Disclaimer: I like penguins.

Morning in the Rose Mansion was slow to arrive. The familiar rustling of the forest outside barely disturbed the tranquility within, and even the Grimm, sensing Ruby's presence, seemed to stay away from the area. It had become a perfect sanctuary for the two women—hidden, peaceful, and untouched by the chaos of Beacon or their past iterations.

Ruby woke first, rubbing her eyes under the sleeping mask before tossing it aside. The oversized pajamas hung loosely on her, a reminder of how much she had grown since the first iteration. She glanced over at Blake, who was still asleep, her black hair spilling over the pillow. Despite everything, Blake had found a way to stay calm, centered. Ruby often envied that. For her, every iteration brought new pressures—her power growing, responsibilities mounting, and every mistake feeling like it echoed across the loops.

But this iteration was supposed to be different. It was meant to be a vacation, an idea Ruby had clung to like a lifeline.

She slipped quietly out of bed, careful not to wake Blake. Stretching, Ruby moved toward the large windows that overlooked the forest. The sun had barely risen, casting a soft, golden hue across the treetops. Ruby could see her reflection in the glass—her red hair, tousled from sleep, and those unmistakable silver eyes. They glowed faintly, even in the dim morning light, a reminder of her ever-growing power. She sighed, tapping the glass absentmindedly, lost in thought.

How long has it been? Hundreds of iterations? More? The weight of time hung heavy on her mind. Some days it felt like no time had passed at all, while others... It felt like an eternity. Ruby had once joked that they should throw a party for their 1,000th loop, but in truth, the thought of being trapped in this cycle forever terrified her.

"Thinking too hard this early is dangerous, you know."

Ruby turned to see Blake, now sitting up in bed, watching her with half-lidded eyes. Her hair was a mess, and she looked like she hadn't quite woken up yet, but her usual calm demeanor was present. Blake always had a way of reading her.

"Morning, B." Ruby muttered, rubbing the back of her neck. "Didn't mean to wake you."

Blake yawned, stretching her arms above her head. "You didn't. I just have that sixth sense for when you're brooding too hard."

Ruby rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress the smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She hadn't even realized how quiet her thoughts had gotten until Blake pointed it out. They had done this for so long—kept each other grounded—that Ruby wasn't sure how she'd survive without Blake around.

"Can't help it." Ruby finally replied, leaning her forehead against the cool window glass. "I keep thinking about all of this. The mansion, the loops, everything. It's hard to just... switch off, you know?"

Blake slid out of bed and padded over, her bare feet making soft sounds against the wooden floor. She stood next to Ruby, gazing out the window as well. "You're allowed to relax, Ruby. We've been through enough. This iteration is different—we chose to take it easy, remember?"

"I know." Ruby said quietly. "But I can't shake the feeling that something's gonna happen. Like, maybe this time something will change for real."

Blake chuckled softly, her breath fogging up the window for a moment. "You've said that in almost every loop."

"I have not!" Ruby protested, crossing her arms.

"You have. Every time, it's 'Maybe this is the loop we finally get answers' or 'Maybe this is the loop where we figure it all out'—but we never do. And that's okay, Ruby. Maybe there's nothing to figure out. Maybe it's just us, stuck in this forever."

Ruby frowned. She hated when Blake was so blunt about it, even though deep down she knew she was right. Every loop they went through was different, sure, but nothing had ever changed the fact that they were still... here. Together. Alone. Stuck.

Blake must have noticed the shift in Ruby's expression because she softened her tone. "But this is a vacation iteration, remember? We're supposed to enjoy it. We don't have to deal with Salem or Beacon or any of the usual nonsense. Just us, a nice mansion, and no one breathing down our necks."

Ruby's gaze drifted away from the window and onto Blake. "Yeah... a vacation." Her lips quirked up in a half-smile. "Though with the way you work, I doubt you'll relax much."

Blake smirked back. "Someone's gotta keep us on track."

A quiet laugh escaped Ruby, the tension in her shoulders easing just a little. "Fine, fine. You win, I'll try to relax today. No brooding."

"That's all I ask." Blake gave Ruby a small nudge with her shoulder. "Now, how about breakfast?"

The mention of food seemed to lift Ruby's mood entirely. "Please tell me the fridge is stocked. I'm starving!"

Blake shook her head in amusement. "We haven't been gone that long. The fridge should be fine."

Ruby was already on the move, darting toward the kitchen before Blake could finish speaking. "I'll get started on pancakes!"

