There was a joke in this chapter that I made when I was plotting this with a friend that ended up becoming plot relevant. And now we all have to deal with those consequences.
Over the next few days at school, I noticed that Blonde-and-Awkward always went out of her way to find herself standing near me. Not that I had much to say to Yang since my interest in her began with avoiding her shenanigans and ended with being stronger than her.
Especially since she wasn't really the strongest of the horseme- I suppose horsewomen would be more accurate here. Wouldn't it?
I was lost in thought, absently spinning the combination lock on my locker when a voice interrupted my musings.
"Hey Nerd, what'cha up to?" Yang leaned against the locker next to mine, her arms crossed and a smirk on her face.
I had to lament the fact that in terms of reaching physical maturity, women tended to grow faster than men did. And while I was growing at a steady rate, I hadn't quite reached my growth spurt. Yang, on the other hand, was bean sprouting, standing at a towering 5'4 to my 5'1.
Did aura play a part in puberty? Is that why it was so much harder to get a handle on after the early 20's? If so, how does that factor into my own aura? Was I-
"Hey don't just ignore me! Most people would kill to have a pretty girl like me talking to them." Yang pouted, waving a hand in front of my face.
I blinked, refocusing on the present. "...Pretty? Who said anything about that?" I muttered, ducking my head to the side just in time to avoid a cross swing that crashed into my locker.
"Would it kill you to not be rude every time you open your mouth?" Yang huffed, pulling her fist back from the dented metal before placing it back above my shoulder trapping me against the lockers with her body and arm.
Why was she so mad? All I'm pointing out is that nobody said anything about a pretty girl besides her.
Ignoring the blonde who had barged into my life, I ducked beneath her arm and would've continued about my day, or more specifically my afternoon training, or at least I would have, had it not been for me being lifted by the underarms.
It wasn't very effective given that there was only a few inches difference between us in height, but I assumed that it had something to do with the fact that either Yang was just strong or some application of Aura.
If it was an application of Aura then I definitely would like to go see if I could reverse engineer it. Was enhancement something only done at the top level like creating a shell or something closer to Fate's idea of reinforcement?
I couldn't really tell, given that from what I could remember about the medium, Aura's usage wasn't always visible and was somewhat inconsistent depending on the effort.
Yang held me up and turned me around, giving me a better look at her face. Her head tilted to the side as she studied me. "Maybe I should call you grumpy instead of nerd? You're like a cat that just stretches itself when picked up, aren't you?" She grinned.
And she looked like a kid that was completely unaware of how to take care of a pet. The kind that most animals would instinctively know couldn't or in some cases wouldn't hold back their affection.
But that wasn't important. The fact that I was being held hostage was, and while I still hadn't gotten to the point that my endurance would take me from sunrise to sunset to get a decent workout yet, I didn't like my schedule being pushed like this. Every second I spent not working towards something was another that I would need to compensate for down the line.
Which was not only a pain in the ass. But an active detriment.
I sighed, my arms hanging limply at my sides. "I need to go train."
Yang's eyebrows shot up. "What are y- oh. Yeah, you do train a lot, don't you?" She said, realization dawning on her face.
Humming in confirmation, I waited for the girl to place me back on my feet...
...
Is she going to put me down anytime soon?
Waiting a bit longer, I waited for Yang to put me back down, only to slightly pull on her arms as she didn't make any overt movements to place me back on my feet.
"Are you going to put me down?" I asked, my patience wearing thin.
"Hmm... I wonder..." Yang tapped her chin with her free hand, a mischievous glint in her eye.
Don't start acting mysterious because it's to your convenience.
I sighed again, realizing that cooperation was the quickest way out of this situation. "Yes, I do train a lot. I take this seriously," I said, answering her question from earlier in hopes that the small dragon would finally let me out of her grasp.
"See, was that so hard to answer?" Yang smirked, finally lowering me back to the ground.
She didn't let go immediately, her hands lingering on my arms for a moment before she stepped back.
"Is there something that you want?" I asked, straightening my shirt.
Yang shifted her weight, one hand on her hip. "Well, I figure since we are the top students in our year, we would be best to work together since no one is really on our level."
"Our level, huh..." I mused, crossing my arms over my chest.
Yang was an exceedingly dangerous opponent. I have extremely vague impressions and memories of her being capable of smashing a small mech into scrap metal. It would be foolish to not see the validity in her words, especially considering that I had already taken into consideration what it might take to completely counter some of the strongest this world had.
