All I gotta say is pay attention to Ironwood's appearance and description... oh and look out for another flashback surprise ;D.

Fighting Rose

Chapter 23

A moment to think

Ozpin looked up as the elevator-door opened, sighing in a bit of relief as none other than General James Ironwood walked in. As always, he was dressed rather casually, a simple dress-shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal his muscular arms, black khaki pants and white joggers.

"Hey Oz!" He greeted warmly, the calloused palm of his right hand firmly clasping Ozpin's own before he drew the other Headmaster into a hug. "I'm so sorry for being so late, dealing with the Warmaster is…" He trailed off, his face both tired and sour.

"Difficult, I presume?" Ozpin chuckled before his face turned serious. "Has he placed… 'Orders' on you?"

"Difficult is putting it lightly," James chuckled back, "But don't worry, he hasn't used his Semblance on me recently." He turned to the recently-arrived Glynda, his eyes lighting up a bit more and grin a bit wider. "Glynda, it's certainly been some time since we've seen each other."

"We call every Saturday," She said with a roll of her eyes, but her pink cheeks were very hard to miss.

"And somehow it feels like you'd prefer if it were more often," James teased, her face turning pinker as she crossed her arms. "Dinner at eight then? I bought some fresh steak."

"…very well," Glynda conceded, the small smile on her face very telling before she became serious. "Now, to business."

"Indeed," James sighed, his posture straightening slightly. "Now am I right to assume that Torchwick is in the guest-room?"

"That would be correct," Ozpin nodded, "He hasn't attempted to break out at any point in time. I actually managed to get some decent sleep."

"You mean that you haven't seen any attempts!" Roman called out though the door, "I might be at a disadvantage, but never underestimate my resourcefulness in a tight spot."

He stepped through wearing his now-clean outfit before freezing at the sight of both Ironwood and Goodwitch staring him down, the former still relatively relaxed while the latter already had her hand on her riding-crop.

"…You've gotta be kidding me," Roman groaned as he fished out a thick stitched-together shirt of some kind from under his white suit. "So much for my makeshift bullet-proof vest."

"Isn't your coat already bullet-proof?" James asked with a raised brow.

"Of course, but I'm not dumb enough to enter the office of one of the strongest people in the world without some kind of extra protection," Roman protested, James chuckling in agreement. "Now we await our final member, that dastardly little red."3

"Summer's daughter," James confirmed with Ozpin. "Think what you will Oz, but her forward thinking just saved us a lot of time and potentially an immeasurable amount of lives."

Ozpin's silence combined with the flicker of frustration on his face momentarily surprised James, though he opted not to comment on it. It was then that the elevator chimed and the doors opened to reveal the still-armed Ruby Rose, backpack slung on her shoulder, her face and eyes hardened as she strode into the office, staring Ozpin down right from the get-go.

"Sorry I'm late, wanted to freshen up a bit," She said blandly before turning to James and Glynda and respectfully nodding at them. "General Ironwood, Professor Goodwitch… Torchy."

"Hah! Bite me lil' Red," Roman chuckled ruefully.

"Miss Rose," Ironwood greeted with equal respect, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'd just like to say thank you for your efforts in detecting and destroying one of the missing paladins. It's exposed a lot of issues in regards to Atlan Military security… if you can even call it that," He ground out, "It's been a pain trying to get Schn – the other higher-ups to listen, though they were very quick to pay attention when they found out that the Fang was responsible."

"You mean Weiss' father?"

Ironwood's eyebrows rose in surprise before he relaxed again.

"Resourceful, aren't you?" He chuckled. "Yes, him. His desire for worldwide military power and control has quite apparently given rise to negligence that we cannot afford during these times. Not to mention his… level of control that he has over many of my actions make me little more than a figurehead at times."

"Oh, so that's why you've got three Destroyer-Class Warships parked outside," Ruby realized, "It's not you who wants to overcompensate for something, it's Weiss's ol' pops. Makes a lot of sense, considering the shit I've heard about him."