As Ruby busied herself with finding ingredients, Blake leaned against the doorframe, watching her friend. In moments like these, it was easy to forget about all the loops, the iterations, the endless cycle of battles and resets. Watching Ruby pour her energy into something as simple as making pancakes... it almost felt normal.

But the weight of the loops always lingered in the back of her mind, no matter how much they tried to ignore it. Blake absentmindedly touched the scar hidden beneath her clothes—a reminder of the battles they'd fought, the sacrifices they'd made. She wondered, not for the first time, if this cycle would ever truly end.

Ruby suddenly turned, her expression brightening as she waved a spatula in the air. "B! Pancakes are on the way, so you better get your butt in here and help!"

Blake smiled to herself, pushing away the heavier thoughts. For now, she'd let herself enjoy the moment. Just for today. Just this once.

Breakfast was, as Ruby promised, pancakes—a simple luxury in the grand scheme of things, but it helped break the monotony of the loops. Blake sat at the wooden table, her eyes following Ruby as she moved around the kitchen, humming a tune to herself while flipping pancakes with the kind of grace that only came from doing something too many times to count.

"You know," Blake said, taking a bite of her pancake. "For someone who complains about being bored, you sure seem happy cooking."

Ruby grinned, sliding another pancake onto Blake's plate before sitting down with her own stack. "Well, it's something I can control. Plus, who doesn't like pancakes?" She gave a satisfied sigh, poking her fork into the fluffy pile on her plate. "Besides, I figured out the perfect syrup-to-pancake ratio after, like, fifty iterations."

Blake smirked. "Glad to see those legendary combat skills of yours being put to good use."

"Hey, don't knock it!" Ruby pointed her fork at Blake, syrup dripping down its tines. "Mastery takes many forms, y'know."

The two shared a quiet laugh, the kind that came from familiarity—the kind that made it easy to forget about the iterations, even if just for a moment. But the moment was fleeting. As Ruby dug into her pancakes, Blake's mind began to wander again, her earlier worries creeping back in.

"Ruby…" she began, her voice soft but serious. "Do you ever think about… what comes next?"

Ruby paused mid-bite, her eyes flicking up to meet Blake's. For a moment, she didn't respond. Then she lowered her fork and leaned back in her chair, her expression more thoughtful than usual.

"You mean after the loops?" Ruby asked quietly.

Blake nodded, pushing her plate aside. "Yeah. I mean, we've been doing this for so long—living through iteration after iteration, trying different things, running from the past, or... facing it. But what if we're stuck like this? Forever."

The weight of Blake's words hung in the air, making the warmth of the pancakes feel distant. Ruby chewed her bottom lip, her fingers tapping lightly on the table. She wasn't one for deep conversations—at least, not unless she had to be. But Blake had a way of pulling these thoughts out of her, especially when they'd both been stewing in their shared experience for so long.

"Honestly?" Ruby said after a long pause. "I don't know. I try not to think about it too much. I mean, we've tried everything we can think of to break the loop, right? Whether it's fighting Salem, stopping the Grimm, helping the people of Remnant—or even doing absolutely nothing—nothing ever seems to change."

Blake's golden eyes darkened. She knew Ruby was right. They had done everything—everything—and still found themselves waking up in the same world, with the same battles looming on the horizon. No matter how much they tried to change, or how much they grew stronger, the loop never broke.

"We could be stuck like this forever," Ruby continued, her voice quieter now, almost distant. "But, Blake... I've always believed that there's got to be something more. Even if we can't see it yet."

Blake frowned, resting her chin in her hand. "You're always so optimistic. How do you manage that after all this time?"

Ruby shrugged, taking another bite of her pancake. "Guess it's just part of who I am. Besides, being all doom and gloom about it wouldn't help anyone, right?" She flashed Blake a lopsided smile. "I mean, if we are stuck forever, at least I've got someone here who can handle it."

Blake felt a flicker of something familiar, but she didn't dwell on it for too long. The countless iterations had forged a deep understanding between them—one born from endless struggle, shared memories, and mutual reliance. For Blake, that connection was grounding. Ruby's resilience was something she could lean on, and that gave her comfort in this never-ending cycle.

"Still," Blake said, a hint of teasing in her voice to break the tension. "I could do without your endless complaining every time we travel."

Ruby laughed, the sound light and genuine, breaking the heaviness in the room. "Hey, I only complain because it's so boring! If something exciting actually happened on the road, I wouldn't whine so much."

