Chapter 15: The Importance of Perspective

"Do you believe in destiny?"

"Yes, I do."

An arrow through the heart. Pyrrha Nikos was then vaporized in an instant by the power of Cinder Fall. As grief struck her like a freight train, she looked to see her other fallen friends. Weiss and Blake injured. Yang missing an arm. And then, it all came crashing down in one single emotional outburst…

"PYRRHA!"

Ruby Rose woke with a start, drenched in sweat. She looked over to her alarm clock and saw that it was 3 in the morning. The girl pouted slightly, irritated with this sudden turn of events. It had been so long since Ruby had a nightmare. She had honestly forgotten what they were like.

"Ruby?" Weiss groggily spoke up, disturbed by Ruby's nightmare. "Are you still awake?"

"Y-yeah," Ruby could only respond as the events of the nightmare came back to her, Pyrrha dead, Yang and the others all maimed to various degrees. Was she...back at the Vytal Festival in that dream?

"Go back to sleep then." Weiss tiredly ordered. "It's the weekend, and I'd prefer to be well-rested and prepared for whatever punishment Professor Kobalt has in store for us."

Ruby frowned, remembering what Hansel Kobalt had said to them upon arrival back at Beacon the day before. "You four will report to my office tomorrow afternoon." Hansel had said. "I'll have settled on what I plan to do to you lot by then."

The girl frowned at the memory. Hansel was still so mad at them for providing backup. She was well aware of her responsibilities as leader. She knew that if Weiss, Blake or Yang had gotten hurt, or worse, it would have been on her. She did not need Hansel reminding her of that. Good teacher he may be, he had no right to criticize her for wanting to help.

Ruby then found herself remembering her nightmare once again. What was that nightmare all about though? She wondered. That...that was the Vytal Festival. That was Cinder. That was...the night the Vytal Festival was attacked. It's like...I'm dreaming about a alternate version of what happened that night. But I know it didn't happen that way. So why am I dreaming about it?

Ruby then looked at her alarm clock once again and heaved a sigh. I'm too tired to think about this. I just...want to get today over with. She decided, laying back down to try and fall asleep. Tomorrow is another day, and she had more important things to deal with.

The next day, Hansel Kobalt found himself standing in Professor Ozpin's office again to discuss his conduct, involving his students. Ozpin had told him to take Friday off to rest, after hearing about the incident involving the Reaper (damn you, McKnight. Hansel took a deep breath and stared his mentor and superior dead in the face, ready to face the music. "You wished to speak to me today, Professor Ozpin?" He asked, wondering if he was to be reprimanded.

Ozpin gave Hansel a small smile. "Yes I did, Hansel." He said, gesturing to a cup of cocoa. "I made an extra cup for you. Please, enjoy it."

Hansel nodded and took a seat in front of Ozpin's desk. "Thank you, sir." He said, a bit more relaxed now, because Ozpin had gone to the effort to make him comfortable.

Hansel took a sip of cocoa, visibly relaxing at the taste. "I take it you read my reports on the students?" He inquired curiously.

Ozpin nodded. "I had a busy morning, Hansel." Ozpin admitted. "Between reading your reports on the conduct of your students and Captain McKnight's report on what happened, this weekend has definitely become more stressful."

Hansel heaved a sigh. "My apologies, sir." He said obediently. "I did not expect the Reaper to become involved with my mission."

"I'm not angry about that." Ozpin promised. "You shouldn't be held responsible for unexpected events that were clearly beyond your control."

Hansel hummed thoughtfully at this. "That guy was trouble though." He noted. "Especially if he is working for Raven Branwen. That is Qrow's sister, right?"

Ozpin gave a grim nod at that. "After Raven fell out with our group, I was hoping to simply leave her in peace, but if she does have someone as dangerous as the Reaper in her tribe, that cannot be ignored. I knew many of the Beacon-based Huntsmen he attacked. I cannot, in good conscience, ignore his crimes. And I certainly cannot ignore Raven for harboring him."

