Chapter Seven
Respite

Ruby scribbles away in her blueprint notebook, listening to Professor Port in the background. After yesterday's disaster, she's decided to dedicate time to Crescent Rose's next upgrade. Maybe if she makes tunnels from her hilt to the blade, she can create different effects with Dust, like lightning to stun or fire to deal big damage. She needs something for Grimm that are too big and heavy for regular slashes won't do anything.

Maybe her Dust-scythe would count as her Dust Studies project. She'd put it off for the weekend because she was absorbed with Born of Malice, but at least the Bauson inspired an idea in her she didn't have before. That's all the lesson she can think of from it.

Because everything else feels like it's only gotten worse. Everyone was talking about it at breakfast, about how four students failed a simple test and got in trouble for it, but also got away with only a slap on the wrist. As if they hadn't gotten attacked by a powerful Grimm that clearly outclassed their training and were lucky enough to make it out with only one of them injured. Well, aside from some good amount of pride.

And as much as she wants to try and see the good in it all, it's buried under a mountain of older students pointing out that of course the team with a child as the leader would make such a drastic mistake. She doesn't understand why they can't leave it alone.

Her mind back on the Bauson, she can't help but feel its arrival is too convenient. She would have understood an Ursa wandering the forest, especially with the Emerald Forest not too far off, but this is the third high-ranked Grimm she's encountered since arriving at Beacon. The Death Stalker and Nevermore were surprises enough, but Nora had been bragging about her and Ren defeating a King Taijitu on their own as well.

All this after Professor Ozpin promised them only low-ranking Grimm. Should she maybe ask why this is happening?

But then again, he hasn't brought it up, so maybe this is a sort of test. He did say Huntsmen will face the unknown, so maybe he's helping them prepare for the unpredictable nature of Grimm. Still, throwing them into the deep end seems kinda mean. It could get someone hurt really badly, too, so why is he doing things this way? Maybe Ruby should ask Dad about his first year, see if he met so many tough Grimm. Ozpin was headmaster while he was attending, too, so maybe he had similar experiences. Then again, Dad would have told them the stories already if he had.

So what makes this year so different?

"Miss Rose."

Ruby jolts and looks up, blushing quickly as Port looks back from his desk. He doesn't seem angry or anything, and even smiles when he sees he has her attention. "Thank you. Now, can anyone tell me why Ursa travel in packs when what they resemble are solitary?"

Weiss brings her hand up so fast she nearly smacks her own book off the desk. Port nods at her. "Bears generally avoid people so they don't typically see them as something to eat, but Ursa do. Grimm know that we will fight back, with weapons and intelligence that usually outmatch their own abilities. So Ursa grew to travel together for a more successful hunting rate."

"Correct. Why, I remember the biggest pack I've ever faced was nearly two dozen-" and he begins his next long-winded rant as Weiss shoots Ruby a glare, then returns to her note-taking.

Ruby bites her lip and lightly drums the table, blushing harder at everyone's lingering attention. How did she let herself get so caught up in her own head? She can usually pay attention to two things at once unless she does that, and she needs to make a better impression now that everyone is actually paying any attention to her.

And if she does, maybe she can actually get a smile from Weiss instead of a glare.

The Bauson really had reset some of their growing bond. Ruby had been delighted Weiss was engaging in hers and Yang's silly chatting, she had even begun to look kinda-interested until Bella's emergency noise went off. And then it felt like everything went wrong.

Ruby has to wonder why initiation was so different from now. Is it just because she's leader, or is there more to it? Weiss had been a bit standoffish, but they had been really in sync when fighting the Beowolf pack and she'd gone through with riding the Nevermore, even as she screamed about hating it. And...

"Think you can make the shot?"

"Think you can make the hit?"

They'd bantered. It might not seem like much, but Ruby's never been able to make a joke with a stranger before, so it felt special to do that with Weiss. That's what gives her the biggest hope that this is just a snag. Once she's really come into her own as a leader, maybe Weiss will accept it and they can really become friends.

And then maybe she can become friends with Bella, too. She had already left the dorm before anyone else woke up this morning, and she wasn't at breakfast. Now she's hidden herself in a corner, keeping a noticeable distance away from everybody.

