Note: I'm back! Apologies for not uploading for a few weeks, I was on break celebrating my birthday. Ironically, I also needed a vacation. I'll do my best to give Team RWBY one of equal value. That said: Welcome, everyone, to the Spring Break Beach Vacation Side Arc! A side arc full of surf, sand, and probably smut. I've read your suggestions, and am going to do my best to fulfill them. This arc is just going to be pure fun nonsense, and if you can't tell from below I had a lot of fun writing this first chapter. I don't really have a chapter limit on this, so this is going to go until people get bored. When I said they were getting a break, I meant it. I'll still do character stuff in here, but this arc is about letting go of inhibitions and just relaxing. I really hope you enjoy.

A villa in eastern Vacuo. A crescent-shaped cove, isolated from the world by endless palm trees. The perfect conjoining of ocean currents and atmospheric pressure, creating a tropical haven far from the coasts of Menagerie.

Twelve Huntsmen and Huntresses in training, eager to start the most pleasant week of their lives. No adults. No supervision. Winter had given them free rein of the property, under the condition they don't destroy the place too badly.

The day was April 5th.

Ruby had heard Weiss describe the property to her, the dream house that her father purchased for family escapes. A personal slice of paradise was how she described it. Ruby hadn't believed her until she stood in front of the towering, gorgeous villa: tall and white and symmetrical, sunrays bouncing off its luxurious exterior; its open structure giving each of its ten rooms a clear view of the beach, a porch with a massive swimming pool and a fire pit and lounge chairs like stepping onto the deck of a yacht, the vast, crafted wooden interior filled with natural sunlight that was both homey and upscale; she felt at ease when the strong scent of saltwater hit her nostrils, carried by the warm ocean breeze; when sticky, hot sand crinkled beneath her toes and the air was filled with the sound of gentle, crashing foamy waves. The beach stretched for half a mile, not a single other villa in sight. They were well and truly alone. She was nearly overcome with emotion when she dropped off her belongings in one of the master suites, itself as large as the living room of her house. The sheets on her bed were silken and poking the bed caused her finger to plunge into the softness of the mattress, like falling into a dream. Her private bathroom had a waterfall shower and a selection of gels and shampoos that she couldn't begin to recognize. Once she disposed of the large photo of Jacques hanging above the bed, it felt like home.

Ruby collapsed onto the bed and let out a sigh. Yeah. She was going to like it here.

Once everyone was settled in the mansion, the RWBY-JNPR-CFVY alliance met in the main living area to discuss their plans. There was a large, circular table in the center, enough for the twelve of them to sit comfortably. Weiss pushed open the porch doors to let the breeze in, and within the wide space, there was barely any separation between them and the beach. They discussed plans only for a few moments, mostly to get accustomed to the space and the surroundings. Everyone received their own rooms, except for Velvet and Yatsu, who wanted to share a space—which annoyed Coco to no end—and Yang, who for some reason, was very intent on crashing on the super comfy couch in the living room. The kitchen was on low supply, though there was a store and a luxury shopping area a few miles away, and the wine cellar was stocked. A large television hung above the living room, one hundred inches wide and curved at the edges, for when they wanted to watch a movie—or for when Yang was up late and wanted to fuck around while making a late-night snack. The woods and ocean were fine to explore within reason, as there weren't any hostile marine animals in the region. The only question that remained… what to do first?

Buy food?

Take a dive in the pool?

Explore the coast?

Break into the wine cellar and go fucking nuts?

"This… this is nice…" Ruby sighed contently. She laid back in her beach chair, slowly breathing in the salty ocean air. An umbrella kept her shaded from the sun, and a plushy pillow was propped beneath her head. It turned out what she wanted to do was sit out on the beach and relax. Almost as soon as the meeting ended, she changed into a red one-piece swimsuit, plopped herself down in front of the waves, and let the world fall away. Every ounce of tension that had accumulated in her body slowly faded away, and the horrors of the world went with them. No Ozpin. No Ironwood. No trouble.

Just bliss.

Perfect, summertime bliss.

Okay, like, technically it was still spring, but close enough.

