Chapter 33

Keeping Up Appearances

Standing not even arm's length away from Yang was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, and she had to resist the overwhelming urge to grab hold of her and throw her onto the nearest bed. A halo of sunlight radiated off of the sultry blonde, and as if finally noticing the lecherous looks Yang was giving her she leaned forward for a kiss before grinning naughtily. With a wink she began unzipping her bright yellow combat vest at an agonizingly slow pace that not even Yang's pleading eyes could hurry along. A white blouse unbuttoned part of the way down was Yang's reward for her patience, and after she'd gotten her fill she gazed longingly into the lustful lilac orbs currently undressing her.

With a laugh and crooked grin she backed away from the closet door mirror to give some much needed attention to her miniskirt and thigh high boots.

"Hell yeah," she said approvingly. "I'd do me..."

Her golden mane while still clinging onto its natural wild side had never looked more vibrant, and the halo around her seemed to make her already tanned skin shine like polished bronze. As much as she appreciated her appearance however Yang was even happier with her chosen attire. After being informed that General Ironwood's banquet allowed students to wear their formal huntsman attire, which was normally reserved for ceremonies and other important gatherings, she had slipped out of her cocktail dress and into something not unlike her usual attire, except even more revealing and impressive.

Behind her and still in her yukata, Blake was outstretched atop the windowsill reading, having been in the exact same position since her roommates first started preparing earlier that morning. All day Yang had done her best to break her concentration but Blake knew better than to engage her partner at a time like this, and would just reply that she looked great without ever lifting her eyes. If living in the wilderness had taught Blake anything it was the importance of self-preservation.

"Hey, sis," Yang called in a sing-song voice, giggling when two heads sharing a seat at the desk together turned around.

Weiss grumbling something under her breath turned back around to continue her fruitless attempt to conceal her scar, which she seemed particularly obsessed with today. "Still not funny..."

Ruby sighed wearing a tired smile on her face. Unlike Weiss she found humor in her partner's momentary lapses whenever she'd forget that her name wasn't in fact Ruby Rose, but Yang seemed to be attempting to break a record for how quickly she could wear a joke out.

"Yeah?"

"Oh nothing," Yang said innocently. "I was just thinking of the time back at Signal when you were in such a hurry to get to class that you forgot to get dressed. Have either of us ever told you that story, Weiss?"

The heiress froze in the chair, her left eye twitching in the mirror back at Yang. "She wouldn't have been running around the apartment like a chicken with its head cut off if you hadn't been screaming at me, I-I mean her, that we were going to be late!"

Yang grinned as all day the pronoun game had been giving Weiss fits and was proving to be an impossible challenge for her to win. "Who cares whose fault it was, you're leaving out the best part! I know being late to class is like the worst thing you can imagine, but you wouldn't happen to remember her wearing pajama bottoms patterned with a certain singing purple dinosaur would you? I think it was during Ruby's first or second week of combat training, and is probably why she started going by a checklist in the morning. Wanna hear why she started wearing pajama bottoms to bed in the first place?"

"No!" they screamed in unison. After silently assuring one another that they would never speak of the incident ever again they turned around to finish the impossible tasks before them, which in Ruby's case was to cover the bruise she'd received when Weiss kicked her in the face the night before.

"This is great," Yang gushed. "Thanks to y'all's little aura transfers last night, now for the foreseeable future I get to embarrass both of you at the same time! Hey, Weiss, remember the tea party incident with Zwei and Ruby's stuffed animals?"

A look of vague recognition crossed Weiss' face as though the memory was buried deep in the back of her mind, and a moment later her face turned bright scarlet, causing Blake to stifle a laugh as the pair squirmed in their seat.

"Sharing aura with someone is just the best, isn't it? But enough reminiscing about old times, let's talk about recent events!" Yang rubbed her hands together excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "You practically collapsed in bed together as soon as you got back last night, and judging by the twigs and grass stains on both your clothes and Weiss' sheets I'm thinking we probably should've left you the picnic blanket before we left. For future reference you oughta go for a swim either before or after, or just do your business in the water. It's funner than it sounds, especially when you're both trying not to drown, but your clothes don't get as dirty and when you put them back on you're more conscious of what you're doing, meaning someone doesn't accidentally put their blouse on inside out..."

While Ruby rolled her eyes, having become numb to her sister's inquiries and playful teasing for the day, Weiss' face contorted in a mixture of fury and embarrassment, and she shot the pile of sheets lying on the floor underneath Zwei a mutinous glare. Although both she and Ruby had both changed into pajamas before crawling in bed they apparently hadn't quite gotten all the brush out of their hair or Ruby's cape.

"Did you add your bras to the tree?" Yang continued. "It's like a right of passage for huntresses attending Beacon, and it's not like either of you are using them for anything."

"HEY!" Both Blake and Zwei winced at the ear piercing screech emanating from the other side of the room. Ruby meanwhile just shook her head and went back to staring at the makeup box as though it were an explosive device, and not the fun kind.

"What about when you were getting ready earlier? Y'all were in the bathroom for an awful long time together. Still have a thing for being choked in the shower?"

As the heiress rose out of her seat Ruby laid a hand on her shoulder, calmly urging her to sit back down. She glanced over her shoulder wearing an even more tired smile and shaking her head. "Sis, all we did last night was talk. Yes we share our auras but we do that all the time anyway, and you know how long it's been taking me to get ready lately. Weiss helped me get dressed and did my hair but that's it."

"And we did NOT shower together and I do NOT have a thing for being choked!" Weiss shouted, practically foaming at the mouth.

Yang regarded them coolly for a moment, her grin faltering slightly. "Did you kiss?" When the pair's eyes widened Yang's smile became devilish, and glancing up from her book Blake couldn't help chuckling to herself. "I knew you could do it, Rubes! How'd it feel seducing someone to get what you want? Great, isn't it? How much tongue was there? On a scale from Zwei to me how good was it? Er, no offense, Zwei, but you're kinda sloppy and there's not a whole lot of lip action going on there. Don't worry, we'll work on it."