"Hah, putting it lightly!" Ironwood laughed before straightening himself. "Right, now, could you please recite the details of your operation and any additional findings?" Ruby's face twitched, not exactly keen on going through the entire thing again. To her surprise, Ironwood raised a palm with a little grin on his face. "No need to tell the entire story, just the important details in chronological order."

Ruby did so with Torchwick interjecting at times to confirm her statements, still surprised at how… relaxed Ironwood was, despite being the General of the famed Atlan Military Forces. He was clearly concerned and upset at the fact that multiple highly-dangerous items were now in the hands of full-blown terrorists, yet he kept his cool and she could tell that he was constantly thinking of ways to minimize the potential damage.

'This… doesn't seem like the Ironwood I heard about at all!' Ruby thought, utterly baffled. 'Where's the man who's as unwavering as steel, who's as stiff as a board and follows the rules to a 'T'? I've… gotta be missing something here.'

"And that's more or less been by gig for the past few months," Torchwick finished, "Just stockpiling Dust and weapons, whatever wasn't nailed to the floor. The weapons I get and to an extent the more refined dust but… the raw material itself? Not so sure if they were gonna be used at Glenn or elsewhere."

At the mention of Glenn, Ironwood's eyebrows went up and he sharply looked at Ozpin, a grave look on the latter's face.

"Oz… you don't think-?"

"Ruby Rose," Ozpin spoke firmly. "You are hereby given permission to destroy everything and anyone in your path upon the Field-Mission Day. I will assign Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck to back you up. However, under no circumstances should any explosives be set off under or around the main mountain itself."

"You're hiding something again," Ruby growled as she strode right up to Ozpin, "Since I covered up your incompetence once, then you owe me an answer. What's in Mt. Glenn that's so important? Why can't we just deal with the issue now!? Hell, why aren't we throwing everything at Cinder right now!?"

"That operation of yours was done without my knowledge and clearance, I do not owe you anything," He snapped back, the air quickly turning tense. "You are a stellar prodigy, I give you that. But in the scope of this 'Great Game,' you are young, you are foolish, and above all else you are weak."

The last word seemed to physically strike her, Ruby stepping back slightly with a furious but hurt look and eyes slightly watering. Even Ironwood and Glynda flinched at the uncharacteristic harshness from the Headmaster.

"Geez old man," Roman muttered, "Bit sharp with that tongue eh?"

Ruby's head hung low, her fists clenched and trembling as the air around her started to warp very slightly, her aura starting to waft from her body and her muscles tensed up. Ozpin was not blind to this, nor was he unaware of the glare that Glynda and even Roman shot his way and sighed.

"…There will be a time for answers Miss Rose. As of right now, revealing them to you would present a great risk to all of us and the innocent people of Vale at minimum if it were to get out. It is not because I don't believe in you, your loyalty to the innocent and your potential as a warrior, it is out of necessity that I keep these secrets. Cinder herself is not someone we can simply afford to try and 'take down' in the open. Forget the public outcry and backlash of us murdering a random huntress-in-training, her abilities ensure that her death will come at a terrible cost paid in blood. I hope you can understand that."

Slowly but surely Ruby calmed herself and quickly wiped her eyes, looking back up at Ozpin with a flat expression.

"I understand."

"Now, is there anything else that you have found?"

"Yes. Mercury Black, the boy in Cinder's team, is extremely dangerous. I don't know how exactly, but he's able to shift to a state of being called the Dark Hado, or Surge of Murderous Intent. His strength and auric potency increases dramatically, to the point where he could definitely rip right through an average Hunter's aura in one shot. That's not just something anyone can do; he's gotta be a murderer by trade, an assassin."

"You said Mercury Black, right?" Ironwood noted as he took out his Scroll, "…Can't be a coincidence that he shares the name and physical features of Marcus Black, another infamous hitman from Mistral."

"You hit it right on the money Woody," Roman congratulated, "That'd be ol' Marcus's son. The boy's always been one hell of a hot-head and quicker to snap necks rather than get info, but he's as good as they come on his worst day."