"I can't believe she skipped ahead." Ruby's jerks, nearly tearing a hole in her paper when the words reach her ears. She feels two pairs of eyes on her and timidly looks up to meet them, flinching her head back down when the students on the other side of the desk spacing are jeering at her.

"It must have been a fluke. Look at her, she can't even pay attention in class."

"I heard Huntsmen schools have been desperate lately, so maybe they just plucked her to bolster our ranks. I almost had hope for her after initiation."

"Goes to show a lucky chance can't beat actual experience."

Ruby ducks her head low, reaching to pull her hood up but her fingers just meet air. Right, she's wearing her uniform. She can't hide. She feels her face burning in humiliation, glances around as if someone could possibly hear the near-silent whispers meant only for her. Why are they doing this, anyway? Can't they just worry about themselves? What can she do-

The students suddenly yelp, holding their scalps. All eyes dart to them in shock, but only Ruby sees the two black circles at the ends of their long hair, vanishing quickly as they turn around to investigate. They fumble a confused apology, blushing, and Ruby slowly looks across the classroom at Weiss.

Who carefully keeps Ruby in her blind spot, a habit Ruby has noticed when Weiss refuses to see her expressions. But Weiss can probably still tell, because light pink dusts her ears and she fixes her attention back to her notes first once the commotion has died down.

Out of all the people here, Weiss had stood up for her. Weiss. Ruby's shaky resolve hardens into a positive, beaming grin. That proves it, despite how she tries to act Ruby knows it isn't impossible to become Weiss' friend. Her mind flashes to the Death Stalker, when she almost got hurt. Weiss had defended her there, too. That had been much more dangerous, but still.

Ruby's legs jiggles as she happily returns to her sketching, writing little notes of Port's ramblings in the corners. The bell rings by the time she's finished her rough draft, and she wastes no time in bursting over to Weiss and slapping the desk excitedly, accidentally startling Weiss into dropping her binder.

"Thank you!" Ruby says. "For helping me with that. Also, sorry."

"It was hardly for you. I didn't need to their useless prattling to distract me," she scoffs, picking up her binder and using her bangs to hide her face a little, which is turning a darker pink. Ruby just grins, crossing her arms behind her back and rocking on her heels.

"Still, thank you."

"Honestly, you shouldn't let their words get to you if you want to show me why you're the better leader. People will be talking about you for the rest of your career, behind your back or to your face, and it's hardly worth the time and effort to indulge in such nonsense," she brushes her bangs.

"How do I get them to stop?" Ruby asks, playing with the hem of her skirt.

"You can't," Weiss says simply, sharply. Foot tap-tap-tapping away. "That's why you need to either learn how to face it or learn to present yourself in the best possible way, always." Weiss quickly walks around Ruby's left after that, once again ignoring her as she strolls out of class.

Ruby isn't deterred, though. Ruby comes from a family where actions are always louder than words, and she meets up with Yang at the classroom door with a bright skip in her step. Yang looks concerned.

"What happened?"

"She stood up for me!" Ruby feels like twirling, but she needs to be mature and leader-ly right now. "The students next to me were saying the means stuff from breakfast and she pulled their hair."

"Oooh," Yang nods slowly, even smirking at the memory with new-found context. "Aww, so she is warming up to you. Look at my little sister, defrosting the icy heiress," Yang coos, only half-teasingly as she throws an arm over Ruby's shoulders. Then Yang stops abruptly, nearly toppling Ruby by accident. "Wait, how did she hear them if they were whispering beside you?"

"That's easy! They were probably...louder...than normal..." Ruby slowly trails off with a hum. Because Yang would have been the first to make them stop talking, with fiery hair for emphasis, if that was true. And if not her, then Nora would have been as quick to shut them up as she had been this morning when she offered to break someone's legs.

Ruby still isn't sure if she was joking or not. Even Ren wasn't helpful.

So...how did Weiss hear those students when she was so far away?

0o0o0

Idiot. Idiot. Dolt. Utter fool. You complete, unparalleled moron, Weiss glares at her reflection, after a whole night of tossing and turning from absolute anxiety. Ruby and Yang had been giving her looks all afternoon yesterday, after she'd been so dumb as to pull those kids' hair like some temperamental toddler.

Weiss can humbly be considered a master at ignoring vicious rumours. She can take all the slander thrown at her face, all the sneers, all the hatred, all of it she can take in stride with her head held high. What others have to say about her is more worthless than a dull blade.