When Weiss went to stand again Ruby squeezed her shoulder. "You know it just encourages her." She turned back to her sister again. "It wasn't much more than a peck on the lips, sis. A goodnight kiss after a really long day and after a much needed talk. You and I kiss all the time, and you've kissed both Blake and Weiss before, and not the peck on the lips kind..."

Weiss quietly wiped her lips with a sour expression, wishing she had a cheese grater to clean her tongue while Blake seemed mostly indifferent. When Yang was bored or simply wanted to amuse herself anything was fair game, especially when the other person was trying to sleep. There had been however one special kiss between them on Yang's birthday that had been mutual even if alcohol had been involved in the decision making. Neither had any real desire to explore their relationship further, or at least beyond the already intimate relationship between partners, but even Blake had to admit that being kissed by Yang Xiao Long was a once in a lifetime experience and taught her some valuable lessons to possibly try with Sun someday. They also made the scenes in her books look like school kids playing spin the bottle...

Once Ruby was sure her partner wasn't going to cut her tongue out or try gurgling bleach she continued. "I promise if there was anything going on between us you'd be the first person I'd tell. Not because we're teammates and you'd deserve to know, but because you're my big sis."

Staring into Ruby's big puppy eyes Yang eventually let out a heavy sigh. "I see..." she drawled, sounding mildly disappointed.

Weiss blinked. "W-wait, so you believe us?"

She nodded but as quickly as it disappeared her wicked grin returned taking up more of her face than should've been possible. "So did you two start out small with like helping wash each other's back or shave each other's legs, or something more adventurous like showering or taking a bath together? Casual nudity is pretty underrated if you ask me, and for you two our bathtub might as well be a swimming pool. Heck, Ruby's got that chair in the bathroom for when she showers. Y'all could share it like you're sharing now."

Ruby sighed and turned back around, deciding to just ignore her and start plucking her eyebrows before Weiss got the chance to take hedge trimmers to them later. Her partner however fumbled over her words as if unable to think straight, her eyes scanning the room for her rapier which Ruby had smartly hidden earlier that morning.

"Don't tell me nothing happened between you two. I'm an expert at these kinds of things and practically majored in physical relationships my senior year at Signal. I know since you're both new to this kind of thing there's probably not a whole lot to tell. I mean, it's the second and third times that are actually worth talking about, but at least make something up to humor me. I'm bored. There's only so long you can try seducing yourself in the mirror for.""

"What makes you think anything happened in the first place?" Weiss seethed, smoke beginning to bellow out her ears.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe it's the fact you're so defensive about it, or maybe it has something to do with Rubes practically wearing your aura." Although said jokingly Weiss turned and for the first time noticed the inordinate amount of her aura around Ruby, made especially noticeable by her partner not having any aura herself. "Also when you two came out of the bathroom earlier neither of you would look me in the eye. A true sign of guilt and shame. I can practically smell it on you."

"Because we knew what you were going to say regardless!"

"Also Rubes' lips were blue and she had goosebumps the size of pimples. Come to think of it, she had blue lips when y'all got back last night and when she woke up this morning..."

Grabbing the nearest hairbrush Weiss sent it soaring for the blonde's head but she dunked just in time and took shelter behind Blake's bed, laughing maniacally as the room began resembling the bathroom which currently looked as though a girl bomb had gone nuclear.

While Ruby touched her lips, studying them closely in the mirror, Blake slammed her book shut causing both Yang's laughing and Weiss' machine gun fire to cease and their eyes to slowly drift toward the window.

"SHE STARTED IT!" Yang and Weiss shouted, pointing at each other.

"I don't care," Blake said calmly, causing her partner to smile nervously and for Weiss and Ruby to try and hide behind one another. Zwei meanwhile crawled underneath Weiss' bed, either out of his own sense of self-preservation or to find somewhere quieter to nap.

With a sigh the faunus put the book down and regarded her team without even the slightest ounce of fondness, and appeared more demoralized the longer she stared. "Ruby, Weiss, whether anything happened between you or not, or is currently happening or not is none of my business, but-" she let her words and oncoming threat hang in the air for a moment- "if either of you EVER tease Yang like that again and leave me to babysit her I will tie you up and use every interrogation method I learned in the White Fang to make you spill every secret you have. It won't be pretty and it'll feel like an eternity, but for me it'll be over in five minutes and then I'll be able to go on with my life." She reopened the book. "You may continue, quietly, and without throwing anything at my bed."

As she returned to reading Yang and Zwei crawled out from under their respective beds with a look of shell-shocked relief. Getting back to her feet she patted herself down and adjusted her attire before regarding the pair sitting at the desk, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. "Uh, sorry if I took the teasing a little too far. I'm happy for you both, and I think this might be the happiest I've ever seen our Ice Queen."

Weiss blushed after a playful nudge from Ruby while under her sister's watchful gaze, but her face brightened tenfold when Yang's devilish smirk returned. "I guess the old saying is true. 'Happy Weiss, happy life'."

"I don't believe I've ever heard that one," Blake murmured, turning the page.

"That's because nobody's been ever able to make her happy before. And who could blame her for being happy! Now she can say she's been choked in the shower by both-"

"THAT's ENOUGH!" Weiss slammed her hand atop the desk and a wintry flurry blew through the room, causing Zwei to go back into hibernation. Once she had everyone's undivided attention she took a deep breath and calmly regarded her tormentor. "Nothing is going on between your sister and I, and you will not make any jokes or insinuations about me or us while we're on my kingdom's airship, am I clear?"

Yang nodded but continued grinning not-so-innocently. "Sure, whatever you say..."

