."

Nearing the house, Blake's cat ears perked up when a voice reached her.

"That's… a lot more than what I expected." Came the rough voice of Qrow. "Why didn't you tell me any of this before? I would've come with you! You know that!"

The faunus raised her arm, blocking the others in their path, then raised a finger to her lips before any of them could make a single sound. She lowered herself and motioned for them to follow her closer to the log house while keeping out of sight, allowing them to listen in on the conversation leaking through an opened window.

"I also know that you would've died." Dryly answered Ruby. "I wasn't going to let that happen. Besides, I doubt there's much you can do to help with… that."

A defeated sigh escaped the uncle. "Who else knows about… all of this?"

"As much as what I've told you? Dad's the only other one."

"Not even Oz?"

"He's a good man; don't get me wrong, but I don't trust him that much. A feeling that certainly feels mutual whenever we talk." The ravenette paused for a few seconds. "I'd like to keep it that way."

A moment of silence passed, long enough that the four students believed it was time for them to make themselves known. However, as Blake attempted to stand up, Taiyang's voice cut through the stillness.

"What about the girls?"

"No." Ruby instantly replied. "They have enough on their minds. Let them have their vacation. Oh, and don't worry about it too much. The last time it happened was months ago and years before the previous time."

The scraping of chairs reached their ears, causing the young adults to sneak away at a reasonable distance before approaching the front door.

"So… Do we knock?" Asked the bow-wearer, gazing between Yang and the door. She could hear the conversation halt inside the home following her question.

"Just walk in!" Shouted the ravenette, prompting them to do as ordered.

Seeing the shoe rack next to the entrance along with the lack of footwear on the adults, Blake and Pyrrha took off their shoes and excused themselves, following after the blonde, who had done the same moments ago.

The faunus couldn't prevent the subtle smirk that graced her lips at the familiar custom they had in Menagerie. A practice they had not particularly followed at Beacon.

Weiss, for her part, stared curiously at their action before clumsily following after them.

In the kitchen, the two older men could be seen standing on the other side of the table where Ruby was still seated, her back facing the newcomers.

"You girls are back earlier than I thought." She said before looking over her shoulder toward them. "What–"

Her words caught in her throat once her sight settled on the potted rose held by her sibling. The ravenette suddenly stood up fast enough to knock her chair over, staring in shock at the flower.

Shrinking under her older sister's shimmering eyes, Yang hesitantly reached into the container from which she brought the resting bullet into view.

"Uh, Madam Berthelotii wants you to come by when you can."

---

Volume 2 begins! Ok, more like 1.5, but I still count it as being part of volume 2 for this story.

To think it only took half a year to write! Obviously, I'm joking. I'll admit that writing this chapter took a lot more effort than I would like to admit. I would often open the document only to write a few sentences before not feeling like doing more. Nonetheless, I managed to finish it, so there's that. I hope the wait was worth it for those of you who were excited for another chapter.

I'd like to take this opportunity of a new volume to talk about the history behind this project. For those of you who don't particularly care about that, this is where your reading ends. I hope to see you next chapter!

A few years ago, I made my first attempt at this story, which is still up on if you wish to see that tragedy. However, before that, the first idea behind it was supposed to be more in line with a slice of life, with the simple concept of having Ruby as the older sister. More than that, it even had a bit of a musical aspect where I was going to have songs as part of the narrative. Some traces of that idea can still be found in the first few chapters, mainly Chapter 6, and will return in Volume 2, as told in this chapter.

Don't worry if it's not to your liking; it shouldn't happen again for a few volumes after that.

However, the idea of a musically driven story gave me the idea for a modern AU where team RWBY forms a band. Though I'm nowhere near the step of actually writing any chapters for it since I haven't even made a note document for it, unlike my other story ideas.

Speaking of which, I hope you guys gave a chance to my other story with its four pilot chapters "The Crossing of Fate". I'm pretty proud of what I've come up with, even if it's simply a proof of concept until I'm done with this story.

I think that's enough words out of me. I hope you enjoyed this first chapter, and I pray to see you guys again for the others to come.