Yet, something about the way those kids spoke about Ruby irritated her more than any of the worst rumours back in Atlas. Maybe it was because Ruby is team leader, and anything said about her would inevitability fall onto Weiss' shoulders as well.

You just said you don't care.

Well obviously Weiss doesn't wish to get the blame pinned on her for something her leader did.

But it wasn't just her fault.

Weiss raps her temples, exiting the washroom with angry stomps. Of course, she made sure the dorm was empty before allowing herself to be seen so undignified, but by the time she reaches the door she composes herself and heads towards the mess hall.

She's agonized over her stupid decision enough. There's simply no way the sisters will even think of that. So she has nothing to fear from her mistake. They'll likely pester her about hearing those students, if their curious glances were anything to go by, but she can simply keep doing what she always has and ignore them with extreme prejudice.

By the time she's reached the mess hall, it's mostly empty. Ruby and Yang are finishing up their meals with PNNR (she wants to talk with Pyrrha so badly but how can she around so many people and she'd just make more of a fool of herself if she did), Bella is nowhere in sight, and that cad Cardin isn't either.

That team mate of hers had better not be picking a fight with him again. She doesn't need to hold herself back the next time the team runs to aid her. If she had gone faster, maybe she could have taken command of the situation, however.

No, you dolt. Don't give any indication, she scolds herself, fixing up her breakfast. Great, and now she's almost thinking about it. Harshly, she sits down in her own corner and decides to go through her scroll, just to keep her mind busy.

So a gravity Crystal with just a small trace of ice could lend to a compound that grants a weightless property. Or severely reduced weight. But how could that be useful to anybody-

Her alarm goes off, and Weiss puts her scroll away as she stands. And belatedly realizes she hadn't taken a bite of her food. Scowling at the waste, she just shakes her head and tosses the mushy porridge into the bin on her way out. She makes it to class well before the bell, despite arriving 'late' to breakfast, and sets up her books and binders in order. It's history again, and she won't appear as a clueless idiot like she had last time.

She hears movement to her left and turns her head, giving a slightly-sheepish Ruby a less-than-impressed stare. "...Hi."

"..."

"I saw you didn't eat," Ruby whispers like it's some grand conspiracy, placing a muffin on top of Weiss' binder. "Okaybye!" Ruby zips away, sitting stiffly beside her sister who barks out a laugh.

The muffin is dry and the berries too soft.

And Weiss is angry. Great, now Ruby will think they're friends all because she helped her out once.

Okay maybe more than once. But Weiss pushes those times aside, because Younger damn it all she cannot afford to soften for one kid just because she's so unfathomably, stupidly kind.

To take her mind off of it, Weiss decides to work on her makeup essay as she takes notes. She's gotten used to Professor Oobleck's fast-paced speech and can typically keep up, but today's lesson is on aspects of the Great War and Weiss has already learned all of it.

But embarrassingly she gets stuck on what she'll need to improve in the future if she comes across another Bauson. She never had the time to pour over every book on Grimm before Beacon, so there's a distinct lack of knowledge on Grimm species besides the most common ones and those living in Solitas. Maybe if she memorizes them all, that can push her ahead to the top.

Only growing more determined, Weiss spends the rest of the day in a hyper-focused frenzy. She briefly wonders if she should ask Professor Fall for some help after all, but quickly dismisses the thought because she's far too old to need it. So when the final bell rings for Dust Studies, she wastes no time going to the library to begin her proper research.

Beacon's library is truly a masterpiece. The entire ceiling is domed with a stained-glass painting, depicting a broken hourglass with its sand spilling out of its side. The sand and broken glass shards then transfer into the grand hanging chandelier, which glistens with orange-yellow light. The walls are a deep brown, the soft carpets maroon, and it takes all of Weiss' willpower to keep from squealing in utter delight.

She remembers her visits to Atlas Academy when she went to visit Winter. She'd found it all dreadfully boring and uninspired, all the same grey metal halls and those infuriating florescent white lights that buzzed every second and felt like were trying to make her go blind. And she can't even imagine walking around in those stiff grey and white uniforms.

And by the Younger, she doesn't have to. The warm browns and reds of Beacon make for a much better, much more comforting change.