If Yang was as strong as she was now and her ability from my memory showed that she would get even stronger as time went, it was entirely likely that she had some sort of hidden potential that I couldn't account for.
Even if she was not on my level now, the fact was she would be soon. And would quickly surpass it if I didn't find a way to stay competitive. So despite the fact that I had gone to such extremes to stay ahead of people that I had good reason to believe never took training as far as I did, I had to seriously consider the benefits of sharing my training methods.
If I did it, I would get a good training partner, who in all likelihood would surpass me. But if I didn't, I would eventually be surpassed by the girl regardless due to factors outside of my control.
Well, that wasn't fair.
Oh well...
Unreasonable strength would require unreasonable methods... if I had to share a little bit to get more Yang for my buck, then so be it.
It didn't help that I was still aching for a good fight.
I uncrossed my arms, letting them fall to my sides as I met Yang's gaze. "Mmm. I guess you're right," I conceded, nodding slowly.
Yang's face split into a wide grin, her fist pumping the air in victory. "Alright! This is gonna be awesome, just you wait and see!"
She slung an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into a half-hug-
"But seeing as though you're interrupting my training, we'll do what I want today. And then… I guess we can do what you want later." I say as I get dragged into her space.
This girl had like no concept of personal space did she?
"That's fine, I'll just go get changed and we can get started then."
The morning sun filtered through the classroom windows as I gathered my materials for the day. It was a routine I'd performed countless times, but today, my mind was preoccupied with thoughts of one particular student.
Brushing my green hair out of my eyes, I greeted my students, "Good Morning Class!"
"Good Morning, Ms. Dew!"
Ezekiel Slater. Even as I began my first lesson, my mind kept drifting to him, to the conversation we'd had the day before. He was normally on the quiet side, but there was this intensity to the way he did everything and with days like yesterday standing out with hearing him fully communicate what he was thinking.
I shook my head, trying to focus on the task at hand. But as I looked out at the sea of faces before me, I couldn't help but compare them to Ezekiel.
There was Jasper, always quick with a joke but slow to take things seriously. And Sandy, diligent in her studies but lacking the spark of true passion. They were good students, but they didn't have that same fire, that same sense of purpose that Ezekiel did.
Sure he was rarely attentive in class but that was because he was always advanced when compared to his peers.
"Can anyone tell me why 6 times 6 and 6 raised to the second power are the same?"
There was a notable silence, faces looked a bit uncertain. Was I a bad teacher for wishing that I still had a student that was as snappy as that little menace?
…
As the day wore on, I found myself growing increasingly distracted. During the lunch break, as I sat in the staff room nursing a cup of coffee, my mind wandered to those early training sessions with Ezekiel.
I remembered the frustration on his face as he struggled to unlock his Aura, the way his brow would furrow in concentration. But even then, there had been a glimmer of something special, a tenacity and resolve that set him apart.
It was interesting too, to see him get frustrated and then get completely unnemotive after he took a few deep breaths. With him being a generally quiet kid I did get worried that he was getting ready to snap but I guess that he was as stoic as he tried to portray himself.
Afternoon classes brought more comparisons. Michael, with his natural talent but lack of discipline. Lisa, always eager to please but without the confidence to truly assert herself. They were all unique individuals, but none of them quite measured up to Ezekiel in my mind. Even Ruby who they had to pull aside because she already unlocked her Aura and Semblance.
I had no doubt that if Spotlight or Signal allowed sparing between people who did and didn't have their aura unlocked, Ezekiel would have beaten her if they were the same age. He was just too… too… too put together.
Competent.
It wasn't fair, I knew, to hold them to that standard. Ezekiel was an exceptional case, a once-in-a-lifetime student. But I couldn't deny the impact he'd had on me, the way he'd challenged me to be a better teacher and a better person.
I honestly don't think that he even realized it either, he was always asking me questions that I didn't have answers to because I never bothered to think that there was a question worth asking about. I remember one time he asked me about nondust chemistry and wanted to know whether or not Atlus had ever split something he called a "non-divisible bonded matter particle" and I had to go on a deep dive trying to figure out what he was talking about.
What a handful…
As the final bell rang and the students filed out, I found myself lingering in the classroom. I knew Ezekiel would likely be training, pushing himself to new limits now that he had his Aura. A part of me wanted to seek him out, to offer guidance or simply to bask in his presence.
But I resisted the urge. I needed to maintain some distance, to remember my role as his teacher. It wouldn't do either of us any good for me to blur those lines, no matter how much my heart might long to.