Her body went completely limp as she took in the beauty of her surroundings. The ocean looked lovely, and perhaps later, she would take a dip. Or not. Whatever she felt like doing, she could. This was her vacation. Fuck the haters. And while she enjoyed her simple relaxation under the sun, the rest of her allies did as well, though in their own ways.

Weiss felt strange staying in the villa. She had last visited in her childhood during much happier times. Well, not happier. Simpler would be the more operative term. Back then, she could at least pretend her family was a family. The drama that sat in her bloodline like a genetic disease could be ignored, painted over with sunshine and smiles. That was impossible now. When she entered her old bedroom, the first thing she saw was her father's face in a picture on her nightstand. She wasn't sure she could ever look at the lecherous bastard the same way again, knowing what she knew now. She was glad to be rid of him, and there was no lack of vindictive triumph staying in his home, using his property for her own needs. But it was also violating in ways she couldn't describe. She felt like his punishment was right around the corner—as if once he discovered her transgressions, he would beat her like he used to. And yet, that was no longer possible. The past needn't consume her anymore. She was free. This was her chance to be free.

So, what did she do with her newfound freedom? She took a beach chair and lounged directly next to Ruby, of course, in a pretty swimsuit of her own. Or swim dress, technically. Summer wear in the not-summer. Ruby didn't mind. In fact, Ruby didn't notice. Ruby wasn't looking at her. Ruby was looking at the beach. But Weiss was looking at Ruby. Oh yes, she was looking at Ruby. That was her primary desire. Look at Ruby. In a swimsuit. Because wow, Ruby looked really good in that swimsuit. Specifically, her bare arms. Weiss hadn't really noticed with all the other drama going on, but in the past few months, Ruby had gotten really buff. Not Yang levels of buff, but jacked enough that her biceps were making Weiss sweat from more than just the sun. Ruby's thighs were not helping either. Or her neck. Or the very small exposed amount of her collar. And the swimsuit was particularly form-fitting—okay, so actually, all of Ruby's body was giving Weiss heat-stroke, and she didn't mind. She just kept staring at Ruby, and Ruby kept lying there, blissfully unaware of how pathetically thirsty her girlfriend was.

Others were thirsty in more literal ways, specifically Team CFVY. One of the first things they did was raid the storage room for fun beach activities, and they found it. After some careful set-up, Team CFVY began their first of what would be many contests: beach volleyball. Girls vs boys. The game was as intense as expected of Team CFVY. Despite wearing bikinis, Coco and Velvet were a ferocious duo, and their leaping and striking skills were unmatched. Yatsu and Fox were able to keep up though, with the former's massive frame and the latter's enhancements giving them an edge. Huntsmen volleyball was less strict than regulation rules, and they took full advantage of their Auras to deliver truly astonishing strikes.

The game was to twenty-one points. The score was tied at ten. Coco readied herself for the serve. She adjusted her sunglasses and pulled down on the visor she wore in place of her beret. She met Yatsu's gaze, and he acknowledged her. He served it hard in her direction.

She deflected it high into the air. Velvet jumped up to reach it, her unmatched Aura-powered hops pushing her up into the sky, blocking out the sun. She smashed the volleyball down hard with a double, overhead fist. Fox dove, barely bumping the ball up before it hit the sand. Yatsu set him up with another, and Fox sprung back to his feet quickly to deliver a killing blow. Though the competition was friendly, he felt no remorse for the cheap shot he was about to take. He spiked the ball to Velvet's right—into her blind spot, where she still wore her eyepatch from her fight with Team JJWL. She dove to retrieve the ball, but was just too late, getting a face full of dry sand for her efforts.

Coco placed her hands on her hips. "Boo, that was cheap."

"Hell yeah, it was cheap," Fox said with a smirk. "Eleven-ten. Our serve."

"Oh, you dead motherfucker," Coco hissed. She helped Velvet up to her feet, brushing some sand out of her hand. "But first, drink break. Anyone want anything from the bar?"

"I'm good," Velvet sighed, spitting out sand. "Actually, maybe some ice water."