"That just makes everyone under Cinder that much more dangerous," Goodwitch pointed out. "I haven't seen their fourth teammate, but Emerald must have something special about her too."

"Noted. Anything else?"

Ruby was about to open her mouth, eyes flicking to Torchwick for but a brief instant. The Thief was the only one to catch the look, his face paling slightly as worry streaked across his soul… only for his eyebrows to twitch in shock as Ruby simply shook her head.

"No, that's it really," She confirmed. "If any more threats come our way, I'll tell you."

"…So be it then," Ozpin said, "You may go now Miss Rose."

Ruby nodded respectfully at the Big Three before sending a cheeky little grin to Torchwick, the man flipping her of with a grin of his own but the message in his eyes was clear, relief and gratefulness rippled across his aura yet again, Ruby winking back before she turned and left. Despite the last lighter interaction, the harsh words of Ozpin still echoed in her head, weighing her down as she leaned on the elevator walls.

'Young, foolish, weak.'

It hurt. It hurt to know that he was right and that above all else, she had no clue how to grow. Even as she took out the weighty Tome of Sparda from her bag, she found no comfort in the book. The supposed Faunus 'Devil' who gained the heart of a human upon learning to care for humans and Faunus alike, and with it began to discover the true depths of the soul. The Tome was essentially the notes of his discoveries, the Auric Trigger, directed healing, expanding, contracting, empowering and the reading of a soul. No doubt he'd mastered each and every skill under his belt to a degree unlike anything ever seen before, but it simply wasn't enough for Ruby, not anymore. These were every skill he had learned and had been given time to nurture and grow along with his body and soul in the countless wars he fought, while he was already strong. Ruby did not have that luxury of natural strength or time.

"What do I do…?" She sighed as she sat down on one of the benches outside, staring into the blue sky with a pained face. She then heard footsteps, strong and firm, not attempting to hide themselves as they went right up to her. There was a certain smell, the feeling in the air, an aura that hummed like… she smiled a bit as Sun's head popped into her vision, his usual grin on his face.

"Yo, Ruby!"

"Hey Sun."

…Months ago, the 'Train Incident'…

"Moonslice End."

The Droid was destroyed from the inside out, Adam's aura eating away at the Protosteel before it dissolved into wilting petals. Something felt… off to him though, a comforting presence no longer behind him. Worry shooting through him, it turned to confusion as he whipped around to see Blake on the carriage ahead of him, a solemn look on her face as she raised Gambol Shroud to cut the connection between cars.

She looked up only to see him gone, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end.

"Alright then, what's this about?" Adam asked wryly, standing directly behind her with his arms crossed and a cheeky grin on his face. Her initial surprise faded away as she looked at him angrily, opening her mouth to speak. "Rhetorical question," he waved her off before she could say anything, confusion on her own aura now, his eyes becoming… sad. "… I've taken it too far, haven't I?"

"… yes you have," Blake said resolutely as her anger rose, "Adam, there are innocents on the train! Those bombs would've caused who knows how many deaths, not to mention us being in the middle of Forever Fall!"

She expected him to set his foot down, to be unwavering in his ideals and uphold his (frankly valid) hatred against the SDC. What she hadn't expected was for someone she saw as nigh invincible, unbeatable, unbreakable, to fade away and reveal someone who was simply… tired. Sad. Regretful.

"I… I know."

She was stunned into silence, now understanding those brief flickers she felt from him during those times of hardship, or whenever he had to make a decision. It was always when he was sure she wasn't looking.

"Adam…?" She breathed.

"I have self-awareness too, you know?" He chuckled humourlessly, "I know that I'm considered a 'hero' in the Fang, even if only by my blood, that what I do and how I act has a great deal of influence. I… know that my actions can be stupid, irrational, emotional, and the Vale Branch has mirrored that."

His head hung low as he pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut in a desperate attempt to stop tears from falling.

"I know that my desire for bloodshed is mine and mine alone. And… and from time to time, I've indulged in it. I almost did again, if it weren't for you being here."