"I'm being serious." Getting to her feet Weiss stood in what was a cross between her huntress attire and a glamorous white cocktail dress, and despite being nearly a foot shorter than Yang and currently barefoot she appeared to rise in stature. "Rumors like that are already going to be whispered behind our backs because we're partners, but my father would not be amused if it was made public that I was dating a girl, and neither would the rest of my family or our business partners."

"Would they really be that upset if you were dating another girl?" Yang asked, her grin finally fading. "From what you've told us half the people going to the dinner tonight don't have any right to be judge anybody, and yeah sometimes it makes people do a double take but I don't think most people these days really care if-"

"No, it's not that." Weiss shook her head. "Believe me, ordinarily I'd be all too happy annoying my father and Atlas' elite, but I know when to pick my battles, and I'm also not going to lie in order to get a rise out of them." She glanced down at Ruby who nodded reassuringly. "Whoever I date is going to immediately be on the front page of every trashy gossip magazine and website you frequent, and while I'm sure it's already happened to all of you, Ruby would be put under even more of a microscope and the media would dig through her entire life looking for dirt. Understand what I'm trying to say?"

Yang stiffened and suddenly looked as though she was going to be ill. Slowly she nodded and glanced at her sister, both looking away at the same time. "Yeah, I get what you're saying..."

"Good, because my family, our partners, our competitors, and the media would leave no stone unturned, and even if they couldn't find any dirt they'd just make it up. Ruby's still technically a minor so there are Valeon and Atlesian laws semi-protecting her privacy, and my family and company are already using their influence to keep an eye on what's being published in regards to their youngest heiress, but I'd rather not put anybody's morals and ethics to the test. Like I said, being partners people are already going to whisper about us, but it's made even worse by the fact many of the people attending the dinner tonight don't understand what huntsmen partners mean to each other, or what it's even like to have their auras fully unlocked for that matter. To them we might as well be circus freaks. Take my word for it, you don't know these people like I do, and you don't understand our world..."

Yang felt a lump in her throat as she swallowed, imagining what would happen if Ruby suddenly found herself the center of the world's attention or used as an instrument to hurt Weiss. Even if there hadn't been secrets she and her family were trying to keep buried Ruby didn't like attention, and she also didn't have particularly thick skin when it came to people making fun of her. Current company excluded of course.

Ruby just like most people wanted to be liked or at the very least left alone, and in her sister's mind would be scarred for life if the world suddenly turned against her. While Blake and Weiss cared very little about what others thought of them Yang practically craved attention and adoration, but she also considered herself to have skin nearly as thick as her aura, which would burn anyone even attempting to harm her.

Unsure whether she wanted to vomit or punch someone in the face just thinking about it, Yang shook her head as if to get the terrible thought out of her mind. After fighting the urge to toss all her gossip magazines in the trash and delete half the favorites on her scroll she studied her little sister's weary expression for a long while, their little game having suddenly lost its luster. She found solace in that at least Ruby had pretty much become desensitized to today's healthy dose teasing anyway, and that she had gotten her fair share of laughs in at Weiss' expense.

Instead she feasted her insatiable eyes on a fresh target who wasn't able to hide behind her book quick enough. "You sure you're gonna be alright left all alone, Blake-Blake?"

Despite herself Blake let out a small chuckle. "I've been looking forward to it actually. I can't remember the last time I had peace and quiet all to myself. Even when I'm in the bathroom I can barely hear myself think because of you three, and because of you I constantly have to look over my shoulder when I'm showering."

"Well, while you're sitting here in the dark wishing someone had stayed behind to keep you company, try not to think about me rubbing shoulders with a bunch of rich guys looking for a girl like me to help spend their family fortunes."

"I'll try to contain my overwhelming jealousy," Blake said dryly.

"When I get back I'll tell you everything else we rubbed, but before we go we'll be sure to feed Zwei so that he doesn't get hungry. Wouldn't want that now would we?"

Blake glanced at the drooling corgi looking in her direction, possibly imagining what she might taste like mixed with his treat-y-wheat-y-woo-woos. Reflexively she patted her thigh holster to make sure Gambol Shroud hadn't somehow gone missing or been misplaced like Weiss' rapier. Given the choice between a salivating hellhound and an airship full of Atlesians Blake would've chosen the possibility being eaten any day of the week...

With nature's oldest adversaries staring each other down and Ruby and Weiss returning to their eyebrows and makeup, Yang admired herself in the mirror once more before pulling out her scroll. After reading the instructions to her uncle's software program once more she turned around and began taking pictures of Ruby and Weiss.

"Hey! Stop it!"

"I don't know about y'all, but I've got a good feeling about tonight..."

Yang did not have a good feeling about tonight. Not at all, but she did her best to drown her worries with alcohol, humor, witty banter, and false optimism. An ordinary day in the life of Yang Xiao Long all things considered.

Her uncle had asked her to do something highly illegal but while she was still a little fuzzy on the details of how she was supposed to get inside the bedroom of an upperclassman Atlesian specialist, Yang lived for danger and excitement, and had always viewed herself as the sly love interest in a James Pond movie. No, it was her sister that had her worried, especially now that Weiss had inexplicably agreed to bring her along.

Why couldn't Ruby just stay home where she was safe? And why had both Ozpin and her Uncle Qrow suggested giving Ruby a tour of the airship? Was it because they knew she didn't have much time left and simply wanted her to see it before the inevitable happened? What else could it be?

Yang didn't like it. Every instinct told her that another interrogation was in order, this time with tweezers, but even if something was going on right under her nose Yang wasn't sure if she wanted to know what it was. She would play along for now as that was what she was good at, but she suspected there was going to be a long talk when everything was said and done. She just hoped and prayed there wasn't going to be a time limit...

Because of how quickly her sister's legs tired out, a limousine upon Weiss' request had come to retrieve them, taking them all the way to the bottom of the campus where Polaris' flagship was floating atop a large body of water that acted as an inland harbor for The City of Vale. Technically speaking the airship wasn't far from Beacon Academy's dormitories, but due to the sheer cliffs overlooking the city getting to the bottom meant either cutting through the residential or commercial districts, or jumping down a couple thousand feet to the water and sharp rocks below.