"Ice water. Got it. Boys?"

"No, thank you."

"None for me."

Coco nodded, turned around, and lightly jogged back to the villa. On her way there, she nearly tripped over a waist-high pile of sand, and Nora burst out from nowhere to scream at her.

"Hey, watch it!"

"Sorry!"

Nora was well equipped; she had several buckets and small shovels by her side, and her skirted swimwear, as well as every inch of her skin, was covered in sand. There was a determined fire in her eyes, and she wielded one of the shovels like her hammer… only much, much, much tinier. Coco decided she didn't want to get in Nora's way and quickly sidestepped around the large, currently shapeless pile of sand to return to the villa. As she left, Ren ran up to Nora, in his wetsuit, panting heavily, a very large bucket of very wet sand dangling from his fingertips.

"Is… is this enough?" he asked, having returned from his fiftieth trip.

"It will never be enough!" Nora declared. "This fortress must withstand the might of the entire Atlassian army. It needs more sand. More sand, Ren!"

Ren sighed, but he did not complain. Nora was his best friend, and she had a dream—a dream of building the biggest sandcastle in recorded Human history. He wasn't going to let anything stand in the way of her and that dream, not even his own, meager tiredness. He turned around and returned to the shore to retrieve more wet, moldable sand, as Nora continued crafting her masterpiece…

Coco hopped up onto the villa's porch, where the bar was set up. Calling it a bar was perhaps generous; in truth, Yang had raided the wine cellar, wheeled out a table, and was dolling out drinks to anyone who asked. Coco probably shouldn't have accepted. The legal drinking age in Vacuo was eighteen, and Yang was a few months shy of the milestone herself, as were around half of her teammates and several of Team JNPR. But damn, if Yang didn't mix a fine cocktail, and Coco wasn't going to tell the authorities.

As Coco approached the bar, she noticed Jaune and Pyrrha in the large pool placed on the deck. Pyrrha was swimming laps back and forth, racing with each stroke. Coco found it funny that even while relaxing, she was still technically training. She'd have to do something to get that woman out of her shell. Jaune was in the pool as well, understanding the concept of vacation. He floated in its dead center on a large, inflatable ring, and Pyrrha's constant splashing sent ripples across the surface that he let carry him to and fro. He cheered Pyrrha on whenever she surfaced for air, but otherwise, drank from a large cup of apple juice. He noticed Coco passing and saluted her with his glass.

"Hey, Coco! Did you win yet?"

"Nope! Just getting refreshments!"

"Cool. Good luck!" He whispered. "Don't tell the boys I said that."

"I won't," Coco whispered back. She casually walked up to the bar, where Yang was busy mixing herself a margarita in—well, Coco had to face it—the smallest fucking bikini she had ever seen. It was rather hard not to notice Yang bouncing as she shook up her drink, but she did her best to play it cool. She pulled up a seat at the table, taking her place next to the other constant patron: a very happy, very slouched Blake, who was leaning over the table while holding onto a glass of tequila.

Blake did not say hi to Coco.

Blake was fucking plastered.

"Hey, Coco," Yang said gleefully. She rested her shaker on the counter and planted both her palms on the same surface, ready to serve. "What can I getcha?"

"Need a glass of plain ice water for Velvet," Coco explained. "But for me… what can you make?"

"I mean, there's a lot of stuff in that cellar," Yang stated. "Like, super old wines and shit you can't find elsewhere. But I also bought a ton of stuff from the store, so really you can do whatever you want."

"Do you know how to make whatever I want?" Coco asked curiously. Yang just shrugged.

"Eh. Got the internet. How hard can it be?"

"And should you be drinking on the job?"

"I burn alcohol with my Semblance really quickly," Yang winked at her. "A few sips won't hurt anyone."

Blake snickered, unable to raise her head from the table. "Ha… that's… that's a good one…"

"You cool, Blake?" Coco asked.

"Yyyyyyepppp," Blake said, smacking her lips. "This is the besssst… the best vacation everrrrrrrr…"

"Do you have a lot of vacations to compare it to?"