With a sigh, I gathered up my papers and made my way out of the school. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the grounds. In the distance, I could just make out a familiar figure, his silhouette unmistakable even from afar.
Ezekiel. Training, just as I'd known he would be. A smile tugged at my lips even as a bittersweet pang echoed in my chest.
He was going to be an amazing Huntsman one day. And I would be there to see it, to support him in any way I could. But I had to accept that our relationship would always be that of a teacher and student, a mentor and mentee. Anything more was just a foolish dream.
As I walked away from the school, I let my thoughts of Ezekiel settle into a warm glow in my heart. He was special, yes. But he wasn't mine to raise solely. My role was to guide him, to help him grow, and then to let him go.
It was a difficult truth, but one I knew I had to embrace. Because in the end, seeing Ezekiel reach his full potential, seeing him become the hero I knew he could be... that would be worth any personal sacrifice.
With a final glance over my shoulder, I squared my shoulders and continued on my way. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new students to teach and nurture. And I would be ready for them.
But a part of me would always belong to Ezekiel Slater.
Oh, that girl, Yang, she was following him.
You can't just treat girls like boy Ezekiel, there is a process to all of this ya know…
While waiting for a few minutes for Yang to change into something that she wouldn't mind getting dirty I warmed up with a routine I had been doing since my first life that took me about fifteen minutes to run through.
Gotta get mobility like a Baki character.
Bouncing from foot to foot, I idly found myself doing a shuffle dance, to a phonk rhythm.
Hearing the door open I turned to see Yang who had her hair tied back into a low ponytail, dressed in a pair of running shorts, a t-shirt and a plain pair of white running shoes.
"Ready to get your butt kicked, Nerd?" She grinned, throwing a few mock punches.
I raised an eyebrow.. "We'll see about that. Let's start with a warm-up jog."
Without waiting for a response, I set off at a brisk pace, weaving through the taking off down the trail leading back to the rest of Patch. Yang fell into step beside me, her long legs easily matching my stride.
Fucking long legs. I hope this body ends up as 6' again.
We ran in silence for a while, the only sounds being our steady breathing and the crunch of leaves beneath our feet. I gradually increased the pace, pushing us into a sprint. Yang kept up, but I could hear her breathing growing more labored.
I- We continued this pattern multiple times, I remember in my last life I used to think of it as holding down a button to sprint and then letting my endurance recover before pressing down on the button again.
Maybe I should start adding in a few rolls every now and again. It would definitely help teach me how to make the transition to combat a bit faster.
After a few miles, I veered off the path, heading towards a steep rock face. "Time for some climbing," I called over my shoulder, leaping up to grab the first handhold.
Ordinarily I would start this from the riverside, so that I could practice sinking myself down to the bottom of the water… but for the first time, this was probably a bit better. Just to serve as a warm up for the lats, calves, and forearms.
Yang followed, her face set in determination as she hauled herself up the rock. I was specifically training to throw myself up from each hand hold since I had scaled this cliff face enough times to know which parts had some level of instability. With the copious hand holds, anything less would basically have me climbing this cliff like it was a ladder. Throwing myself over the top of the cliff in a flip I looked down to see Yang around the halfway point, her aura glowing brightly.
Looking at my own hands I check to see if I had any soul stuff coming off of myself.
Nope..
So was this deliberate effort or subconscious?
Judging by the look of exasperation that Yang was giving me I was leaning towards conscious use.
She clambered over the edge, her chest heaving. "Geez, Ezekiel, you do this every day?" She panted, wiping the sweat from her brow.
I shrugged, already moving towards a pile of rocks nearby. "This is just the beginning. Let's do some limb conditioning."
Ordinarily I might use sand. But that was because I wanted to add more speed, judging by how… half baked she was, Yang was a long way off from being the one from my memories.
I demonstrated the proper technique, striking the rock with precise, controlled blows. Yang followed suit, wincing as her knuckles made contact.
My own attempts had been filled with elbow, knees and shin strikes. Which left my limbs numb, just the way that I liked them.
We moved on to the lake next, diving into the cool, clear water. I led Yang through a series of underwater exercises, shadow boxing and holding our breath for longer and longer intervals.
When we surfaced, Yang was gasping, her aura flickering around her like a sputtering candle. "How... how do you do this without aura?" She wheezed, treading water.
I frowned, a twinge of disappointment in my chest. "I've been training like this for years. Aura is just a recent addition. I thought that you might be able to handle it since Aura makes you stronger."