Ordinarily that wouldn't have been an issue and was frequently done by students attending the academy, but it would've surely killed Ruby on impact, and perhaps more importantly Weiss didn't want to make a spectacle of herself using her glyphs as an elevator. Neither of the sisters had protested to riding in the back of a stretch limousine even if it was just a twenty minute ride including military checkpoints, during which time Yang had already finished two bottles of expensive champagne and along with Ruby made a sizable dent in the sandwiches and snacks.

When the vehicle finally came to a gradual halt Ruby had to be physically restrained by her partner to keep from opening the door herself, or from shoving food into her fancy new ammo belt. By the time the driver got out of his seat and came around to the back Yang was polishing off her third bottle and Weiss cleaning the chocolate off her partner's chin. Opening the door the driver gave Ruby a helping hand out but stepped aside for Yang and Weiss, keeping his eyes lowered while in the presence of the Schnee Dust Company's heiress, who was none too happy about there being chocolate aboard when she specifically requested for there to be no desserts.

"Wow..." Ruby gasped. A raised platform stretched across the water for several hundred feet, connecting the shore to the largest airship she had ever seen in person. The ivory behemoth was over twenty stories tall and shaped vaguely like an Atlesian styled pistol with the barrel located underneath the recoil assembly, which she found much cooler than Vale's airships which more resembled flying sea turtles. All her life Ruby had seen pictures and videos of Atlas' engineering marvel and had practically memorized the blueprints, specifically the location of every dust cannon, rocket launcher, laser mount, and machine gun.

"Ruby," her partner said, "on behalf of The Kingdom of Atlas, Polaris Academy, and the Schnee Dust Company, I present to you our greatest pride and joy- The Mother of Invention: Arcadia."

Not having any air left in her lungs Ruby wheezed aloud and felt her head becoming light.

"Kinda a long name, isn't it?" Yang asked, her hands atop her head and sounding as though she might've been suppressing a yawn. "Then again I guess you Atlesians are kinda long winded."

Weiss huffed and resisted the urge to stomp her foot. "It's called The Arcadia for short. Essentially it means paradise. The loss of paradise to be exact."

"Good name for a battleship," she quipped.

"She's a transport ship, not a battleship, but you're exactly right." Weiss turned, her face now calm and serene, and exuding pride. "Arcadia refers to the time of Eden before Grimm and corruption came into the world. True paradise was created and surrendered, and countless lesser civilizations have risen and fallen since then. Believe it or not we Atlesian are not idealists and are not trying to create utopia like Blake might have you believe. We're realists and pragmatics, and knowing that paradise can be lost puts all of your achievements into perspective. Atlas rose out of the ashes of Mantel and a bloody civil war to become the most powerful kingdom on Remnant, again, and everything we've accomplished and built since has been out of necessity, the greatest and cruelest inventor of all..."

Like her partner Weiss stared in awe of the majestic airship, her eyes twinkling as she felt a pang of homesickness. Although The City of Vale was quaint and lovely she sorely missed the snowy mountains and skyscrapers of her kingdom. It had been nearly six months since she said goodbye to Atlas, and seeing the grand airship designed by her Papa in his youth, Weiss couldn't help feeling like a little girl again sitting on his shoulders seeing it for the very first time.

Yang on the other hand while impressed by its sheer size didn't quite share Ruby and Weiss' enthusiasm. Having visited all four major huntsmen academies prior to attending Beacon she had already seen The Arcadia multiple times in Atlas and from afar there in Vale, and there was just something unnerving about an Atlesian battleship being there in her own kingdom. Perhaps after all this time it was just Blake's own cynicism and general distrust and dislike of Atlesians rubbing off on her, or the creeping sense of dread she had felt since agreeing to let Ruby come along, but standing there in front of the dreadnought class airship Yang Xiao Long began feeling very small and insignificant. She glanced back into the limo wishing the refreshments had been more like what she had for breakfast.

Directly ahead of them was a bustling gray hangar nearly the size of Beacon's airship hangar full of ivory bullheads and ground vehicles, all of which appeared to be armed to the teeth and ready for war at a moment's notice. A red carpet had been laid out on the platform leading across the water, and with one final approving look at her family's legacy Weiss took a step forward and motioned for Ruby and Yang to follow, with Yang practically having to drag her preoccupied and lethargic sister along.

A few armored soldiers standing around stiffened when they recognized Weiss, but just as quickly they remembered their duties and silently escorted her and her companions to the airship bearing her family's coat of arms. They barely seemed to notice the other two girls with her, something Yang was quick to notice and be offended by, but Ruby just continued staring at the airship with her mouth hanging open, her sister occasionally having to wipe the drool off her chin.

When they finally arrived at the midpoint of the platform Ruby's legs had begun trembling, forcing Yang to help carry her weight as inconspicuously as she could. Not that anyone was paying her or Ruby any attention of course, or cared if either of them suddenly collapsed. All of their tinted visors were focused on Weiss, and despite wearing bulletproof armor they all seemed nervous by the teenage girl that by and large wasn't even half their size.

"Weiss Schnee," she announced to an officer standing around holding a clipboard, her courtly accent stronger than usual. "This is my partner Ruby Rose and her sister Yang Xiao Long. You won't find them on the list but I don't believe that will be a problem."

"No, ma'am, but I'll have to ask your companion to remove her gauntlets and leave them here with us." He pointed at Yang's oversized golden bracelets likely having seen a few collapsible Dual Ranged Shot Gauntlets in his time.

Weiss blinked as though she misheard. "Would you like my weapon as well, Lieutenant? Aren't you going to ask me to remove my rapier?"

"N-o, ma'am," he stuttered. "Tonight's guests are permitted to carry ceremonial blades aboard but all other weapons are strictly forbidden. I-I would ask you to sheath your blade however. For your own safety, and everyone else's."