He looked up at Blake, tears freely spilling from his eyes as he tried to put on his usual confident grin, the only thing coming out being the broken, wavering shadow of a smile.

"I'm no hero. I'm just a broken person breaking everything else around me."

Blake pulled him into a tight hug, overwhelmed as she too began to cry. They both sank to their knees, the wind whipping past that as they tried to rein in their emotions.

"I know that you're leaving because my actions are reflecting onto the Vale branch," Adam said after a moment, angrily palming at his eyes, "… at least I'm pretty sure that's the reason. I've been wrong before."

"…yes, that's why I wanted to leave." Blake answered honestly. "…but if you've realized that, then-!"

"I don't blame you, you know?" He sighed, sitting back and looking to the sky. "And in all honesty, I think it's better for you that way. I've tainted the original image your father, and by extension my grandfather, had for the Fang. Many of the members in it only really see you as something of a sellout, spineless even."

"You've thought this out almost as well as I have," Blake noted with a raised brow, Adam chuckling.

"I'm not blind Blake, you're not exactly the kind of person who'd want me covering for you all the time," he said seriously. "You're too strong of a person for something like that. Regardless of me facing the truth, attempting to change the Fang's operation and attitudes isn't going to happen overnight. Hell, if they get suspicious enough, they might start to blame you for any changes I start to make, what with you being my right hand and whatnot."

"…are you really okay with me leaving?" Blake asked.

"Yes, because it's a logical, practical decision that can help you grow as a person while also bringing eyes to the Faunus plight," he said before he looked away from her, his cheeks dusting pink but his eyes just as sad. "No because… well, I'm selfish like that."

She couldn't help but giggle at his boyishness, one that she hadn't seen from him in a while no thanks to the countless solo-missions she'd been on. A dark thought occurred to her, looking down in shame.

'If I was by his side more…' she wondered, 'If I wasn't so selfish in trying to do missions on my own… then-?'

"Hey, stop that," Adam said sternly as he put a hand on her shoulder. "No point in debating on a what-if, nor am I so childish that I'd blame you for my own actions." An alarm went off on his watch, Adam kissing his teeth. "Our time is running pretty short. The best I can do for you is say that we got separated-"

"Say I've defected," Blake cut him off this time, "Say that I attacked you and you had no choice to throw me off the train. It's like you said, this is no longer the Fang I stand for, or a place I belong."

"…Very well," Adam said before he turned to her, a determined flare to his aura. "I promise to change the Fang into a group you can return to… a group that our kin can be proud of."

Staring at him for a moment, Blake quickly dashed in and kissed him deeply, catching him off guard before he melted into it. They basked in the moment even as tears rolled down their faces, trying to stretch to moment on for an eternity that was never going to come.

"I'll hold you to that," she said after they separated. "Goodbye Adam."

"Take care of yourself Blake," he replied warmly before he jumped onto the previous cart, both of them taking one last look at each other before they severed the cars together. Even as they went their separate ways, their hope and determination remained strong.

…Present…

"…and all of that for what?" Blake spat to herself as she sat alone in a lecture-room, "Liar. Manipulator. Blood-crazed bastard."

She made to stand up quickly, her blood boiling for a moment before a wave of fatigue washed over her, eyes rolling into her head as she stumbled. Warm hands gently steadied her before she fell, Blake snapping awake to stare at Yang's soft lavender eyes, her expression unreadable.

"You look like you could use a cat-nap Blake," Yang said wryly, an eyebrow waggling, "Get it? Cat-nap?"

"I don't have time for your stupid jokes Yang," Blake hissed, ignoring the pang of hurt that streaked across the blonde's soul. "Nobody has time for something as stupid as parties and dances. The Fang is out there working with a group that wants to throw the world into chaos! You and Weiss really have the audacity to throw something as childish as a dance when we could be out there right now stopping this before it can even start!?"

Blake expected Yang to lash back, to get angry in return, maybe to slap her. She would have welcomed it, the raging fire in her chest begging to be fuelled further. Only, the flame was sputtering out at the calm warmth Yang exuded, lilac delving into amber as she seemed to be searching for something.