Blake smirked, leaning back in her chair. "Next time, we'll take the scenic route through a Grimm-infested canyon. How's that for excitement?"

"Oh, please, I'd kick their butts in two seconds flat." Ruby waved a hand dismissively, but her grin grew. "Though a good fight wouldn't be so bad. I've got some new moves I've been dying to try."

Blake arched an eyebrow. "New moves?"

"Yeah! I've been working on a variation of the Aura Jab I used on Cardin the other day," Ruby said, her eyes lighting up with enthusiasm. "It's kinda like… Aura Compression, but instead of just disrupting someone's Aura, I can focus it into a point and bam—big explosion! I'm thinking of calling it the 'Aura Burst.'"

Blake gave a low whistle. "Sounds dangerous."

"Only for the person I'm using it on." Ruby grinned. "I'm getting better at controlling it, though. No more accidentally blowing up stuff... probably."

"Probably?" Blake asked, amused.

"Hey, I can't promise perfection. But I'm close!"

Blake shook her head, smiling. Ruby's eagerness to push her limits was both admirable and slightly concerning, but at least it kept things interesting. And maybe, just maybe, one of Ruby's new techniques would lead to a breakthrough. If not in breaking the loop, then at least in giving them the upper hand in future battles.

"Just be careful," Blake said, her tone softening. "We might not know how this all ends, but I don't want anything happening to you before we find out."

Ruby's smile faltered for a moment, her expression turning serious as she met Blake's gaze. "I'll be careful," she promised. "I'm not going anywhere, B."

They held each other's gaze for a moment, the weight of the conversation heavy in the air, but Ruby soon broke the tension by shoving another pancake into her mouth, her cheeks puffing out comically.

Blake snorted in amusement, shaking her head. "You're impossible."

"You know you appreciate me," Ruby mumbled through a mouthful of pancakes.

Blake didn't respond to the jab, instead taking another bite of her breakfast. The comfort in their routine settled back over the table, pushing away the heavier thoughts for now.

With breakfast finished and the weight of their conversation still lingering, the two gathered their things, preparing to head out to Vale. Ruby strapped Crescent Rose to her back, her movements fluid and familiar, while Blake checked over her gear and the documents they had collected from the mansion.

"Ready?" Ruby asked, her excitement for the day returning as they stepped outside into the fresh morning air.

Blake nodded, giving the mansion one last glance before turning to Ruby. "Let's go."

And with that, the two vanished into the forest, moving quickly toward their next destination, the familiar weight of their looped existence momentarily set aside.

The journey from the Rose Mansion to Vale was a familiar one, but Ruby was determined to make it a little more exciting this time. The woods stretched out before them, the faint sounds of the forest occasionally broken by the distant cry of a Grimm, though none dared to venture close. The morning light filtered through the canopy, casting dappled shadows on the path as Ruby and Blake walked side by side.

"So." Ruby began, casually twirling Crescent Rose's scythe form like a baton. "What's the plan once we get to Vale?"

Blake didn't glance up from her scroll, her thumb idly scrolling through the list of things they needed to accomplish. "We need to finalize the paperwork for the mansion first. Then you wanted to stop by the tailors, right? After that, we can figure out the rest."

Ruby sighed dramatically. "Blake, that sounds so boring. Can't we spice it up? Maybe go visit the black market or pick a fight with some bandits?"

Blake rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the small smirk forming on her lips. "We've done both of those before. Neither ended particularly well, if I remember correctly."

Ruby grinned, leaning in closer. "Hey, the black market was fun! I still have that cool dagger I found. Besides, the bandits deserved it."

"They did." Blake agreed, her expression softening. "But this is a vacation, remember? No unnecessary trouble."

"Right, right." Ruby spun Crescent Rose back into its compact form and slung it over her shoulder. "Still, just saying, I wouldn't mind a little action."

Blake's ears twitched, picking up a faint rustling ahead. She glanced at Ruby, her hand moving to the hilt of Gambol Shroud. "You might get your wish."

A low growl echoed through the forest, and in seconds, a pack of Beowolves burst from the underbrush. They snarled and snapped, surrounding Ruby and Blake in a wide circle. Despite the sudden ambush, Ruby's face lit up with excitement.

"Yes!" Ruby exclaimed, eyes gleaming as her hand hovered near Crescent Rose's handle. "Finally, some action!"

Blake, already pulling Gambol Shroud free, cast Ruby a sidelong glance. "Remember, no unnecessary trouble."