She laid a hand on her rapier's hilt and posed so that the soldiers all got a good look at it and her aura coating the blade. "I assure you Myrtenaster is not a ceremonial blade. She is my registered huntsman weapon, meaning she won't be cutting anybody's ankles tonight or stabbing any seats. As for my friend's 'gauntlets' as you call them, I don't believe her jewelry will be an issue."

"O-of course not, ma'am. M-my apologies. Please come this way and watch your step." Nervously he escorted them the rest of the way while Yang purposefully drew attention to her inactive gauntlets as if to rub it in their faces. "Did you hear that," she whispered to her sister just loud enough for Weiss to hear. "She called me a friend. You're not the only one whose relationship has gotten an upgrade the past twenty-four hours."

Ruby covered her mouth to stifle a giggle, a part of her in disbelief that she and Weiss' soul dive had just been the day before. Glancing at her partner whose facial expression and entire demeanor had become impassive and regal, if not entirely pompous, Ruby got the feeling she might've been secretly thinking the same thing.

Once they reached the end of the red carpet the lieutenant held out his hand to help Weiss up a small, barely noticeable step but she ignored him just as she'd been taught to do. Nobody laid their hands on a Schnee, and although he was just doing his job and trying to be polite this was the Schnee way of letting him know that his presence was no longer required.

Ruby graciously accepted his help however and even said a polite 'Thank you', which by the look of it he wasn't accustomed to hearing. Yang followed behind, too preoccupied with the Emerald Tower perched above them and getting one last look of it before grinning suggestively at the young officer touching her arm, letting him wonder what she might've meant by it when he tried to sleep tonight.

Stepping into the hanger Ruby became lost and overwhelmed by the sheer number of bullheads and other vehicles housed within the massive airship, but also couldn't help feeling unsettled being aboard another kingdom's airship that just a few generations ago would've come to Vale for war. If Yang felt anything similar she hid it well underneath a cocky smirk, deciding that she could get used to the newfound respect she was receiving whenever they passed a group of soldiers or airmen. She'd have to ask Weiss later if she had any relatives in need of a girl like her brightening their lives and melting their ice cold hearts.

Another officer directed them to the door they needed to take despite Weiss already walking in that direction. "Would you like me to escort you and your companions to the banquet, ma'am? It'd be no trouble."

"That will not be necessary," she said dismissively, not even bothering to look at him. "I know my way around here quite well, thank you."

He nodded stiffly and gestured toward the door, holding his breath as they passed.

Stepping aboard the airship proper Ruby shivered and immediately crossed her arms over her chest. Normally cooler weather didn't bother her as she'd been raised in the mountains of Patchwork and had long since acclimatized to her partner's chilly aura, but the airship was like stepping into a freezer, and without her trademark cloak she might as well have been naked, and not in a fun way as her sister would say. Not only was she without her cloak but also Crescent Rose, which lately had been her faithful walking stick and a portable bench whenever she needed it. Unfortunately the weapon was just too heavy for her to carry at the moment, and while Yang's gauntlets were innocuous enough, Ruby bringing her six foot sniper-scythe aboard The Arcadia was something Weiss simply couldn't permit. As for her cape, Weiss had been worried about someone might trip over it, including Ruby herself.

Her feeling cold might have also had something to do with taking the last of her painkillers and Weiss applying her aura one last time before departing, and noticing her sister shivering Yang wrapped an arm around her and flared her aura, instantly warming her.

"Better?"

"Better," Ruby conceded. "Thanks."

Catching up with the heiress Yang gave her a playful nudge now that they were away from prying eyes. "That a girl," she teased. "They're all gonna be cleaning their armor tonight, and it's kinda nice to see someone other than my sister and Jaune being scared of you."

Weiss huffed but otherwise didn't respond, too busy leading the way and slipping back into old habits, which was much too easy for her liking.

"Don't you think you were a little mean?" Ruby asked, sighing when her sister snorted loudly. "I mean, more than usual?"

"I am a Schnee," Weiss said simply, the slightest hint of dismay in her voice. "It would be inappropriate of me to be anything but dismissive to anyone who isn't a high ranking officer, a registered huntsman, or a student attending Polaris. It doesn't matter who it is or their rank, I am their superior, and in order for my family's relationship with the military to remain the way it is they all need to understand that. And I would ask you to at least pretend you have respect for me while we're aboard. Even now I'm sure we're being watched on security cameras."

The sisters shared an uncomfortable glance at one another having nearly forgotten what Weiss playing heiress looked like, and how thick her accent actually was. Instead of its usual glass-breaking high pitch, her voice was deeper as though she were speaking more from the back of her throat. It wasn't quite the traditional Atlesian accent they were accustomed to hearing, which was already regal-sounding to the rest of Remnant but tended to be more nasally and depending on the region huskier. Weiss' however was even more affluent and refined, her words all spoken very deliberately and with perfect pronunciation.

Occasionally late at night or when she was tired she'd slip into something more difficult to understand, but over the course of the last few months her accent had noticeably softened and she had even picked up a few foreign pronunciations thanks to her teammates, with Blake and Yang both having slight Mistralian cadences while Ruby's was more rural Valeon.

With the exception of their footsteps their journey was mostly silent as it seemed only required personnel were currently wandering the long corridors, all appearing to be on important business and all holding their breaths when passing Weiss. Over the intercom they heard jazz music playing, a trumpet that reverberated throughout their bodies and gave Yang an extra bounce to her step. When they came around a corner however they saw a young man with dark skin wearing a black and white suit along with rectangular sunglasses and a matching fedora. Around his neck was a loosened tie which Ruby greatly respected due to herself being unable to tie either a tie or a bow for her school uniform, often having to resort to wearing a clip-on when her teammates didn't have time to help her.

The girls slowly approached admiring the music and his ability to play, and when the song finally came to an end Ruby clapped enthusiastically, causing him to grin and give a slight bow.

