Glynda couldn't help but fidget. It had nothing to do with nerves, or having a bad day.

It had everything to do with an odd anxiety.

"Seems someone is missing Grace," joked Ozpin.

Glynda glared at him.

"Here are the reports for our latest expenditures."

Ozpin smiled at her from behind his precious mug.

"It's perfectly natural to have separation anxiety when sending one's child to a boarding school for the first time," said Ozpin.

"I will switch the entire stock of coffee to decaff if you don't shut up now."

"Shutting up. But seriously, there's no reason you can't enjoy yourself while Grace is at Signal," said Ozpin.

The glare she sent at him could have frozen Fire Dust.

He winced. This did not bode well for his stash of his favorite coffee.

Still the annoyance did have a point. For the first time in eight years she had time to herself. Grace wouldn't return for at least five.

Glynda looked outside the window and sighed.

She could use a day off.

Grace was about to head to library when she saw it. Her mind filled with fury, and she stomped over to where a group of boys was surrounding a faunus girl.

"What in Oum's name are you doing," she hissed enraged.

The boys turned to her, before going back to their victim.

"Butt out of this Goodwitch, we're teaching this dirty animal a lesson."

There were days she wished she was allowed to carry Storm's Embrace outside of combat practice. This was one of them. Fortunately she did have a practice weapon with her at all times, though which one varied upon her mood.

Today she had a spare of her mother's usual 'weapon'. It was more of a focus for her Semblance.

The sound of slaps of the weapon against their hands and their sudden shocked hiss of pain calmed her down.

"What's your problem! She's just a dirty faunus!" said the boy snidely.

"And you're just a barbaric human," she shot right back, helping the other girl up. "Do you have any idea what you look like, ganging up on a girl like that?"

The trio of boys glared at her, already prepared to deal with her as well. That is, before Yang and her sister came into view.

"What's going on here?" asked Yang dangerously.

"I found these idiots ganging up on a girl just because she has wolf ears," said Grace coldly, her opinion very clear on the matter. What most didn't know was that she actually supported the White Fang movement, and even saved up her allowance to help pay for medical supplies and food for faunus orphans.

Her mother, when she found out via Ozpin after inquiring why Grace's savings weren't as high as they should have been when she went to make her weapon, had sighed in exasperation and told her flat out she wasn't allowed to go to any of the rallies.

However, she did up her allowance and allow her to go with the faunus students to deliver foods and basic first aid kits to the more run-down orphanages for faunus children.

Grace was well known among the more friendly members of the White Fang as an ally to their cause, even if she was discreet about it due to her age.

Yang's eyes narrowed, but not at Grace or the faunus girl.

"They thought ganging up on a girl was acceptable?"

"I'm sure they might try to emulate some of the more...disturbing...human on faunus videos on the Scrollnet," said Grace with ice in her voice. Yang's eyes turned red.

Ruby might think her friend was referring to beating and torture, but Yang was a bit more worldly, enough to understand the subtle reference Grace was making to the more adult videos on the net.

She might not watch them because she found them disgusting, but she knew they existed. She heard the older White Fang members complain about them enough to get the gist.

Seeing the looks on the boys faces (evidently they caught the real meaning of Grace's comment) gave her some hope.

"Why do you think faunus are 'dirty animals' anyway?" asked Ruby. It was clear she didn't get it at all.

Grace listened to their stammered explanations, as it was pretty clear Yang was absolutely in the mood to beat someone up over this. Considering her brawling style usually left prospective hunters and huntresses in the infirmary with broken bones...

They definitely didn't want to give her an excuse to beat them to a pulp.

"So let me get this straight. You don't like faunus because they have different ears and tails?" said Ruby.

"It's not normal!" protested brute number two.

"Ruby had rare eye coloring, and I'm rarely allowed to use my Semblance. We're both oddballs, so does that give you the right to treat us differently?" countered Grace.

The boys winced. If they tried to explain it to her that it was okay for her to have a dangerous Semblance or Ruby to have silver eyes because they were human, Yang would almost certainly pound their faces in until they couldn't feel anything anymore.

"Now then, you lot are going to leave and think about what you were going to do to an innocent girl just because she happens to have wolf ears, or else next time Yang and I will rearrange your faces," said Grace.

Seeing them flee the area, the girl said timidly... "Thank you."