While she doesn't let herself squeal, Weiss does allow a smile as she finds her favourite spot in the entire library. Arms stacked with books, she places them on the round table before a crackling fireplace and sits in one of the large soft chairs, tucking her legs under her before setting an alarm and pouring into the glossaries of Grimm.

And it isn't long until she discovers the true aspect of Bauson. She'd already learned of their frankly absurd endurance and monstrous strength, but what stands out to her is the lack of information on juveniles. All of the reports have been the same description, which can mean one of two things;

Either Bauson were born with hard shells or lose skin, or they waited until that happened.

If it's the former, then the Younger clearly has a favourite creation. But if it's the latter, it leads to a more terrifying conclusion that sets Weiss' heart racing. It meant these Grimm were intelligent enough to be patient. She tries fitting that word to the image of relentless teeth and claws and wishes only to laugh, but she can't dismiss the possibility. And honestly, it could be a stronger case for it. If those Grimm starved themselves until they matured, then of course they'd go on a spree the moment they were able to.

And Weiss finds herself swelling with pride at having faced one and come out alive. Because truthfully, it's a miracle none of them died from the encounter. If actual, veteran Huntsmen struggled with keeping fatalities to a minimum, it felt uplifting to get away with a broken arm and some bruised bodies (and egos).

But she's quick to shut down any amount of pride. There is no pride in failing, even a little bit. Failure means weakness.

So Weiss dives into her makeup essay, knowing exactly what to do the next time a Bauson comes wreaking havoc. She'll simply kill it. She knows what to expect now.

So caught up in her work, she doesn't notice when it gets dark until the librarian, a kind older woman Weiss can't recall the name of, tells her that curfew is soon. Weiss looks at her scroll with a scowl. Had her alarm not gone off? Oh. Wait, it had. Several times in fact. Sighing, and thanking the librarian, Weiss helps put the books away and makes her way back to the dorm. Her stomach growls at the reminder that she missed another meal, and a muffin and some fruit from lunch is far from enough to keep her full.

But she has other things to worry about as she makes her way through the darkness. Other things that she refuses to think about as she squints her eyes and uses the flashlight on her scroll to 'see' in the dark.

(She can ignore everything else, with a simple pulse of aura.)

When she finally reaches the dorm, luckily without bumping into anybody, Weiss shuts the light off to keep from blinding her probably-sleeping team and carefully opens the door. It hardly makes a sound and she lets out a breath once she slips inside, just as quiet. Her heart is oddly pounding, but she ignores it as she observes the room.

Yang is snoring, loudly. Ruby's bed is swaying, lightly. Bella's curtains are closed, but whether or not that means she's asleep remains to be seen. But in either case Weiss should be able to make it to her bunk without drawing attention to herself.

Feeling like an utter fool, she closes her right eye and sticks her hands out in front of her, feeling her way to her bed. She knows how stupid she must look, but this is just better. Once her hand brushes her curtains, she opens her eye, allowing herself a proud little grin, when she jolts seeing a shadow in the corner of her eye.

She whips around, hand on Myrtenaster, and blushes when she sees Bella sitting on the windowsill, having also been sneaking in but using the window. For a brief moment Weiss almost believes they make eye contact, but dismisses it just as the thought passes and she quickly squints her eye.

"Is it really such a bright idea to climb with a broken arm?" she whispers.

Bella shrugs. "I've had worse."

Alarming. Not surprising, but, alarming. "I'm taking that as a 'no', but I imagine you also do not care."

"Not really."

There's a bit of an awkward quiet moment. At least when it comes to Weiss not liking Ruby or Yang, she can use the excuse of them being loud and obnoxious. With Bella, despite the sour first impression, they really haven't spoken much with each other. And Bella is still on the windowsill, which is ridiculous if she's trying to sneak in.

"You hardly need my permission to come in, but all you're doing is letting in the cold air."

"I wouldn't think you'd mind cold air."

"Obviously. But I doubt the dolts above us would like it." Or would they also not care? Where are they from, actually? Weiss hasn't bothered to ask. Most likely from Vale, if Weiss were to guess from their accents.

But whether Weiss' words are true or not, Bella finally slips into the dorm and closes the window. Weiss opens her curtains, about to crawl in and finally sleep, when her stomach decides to rumble loudly.