"Not bad," Yang said in a sultry voice.

The musician peeked up from underneath his fedora and sunglasses revealing dark brown eyes that slowly looked her up and down. "Not bad yourself," he said in a smooth voice that caused them all to shiver.

"Are you going to the party too?" Ruby asked, not noticing the way he and her sister were looking at each other.

For seemingly the first time he took notice of the other two girls, his eyes passing over Weiss as if she wasn't even there. "I'm not playing for the general or his guests if that's what you're wondering," he said in a calm yet clearly offended tone.

Weiss gave her partner a slight nudge before smiling apologetically. "I assure you she meant as a guest. We saw the promotional video of Polaris' top ranked competitors and teams which included yourself and your teammates. I'm Weiss, and this is-"

"I know who you are," he interrupted, glaring at the heiress. "Everyone aboard this airship knows who you are, but since I'm not a specialist or contracted with the SDC I don't have to pretend to like you or treat you like royalty."

Ruby glanced at Weiss who hardly reacted beyond pursing her lips together, and Yang quickly moved between the two. "I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot," she said in a friendly voice, no longer even attempting to flirt. "I'm Yang, and this is my sister Ruby."

"H-hello." She waved awkwardly at the unimpressed musician and huntsman in-training, though his spirits did seem to lighten somewhat now that his attention was back on Yang. She had sounded warm and friendly, flirty even if unintentionally, but Ruby knew her sister well enough to know that there had also been an underlying threat, meaning- 'Be nice or I'll have to hurt you'.

"I'm Flynt," he said, tipping his hat. "Flynt Coal at your service."

Again the girls got goosebumps as he spoke, and instinctively both Yang and Weiss raised their aura shields, sensing a semblance having something to do with his voice. Weiss took a step in front of Ruby shielding her as best she could from whatever influence he might have over them. Flynt meanwhile just chuckled to himself realizing what they were doing.

"No need to fear, ladies. My voice may be soothing to fall asleep to but beyond that it's only real power is over sound-waves, which I can manipulate just like this." He blew in his trumpet again playing a few notes which they now realized were much more vibrant than an ordinary instrument, and also noticed the vials of fire, ice, lightning, and air dust on it's side. Given their position Ruby thought either the trumpet was also some sort of firearm or Flynt was capable of using his semblance to combine sound-waves with dust, or perhaps both. She vaguely recalled seeing highlight footage of him but not enough to get a clear understanding of his unorthodox weapon, which only made her more curious.

"Well, Flynt-" Yang said, filling the awkward silence- "maybe you could play me a song sometime? If you're lucky I might even let you buy me a drink."

"How about you buy me a drink instead?"

The girls nearly jumped as a brash voice snuck up behind them, something they normally didn't have to worry about when Blake was with them. Turning around they saw a girl a little shorter than Ruby and Weiss with orange pigtails and wearing a blue crop top that did little to hide her purple bra and cleavage, as well as a bright pink mini-skirt with purple short-shorts underneath. She appeared to have just recently gotten back from skating as she had on a pair of roller blades as well as knee and elbow pads, and was coated in a layer of sweat.

The whole ensemble gave Weiss a headache, but what stood out the most was a pink cat's tail that rudely tickled Weiss' nose before wrapping itself around Yang's waist, pulling the cat-girl closer so their bodies were practically touching. She looked the tall blonde up and down, appearing to be either sizing her up or savoring what she was looking at, or perhaps a little of both. After settling on something more eye level she eventually glanced up with the sultriest of grins.

"Name's Neon Katt, with a 'k' and extra an 't'," she said. "Flynt and I are partners on Team Funky. That's F-N-K-I in case you're curious."

"Team Ruby with a 'W'," Ruby said, still oblivious to the looks her sister was being given.

Yang smirked down at the girl who despite wearing roller blades still barely came up to her chin, and quite obviously had taken a great interest in her. "Sorry, but you've got to be at least this tall to ride." She laid a hand atop Weiss' head much to the heiress' chagrin. "Or climb in this case."

"Oh, I like you," Neon said coolly, her pupils dilating.

"Most people do," she replied without even an ounce of humility. Beside them Weiss resisted the urge to vomit while Ruby continued staring obliviously.

As the pair smirked at one another Neon's tail began to wander a bit, the soft fur and aura causing Yang to stiffen despite her own aura having already been fortified.

"What's wrong?" Neon said, feigning disappointment. "Not into faunus or just not into girls?"

Yang grinned uneasily. "Maybe there's just another cat-girl I've got my eye on."

Neon's long tail traveled to places a bit more personal before using it to swing around behind Yang, a rainbow trailing her. Yang stealthily let out a breath as the foreign aura left along with whatever thoughts and desires Neon might've been sharing, but a moment later her eyes darkened.

"Careful, Neon," Flynt teased. "I think you made her mad."

"She's kinda hot when she's mad," she teased back, fanning herself as the temperature began to rise. "And haven't I always said I laugh at danger?"

Amused by their reactions Yang grinned, her eyes mostly returning to normal. "Yeah well, I flirt with danger and tell it to buy me a drink sometime, but not before beating it to a bloody pulp."

Both Flynt and Neon's own smirks faltered for a moment before coming back even cockier than before. "If that's the case then it's gonna be a pleasure beating some humility into you," Flynt said, both looking directly at Weiss.

"Do you think she'll cry?" Neon asked excitedly. "Don't take it personally, princess, but before they went completely off the rails a few years ago I was rooting for the White Fang. Come the tournament's end I'm gonna be a hero to all the faunus in Atlas, especially if your partner is able to walk and go a day without having a panic attack by then."

In the blink of an eye Yang activated her gauntlets and Weiss brandished her blade, a finger already on the trigger while Neon retrieved a pair of nunchucks that more resembled glow sticks and Flynt brought his trumpet to his lips. As the two teams growled at one another daring the other to make the first move, Ruby pressed through between her partner and sister before they were the ones to make it.