We swam back to shore, Yang dragging herself onto the bank. She lay there, her chest heaving, as I retrieved a large log from the edge of the forest.
"Last exercise," I said, hoisting the log onto my shoulders. "We run with this down to the beach."
Yang stared at me, her eyes wide. "You're joking, right?"
Patch was a large island. The lake we were at was someways off from the center, and the beach that I liked to swim at was still a decent distance from here.
I shook my head, a small, challenging smile on my lips. "Nope. Let's go."
I set off at a run, the log bouncing against my back with each stride before I pulled it in tight, squeezed my glutes and turned off the afterburners.. Yang scrambled to her feet, chasing after me.
We ran, the afternoon sun creeped across the sky bathing us in an oppressive humid heat that brought me back. Listening to the sound of my burdened footsteps and Yang's lighter trot reminded me of all the times I had pulled my guys out of a hot zone.
It always started off innocuous enough, investigate X, scout out area Y, destroy target Z. From where I was just in the know enough to get the broad strokes but never all of the critical details. But then again, whoever knew everything probably died with that information more often than they actually made it out alive.
…
"Pilgrim, call in CAS, Freed, what can you do with what we have?" I called my Assistant Squad Leader and Corpsmen. "Shit, unless you have a bag of Morphine the only thing we could do to make him more comfortable is use the stretcher." I should've figured, Purple Lung wasn't immediately fatal but- "And put our guns down!? Fuck no, SGT!" One of my more outspoken subordinates, McCain, a young man from the midwest said. "McCain shut up, that's not your call." Good old Pilgrim… "Andy, do you need someone else to carry Gonzales?" "Negative, SGT."
I blinked and noticed that Yang was somewhere behind me. Looking over my shoulder I noticed that the unburdened girl was falling out and the old instinct to start yelling reared it's head and I barely managed to hold it in.
I slowed to a stop, lowering the log to the ground.
Yang stumbled to a halt beside me, her hands on her knees as she gulped for air. "I can't... I can't believe you do this every day," she gasped, her aura sputtering out completely.
I sighed, but said nothing.
She looked up at me, her lilac eyes blazing with determination despite her exhaustion. "I can do it. I will do it. Just... just give me a chance to catch up."
I studied her for a moment, taking in her fierce expression and the way her fists clenched at her sides. She had spirit, I had to give her that.
"Alright," I said, picking up the log once more. "Let's head back. We'll do this again tomorrow."
Yang nodded, pushing herself upright with a groan. "Tomorrow. Yeah. I'll be ready." She dusted off her shorts, her legs trembling slightly as she found her footing on the sandy shore.
I watched Yang leave, her blonde hair swaying with each determined step. As she disappeared into the treeline, I turned my gaze to the ocean, the rhythmic lapping of the waves against the sand filling my ears.
The sun was nearly glaring at me head on in the sky, its rays dancing across the water's surface. Seagulls wheeled overhead, their cries mingling with the crash of the surf. I took a deep breath, the salty tang of the sea air filling my lungs.
If I had to guess it was getting close to about 4pm.
I still had to run this log back to Spotlight and meet up with Aloe.
We ran one of the routes that would take us nearby where I had some of my logs stashed for when I didn't feel like ending on a log run since variety was the spice of life and exercise.
But before I did that, I wanted to try something…
I let myself relax, my muscles loosening as I synced my breathing with the ebb and flow of the tide. Closing my eyes, I looked inwards, seeking the familiar pulse of my Gray Aura.
It was there, a heavy, dormant weight settled deep within me. I focused on it, visualizing the energy as a dense, swirling mass. Slowly, carefully, I began to coax it into a more pliable state, tugging at it in time with the ocean's rhythm.
Intent, I knew, was the key. Whether on Earth or Remnant, the spiritual world responded to the will of the practitioner. And right now, my will was focused on a single goal: creating a shield. Something to block, to protect, to defend.
I could feel my Aura responding, the heavy energy beginning to shift and flow. It was like trying to sculpt clay, my mental fingers pressing and molding the resistant substance. Sweat beaded on my brow, the effort sending a dull ache pulsing through my temples.
But I persisted, drawing the Aura out, guiding it to pool in my hands. It sparked and crackled, arcs of gray energy leaping between my palms like miniature bolts of lightning. The air around me thrummed with power, the hairs on my arms standing on end.