She can feel Bella's gaze on her neck.

"You heard nothing."

"I wasn't going to say anything."

Weiss climbs into the bed, face aflame, and shuts herself off from the world.

Time to not think for a while.

0o0o0

Blake has a broken arm, her aura is shot to the Hills and back, and she cannot participate in any combat or semblance training for at least two weeks.

And she proudly counts this as another victory in her perspective. Winchester hadn't even been the real reason she got hit with that jar, if the Bauson hadn't shown when it did she could have kept dodging their sad throws all day. And Winchester has to live with the fact that he 'won' because of a pure, simple fluke.

She knows this, because the pathetic sad-sack seethes with rage whenever she catches him staring at her. She just smirks, resting her cheek on her propped-up fist. At this rate people will think he's stalking her (which he sort of is and that thought makes her skin crawl but she ignores it, can't let him see that), and every day that passes gives him less credibility for his blackmail.

He's even stopped harassing Velvet as much with his mind so focused on Blake. It's hilarious and sad. What, can't multitask?

"Hey, Velvet?" Blake asks, just loud enough for Winchester to hear over the rabble of the mess hall. "What is the policy for expelling students?"

"Well," Velvet taps her chin, "every Huntsmen is considered vital, so the academies try to keep as many as they can. I've never heard of first years being expelled, because there is the most room for growth then, but second and third years are at risk if they aren't performing to academy standards. It's to keep them safe, or in some cases, keep others safe. Not everyone can make it as a Huntsmen, and it's seen as better to live with the knowledge you gained so you can protect yourself in an emergency, rather than die actively protecting people simply because you can't quite cut it."

A shame. But now it's up to Winchester if he wants to digest that advice or ignore it, and get expelled when it becomes clear he's a hazard to others.

It may be a long game, but Blake is patient. Until then she'll use every opportunity to poke holes in his ego and hopefully knock him down a peg or two. Or maybe the whole pedestal, that could be nice.

But she also needs to be careful and not push him too far too quickly. He could do something even more drastic and the last thing she needs is being overconfident. She isn't about to let herself make a simple mistake just because she 'won' the first battle.

She won't underestimate her enemies.

That evening, as Blake shaves her face, her mind absently drifts to the team. She's tried to avoid them the last few days to give them space, but unsurprisingly going to sleep late and waking up absurdly early don't exactly help in the aura-recovery department. She expects they'll all pester her on her health or her deal with Winchester, and she'd rather not get them involved just so they could ruin everything.

A tap on her shoulder jolts her enough to nearly drop her razor, and she blinks at the mirror only to see the shade reflected over her shoulder, matching amber eyes glaring at each other. "What?" Blake snaps, wondering how she has enough aura to summon this shade by complete accident.

It regards her coldly for a moment, then with crossed arms points its tail at the door, then to her. She scowls. "You honestly think I should rely on them? You of all people?"

It nods, short and sharp with its cold, judgmental eyes.

"Unlikely. They're strangers and I've always fought better alone. I don't need help." The shade pointedly looks at her cast. Blake blushes. "Usually. But relying on anyone else is unnecessary." It plants a hand on its chest, eye moving up as if quirking a brow. "You're different, you're a part of me. I can trust that part, even if I can't trust myself," she looks away with a low growl. "I can't trust others. What's stopping them from turning around and hurting me? Who's to say none of this is an act to make me drop my guard?"

It flicks its hair up over its head like a hood, then swiftly punches the air to its side. "Okay, maybe Ruby and Yang wouldn't. But Weiss-"

It sticks its hands out and stumbles towards the tub. Despite herself, Blake snorts, quickly covering her face with the crook of her elbow to hide it. The shade spins around, managing to appear smug.

"Okay, so that was genuine. And I was probably grasping at straws," Blake admits with a sigh, leaning against the sink. "Still, I wouldn't expect you to get it. Real people can change. Real people can hurt you. And you can hurt them," she adds sadly. "Did you see Ruby's face when I jumped? Did you hear her that night when she cried? I did that. And it will only happen again if I let them get close to me."

Blake's hand is shaking, and the shade walks up to take the razor from it. She's too stunned to do anything else but let it hold her jaw and tilt its head back, and she follows its instruction to let it shave her neck. She stares at the ceiling tiles.