'Is she… reading me?' A voice spoke in the black of Blake's mind.

Yang then gently pulled Blake down to sit, Yang's hand on her shoulder only for a moment before she stared forward, a thoughtful look on her face.

"You know…" Yang spoke after a moment, "…You're pretty similar to Ruby before Beacon."

"…?" The tinge of wry sadness was surprising to Blake, enough to keep her silent and let Yang continue.

"To an extent, you're not too dissimilar to me too. You remember what I said about my mom, right? About how I searched for her as a kid and almost got Ruby and I killed?"

Blake nodded, her face souring at where this comparison was going.

"Ah-ah-ah, don't give me that look," Yang chuckled, "You're smart enough to see the similarities. I get how big the situation is, the responsibility of protecting people and beating the bad guys up. But… if you get lost in that and only that…"

Yang fidgeted. Fidgeted. Yang Xiao Long does not fidget.

"I never stopped searching for my mother, you know? And… the incident with Ruby isn't the only time I've landed into danger, or done something stupid… no, something bad. I haven't killed anyone!" She yelped at seeing Blake's worried face. "Haven't killed em', but I've gone… overboard… too many times. Lost in that rage, that desperation to find my mom, to finally get answers, maybe to finally be like her and – !"

Yang stopped, inhaled and let out a shuddering breath, calming herself and wondering if she should let that fact slip.

"And... and maybe… be worthy of mom's attention. Worthy of her love."

"Y-Yang…" Blake stuttered, the blonde's heavy image overlapping with that of him again. Entirely different yet utterly the same. Still, Blake's stubbornness would not be abated so easily, even if the similarity of the situation struck her deeply: it was probably why she thrashed against it all the more fiercely. "…It-it's not the same! I'm not trying to do something personally gratifying-!"

"That's a lie and we both know it," Yang said sharply before her expression turned pained at Blake's flinch, something the latter didn't miss. "Everyone does things out of some sort of personal satisfaction. Sure, Ruby wants to be an unbeatable hero who helps people, but even something as selfless as that stems from her personal desire to never be weak, to never have others go what she went through and surpass herself. You, Blake, are the same. You want to find peace for Faunus and humans alike because you feel a personal responsibility that you put upon yourself from the legacy of your father, don't you?"

"…y-you know…?" Blake asked weakly.

"I'm not dumb despite what my hair might indicate," Yang grinned before she turned soft. "…but that's not important. Get some rest Blake, you're working yourself into the ground and I don't want to see that from you too. I never stopped looking for my mom but… that doesn't mean I can't step back and relax from time to time."

Yang quickly drew Blake into a tight hug, the warmth spreading through Blake and easing her tension away in a way she'd only ever felt with him. Where his was like a thick blanket on an autumn evening, hers was a nap in the sun. She found herself surprised at the disappointment waking her back up as Yang let go and got up, content to leave Blake to her thoughts.

"Oh, and if you take up Weiss's offer, I'd like to be your second dance," Yang said over her shoulder with a grin, a hand in her pocket at she waved and left the room. Blake was left alone, her mind churning as she attempted to digest the information at hand, the choice given to her and the lingering warmth of a sun that had just left the room.

…Ruby and Sun…

"So what's troublin' ya?" Sun asked as he plopped down next to her. Though comforted by his presence, she sighed and looked up to the sky again.

"Lost, I guess," She admitted, "I know that I'm improving and growing stronger, but it's not at the rate that I'm gonna need, especially with what's coming. Even if my physical capabilities are improving and my techniques are slowly getting sharper, it's just not enough. I've hit a wall on where to go and how to improve."

"Hmm…" Sun hummed, nodding and pondering for a moment before turning to Ruby with his usual grin. "Follow me for a bit, I've got an idea."

He quickly stood up and Ruby was immediately at attention as she felt his aura rise, specifically around his legs and feet before he suddenly leapt high into the air. He didn't come down as he quickly 'hopped' mid-air, his foot kicking off a golden mirage of itself.