"Noooooooooooo… No." Blake stuttered. "Wait… no. No."

Coco nervously glanced at Yang.

"Um, it's been—"

"No."

"It's been like an hour. How much has she had to drink?"

"Ya know, I'm not sure," Yang admitted. "Kind of realizing my alcohol tolerance might be different than a Faunus's."

Blake pounded her fist on the counter. She still could not raise her head as she slurred her words together. "My toler… tolerance is… fuck you, it's sooooo gooooood."

"Maybe you should go inside and rest," Yang suggested.

"Maybe you should stop flaunting them tittttts at me," Blake growled back. She tried pawing at Yang's chest, but her limp wrist could barely lift off the table. "Imma fuckin'… smash ya…"

"Do you…" Yang's face turned bright red. "Do you mean violence or sex?"

"Blurrrrgh."

Blake did not elaborate further. Coco could not tell if she preferred this version of Blake over her usual self. It was a deep philosophical question she would have to ponder, very deeply, in deep ponderance. After she got shitfaced, of course.

"Dry martini," she told Yang. The blonde bombshell agreed, and Coco leaned back and watched the show as Yang tried to put the drink together.

At the pool's edge, Pyrrha resurfaced, holding herself against the ledge for support. Her arms and legs were sore, but the feeling of a strong, genuine workout kept her motivated. It was much better than the pointless drills and routines they forced her into at Atlas Academy. She could feel her energy return to her and her spirit lift from being in the warm sun. If the purpose of this vacation was rejuvenation, she felt better already. However, a dark cloud hung over her, one that would be exposed very shortly by the best intentions.

Jaune gently paddled over to her, still lounging on his floaty, drink in hand. Pyrrha smirked at him as she took her bright hair out of its braid, letting it flow down her shoulders.

"Would you like a turn on the donut?"

"Hmm?"

"The donut," he said, gesturing down to the gigantic, blue ring that kept him buoyant. "Would you like to just… float around a little?"

"Oh no, that's all right," Pyrrha said sweetly. "I'm only taking a short break before I do more laps. Just because I'm on vacation doesn't mean I should slack off."

"That is sort of the whole point of vacation, though," Jaune said, confused. "You deserve to slack off after what you've been through."

"I've slacked off plenty this year. I lost all of January to slacking off."

"That's totally different," Jaune argued. "You were completely stressed out then. I mean, you should actually relax for once."

"Believe it or not, this is relaxing for me," Pyrrha admitted. "I appreciate the offer, truly, but you can keep enjoying your… donut. I'm going to keep training."

Jaune couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret. "Are you always like this on vacation?"

"I…" Pyrrha hesitated, but she knew it wasn't helpful to keep secrets. "I'm not sure I've ever really had a vacation, honestly."

Jaune gasped. "Never?"

"No."

"Never ever?"

"Maybe when I was very young," Pyrrha sighed. "There was always something around the corner. School, summer classes, weapons training, tournaments. I rested, sure, but they were strategic. Only when necessary. My family was very good at keeping me on task. They knew it would make me happy."

"Are you sure about that?"

The question escaped Jaune by accident, but it was too late. Pyrrha frowned slightly. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Uh, nothing. Forget it."

Pyrrha narrowed her gaze. "Jaune…"

"Look, I'm not saying anything bad," Jaune said defensively. "But… it looks like you've spent a lot of your life with people telling you what would make you happy. And that's fine if you really are, I was just thinking about what happened with Ozpin. You thought you were happy listening to him, but you weren't. Now, you're finally free to make any choice you want, and you're just doing more Huntress stuff. Again, I think that's super cool! But if you're just doing this out of habit, and those habits might have been toxic, maybe it's not something to do."

Jaune wasn't confident at all in his words. He stumbled over them, kept avoiding Pyrrha's eyes, and seemed insistent to qualify each claim. But despite his hesitancy, his point hit Pyrrha hard. She was a woman in flux, a Huntress without a purpose. She had seen through her Headmaster's lies and cast away her shackles, but here she was, following in those footsteps, still training like it was the most important thing in the world. She sunk right into her habits and comforts without a second thought. It was what Ozpin would have wanted from her, and deep down, it frightened her. Ozpin had planted his roots so deeply within her psyche that he controlled what made her comfortable. How could she claim to be her own person if so much of what made her her was willed by someone else?