Does she dare ask it? It could destroy her.

But she's getting rather tired of being scared of the unknown.

"Are you real?"

The buzzing stops and it lowers her face, only to squish her cheeks with a towel. She scowls at it, snatching the towel from its hand and waving it to make it back off. But her glare is halfhearted. With her attention all focused on it, the shade gestures to itself as if to ask her if it's real or not.

Is it really trusting her with this decision?

("They're not real, Blake. I am.")

"So you are," Blake says in wonder, feeling her her tail sway. "Have you always been real?"

It pauses here, tilting its head in thought. Then makes a 'so-so' gesture. "I guess the 'pick up objects' is new, too," she says, taking the razor back to clean it off and put it aside. She stares into the sink, thinking deeply. "I...want to trust them, I think. But I don't know if I can."

That had always been her weakness; she's too soft and attaches herself to others too quickly. She had barely known Ilia for a day before deciding 'you're my friend now' and they'd been inseparable until Blake left. She attached herself wholly to Him because they had been friends for so long she was completely blind to everything He did. He used that attachment to manipulate and hurt her, and so many other young faunus, and to escape from it she had to hurt her friends in the White Fang.

Because, when it comes down to it, they were who she stayed for, not Him. Her friends were who she kept fighting for, bleeding for. Who she kept killing for. She was there for her true best friend, she was there for her brethren, she was there to continue her father's legacy in the only way she knew how. And in many ways, it worked. But she made the mistake of crossing the line from retribution into obsession. A line He...

A line that...Adam...had allowed him self to get lost in.

She shutters at the thought of him, tail puffing up and ears folding back. She hugs her stomach, curling in on herself until she's crouched on the bathroom floor.

She still doesn't know how she broke free of that obsession. She can't tell if it was several events, one event, or if she simply woke up on that train. But she did break out of it, and she discovered the chance to enter Beacon and redeem herself. To go down a new path the way her parents would have wanted.

She came here to change. And Brothers does she want to. But is it possible for her?

Can she really give these strangers a chance? Can she dare to hope that this new start will have a happy ending? As much as she'd like to otherwise, she has to acknowledge a simple truth; her team had ran to her. The moment she was in danger, they were there. Ruby had put herself in danger just to get them distance, Yang had come in in all her blazing glory, and even Weiss hadn't hesitated in engaging.

But would she have done the same?

"I need some time to think about it," she says. "Please."

The shade seems to accept that, because they dissipate. Blake sees herself in the mirror and giggles ruefully at her red and blotchy eyes. "I just got clean..."

0o0o0

Yang has been grappling between trying to move forward and guilt for several days now, and can only feel the latter when Ruby sits with her face down on the desk as they work to finish all their essays and homework. Her sister's mood has been jumpy, and it seems the amount of work has brought that mood back down to what it was the day-after-Bauson.

"Hey," she rubs Ruby's back, "this isn't the end of the world, you know. We're all new at this."

Ruby mumbles into her work, voice cracking wetly. To anybody else it might sound incoherent, but Yang knows her sister and can only shake her head. "Those rumours are all bullshit. You really think any of them would be talking if they faced up against a tank with teeth?"

Ruby turns her head. "Pyrrha coulda."

"I dare you to tell that to her face."

This at least makes Ruby blush. "It just keeps playing in my head over and over and over. Reminding me of everything I could've done better."

"Good! That's the point of this," Yang waves her paper in the air, then puts it down to ruffle Ruby's hair. "Besides, are ya really gonna listen to those jerks over your own best sister?"

Ruby giggles, bumping her head into Yang's palm. "I dunno if I would call you the best..."

Yang places her hand over her heart like she's been shot, jerking back so the chair's front legs lift from the ground, her other arm draping over her eyes. "Betrayal! However shall I recover from the cruel words of my own sister!"

"Cookies are my vote."

Yang drops her chair back down with a slam, smirking. "I could got for a couple. Honestly, Rubes," she gives her a side-hug, which Ruby gladly gives back, "I get it. Emotions being big and dumb. But you shouldn't worry so much. The only people spouting it are assholes like Cardin who started it in the first place. And he'll get his karma," her eyes flick red, "I'll see to it myself if I have to."

Ruby laughs, pulling away to pick up her pencil with a slight bounce on her seat. As she writes, invigorated, she asks wistfully, "Do you think they'll really become our friends?"