"Ruby!" they hissed at their unarmed, aura-less leader. They tried yanking her back but Ruby planted her feet and pushed back against them, all the while calmly ignoring the weapons and overwhelming auras in front of her.

"Do either of you know a freshman girl named Penny Polendina?" she asked. "Or where I could find her or her teammates?"

Both Flynt and Neon's faces visibly soured at the name, but glancing at one another they slowly lowered their weapons followed by Weiss and Yang, who seemed much more reluctant than their counterparts.

"Yeah, we know her," Flynt said, not exactly sounding thrilled about it. "She's training to be a specialist which means we don't see her around much, thankfully. A word of warning, you're not gonna find many people attending Polaris that like her very much, not even other specialists. She's one of General Ironwood's pet projects and also gets special treatment because her dad's a technologist, and not a very popular one among students. If it were up to him we'd probably all be walking around with artificial limbs and cybernetic prosthetics." He glanced at Weiss' left eye causing her to scare coldly back, daring him to say something.

Neon eyed Ruby with a hint of sympathy and reattached her nunchucks to her belt. "I don't think Penny usually goes to the general's parties so she's probably still up in her quarters. The specialists are on the sixth floor with female pairings on the hallway to the right," she said kindly. "Oh, and specialists in-training don't have teams, just partners. And if you ask me, Penny and Ciel aren't even friends. Sounds like you two might be friends though..."

Ruby nodded, either ignoring or oblivious to the suggestive look she was being given. "We are, and thank you. I like your nunchucks by the way. You made them yourself, didn't you?"

Neon's face beamed and she quickly held them up again for her to examine, causing both Yang and Weiss to instinctively raise their fists or reach for their weapons again.

"There's a cylinder on each of them that you turn to pick what kind of dust you want, then you bend the tubes like a glow stick to activate them. Going from one dust type to another can be a little cumbersome sometimes, but with four shafts I can have four different vials activated at the same time, and in the middle of combat I can change vials just by swinging them. Superspeed and faunus reflexes come in handy sometimes, and in more ways than you'd think."

After another suggestive look at Yang she briefly glanced at Weiss and smirked, but the SDC's heiress didn't react beyond not liking how close her partner was to such dangerous and in her opinion, barbaric weapons.

"They're beautiful," Ruby said, testing the weight as Neon handed them over. "I bet they're a real pain to clean though."

Her shoulders slumped. "You have no idea..."

Ruby chuckled. "Actually I think I do. Weiss' MADR used to jam a lot before I started tinkering with it. If you'd like we could take a look at them together and see if we can't fix the cylinder and come up with a better activation motion. My sister's gauntlets activate by her quickly rotating her forearms so maybe we could do something similar. And maybe you could help me with a dust cylinder I'm making for my sniper-scythe."

"I'd love that!" she cheered, her tail dancing in the air. "Listen, being a team leader at Beacon at fifteen is really impressive even if you're teammates are kinda immature-" Smoke bellowed from Yang and Weiss' nostrils, both resisting the urge to stick their tongues out. "-and I've also heard you're really fast. Maybe we could have a race sometime?"

Ruby nodded and smiled despite the discomfort she was feeling in her shoes and the weakness in her knees. If tonight didn't go her way then she'd never be able to run again, the only bright side being that at least she wouldn't be stuck in a wheelchair very long.

"Awesome! Oh, and I'm sorry about your accident the other day. Get better real soon, okay? I wanna face you in the tournament!" She stole a glance at Yang and Weiss, giving the blonde a yearnful look before staring proudly at Weiss, her tail on full display.

"I'll try, and thanks for your help." Ruby grabbed her teammates preparing to drag them away when Neon touched her arm, smiling. "No weapon, no aura, and barely able to walk. Sounds like you're not afraid of danger either. How about you let me buy you chocolate milkshake sometime?"

"I'd like that." she said, laughing as Neon winked playfully, her tail brushing the side of her cheek. As she rolled away with another rainbow trailing behind Flynt walked beside her, keeping an eye on Yang and Weiss who were both staring daggers into the cat-girl and appeared to be on the verge of brandishing their weapons again.

"Oh!" Neon turned around now skating backward. "If things don't work out between you and Penny you're welcome to come visit us! Room 305 on the third floor! I've got a Zbox 720 we can play, and a great game called 'Taste the Rainbow'. Your sister's more than welcome to join us, or come alone if she wants..."

"Thanks, I-I don't think I've heard of that one. Did it just come out?" After another playful wink Neon laughed and turned back around, her rainbow lingering behind as if leaving a trail for them to follow.

"I'll kill her..." Yang and Weiss muttered, watching as the tail waved goodbye.

"Come on," Ruby sighed, attempting to drag them away with little success. "I can't take y'all anywhere, can I?"

"Y'all!?" they cried. "YOU!"

Giving up she decided to just continue on her way knowing they would follow along. Hoping they'd follow along seeing how she didn't know her way around the airship beyond the general layout and would probably need help walking in a minute or two.

"Ruby!" Weiss hissed, her heels clicking as she followed behind. "Did you hear the way they talked about us? About you? About Penny!?"

She nodded. "I didn't like it either but we didn't come here to fight. I know you two could've taken them but their teammates probably weren't far, and were not exactly on home turf. Team FNKI are supposed to be one of Polaris' top freshman teams and I felt their auras for myself. They're strong, really strong, and we'd all get in big trouble starting a fight on another kingdom's airship. And it especially wouldn't look good for you, Weiss."

The heiress winced realizing she had forgotten herself and where she was. "I really hate it when you're the one making sense," she whined, slipping back into her usual manner of speaking.

"Also-" Ruby turned to her with a weak smile- "I don't have Crescent Rose with me or my aura. If we're gonna get in a fight I wanna be a part of it."

Weiss' eyes softened and she quickly turned away afraid her mascara might run if she continued staring at her uncharacteristically melancholy partner. "I still can't believe you offered to improve that minx's weapons."