Jaune could see the panic taking over her, and he rushed to save her before she spiraled. "But hey! Maybe that's a good thing! This is the perfect time to expand your horizons and show us all a new side of Pyrrha Nikos that we've never seen before. It'll be really fun!"

Pyrrha was drawn back from the edge, but she still shuddered. "You are aware that expanding horizons is one of an autistic person's least favorite things, right?"

"Then we'll start small," Jaune claimed more confidently. "What's one thing you really want to do over the next week… something you never would have done before as the old Pyrrha? Something that really breaks you out of your shell?"

Pyrrha thought long about that question. Deep in thought, her gaze wandered to the beach, where Weiss and Ruby lounged side-by-side. It was in confidence that they told the alliance they were dating, and while Pyrrha had never been great at reading people, she could see the love they had for each other radiating from every glance, every touch, every gentle, unspoken word. It was a connection she didn't think was possible for someone like them… or someone like her. Love was never her forte. Her emotions were a weakness that she trained herself to ignore for the sake of her future. But now, her future was blown wide open, begging her to carve her own path. Pyrrha Nikos was perhaps so much more than what she thought she could be.

She turned back to Jaune, hiding her shy smile. She didn't tell him what she wanted.

On the lounge chairs, Weiss hadn't taken her eyes off of her girlfriend. Despite her staring, Ruby was not engaging with her. A different strategy was required. She gently prodded Ruby in the beefy bicep, finally getting her attention.

"Excuse me, Ruby?"

"Yeah?"

Weiss smiled seductively. "I just realized… I forgot to put on sunblock before I came out here. Would you please be a dear and help put some on my back?"

Weiss rolled over, resting her chin on her crossed arms. Ruby stared at her for a few moments, then reached over to the bag she kept by her chair where she kept her accessories.

"No problem," Ruby said with a shrug. "You really shouldn't forget that though. You probably burn easily with your skin tone."

Weiss closed her eyes and sighed. "I know. Silly me." She heard Ruby fumble around her bag and eagerly waited for the gentle press of her hands against her flesh. Was this the oldest trick in the book? Yes, and she felt no shame. This vacation was the perfect opportunity to spend some romantic time with the woman she loved. Hell, she was tempted to insist on sharing a room—and a bed—with her before she thought better of it. For now, she'd settle on a subtler touch, but who knew? She might drag Ruby into a bed after all—

"Eek!" Weiss jumped as she felt a cold spray of mist hit her back. She instinctively turned around, only to catch a spritz of the noxious substance to the face. The stench burned her nostrils and she coughed it out as Ruby gasped.

"Whoops! Sorry, Weiss." She held the bottle of spray-on sunscreen tightly, though that didn't stop Weiss from snatching the bottle away from her.

"What the hell is this?" she asked, frustrated, eyes still stinging. She looked at the bottle with contempt as Ruby, very confused, stated the obvious.

"Sunscreen?"

"This is your sunscreen? Where's the stuff that you're supposed to rub all over me?"

"That's how I always buy my sunscreen," Ruby explained. "It gives better protection. SPF 50."

Weiss growled. Foiled by technology. Story of her life.

"Look out! Drinks coming through!"

As Weiss grumbled over her misfortunes and Ruby's naivety, Coco slipped past them, holding two glasses as she tried not to trip over anything. She swayed past the lounge chairs and hurried back toward the volleyball net, though not before catching another glimpse at Nora's sandcastle progress. And what progress it was; despite being gone for only a few minutes, the castle had doubled in size and was now as tall as Nora herself. The redhead was quickly sculpting several watchtowers and battlements, all with the precision of a classically trained painter drunkenly knocking over her art supplies. Coco hurried out of her way before she wound up trapped behind its massive walls. When she returned to Velvet, the young team member thanked her and downed the ice water in a single gulp. Coco followed suit with her martini, sparking a laugh from Fox.