"The only question now is, how could she have known that the Don was moving in Vale? And to think they'd strike when we did. This is too strange to be taken as a mere coincidence."

Hansel hummed thoughtfully once more. "If I may, Qrow may have been duped by an informant." He suggested. "Well, not necessarily duped. I think Raven might've planted an informant for Qrow, so that we'd do the heavy lifting and her men get some of the Don's shipments."

Ozpin sighed. "This is going to break Qrow's heart. No matter how much he wants to deny it, his sister still means a lot to him."

Hansel frowned. "He better get used to it." He said. "Qrow cannot become a liability to us because of some familial attachment to a woman like Raven. The fact she's leading the Branwen Tribe is bad enough, but now she's got the Huntsmen Hunter on her side."

"Hansel, you need to be more empathetic." Ozpin sternly reprimanded the boy. "I understand why you feel the way you do about situations like these, but not everyone has the same approach as you."

Hansel fell silent at that statement. "Qrow's been dark for awhile. He must be chasing a lead." Ozpin noted. "I'll inform him of Raven's new status once he reaches out to us with more information."

"Now, to move on to more personal matters," Ozpin continued, "like I said before, I took the opportunity to review the reports on your students. I'm very happy that you've found their strengths and weaknesses on this training trip, and I'm also happy that you're taking steps to work on remedying those weaknesses."

"Thank you, sir." Hansel nodded, satisfied with Ozpin's praise. "I'm glad to report that these students don't have zero potential. Give me enough time with 'em and I can definitely make them into semi-decent Huntsmen."

Ozpin chuckled at Hansel's backhanded compliments, making Hansel blush slightly in embarrassment. "So you say, I think they'll turn into great ones." He claimed.

Ozpin's face then became stern and serious. "Now, why don't we talked about what happened between you and Team RWBY." Ozpin said to him.

Hansel stiffened at this before bravely standing his ground. "Professor, I stand by my actions this time. Team RWBY chose to disobey direct orders and put themselves at tremendous risk in the process. Ruby Rose in particular showed a blatant disregard for the rules. For a girl who wants to be a hero that saves everyone, she is eager to step into an early grave before she can accomplish anything."

Ozpin sighed. "I suppose I owe you an apology in that regard." He admitted. "I should've told you that Team RWBY would get themselves involved if they caught wind of what you were doing."

Hansel's eyes bulged at that statement. "What? You know, the least you could've done was tell me that. I would've operated more discreetly."

Ozpin could not help but laugh a little. "I'm sorry, it must've slipped my mind."

"But really though, Hansel." Ozpin chided. "Are you sure you have any room to criticize Ruby for her recklessness? You're not exactly a shining example of careful action yourself."

Hansel blushed in embarrassment once again. "Sir, I really need you to take my side here. I've got the strength to not get myself killed, running off and fighting guys like the Reaper."

Ozpin smiled knowingly. "It sounds more like you just couldn't stand the idea of them dying." He noted.

Hansel glared at Ozpin, making the headmaster raise his hands in defense. "I'm just kidding, Hansel." Ozpin assured him. "Still, you are right about one thing, it is disturbing they chose to stay involved when Reaper made his presence known. It's easy to forget their recklessness when it's foes like Roman Torchwick. But the Reaper…"

"Which is exactly why I'm a little pissed off right now." Hansel noted. "I don't know how that fight could have ended, but they screwed over my chances at taking him down when I had the opportunity."

Ozpin heaved a sigh at Hansel's frustration. "Indeed," he admitted, "I myself can't ignore this. If Reaper can fight you on even terms, then they had no business involving themselves. We're teachers first and foremost. We shouldn't be encouraging our students to pick fights they can't win."

Hansel nodded in agreement. "Now, tell me, Hansel, what do you think their punishment should be?"

Hansel took a deep breath. "I'll be honest, sir, I was considering expulsion for them. They put themselves in danger, and in doing so, conducted themselves in a manner unbecoming of Huntsmen."