'Wha-!? Wait, I remember something like that from the docks, when he stopped the falling container! Is that his semblance?' Ruby wondered in awe. 'Then what's with his eyes going yellow, his body bulking up, and that Kaio-Ken? Are those techniques?'

"What're you waiting for?" Sun called down, "Don't tell me you forgot you can fly and hover too!"

"Fly!? No I-!" Her jaw promptly dropped as she remembered her fight with Pyrrha, that moment of clarity as she stared her down… while in the air.

"Don't blast off at full power," He instructed, "Relax. Slowly propel yourself up, let that aura flow from your body."

Ruby fought to contain her excitement and stay composed as she closed her eyes, very gradually upping the power of her Semblance with the intent to got straight up. Petals danced around her for a minute as she stood still before slow, surely, her heels came off the floor. Then the ball of her feet. And finally, her toes left the ground. So concentrated she was that she didn't notice, her muscles tensed and shaking as she focused on the sensation.

"Relax. You can't maintain it like that." His voice was much closer, but the joy and warmth in them made her do just that: relax. She almost panicked as she realised that she was relaxing, only to be shocked that controlling her aura in such a state was… easier. Smoother. "That's it! Now open those eyes."

She did so and gasped as she looked down: she was hovering well over ten feet in the air right in front of Sun, the boy beaming proudly.

"I-I'm-!" She gaped.

"We ain't done just yet. Follow me and remember what I said!" He laughed as he started to hop through the air, using his semblance as footholds. She couldn't help but grin as she made to follow, muscles instinctively tensing up and she almost dropped like a stone, her aura choked up. She yelped and flailed before remembering to relax, breathing out gently as she steadily flew forward. Sun turned around to look at her and continued to hop backwards, his cheeky grin all-too-clear.

"Harder than it looks eh?"

"S-says you!" Ruby called out, trying her best not to tense up, yet having the time of her life as the wind whipped past her face, heart beating powerfully at the look of pride Sun was giving her. She followed him as relaxing became a little bit easier with each passing moment, finding herself whooping in exhilaration with Sun at more than one point. Eventually they touched down on one of the student dorm roofs, Ruby surprised at the sweat she worked up, yet nowhere near as tired or as physically worn out as she thought she would've been. She looked up to see Sun in a combat stance, upright with his palms open and fingers pressed together, pointed at her. His aura still shone with joy, but it was calmly flowing through his body.

"Wing Chun?" Ruby noted aloud, more than surprised at the calm, minimalist style being used by him of all people.

"I ain't finished showing you something yet," He shot back, "Come on!"

Ruby grinned and was already in her stance, both hands up and leaning forward to charge straight in, blood running hot as she roared forward with a blinding right jab. She suddenly yelped in pain as Sun quickly shot out his instep to tap her shin, her punching distance choked as he smoothly redirected the softened blow away from his face as he sharply moved in. His heel hooked her front leg and swept it from under her, his parrying hand gripping her wrist as he placed his other on the small of her back before she fell. A different heat built up in her chest at his closeness, the slight tinge of pink on his cheeks visible even as he grinned. Even still, that wasn't enough to stifle her confusion at being so easily intercepted.

"Seem familiar?" He asked.

Her mouth opened before she quickly shut it. He was giving her a question, one she had the answer to somewhere in her memory…

'Memory?' She wondered, 'No, simply remembering an event isn't enough. I need to remember the sensation, the feeling. Obviously he's referring to my fight with Yang, but what about it…? Respond as my training dictates? No, I've been doing that. It's something else-!' Her eyes went wide before she turned red in embarrassment, remembering what he'd just been talking to her about. The moment before she redirected Yang's attack, which should've shattered her aura on the spot, she was completely relaxed. The speed and power she'd produced from the following attack had literally turned all of Yang's momentum against herself and sent her flying backwards into the wall.

'It's more than just striking!' She realized, 'the same thing can be applied to my Semblance, and I can improve my hua-jin too, which means I can come up with a whole bunch of new stuff!'