"I'm a friend of the White Fang, or at least the peaceful factions of it. I used to make trips all the time to the orphanages to give them supplies and fresh food. There's nothing wrong with wanting equality, so long as violence isn't used to do it."

The girl raised an eyebrow at her and Yang.

"That was more implied violence," said Grace sheepishly. "Do you need any medical assistance? I have a first aid kit with me."

The girl winced as she touched her shoulder. She calmly allowed Grace to bind her shoulder and apply salve to reduce bruising. Grace also made sure to buy her a lunch large enough to share with her friends, if she had any.

It wasn't spoken of, but the number of faunus children who lived on the street was unfortunately high.

Grace eventually got the girl's name. Remia Darkheart.

"Well that was a thing," said Yang when they got back to the dorms.

"You're not mad at me are you?"

"Nah. I mean I'm kinda surprised to see you lose your cool like that, but considering what those idiots were doing..." said Yang.

Grace was normally refined and calm to Ruby's childish excitability. The two were an odd combination, and Grace had the highest grade point average and combat scores. Except for the grades involving Semblance. She had a barely passing grade in those because she had a note from the headmaster of Beacon of all people explaining an exemption from them.

Yang still couldn't find out what that was about, and her uncle was suspiciously mum about the reason when she asked. Even using Ruby's puppy eyes had no effect.

Finding out this side of her was really refreshing.

"So you go to orphanages to deliver food and medicine?" said Ruby.

"Want to join us? We're going to make a delivery next week," said Grace.

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"Not really. The faunus I go with are graduates from Beacon, and they help save up to afford the supplies. Since we started doing it, their living conditions have improved drastically," said Grace.

Because she made a point to visit as often as she could, she got to know the children personally. Enough so that she was able to bring them cheap clothes and new shoes whenever their own was in dire need of replacement.

The fact that the daughter of Beacon's deputy headmistress was doing this because she could, and not because of some community outreach program her mother put her in had other sympathizers joining in.

Some of the other faunus even stepped up to fix the orphanages up so that they were easier to live in, or other minor repairs.

"It's next week right?" said Yang.

"Yup."

"Count me in then. It'll be interesting to see what exactly you do on the weekends anyway."

"Me too!" said Ruby. She liked hanging out with Grace.

Nothing could have prepared Yang or Ruby for the faunus orphanage. The second the children saw Grace, they lit up and practically tackled her in a hug.

"Gracie!" shouted one girl with bunny ears. A stoic boy with a fox tail was practically vibrating.

"I brought new friends with me! Met Yang and her little sister Ruby. They go to Signal with me," said Grace.

Ruby clicked almost instantly with the kids. Of course the fact she brought some fresh cookies, enough to share with them all didn't hurt.

"Sooo cute!" said Ruby, before she giggled at the pile of faunus kids.

Yang grinned as well, before she bent down to their level to shake their hand.

"So how come you bring stuff anyway?"

"I was adopted when I was three. Though to be fair, my mom firmly maintains my uncle totally guilt-tripped her into it, even though she was only there for a job interview."

"Really?" said Yang, highly amused.

"Yup. He even used an old loophole so I could live at Beacon, but none of the professors were exactly fooled by the reasoning. When I go back I'll likely be an extra for any teams missing a member due to illness or because they got too hurt to go on field trips."

Yang blinked, and looked at her oddly.

"You can do that?"

"Those at the school under the old apprentice laws can. Officially I'm the headmaster's apprentice, since my mom can't take me on. Unofficially he was training me to be a diplomat to ease some of the pressures he has as the head of Beacon."

The second he found out she had a genuine knack for diplomacy, he went all out in training her so he wouldn't have to listen to people argue on the council. He put forth several "problems" that had come up in the past that were never resolved to anyone's satisfaction to see how she would react.

Grace had an uncanny ability to find the easiest solution that was acceptable to both sides, or at least had enough compromise to keep them from arguing for days about it. And if the few times Ozpin had her deal with...strong...personalities with known bias for or against something, she was able to overcome the age difference by displaying a rather strong resemblance to her mother.

Glynda liked to tell students who did good while being foolish that she would give them a pat on the head and a slap on the wrist for doing something so stupid.

Grace, on the other hand, had gotten into the habit of telling idiots who annoyed her she would like to smack them on the head and slap on a pair of cuffs for being so stupid.