"I take it that isn't what you settled on?" Ozpin inquired curiously.

Hansel nodded. "I...gave it some more thought after we returned. I don't want to expel them. They were doing so well before this whole mess. But they still need to be punished. I think I've settled on a punishment for them, with your approval at least, Professor."

Ozpin smiled and nodded. "Hansel, you know I trust you to make the right decisions when it matters the most." He said to the young man.

"Thank you, sir." Hansel bowed his head. "I'll be dropping by the tailor in town later today. I've got an order they're supposed to have filled today."

Ozpin smiled knowingly. Quickly figuring out just what his apprentice was planning. Hansel's expression then turned serious. "One last thing, sir." He said. "About Anthonio Corleone's death?"

Ozpin turned serious. "McKnight was quick to do an autopsy on Corleone." He explained. "He contacted me this morning. It was some sort of necrotoxin."

"Hansel," Ozpin continued, "tell me something, do you still have the wristband that you think killed Corleone?"

Hansel folded his arms. "I went to Oobleck shortly after we got back yesterday. I thought he'd be the best person to talk to about this kinda stuff."

"Oh, and how do you figure?" Ozpin inquired curiously.

"Oobleck's a history expert." Hansel pointed out. "If anyone knows the origins of objects, it's him. He even told me as much when I brought it to him…"

"While technology varies, you can often tell their origin by the design." Bartholomew Oobleck had explained. "I've never seen technology like this before. However, give me some time and I think I can figure out which kingdom this wristband originated from."

Ozpin hummed thoughtfully at that statement. "Bartholomew is right." He said. "Well, with Corleone dead and the criminal underworld now crippled with their leader gone, I think we can relax for a bit and let Bartholomew go to work."

"Once he finds out where the tech came from, we'll know where to investigate next." Hansel pointed out. "Whoever strapped that wristband on the Don is probably someone pretty close to kingdom officials. Might be a connection with Gray Jackal we can take advantage of."

Ozpin nodded in agreement. "Just remember to keep your focus on your students, Hansel." Ozpin reminded him.

Hansel nodded, but clearly was brushing the matter off. "Any word on the other Maidens yet?" He asked curiously.

"Not yet," Ozpin said, "unfortunately, finding the other Maidens will be like finding three needles in three haystacks."

Hansel frowned slightly. "And I guess that means Salem and her forces haven't made any other moves yet? Makes sense I guess. Probably still regrouping from the Vytal Festival."

Ozpin nodded. Hansel then looked Ozpin in the eye. "Rose talked to me about Salem, wanted to know what I knew. I told her the truth, I knew the exact amount of what you told her."

Ozpin sighed. "The more I tell Ruby, the more involved she'll be. I just...can't bring myself to fully involve her just yet. Summer was closely involved and...I just don't want her to do anything before she's ready. Her powers could very well be our best hope at beating Salem from what I understand about the Silver Eyes. We need her to be ready for that."

Hansel frowned slightly. "Is she really our best hope?"

"I'm afraid so, the Silver Eyes have proven themselves to be an effective weapon against everyone else, especially the Grimm." Ozpin reminded Hansel. "Does that...not sit well with you, Hansel?"

"If she wants to be a hero that badly, she needs to be ready to do her part." Hansel was quick to deny any concern he had for Ruby.

"And yet I can sense trepidation. Why, Hansel?" Ozpin asked curiously.

Hansel sighed. "Honestly, I don't know, sir." He admitted. "But I will say this, that girl is in for a lot of pain in the future. This world doesn't allow optimists like her to exist. This world's going to eat her alive."

Ozpin hummed in acknowledgement. "And yet," Hansel continued, "I just can't bring myself to do anything except warn her. I know what this world does to people like her, better than anyone. I should be telling her to grow up, harden her heart and just focus on keeping people alive, instead of some silly dream of saving the world."