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouuu!" Ruby squealed as she threw her arms around Sun and hugged tightly in excitement, at least until she realized what she was doing. She jumped away from him with an embarrassed yelp, her face red as she fiddled with her skirt, Sun chuckling shyly as his cheeks turned pink.

"S-sorry," She muttered, before her eyes narrowed. "…are you helping me make new techniques so you'd know their weaknesses?"

"Wha-!? No, not at all!" Sun said, panicked but honest, "I'm really sorry if I came off like that-!"

"Pfft," Ruby snickered, Sun turning a deeper shade of pink as she burst into laughter, lightly whacking him on his broad back. "I'm just messin' with you!" She giggled, her cheeks still a bit red. "I'm still grateful, but… why are you helping me? I mean, you're actively helping me improve right as the Vytal Festival is around the corner."

He sighed and sat down, patting the ground next to him before she did the same. There was silence for a bit as he contemplated what to say, what he could reveal. Looking into those pure silver eyes, he found himself relaxing, at ease.

"Well, couple different reasons, really," He said honestly, "First: you're cool, really cool Ruby. Training your ass off, striving for strength beyond yourself, revelling in the thrill of a fight… I've never really met a human like you Ruby."

She blushed at the raw honesty in his praised but stayed silent.

"Second kinda has to do with the first part. Y'see, I'm…" He looked around for a bit, peering over the edge of the roof to check for any open windows. "Well uh, you heard about the Legend of Bardock, the Saiyan who beat King Kault of Mantle?"

Ruby raised a brow at the seemingly sudden and unrelated change in topic before she put two and two together at the implications, eyes practically shining in awe.

"You're a Saiyan?!" She squealed excitedly, "That's amazing! I've only seeing pictures and heard stories, but you're the real deal! That definitely explains that primal feeling I get from your aura. So freaking cool!" She again turned red at the realization that she was losing control of her emotions in front of the grinning boy before she coughed into her fist, regaining her composure. "S-so is it because of your Faunus-type's characteristics that, in your eyes, make me easy to communicate with?"

"Oh, nonono. Well… actually, kinda yeah," Sun admitted, "But that's not what I'm talking about. You know how almost all full-blooded Saiyans are born with black or brown hair, and even in half-humans, never with blond?"

She nodded and felt a pang in her chest at the sudden self-loathing that began to collapse into Sun, looking away in shame.

"Back home, in Vacuo, after I was born, anyone outside my family once I started to go out for school and stuff… they uh, kinda considered me a…" The self-loathing grew heavier, and it hurt Ruby to see Sun like this, gently placing a hand on his arm. The feeling dissipated slightly, enough for him to finish his words. "You remember when I… lashed out at you, after I raised my power-output way too high?"

She nodded, only having a vague idea of where this was going.

"I've… got a… mutation that's made me very different from other Saiyans, looks and strength-wise," He sighed, gesturing to himself. "Because of my appearance and my lack of control over my power… pretty much every other Saiyan considered me a… freak."

Rage. Complete, sublime, all-devouring fury threatened to consume Ruby in that moment, her grip on his arm tighter, her eyes gleaming like silver blades, sharp and ready to slice. The look startled Sun, but knowing it wasn't aimed at him, more for him, a warm feeling bloomed in his chest, his cheeks and stomach heating up at the beautiful fury on Ruby's face. She closed her eyes and breathed out, slowly, gently, letting her anger drain from her body. Once she was done, she looked at him plainly before outright tackling him with another tight hug, uncaring of how her cheeks turned red… for the hundredth time.

"They're dumbasses," She said simply, as if she was stating a fact. "So what if you look a little different? So what if you don't have the best lid on your power? Screw them!"

She could've help but smile as Sun burst into laughter and hugged her back, his body warm and aura soothing.

"If you ever meet, my folks are gonna love you," He laughed warmly before releasing his hug as she did the same, a tinge of that same self-loathing returning. "And uh, that's also why I'm helping you. You're not a Saiyan, but it felt… nice to have someone see my differences, see me losing control and…just not really care. You looked me in the eyes when I almost took your damn head off and just… helped me. I love my team, but there are times that even they get cautious, and I don't blame them but it… kinda hurts."