"Do you think you're gonna beat us drunk?"

"Well, you haven't been beating us sober," Coco smirked, tossing away her glass.

"We are literally winning this game."

"By a point."

"Which is still winning?"

"Shut up and serve the ball already," Coco smirked, squatting down and ready to receive the next strike. Fox gently tossed the ball in his hands, shaking his head. Coco was the best leader he could ask for, but her cockiness was going to be the death of her one day. For now, it would simply result in her brutal defeat. After all, there was no way that playing volleyball tipsy actually made her stronger.

Right?

So actually, being tipsy made Coco really fucking great at volleyball. Fox didn't have an explanation for that. He couldn't score a single point on her, and when the ball landed in front of him the final time, blasting sand into his face, he felt the brutal humiliation of defeat. Coco and Velvet cheered, giving each other leaping high-fives to celebrate their comeback victory.

"Hell yeah! Girl power!" Coco whooped. Fox lay in the sand until Yatsu helpfully picked him up in his arms like a doll.

"That's some bullshit," Fox grumbled.

"Have some sportsmanship, Fox," Yatsu said gently. "They won fair and square."

"Yeah! Fair and square!" Coco taunted. "Wipe up them tears, boy!"

Velvet held back her partner. "Okay, Coco, I think they get the point."

"Feminism, bitch!"

"I don't know why you said that, but okay. Would you like to play another game, gentlemen?"

"I think I'm good," Fox sighed. "Ate enough sand for one day."

"I humbly decline," said Yatsu. Coco cockily placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, I'm still up for another round. Someone's gotta step up to the dream team."

"Why don't we ask the others? I'm sure someone from JNPR or RWBY would be interested," Velvet suggested. Coco enjoyed the idea. Smashing the other teams in brutal combat would be an excellent way to spend the first day of her spring break. There were only so many times she could prove her dominance over her own team before it got boring. The simple question remained: Who to challenge? Who would be a strong enough duo to stand against the volleying might of Coco Adel and Velvet Scarlatina?

Weiss was not getting anywhere with Ruby. She did successfully explain that she wanted Ruby to rub her hands all over her body while coated in a creamy substance, and Ruby did understand that it was a form of flirting—after some prodding—but Ruby didn't understand the issue. She insisted—insisted—she could rub the spray onto her skin just as efficiently, and it would be both sexy and provide a healthy coating against ultraviolet rays. She also insisted Weiss could find other ways to trick her into doing something sexy over the vacation, as long as it was generally fun and flirty and not manipulative. Weiss just bemoaned her ignorance and wondered how someone so incredibly smart could also be so clueless. Her misery was interrupted when two bikini-clad silhouettes blocked out the sun, and Weiss looked up to see Coco and Velvet standing over her, dripping with sweat, volleyball in hand, staring swagger-filled holes into her.

"Hey," said Coco.

"Hey," said Weiss.

"You girls up for a little volleyball? We promise we'll go easy on you?"

"Volleyball, huh?" Weiss said, considering the option. She had seen volleyball played in Atlas, but usually, it required a lot more players—and more clothing. The beach variant never made its way to the fascist Kingdom up north for some reason. She didn't mind a friendly game, especially if it would help distract her from Ruby's romantic incompetence. And fortunately, she was already wearing sunscreen. "I accept your challenge. Ruby, you in?"

"Actually, you go on ahead," Ruby said sheepishly. "I kind of want to lie around still."

"What? But you're my partner! In multiple ways!" Weiss said in shock.

"And if we were fighting Grimm, I'd be there in a heartbeat," Ruby stated. "But we're playing a sport. And, well… I suck at sports."

"How do you suck at sports? You're a Huntress."

"I guess I'd be good at shooting."

"You have a speed Semblance! You have to at least be good at… track or something?"

"They don't let you Semblance in track. I tried in elementary school. Mr. Gruber got very unhappy with me."