"But you can't bring yourself to do it. So, you do the next best thing, you warn her." Ozpin noted. "But you know that won't change who she is. You know by now that Ruby is not the type of girl to back down from her beliefs."

Hansel chuckled humorlessly. "And I'm a wuss because I know this and don't try anything else to stop her." He noted. "I've done a lot of things for the sake of my mission. And yet I can't tell one little girl how stupid her dream really is."

"Maybe it's because it's not that you find it stupid, it's just that you can't bring yourself to believe in it." Ozpin offered.

Hansel considered Ozpin's words. A few memories long past flashed through his mind, briefly. Two little children, playing, smiling. A festival roaring in the background. Fireworks shooting off into the sky.

"Maybe you're right," Hansel shrugged before sighing, "or maybe I'm even more stuck in the past than I thought."

"Oh? And what makes you say that?" Ozpin asked curiously.

"It's nothing," Hansel brushed the matter off, surprising Ozpin. Hansel was not one to keep secrets from him. "Anyway, if that's all, Professor, I will take my leave. I'm sure Ms. Suede will have my order ready soon."

Ozpin nodded in understanding. Hansel rose from his chair and exited Ozpin's office. As he rode down the elevator those memories played through his mind again. No matter how foolish it is...I can't forget my promise. Hansel reminded himself before sighing. I really am stuck in the past...but I guess the past is all that keeps me going at this point.

With that grim proclamation, Hansel Kobalt was back in the halls of Beacon, now waiting for the chance to make his way to a certain tailor's shop in Vale.

Meanwhile, Team RWBY was trying to enjoy their day off in their room. Blake was reading. Yang was doing pushups. Weiss was browsing news on her scroll and Ruby was pacing.

Blake looked up from her book at Weiss. "Any word on the Don's death? Or anything else regarding the Neverland Gorge?" The Faunus tried to make conversation as the quartet awaited their punishment from Professor Kobalt.

Weiss shook her head. "It looks like they're keeping things under wraps. And rightfully so. There's no reason to start blabbing about things like that. That's for the tabloids, the trashy journalists that no one should take seriously."

Yang chuckled. "Leave it to Weiss to hate the tabloids." She could not help but joke in the midst of her pushups. "Scandals and nobles tend to go together, don't they?"

Weiss glared at Yang. Yang realized she had gone too far and sighed, stopping her pushups and taking a seat on the floor. "Sorry, Weiss," she said, "just trying to lighten the mood. I guess the things the Don said still bothered you, right?"

Weiss nodded. "Weiss, you should probably go to the police about this." Blake suggested. "If Corleone was doing business with your dad…"

Weiss shook her head. "Corleone is dead." Weiss reminded them. "A dead man can't provide any sort of evidence against my father. And even if he could...Father would just lawyer up and pay off enough people to get out of any jail time."

"So just going to the police would be a waste of time, huh?" Yang sighed. "What a load of crap. We're supposed to just stay quiet?"

"Weiss is right." Blake admitted. "As much as I'd love for justice to be served, her father is untouchable at the moment."

Yang then noticed that Ruby was still pacing with a pout on her face. The elder sister gave her younger one a stern gaze. "Your face is going to stick like that, Rubes." She warned her. "And you're way too adorable to be pouting like a little kid."

Ruby grumbled at that. Yang sighed. "Still steaming about your argument with Teach, huh?" She hit it right on the head. "You need to let it go, Ruby. We were in the wrong and you need to accept that."

"It shouldn't be wrong when we're only trying to help someone." Ruby insisted.

"It is when we're putting ourselves in danger, trying to fight dangers like that Reaper guy." Yang calmly reminded her. "Torchwick was one thing, but that guy was something else. He was leagues above Torchwick, and definitely stronger than Corleone."

Yang then narrowed her eyes. And the fact that a nutcase like him is working for my mom makes this even worse. I know Uncle Qrow said he doesn't entirely agree with how she does things...but would she really keep a guy like that around? Just what kind of woman is Raven Branwen?