Ozpin and the other teachers often had a good laugh seeing her emulate her rather strict mother.

Which was why she was going to be in the advanced courses once she came back to Beacon as a proper student. In between the homework, she would shadow experienced hunters and attend council meetings with Ozpin so she could act as his voice.

It meant she could get a lot more experience at combat, considering she already knew most of the things they taught at Beacon first year.

The trio had quite a bit of fun hanging out with the kids, though Yang felt absolutely exhausted.

"I can't believe you do this every month."

"Again, it used to be a lot worse. Since I started visiting them there's a sense of hope in them that was really lacking."

She kept her mouth shut about her friend Blake, who often came back from working with the White Fang telling her about the world outside Vale.

Blake was a cat faunus who had some major trust issues, but once she realized Grace was being genuine about her care of the orphans she opened up. It didn't hurt that Grace was unashamed to bribe her with books she would have real difficulty acquiring because of the cost.

Besides...Blake was the one to show her all sorts of neat tricks to pull with the whip-form of her weapon. The two of them had contests whenever she was in town.

Still, Yang felt Grace had way too many secrets. And she was determined to get to the bottom of at least one of them.

"So Uncle Qrow, what's Grace's Semblance?" asked Yang casually, with Ruby trailing behind her for another lesson in using her scythe Crescent Rose.

"For the last time Yang, I can't tell you!" said Qrow exasperated. It was worth more than his job to let that slip.

"Come on, you can tell us can't you?" said Yang.

"She can copy other people's Semblance and use it as her own, but it also comes with their memories," said Ruby.

Qrow and Yang stared at her.

"Grace told me a few months into term. She didn't want to freak me out if she lost her control over it. I don't see what the big deal is, I let her copy my ability so she could help me practice fighting against it," said Ruby.

Qrow winced. Ozpin was going to be annoyed when he found out.

"And when did you let her copy it?" asked Qrow.

"It was a few months into Semblance training. I was complaining about how I was having trouble training mine when she made a comment on how I might find it easier fighting against someone who could do the same thing. It took weeks for me to wear her down enough for her to help me," said Ruby.

"Well at least now I don't have to explain how you found out. There's no rules against her telling you," said Qrow, taking a long pull of his booze.

"Wait, so her Semblance allows her to copy other's?" said Yang, not getting why it was such a big deal.

"It's called 'Rogue'. Because it allows her to copy a person's Semblance to the point where she can absorb it into herself, the council asked Ozpin to put restrictions on her until she became a full huntress."

"Why?" asked Yang shocked.

"Where does our Semblance originate from?" asked Qrow.

"From our unique Aura," said Yang, as if it were obvious.

"And what powers our Auras?"

"Our souls," said Ruby.

"Now imagine facing a huntress that can copy something that is the purest extension of ourselves, right down to reading the memories off our Auras. She can use it just as you can, except she can copy more than one," said Qrow.

Yang's jaw dropped.

That...sounded somewhat terrifying.

"Now you see why her Semblance isn't on the records. She's only allowed to unleash it in emergency combat situations or on other hunters and huntresses previously briefed on her ability with their consent. It was the only way to avoid a potential riot from the other kingdoms," said Qrow.

"Can't she just use someone else's ability in class though?"

"She has a range of how close she has to be in order to copy it. A classroom more than falls into that range, so she has to keep tight control over it to avoid incidents."

Yang winced.

"Which is why she makes a point to become known as a huntress who 'has no Semblance'. As far as anyone needs to know, her Semblance is too wonky to use in battlefield situations, so she specializes in the other areas to hide it. And just so you know, this is a secret you can't tell anyone."

Considering how freaked out their classmates would be if they knew, Yang nodded.

No wonder Grace was so attached to orphans. They wouldn't care if her Semblance was so weird.

"Ruby told you?" said Grace, wincing.

Yang nodded, then wrapped gave Grace a one-armed hug.

"I was wondering why the teachers never made you practice your Semblance in class."

"They agreed to give me a passing grade to avoid accidents."

"Whatever, you're still my baby sister's weird roommate. How about this... in exchange for helping us with our homework we'll help train your Semblance. I'm sure Uncle Qrow would know someplace," said Yang.

"Ruby and Qrow are already helping, but I suppose an extra partner wouldn't hurt."

"That's the spirit!" cheered Yang.