"But what about these?" Weiss said, grabbing firmly onto Ruby's bicep, squeezing and shaking it. "These muscles have got to be good for some—wow, these are firm…"

Coco loudly cleared her throat. "Ahem! Do you have a partner or not, Weiss? The team requires two players."

Weiss internally cursed her fate. Ruby was unavailable to play with her, but she couldn't just keep lying next to Ruby with all this frustrated, sexual tension between them. She needed to work off this energy, dammit! But without Ruby, she needed a partner. Who to get? Blake? Absolutely not. Yang? Maybe. Yang probably liked sports. She was a sporty gal. And she was super strong. She could probably smack a volleyball with high levels of skill and proficiency. But she was also probably drunk as shit. Her hand-eye coordination sucked. Plus, a single jump would cause her boobs to spill out of that pathetically tiny bikini, and while that'd be a useful distraction tool, it'd also be really uncomfortable. Weiss needed someone strong, athletic, talented, modest, sober, and above all, cooperative. She needed…

She needed…

Weiss's eyes grew wide with realization.

"Hold for one moment! I'll be back!"

Weiss jumped to her feet. She sprinted across the sand… past a tired Ren… up to the deck… to the edge of the pool… and waited. She saw the partner of her dreams in the midst of a backstroke, gliding gracefully across the pool's surface. Weiss called her name, and the red-haired angel acknowledged her with her perfect green eyes. She swam gently to the pool's edge, and Weiss knelt down to meet her.

"Yes?" asked Pyrrha.

"Pyrrha," Weiss said with a proud smile. "Would you care to team with me in a game of beach volleyball?"

Pyrrha was taken aback. She wiped some hair out of her face, treading water as she processed Weiss's bizarre question.

"You want to team with me for a game?"

"Yes," Weiss repeated. "I agreed to play against Coco and Velvet, but I require a teammate. You are the most qualified person here, and I thought it appropriate to offer you an invitation."

"I… I'm not sure," Pyrrha said gently. "I mean, I probably should be training."

"Training? This is far more important than training," Weiss said boldly. "This is about our pride! Coco and Velvet are far too arrogant, and we need to show them who the best Huntresses are. Together, you and I would be unstoppable." Pyrrha opened her mouth to protest, but Weiss quickly tried another approach. "And… consider this a team-building exercise. If we are going to be working together in the field, we should really get to know each other better. A game is perfect for building coordination and expanding skillsets, is it not?" Pyrrha was still hesitant. Weiss tried one final approach. She smiled as kindly as she could. "It'll be fun. Please?"

She offered her hand to Pyrrha, and the prodigal Huntress stared at it for a long moment. There was a scar dead-center in the palm, mostly healed but still off-color and numb. A bullet wound.

Once upon a time, Pyrrha Nikos and Weiss Schnee were teammates. They were selected by Professor Ozpin to work side-by-side, the best in their class. A horrible twist of fate tore them apart, and for months, they fought on opposite sides of a war neither fully understood. Now, all these months later, they were united again; not by Ozpin's hand, but to rebel against him. All of their battles, the God's Arm, the fight at Stiltskin's, their wars within their own minds, had led them back around to this moment—where Weiss Schnee, the ex-heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, the Chosen One, Slayer of Grimm and Fables, was asking Pyrrha Nikos, the greatest Huntress student who ever lived, to put aside their past, move forward, and finally join in harmony.

So they could dominate a game of beach volleyball.

In bikinis.

When one of their opponents was half-drunk.

Pyrrha looked awkwardly over her shoulder toward Jaune. From his floaty, he flashed her a solid thumbs up, encouraging her. Who did she want to be…

She took a deep breath, in through the nose and out through the mouth. She pulled herself out of the pool, and stood up on the deck, soaking wet, sun rays glistening off her skin. As she ran her fingers through her hair, Weiss stood in awe of her. Swimsuit fitting snugly to her skin, Weiss could see each contour of her muscles, every scar from every battle that had accumulated into her skin. She was less an angel than a goddess, a physical personification of warrior perfection. She looked Weiss dead in the eye. Pyrrha smiled.

"All right." She and Weiss clasped hands, the power of their unity coursing through them. "Let's have some fun."