Yang then returned her focus back to Ruby. "I know you mean well, Ruby, but I think it's time to accept facts. We got chewed out because we're still just kids who got in over our heads. We got off lucky now. But what if it happens again and we're not? It's like Teach said: do you really want anyone's death on your conscience? I know I don't."

Ruby thought over Yang's words. Deep down, she knew her sister was right. However, even so, she could not help but feel like she needed to get one more person's perspective on the matter. And there was only one person she could talk to about this; someone she did not often interact with.

"I'll be back in a bit." Ruby said, surprising her teammates. "There's...someone I need to talk to about this whole thing."

"You're not going to complain to Professor Ozpin, are you?" Yang asked curiously before frowning. "You're better than that, Ruby, don't be petty."

"Of course not," Ruby shook her head, "I just...need one last perspective on this before I move on."

With that, Ruby left Team RWBY's dorm. Blake looked up from her book again at the retreating Ruby in concern. When Ruby was out of earshot, she spoke up to Yang. "She's going to be okay, right?"

"Yeah, Rubes is just steaming over what happened. It's not often you get chewed out for just trying to help." Yang noted. "But Ruby's smart. Once she clears things up with...whoever it is she's going to talk to, I'm sure she'll be back to normal."

The question now, is who was Ruby Rose going to talk to? Again, it was someone odd, considering their lack of interactions. However, she was still the best person to get advice from on this matter. And now, standing in front of her office, Ruby knocked on her door without hesitation. "Professor Goodwitch, are you there?"

The door opened, revealing Glynda Goodwitch, who seemed surprised by Ruby's presence. "Ms. Rose," she said, "this is...unexpected. You're usually only here when I have to remind you to pay attention in class."

Ruby blushed in embarrassment. "Are you busy, Ma'am, I'd like to talk with you about something."

Glynda looked at Ruby and surprised the girl with a motherly smile. "Ms. Rose, I'm a professor." She reminded the young girl. "Never forget that we exist to help students like you when they need it. Come in, I needed a break from what I was doing anyway."

Ruby entered Glynda's office and was not surprised to see how neat and perfect it looked. There were various paintings, an inviting emerald couch, and a picture of a somewhat younger Glynda with a dark-haired boy that seemed familiar to her.

"Take a seat on the couch," Glynda gestured to it with her riding crop, "you'll find it more comfortable then a chair in front of a desk."

"Thanks," Ruby said, taking a seat and noticing one painting in particular, it was an exhausted little girl, pressing forward towards an emerald-colored castle, "that is an interesting painting, by the way."

"Oh?" Glynda noticed where Ruby was looking and smiled. "That one's my favorite. It's called Road to the Emerald Castle. It details the struggle of the innocent trying to reach a peaceful, tranquil life away from the chaos."

"The artist, Emeril Gale, was heavily interested in the world's struggle towards peace." Glynda continued. "He was entranced by what he viewed as the beauty of our world's persistence in fighting and moving forward to that very castle, a symbol of peace and safety away from the evils of Remnant. And so he created that painting, with the castle becoming the ideal sanctuary for the people."

"It's beautiful." Ruby complimented.

Glynda smiled and nodded. "A nice little reminder of what we're working towards." She mused before returning to the subject at hand. "So, Ms. Rose, what would you like to talk about?"

Ruby was briefly surprised at how open and welcoming Glynda was being. For a moment, she could not help but wonder if this was the true Glynda Goodwitch, and not necessarily the strict professor they had all gotten used to. Chucking those thoughts away, Ruby got herself back on track. She nervously fidgeted in her seat as she explained her issue.

"I...got in trouble with Professor Kobalt again." She admitted.

Glynda frowned slightly. "Oh dear, did Hansel cross any lines again?" She asked.

"N-nothing like that," Ruby assured Glynda, "we just...had a bit of a fight about something."