"Well Weiss did stand up for you," Yang taps her chin. "So I think you're winning her over even if she wants to deny it. And honestly I suggest talking to Bella about books again, that'll probably open her up some more. Why not ask about Born of Malice? That could be a fun conversation."

"We totally should!" And just like that, Ruby beams as if she's never been burdened by sadness her whole life. "I'll bring it up tonight when they get back!"

"If they don't stay out late again like a bunch of hooligans."

Ruby doesn't hear her, buzzing with excitement as she stands, unable to contain it. "I think PNNR is in their dorm right now, so I'm gonna go ask them, too!"

Ruby zips out of the room, a trail of rose petals in her wake. Yang sighs, rolling her shoulders and cracking her neck to relieve the rest of the tension. She'll always be impressed how quickly Ruby bounces back from a dip in mood, always so energetic and ready to face what comes next head on. It makes it easier when one of them can do that.

Yang runs her hands down her face, still a little frustrated with how things went down. She should have gone with Bella on her walk, even if they walked in silence. She should have made sure Weiss was next to her, just so she didn't show up after Ruby had already made a plan. She should have been a second voice for Ruby, encouraging Bella and Weiss to do as Ruby said. She shouldn't have been so reckless that her semblance burnt itself out too quickly, but she'd panicked and let her emotions drive her. Maybe that worked against Ursa and Beowolves, but Bauson take skill to kill, not just strength. And Yang isn't skilled.

But most of all, she's frustrated with Cardin. Because what the Hills is his deal with Bella? All she'd done is break his nose. Throwing syrup at her to attract Grimm is way beyond any petty 'revenge'. He likely didn't expect a Bauson (but really who could expect that?), but he'd wanted some kind of Grimm to come and hurt her.

What is Cardin even doing here at Beacon? Pyrrha had told her what he'd done during initiation, tricking her into believing the relics were in a cave that had that Death Stalker. He's nothing but a bully to other students, and he's hurt people. That isn't what a Hunter should be, yet he gets away with it with just a broken nose and a bruised ego.

What is Ozpin thinking, letting him get away with it?

No matter. People like Cardin will always earn what's coming to them. She just wishes she could push that along herself. But she doubts anything she tries will make the situation any better.

The door slams open with a kick, Ruby bursting in with a bright, broad smile. "They won't tell me! They say they want to keep it a surprise for discussion during class! But from the sounds of it they all believe it's the same kind of Grimm, isn't that so cool? I really wanna hear how they got to the same thought! Do you think they have different reasons for thinking that?"

Yang laughs as Ruby sits down and starts writing her essay in earnest. "Probably. What are your final thoughts, anyway?"

"I'm not telling until we're all together! Then you can share yours and maybe we can forget about what happened for a bit!" Ruby claps her hands over her mouth, beaming. "We should bake! I'm gonna go see if there's stuff for it! Wanna help?"

Yang glances at her unfinished essay. "Yeah, sure." She can finish it later.

It's just a paper. Ruby's way more important.

0o0o0

A plate of cookies sits on the desk of RWBY's dorm, which is pleasantly quiet as all four members lounge about. Ruby is finishing the final draft of Crescent Rose's build, and periodically she glances around with a giddy wiggle.

Bella isn't avoiding them anymore. Instead she's curled up on her bed with the curtains open, reading The War Within with the help of one of her shades. It can actually hold the book and turn the pages for her. Ruby's gotta ask how they can do that when they can't interact with people.

Yang has finished her work, happily munching on the cookies as she plays a game on her scroll. From her occasional brow twitch and muttered curse, she seems to be on a bit of a losing streak, but instead of getting angry she just gets more excited.

Weiss is absorbed in her study, even though she's already finished every paper due for tomorrow. She's sat at the desk, periodically eyeing Ruby's bunk suspiciously even after all this time of trusted drape-power. But the glances are brief and she continues to sleep in her bunk, so she probably has some faith in it.

It's the first time that Ruby has felt the entire team be at ease around each other.

Deciding now is the perfect time to enact her grand 'plan', Ruby balls up a scrap of paper and flings it at Yang's head. It bounces off and she scowls at her scroll, then grumpily pouts at Ruby. Ruby motions for her to be quiet, then points at Bella and Weiss, picking up Born of Malice.