"I know, I know." Ruby said, her tone mockingly serious. "But self-defense is totally necessary."

With a quick nod, they both sprang into action. Ruby moved first, darting toward the nearest Beowolf, her scythe whirling through the air with practiced precision. The creature barely had time to react before Crescent Rose sliced through its body, disintegrating it into shadowy wisps of Grimm essence. Ruby's movements were fluid, effortless—years of experience from countless iterations making her a master of combat.

Blake, meanwhile, was a blur of shadow and steel. Her doppelgangers flickered in and out of existence, confusing the pack as she danced around them, her katana flashing with each precise strike. One after another, the Grimm fell, unable to keep up with her speed.

It didn't take long for the two of them to dispatch the entire pack, the clearing falling silent once again. Ruby landed lightly on her feet, spinning Crescent Rose once more before collapsing it back into its more compact form.

"Well, that was fun." she said, brushing off her clothes. "See? Sometimes trouble finds us."

Blake wiped off Gambol Shroud's blade and shook her head. "I'll give you that one. But now let's get back on track before we're late."

As they resumed their walk, the restlessness Ruby felt before the fight seemed to have dissipated, at least for the moment. She swung her arms lazily at her sides, her mind wandering as they approached the outer edge of the forest.

"Blake." Ruby said after a few minutes of silence. "Do you ever wonder if we're missing something? Like, I get that we're supposed to be on vacation and all, but sometimes I feel like there's... something bigger out there. Something we should be looking for."

Blake slowed her pace, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "What do you mean? You think there's a reason we keep looping?"

"I don't know." Ruby shrugged, kicking a stray pebble as they walked. "Maybe? I mean, we've been doing this for so long, and yeah, sometimes it feels like we've tried everything. But what if we haven't? What if there's something we haven't figured out yet?"

Blake considered her words carefully, her ears twitching in thought. "I don't think we're missing anything, Ruby. At least, not something we can just find. Maybe the loop doesn't have a solution."

Ruby frowned but didn't press the issue. Deep down, she knew Blake might be right—there might not be an answer. But something inside her still clung to the hope that there was more to their story than endless iterations of the same life. There had to be.

They reached the outskirts of Vale as the sun climbed higher in the sky, the bustling city coming into view. People were already milling about, heading to work, running errands, or simply enjoying the day. Ruby took a deep breath, relishing the change of pace from the quiet woods.

Blake glanced at her scroll again. "We should head to the city office first to take care of the mansion paperwork. It won't take long."

Ruby groaned but nodded. "Fine, fine. Lead the way, B."

The process at the city office was as dull as Ruby expected, with Blake handling most of the paperwork while Ruby entertained herself by watching the passersby outside. The steady hum of life in Vale was oddly comforting, a reminder that while they were stuck in a loop, the world around them continued as normal—blissfully unaware of the strange existence Ruby and Blake endured.

After what felt like hours (though it had only been half an hour), Blake finally finished the paperwork, and the two of them left the office with the official documents in hand.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Blake asked, tucking the papers into her bag.

Ruby stretched her arms above her head. "Could've been worse. I could've died of boredom."

Blake smirked. "You survived. Now, off to the tailor?"

"Yes!" Ruby pumped her fist in the air. "Finally, something fun!"

They made their way through the city streets, Ruby humming a tune to herself as they passed by familiar shops and landmarks. The tailor shop was nestled in a quiet corner of Vale, the same one they had visited in previous iterations.

As they entered the shop, the bell above the door chimed, and the tailor—a wiry man with glasses perched on the edge of his nose—greeted them with a polite nod.

"Back again, I see." he said, his voice soft but welcoming. "Here for the usual?"

Ruby grinned. "Yep! I need my Atlas outfit resized. Growing's a pain, you know?"

The tailor chuckled. "I'll get started right away. Feel free to browse while you wait."

Blake wandered over to the display of fabrics while Ruby bounced on her heels, eager to see her new outfit. As the tailor worked, the familiar hum of the sewing machine filled the shop, and Ruby let herself relax for the first time that day.

They were here, in the middle of an iteration, yes—but for now, it felt almost... normal.

Blake glanced over at Ruby, who was lost in thought again, though this time with a more contented expression. Maybe there wasn't an answer to the loops. Maybe they would never break free. But for now, as Blake watched Ruby talk animatedly with the tailor, she realized that some moments—no matter how fleeting—were enough.