Glynda sighed, realizing what Ruby was getting at. "I see," she muttered, "Hansel did mention something about students who put themselves in unnecessary danger and got in trouble for it. I take it that was you and the rest of Team RWBY?"

Ruby nodded in embarrassment. Glynda smiled. "Why don't you tell me everything that happened?" She suggested. "I'll listen to everything you have to say, and then I'll tell you what I think. No judgement, I promise."

Ruby nodded again and told Glynda everything. How she had seen Hansel operating alone, and how she wanted to help, which got the rest of Team RWBY involved in the process. How Hansel had yelled at her for disobeying him. Then how she interfered in his fight with the Reaper, leading to Hansel yelling at her again for not only disobeying him, but for putting herself in unnecessary danger. And finally, she told Glynda how she felt alone in her feelings on the matter, because everyone on her team agreed with Hansel.

"I just don't know how I'm supposed to feel about this." Ruby admitted. "Huntresses are supposed to help people, but Professor Kobalt's mad at us for helping him. All I wanted was to make sure he didn't die. I just can't understand why he'd be so mad about something like that. I mean, I can, I could've died too, and so could the rest of my team. But still, isn't that what we signed up for?"

Glynda, true to her word, had remained silent and non-judgemental throughout the entire process. But now that Ruby was asking questions, she felt it was time for her to speak up. "Well, first, Ms. Rose." Glynda told her. "You are not a Huntress yet. You are still a student, all four of you are. Let me be clear, while I do admire your candor towards others, you had no business involving yourself in Hansel's mission."

"But…" Ruby began.

"Silver eyes or not, you are still just a child." Glynda gently told her. "You may be special, but you still have to work hard and climb your way to the top just like everyone else. There are no shortcuts to becoming the hero you want to be, Ms. Rose. Focus on your training, first and foremost."

"Even if it means sacrificing someone else?" Ruby asked.

Glynda sighed. "No, we send students into the field on supervised missions because we want them to help save lives. You should never sacrifice someone else for your own sake, Ms. Rose. That spits in the face of everything we teach you."

"However, this is different. You interfered in the work of a professional. Special or not, you need to remember that the pros can handle themselves as well, and Hansel is one such pro for a reason, young as he may be."

"My mom was a pro too." Ruby muttered.

Glynda sighed. "I know this is a sore subject for you, and I'm sorry about that." She said. "I really do wish I could put this more delicately, but there's really no other way to say it."

Ruby tensed at that statement. "I...guess you have a point." She conceded. "But still, why is it so hard for Professor Kobalt to understand?"

Glynda shook her head. "Ms. Rose, it's not that Hansel doesn't understand. It's because he understands. That's why he's so stern with you."

"Huh?" Now Ruby was confused.

"I know he can seem a little cold." Glynda admitted. "I know that better than anyone. It took a whole year for him to truly open up to me. But the truth is, Hansel's heart is one of the kindest out there."

"Really?" Ruby was convinced there was plenty of good in Hansel, but Glynda saying that was still a bit unbelievable to her.

Glynda nodded. "I can assure you, Hansel doesn't hate you, or anyone else on your team. I doubt he even thinks about hating any of you." She promised. "And he certainly didn't yell at you, or decide to punish you because of any malice towards you or your team. He did it because he cares. It's what you call tough love."

"Tough love, huh?"

Glynda nodded. "The truth is," she said with a sad sigh, "if there's one thing Hansel hates more than criminals, it's people who get hurt or die for his sake. He's a stubborn boy, he'd rather take everything on his own than accept any sort of help. When he first went into the field, he outright refused any sort of assistance from teammates. Professor Ozpin ultimately relented because he knew how important Hansel's goals were to him. I wish he hadn't, personally."

"But that stubborness is part of his kindness." Glynda got back on track. "Hansel just can't stand the thought of good people dying. The only reason it may seem like he brushes death off, is because he feels as though he needs to stay focused on what's in front of him, so more people don't die."