Yang rolls her eyes with a playful but eager grin, turning off her scroll and stretching casually.

"Hey Yang? What do you think of Born of Malice?" Ruby asks, all subtle and clever.

But judging from the blank stare she receives from Yang, she failed. "Well at first I pictured a Death Stalker," she starts off in a deadpan, but quickly grins, "but now I think it might actually be a juvenile Bauson. It's a solitary hunter always on the move forward, as if looking for something, and it attacks recklessly. But since it isn't all hard and loose, it gets hurt more often than alphas. Had to rewrite my whole damn paper, but I'm happier with it."

"That isn't possible," Weiss says, almost absently.

"And why not? It's not confirmed what the Grimm is," Yang challenges, but isn't angry.

"There's never been a sighing of one, not in all the research I've done," she looks up, so Ruby can't see her expression, but her heel is bouncing. "Every attack ever recorded has described an adult Bauson, like the one we fought."

"They could go after lone wanderers," Yang points out. "People who don't survive the tell the tale."

"I do not believe so. With all the Huntsmen that have lived, not a single one of them has retrieved the skeleton sample of a juvenile Bauson, even the ones without a team. It's not like Grimm can tell the difference between an ordinary citizen and a Huntsmen, either, so there's bound to have been someone who fought one. But there hasn't."

"Oh," Yang's eyes blow wide, matching Ruby's as they exchange glances. Yang almost tumbles off the bed when she leans over the edge. "You're telling me those things plan ahead?"

"Correct."

"Not even Nevermore do that!" Ruby squeals, eyes sparkling as she also leans over her bunk's edge. "That's so cool! Also terrifying. But that's so cool!"

Are there other Grimm that do that?

"...Well there goes my theory," Yang grumbles.

"There isn't any right or wrong, though," Ruby says.

"And it could just be an interpretation of what a juvenile Bauson could be like," Bella adds, her book and shade away.

"What about you?" Yang hangs upside down to face her partner. "What do you think it is?"

Bella contemplates for a moment. "A King Taijitu, but one that's lost one of their heads," she sits up, legs crossed. "The story at first glance is incredibly simple and straightforward, but that lends itself to a subtle melancholic story of loss and uncertainty. A King Taijitu can live with only one head, but they're always sluggish and lethargic, as if they're grieving their lost half. But they also don't fully understand what it is they've lost. So they mourn what used to be."

"Wow, that's... really upsetting, actually," Yang comments. "I never got that from the text, all I saw was the search for something."

"It's a bit of both," Bella says.

"It's a wingless Gryphon," Weiss states, as if it's fact as she turns through the pages of her notes. "A grounded Gryphon would be left behind by its pride since it can no longer provide any value. But it's tied to the sky and their kind, so it's obligated to search for both while lamenting the loss. It's shown to be unable to hunt, and from the description it's not like it's a juvenile."

"No wrong answers," Ruby sing-songs, earning a mild look. She giggles. "It's everything and nothing at once. That's what's fun about it!"

"Then what do you see?"

"A juvenile Beowolf! Young and inexperienced," she begins counting on her fingers, "got separated from its pack so it's looking for them, and a pack is all it's ever known so it misses them! But because it's alone it gets hurt a lot," she says sadly, tracing the cover like petting a dog. She gets a rare bit of sympathy for the creatures of destruction. All alone in a confusing world that hates them and wants them dead, through no real fault of their own. Everyone needs to eat.

But it isn't so simple as that.

"What do you think the author went through?" Ruby asks, softly. "To write this? Sure it's a Grimm-tale, but it feels really grounded and, well, real."

"All stories are born from a truth," Bella says, her voice melancholic as she lays down on her back.

So the tragic ending likely happened to the author or someone they knew. Ruby hugs the book, as if she can comfort the long-departed soul who wrote it. She hopes they were happy in the end, even if what they wrote wasn't.

The flash of a white cloak.

Yeah. She hopes they were happy.

A/N: Hi, hello, I lied. Here's some RWBY fluff, with a dash of angst. Also, sorry it took longer than normal to post! I was having trouble with this chapter and was honestly getting anxious about it, so I took a small break to reset myself with a better mindset of ideas ^^ Everyone thank my brother for being awesome in helping me with my that