With each passing second, I could feel the pressure building, the Aura growing more unstable. It was like trying to contain a storm in a bottle, the energy straining against my control. Fatigue washed over me in waves, my focus beginning to slip.
Realizing I was reaching my limit, I cupped my hands together, thrusting them forward in a desperate attempt to direct the Aura outwards. A blast erupted from my palms, the force of it throwing me backwards onto the sand.
The air cracked with the sound of the explosion, a wave of heat washing over my face. Sand sprayed in all directions, obscuring my vision for a moment. When it cleared, I could see a scorched patch of beach where my Aura had impacted, the grains fused into a crude glass-like substance.
I lay there panting, my chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath. Raising my trembling hands, I inspected them for damage. A few scratches, some redness from the heat, but otherwise unharmed.
This... this wasn't right. Even with my limited understanding of Aura, I knew that what had just happened was not normal. The way the energy had reacted, the explosive release... it felt wrong, unnatural.
Pushing myself into a sitting position, I stared out at the ocean, my mind racing. What was different about my Aura? Why did it respond in such a volatile way?
I had no answers, only more questions. But one thing was clear - I needed to figure this out. Because if I couldn't control my own power... then how could I hope to stand against the threats that lurked in this world?
With a groan, I stood, dusting the sand from my clothes. "Same crap, different toilet, huh, guys."
I still had a log to deliver and a friend to meet.
Yang limped up the path to her house, her legs feeling like jelly after the intense training session with Ezekiel. Every muscle in her body ached, her aura completely drained. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been pushed so hard, not even by her dad.
Or maybe it was just he couldn't really get his head into the game enough to care… After all, even when he was at school he was more like Uncle Qrow than not. Always squinting like there was something he was missing.
Still, even in the state he was in, he was just a better Huntsman than any of the instructors…
As she approached the front door, the blonde paused, her hand hovering over the knob, lilac eyes narrowing in thought.
IF she took the front door there would be a very solid chance that her Dad would be inside, slumped on the couch with a bottle in his hand. But if he wasn't she didn't want to answer any of his questions since half of them would be gibberish and the other half well… She couldn't face him like this.
Retracting her hand Yang looked at the silhouette she left on the door before stepping back into the yard. Biting her lip, the young girl glanced around before her eyes landed on the tree that grew next to the house.
Its branches stretched towards her bedroom window, maybe she could try to get back in through there…
With a groan, she hauled herself up the tree, her arms shaking with the effort her aura coming to the forefront as she tried to reinforce her limbs with her failing reserves. She'd climbed this tree a thousand times, but never while feeling like she'd been run over by a truck.
After what felt like an eternity, she reached her window, thankfully left unlocked. She tumbled inside, landing in a heap on her bedroom floor.
For a moment, she just lay there, savoring the coolness of the hardwood against her flushed skin. Then, with a sigh, she pushed herself upright, wincing as her muscles protested.
She needed a shower. And to make dinner. And maybe a week-long nap. But first…
Quietly, she crept out of her room and down the hall to Ruby's door. She eased it open, peeking inside.
Ruby's bed was empty, the covers thrown back in a tangled heap. Yang frowned, a flicker of concern sparking in her chest. Where was…
Oh. Fuck.
Ruby had started at Spotlight this year. And Yang, being the amazing big sister that she was, had promised to pick her up after school. But it was more than a promise it was a responsibility because she knew her Dad simply couldn't… If he wasn't drunk then he was always staring off into space with this stupid look that Yang just didn't know how to deal with.
And Ruby… Ruby just didn't understand why he was acting the way that he did. She just tried to comfort him in his time of need but… Yang just didn't like how desperate he was to keep Ruby.
It was like she was an object to him.
Pushing the tangent out of her head, Yang glanced at her scroll, her eyes widening. She was TWO hours late, the idea made her almost want to cry.
Yang had been so concerned with finally having someone she could keep up with that she forgot about her sister. She was only 10 for fuck's sake. She was a terrible older sister.
The soreness that had set in from her workout did go away even as her limbs started shaking with adrenaline but it did help her move just a little better…
Now the question was, what could she pull out to cook that would be ready by the time that she got back with Ruby… but even as she tried to think it through she realized that there wasn't anything that she could make even remotely fast enough that could be ready in time for a regular dinner unless she wanted to just give Ruby something like noodles or rice for dinner…
You couldn't feed a growing child that! They needed a balanced meal so that they could grow up big and strong and she…
AND SHE REALLY NEEDED TO GET GOING!