"In a sense, he's the perfect person to learn from when it comes to being a Huntsmen." Glynda admitted. "In the eight years I've known him, there has never been a harder worker than Hansel. There's never been a more caring heart than Hansel's, even if he does have an odd way of showing it. And there is none more dedicated to the path of the Huntsman than Hansel. It's...what he lives for."

Which is concerning. Glynda added inwardly.

"I know better than anyone how flawed he is." Glynda admitted. "Like I said, he's stubborn. He has a bit of a problem with authority that isn't mine or Professor Ozpin's. And he's got quite the temper when faced with something he doesn't agree with."

"But, blood or not, he's still my son, and I also know better than anyone what his best qualities are." Glynda concluded. "And I can assure you, Ms. Rose, those qualities were on full display when he chewed out your team and decided to punish you."

Ruby thought over Glynda's words. "Why is he like this though?" She asked curiously.

Glynda shook her head, a sad look in her eyes. "That is not my place to say." She said. "Hansel doesn't like talking about his life, and you should respect that."

Ruby frowned, making Glynda look at Ruby in confusion. "Does understanding his life mean that much to you?" She inquired curiously.

"I just...wish I could better understand him." Ruby admitted. "Hearing all the stuff you're saying, I get that he means well. I just want to know what made him this way, so I can at least get where he's coming from. And maybe if I better understood him, we could get along better."

Glynda raised an eyebrow at how profound the young first year sounded. "Uncle Qrow once told me we're shaped by our experiences." Ruby explained. "I mean, it was his way of justifying being found drunk on our house's front porch, but I think that applies here, doesn't it?"

"Drunkard he is, your uncle is right." Glynda nodded in agreement. "But Ms. Rose, I'm going to make this perfectly clear: you are to stop digging into Hansel's private life, for his sake."

"For his sake? What's he hiding?" Ruby asked.

"It's not what he's hiding, it's what he simply doesn't want to remember. Again, it is not my place to say." Glynda said before her expression softened into a pleading gaze. "Ruby, please, don't force him to relive it all. The last thing he needs is someone digging up his past and forcing him to confront all those horrible memories."

Ruby was stunned by Glynda's pleas, moreso that she called her by her first name. Glynda never did that. Deciding to drop the matter for now, Ruby nodded. "I won't." She promised. "Thank you for the talk, Professor Goodwitch. I think you put a lot in perspective for me."

Glynda smiled kindly at Ruby. "Of course, that's what I'm here for." She said. "And Ms. Rose, feel free to drop by if you ever need to talk about other things. With the way things are right now, Professor Ozpin will be more focused on your growth as a Huntress. A little girl talk here and there might help you cope with it all."

"Things really are changing around here, huh?" Ruby noted.

Glynda nodded. Ruby thought it over and smiled. "I'd like that." She said. "Thanks, Professor Goodwitch."

Ruby then exited Glynda's office. The Beacon Professor, heaved a tired sigh. "I'm sorry, Ruby," she said to herself, "I can't have you getting too close with Hansel as well."

"What he also doesn't need is someone he cares about abandoning him again." Glynda sadly proclaimed. "That boy is my son, and I have to protect him."

Later in the afternoon, Hansel Kobalt had just received a message from a place called Elf's Help on his scroll. It read simply: "Your order is ready, Hansel, come pick it up."

Hansel nodded in satisfaction and took the next ride into the city. As he made his way through Vale, which was still in the midst of being rebuilt from the Vytal Festival incident, he barely acknowledged those who gave him a wide berth at the sight of him. To his credit, Hansel managed to spin this avoidance into something positive. If they hate me that much, they should be bunching up to keep me from my destination. He noted. They're making this walk pretty pleasant, actually.

Soon, Hansel was in front of Elf's Help, a local tailoring business. As soon as he entered, the sound of a bell rang out, signalling his entry. A dark-blue haired woman behind the counter was quick to greet Hansel. "Afternoon, Hansel." She said with a smile and a Southern drawl. "Got my message?"