"Like I said, dumbasses plain and simple. Besides, it'll take more than some windmill punch to hit me." She teased playfully while Sun laughed again.

"You're a great fighter, but… you're also a good person," Sun said earnestly, her heart fluttering again at his soft smile and warm soul.

"Aw geez, you ain't gotta make it so sappy-soundin'," She muttered, delightfully embarrassed. "I'm jus'… happy to help however I can."

"And here I am trying to help you," Sun chucked, "So about that, I uh… guess you get what I'm trying to say?"

"Yup, I got it," She giggled, "It seems so mundane, but relaxation is such a key part of fighting and yet I've never thought of it like that. I'm guessing that learning to relax is part of your control?"

"Got it in one," Sun confirmed. "A calm stream will overcome a raging river. It's what my grandpa and his masters have always said. Time and time again, it hasn't failed me." He grunted as his eyes flashed yellow, Ruby's skin prickling as the rush of primal power emanating from Sun once more. "It's thanks to that teaching that I'm able to better control this power of mine."

"And now you're teaching the same principal to me," Ruby smiled, "Thank you."

"Anytime," He grinned as his body deflated and power dropped. He suddenly turned bashful, hands in his pockets as he kicked at some pebbles. "Speaking of which… you uh… you know that dance comin' around real soon?"

"Yeah? What about it?" Ruby asked, curious.

"Well uh…" He cleared his throat, "I was wonderin' if you'd… wanna go… with me? To like, dance n' stuff?"

Ruby stared at him for a long moment, the words slowly being processed in her brain before their meaning clicked, steam rising from her (you fucking guessed it) crimson face.

"Y-you don't have to come if you don't wanna!" He yelped, "I'm just puttin' an invitation out there-!"

"I'dreallylikethat!" Ruby squeaked out before clearing her throat. "I-I… I'd like to go with you. Dancin' n' stuff."

"Really?" He asked, his boyish hopefulness and growing delight making Ruby giggle in spite of herself, the girl in red nodded with a shy smile before Sun cheered, literally jumping into the air with joy before barely reining himself in. "Awesome! I-uh, I'll see you there then?"

"Y-yeah," Ruby nodded, stomach fluttering at the sight of Sun's big grin. "I gotta get going… y'know, techniques and stuff. A-and thanks again. For that. And, uh, asking me to the dance too."

"Pfft, i-it's like, no big deal," Sun half-guffawed half-stuttered, "I mean, the martial-arts part, n-not the askin' you to the dance part."

"Gotcha," Ruby giggled, glad that she wasn't the only one who was nervous. "Bye Sun."

"Catch ya later Ruby," He laughed back bashfully before they parted ways, Ruby gently floating down from the roof as Sun hopped off his phantom feet. With a wave goodbye, Ruby found herself this happy jumble of swirling emotions.

'I can get stronger.'

'I haven't reached my peak.'

'Sun just asked me out to the dance.'

Something gave her pause as her body tensed up, the happy thoughts washed away as Ozpin's words echoed through her. That weakness, the feeling of insignificance gnawed at her stomach, the scar on her stomach slowly beginning to itch and sting –

'Relax.'

Ruby breathed in deeply, counting to four before slowly breathing out her tension. It wouldn't work permanently, or dispel her worries in an instant, that much she knew. Yet, Sun's lesson hadn't been lost on her. This was more than just about fighting, being able to step back and relax was necessary for her to become stronger. She looked down to see her fists clenched hard, forcibly letting them go limp and realizing just how tired she was.

"Yeah… I really gotta relax," She chuckled to herself before making her way to her dorm, an odd sense of lightness to her movements as she smiled.

(TWBY Continued...)

So? What'd ya think? Ironwood, Adam, Ruby able to fking fly (albeit earlier than anticipated), so many developments and so little time! Honestly it's such a blast writing new facets of these characters, and I can't wait to reveal more about them as the plot goes on. Any-who, love y'all and peace ouuut!