Taking a breath to try to calm down her heart which was starting to beat nearly as hard as it was earlier when she nearly drowned trying to box with Ezekiel underneath the lake, Yang leaned against the wall.
She felt dizzy…
She felt sick…
The blonde could hear the muffled sounds of the television from the living room, interspersed with the clink of glass on wood. Her dad, no doubt, lost in his bottle once again. Her heart was flooded with the sensation of ice which flooded her entire body at the thought of her father seeing her right now.
But she pushed it down. She couldn't deal with that now. Ruby needed her.
Each step through the house sounded like a bombshell in her pounding ears but so long as she wasn't seen everything would be fine. It had to be.
Silently, she slipped out the back door, easing it shut behind her. Walking to Spotlight as she was would be hell, but she had no other choice, she was 12 and despite how bold she was, she wasn't going to try to steal Dad's car and get into an accident and have everything just get worse from there…
She set off at a jog, her legs protesting every step. The pain was just weakness leaving the body, right? That's what Ezekiel would probably say.
Ezekiel. The thought of the intense, stoic boy sent a shiver down her spine. She'd always known he was strong, but today... today had been a whole new level. The way he'd pushed himself, the way he'd pushed her…
It was intimidating. But also, if she was being honest with herself, a little exhilarating. He was challenging her in a way no one else ever had. Pushing her to be better, stronger.
She'd meant what she said. She would be ready for tomorrow. Ready to keep up, to push herself to his level.
She wanted to blame him but she found that couldn't, it was her own fault for getting distracted. And they probably could've been done faster if Yang had trained harder, or if her Dad had been more consistent about training her…
Still, as the distance from the house grew further the distance to Spotlight became shorter, it was late evening as the building came into sight. Her breath coming in short gasps and her stride had become a trot as Yang rounded the corner, Spotlight coming into view. She could see three figures sitting on the steps, One an adult with fair skin that she didn't know at all with green hair wearing a white dress with a pink cardigan. The other was a boy that she was well familiar with, vacant body language a simple gray shirt and pants and worn out, vaguely vacuan features highlighted by long hours spent in the sun. It was Ezekiel.
And a small figure that could almost be mistaken for a stuffy with how her bright red cloak was situated around her.
Ruby.
There was so much going on to this scene that she didn't understand, like why Ruby was in his lap and why she was being fed cookies? Why did Ezekiel seem to actually be engaged with what her sister was talking about? Who was the adult that Ezekiel was sitting with? She didn't look anything like him.
But all of that was irrelevant. She was just glad Ruby was safe and happy, even if the guilt within her was literally picking her apart at the seams at this point.
As she got closer, Ruby looked up, a wide grin splitting her face as she spotted Yang. She jumped to her feet, waving excitedly.
"Yang! You're here!"
Yang stumbled to a stop in front of her, doubling over to catch her breath. "Ruby... I'm so sorry... I'm late..."
But Ruby just threw her arms around Yang's waist, hugging her tight. "It's okay! I knew you'd come. You always do."
Yang felt a lump form in her throat, her eyes stinging with sudden tears. She wrapped her arms around Ruby, holding her close.
"I'll always come for you, Ruby. Always."
"Hmmm…" There was that humming that Yang quickly learned Ezekiel did when he thought about something. She didn't know all of his tells since he was about as emotional as a brick with his monotone voice and he liked to avert eye contact.
Ruby pulled back from her, "Yang this my new friend, Ezekiel and my teacher Ms. Aloe."
New friend? How did tha- Shaking her head Yang decided it didn't matter and decided to grin. "Oh, how did you meet Ezekiel?"
"Well he came here after he was finishing his training with this big heavy log!"
Wait! He did more training after they were done!?
"And he saw me sitting out here on the front waiting and decided that he would give me cookies if I followed him to the back of the school. Which is where we met with Ms. Aloe, she said it was fine to call her that outside of class and that because Ezekiel was a big kid he could call her that without the miss part. But anyways Ms. Aloe gave Ezekiel cookies for finishing his exercises and Ezekiel gave some to me because… wait why did you give me cookies..?"
With a look that betrayed everything that Yang thought she knew about Ezekiel he looked Ruby and knelt down to look her in the eyes. "Cute is Justice." For some reason her new friend had said those words with a conviction that she didn't understand.
The gray haired boy patted her sister on the head like she was a puppy. Gold looked into Silver and Lilac looked on and decided that she could allow it.
Especially since Ezekiel had somehow been there when she wasn't.