Hansel nodded. "Yeah, thanks for getting this done so quick, Grace." He said. "I know it was kinda on short notice."

Grace Suede, owner of Elf's Help, brushed the matter off. "Hey, Glynda and me go way back. So, when her boy comes to me with a custom order, I make time for it." She said kindly. "Besides, it gave the twins a chance to practice on a tricky custom order. Great training for when they have to run this place themselves."

"Can I expect the same quality?" Hansel asked curiously.

"Of course you can." Grace grinned. "I trained those two to be damn good tailors."

Grace then looked behind Hansel and noticed her only other present customers subtly trying to exit the building, gazing at Hansel fearfully. Grace frowned at them. "Not buying anything today, huh?"

"N-no," the man said fearfully, "I think we'll take our business elsewhere."

Hansel sighed as the customers left Elf's Help. "Sorry," he said to Grace, "looks like I'm costing you business today. Usually I come towards the end of the day, but I had no choice this time."

"Bah, they were cheapskates anyway. Making a profit off of them would've been impossible." Grace scowled before calling out. "Elvis! Mr. Kobalt's here for his order!"

Instead of Elvis Suede, Ellie Suede, his twin sister, emerged from the back of the store, carrying four covered up articles of clothing, obscured by the coverings themselves. Grace frowned. "Now why are you carrying those things instead of your brother, Ellie?" She demanded. "Those are heavy."

"Sorry Mama," Ellie said in a Southern drawl like her mother's, "Elvis was stocking shelves in the back to organize our inventory. I figured I could do it, since he seemed busy."

Grace sighed. "Gods help me, to think I had to be blessed with twins who cared way too much for each other." She said jokingly before ruffling Ellie's hair. "Thank you for your help, Ellie."

Ellie smiled and placed the bags on the counter. "Here's your order, Mr. Kobalt." Ellie said to the young man. "All were properly sized based on the measurements you provided for us."

Hansel nodded. "Where are the lucky ladies you bought these for, anyway?" Grace smiled knowingly. "Don't you want them to try it on."

"You guys are the best at what you do, Grace." Hansel reminded her in a non-emotive tone as he took out his wallet. "You're the only tailor shop I know, who's custom orders are so precise, you don't even have to try them on."

"Aww, you're going to melt this old lady's heart with all your casanova talk, boy." Grace grinned. "Anything else we can get you today?"

"Nah, just these. Custom orders are expensive as hell."

"A lady's gotta keep her business afloat somehow." Grace pointed out.

"I didn't say that was a bad thing, Grace." Hansel denied, handing her his card.

Grace quickly swiped the card. "Alright, everything checks out, four custom-ordered getups for four lovely ladies." Grace said. "I won't ask what they're for. I doubt you'll be serenading them with gifts, considering what these are made of."

Hansel frowned at Grace's odd sense of humor, but nodded. "Have a nice rest of your day, Grace." He said before nodding curtly to Ellie. With that goodbye, Hansel exited the store, carrying the four bags over his shoulder, effortlessly.

With the Kobalt out of earshot, Ellie felt she could not freely say this to her mother. "Mama," she said, "why are people so scared of him?"

Grace fell silent at this. "I mean, he looks pretty scary at first, like one of those delinquents you see hanging out in the seedy parts of the city, but he doesn't seem all that bad a guy." Ellie noted. "I just can't for the life of me figure out why people treat him like he's some sort of Grimm."

Grace heaved a sigh. "Because most people are idiots, honey." Grace said bluntly.

Back at Beacon, the members of Team RWBY received a sudden message on their scrolls, simultaneously.

"Change of plans. I want you all to change into your workout clothes and meet me in the outdoor track for your punishment within the hour - Professor Kobalt."

A.N: I actually really love downtime chapters. After spending years writing stories with 90% fight scenes, writing something like this is a nice change of pace. Let's me stretch my writing abilities, you know?