Ruby gave her a playful nudge knowing what she was doing. "I think it's manx, not minx."

"Idiot," she snapped, "Manx is a kind of Atlesian cat. Minx is what you call an impudent flirt who can't keep their hands, or tails, to themselves. There's a picture of your sister next to the word in the dictionary."

"Oh, that makes sense. Anyway, Neon's training to be a huntress just like us. Improving her nunchucks might just save her life someday."

"Why do you think I'm upset?"

"Weiss!?"

"Okay, fine, but do it after the tournament, and only with adult supervision. I don't want them defeating anyone from Beacon or getting out of the first or second rounds because of your traitorous meddling."

Ruby bobbed her head seemingly mulling it over. "I guess that's fair," she decided.

Behind them heavy stomps echoed throughout the halls as Yang's long legs easily caught up to them. She walked along with her hands atop her head occasionally glancing behind them to make sure someone in roller blades hadn't snuck up on them, and appeared disappointed that there wasn't.

"If I punched her hard enough do you think SKTLS would spill out?"

"And here we go..." Weiss muttered, a smile creeping on her face.

"Hey, Weiss? Is there anywhere I can report someone for sexual harassment? I'm pretty sure that was the kind of red light behavior they talked about that seminar last semester."

"Didn't you sleep through that?"

"Most of it yeah, but I was awake during the part where we got to ask questions about what's considered red light behavior and what isn't. Remember Blake's face when I licked her ear?"

"Vaguely. I must've still been recovering from you playing the 'Where is it okay for me to touch people game'..."

Ruby rolled her eyes and shook her head, finding her pace beginning to slow until she was walking parallel with Yang. "Sis, if you filed a report I'm pretty sure everyone would just laugh, especially Professor Goodwitch. Flynt and Neon were just trying to get under your skin. Don't let them."

"Out of my clothes and under the sheets more like it..." she muttered.

"You're one to talk, sis, and technically you started it."

"Yeah, well, I'm used to being the one who finishes it too. And in my defense all I do is flirt and tease people. I leave the actual dirty stuff up to overactive imaginations. What was in her aura was explicit and I'm pretty sure illegal in three kingdoms and at least four territories. And if you'll excuse me I need to find a shower..."

Ruby gave her a playful elbow to the ribs and caught her eye. "You're just mad that someone beat you at your own game."

"Darn right I am!" A spark traveled from her mane to the palm of her hand where it was extinguished in a tight fist, and a crooked grin spread across Yang's face as though a switch had been flipped. "Not gonna lie though, this just proves what I already knew. I mean, am I a pussy...cat magnet or what? It's gotta be fate, right?"

Weiss let out a heavy sigh. "I must admit it was rather refreshing, though also a little frightening, meeting someone who has even less boundaries than you do. Congratulations, on the scale of indecency you are no longer the standard bearer."

Before Yang could respond with a witty retort both she and Weiss slowed to a halt realizing there was a pair of footsteps missing. Turning, they saw Ruby leaning against a pair of elevator doors. She smiled weakly at them before directing her attention to Weiss. "You did say we're not allowed to come to the dinner with you. I'm gonna go visit Penny, a-and see how she's doing. W-wish me luck?"

Yang took a step toward her but Weiss leaped ahead embracing her partner. "Everything's going to be alright," she whispered, sounding as though she might've been trying to reassure herself more than anyone. "You're gonna be okay. I'm not through with you just yet..."

Ruby buried her face in Weiss' long hair, enjoying the embrace almost as much as the cool aura numbing her body. "Love you too..."

Yang watched on studying the pair closely, but the moment they separated she was quick to take Weiss' place, flaring her aura which thankfully didn't melt the icy aura shield covering her stomach.

"I may not know exactly what's going on but I know it must be important if you're not willing to tell me." Yang tried looking Ruby in the eye but she quickly looked away blinking away tears. "Hey-" Yang stooped down so they were now eye level with each other. "I'm sorry for all the teasing earlier, and for nearly starting a fight. I guess it's just a reflex by now. Give my best to Penny, but don't do anything I would do. I love you, Rubes. I don't know what I would do without you..."

"I love you too, sis." her voice cracked. "I hope you never have to find out..."

Sniffling she called the elevator which arrived almost immediately. Yang didn't release her for several more moments, and Ruby practically had to pry their hands off in order to step aboard, both girls holding onto her as if afraid to let go. "I'll be alright," she said, carefully wiping her eyes due to her makeup and mascara, two things she wasn't accustomed to wearing.

She waved goodbye and the pair waved back, holding their breath long after the doors closed. For an eternity they stood there in silence staring at their reflections in the polished nickel, hating themselves more the longer they stared.

"I suppose we should be going now," Weiss said quietly. She started down the corridor but before she could make more than a couple of steps Yang grabbed her by the arm and spun her around.

"You and I had a deal," she hissed. "If it involves Ruby it involves me, remember!?"

Studying her closely Weiss was reminded of an injured animal lashing out, and although she could feel her own temper rising, thanks to her partner she remembered herself and where she was this time. "Funny, I don't recall ever agreeing to that," she said coolly.

Yang's eyes flickered and the temperature on the chilly airship suddenly began to rise. "Contrary to popular belief I'm not as stupid as either of you think I am."

"Neither of us think you're stupid." Weiss shook her head, her icy blue eyes never leaving Yang's. "Ruby said as much last night, but she knows there are some things you're better off not knowing. She also knows how you blame yourself too much and sometimes even punish yourself when you feel like you haven't taken good enough care of her, and she knows you're not much better than your father and uncle at times like this."

Yang's lip curled into a snarl and her grip tightened, causing Weiss to bite her lip to keep from showing any discomfort. Still keeping eye contact she laid a gentle hand atop Yang's which was currently attempting to brand her. "Listen, I may not have agreed to anything the other day but you're still Ruby's sister, and you deserve to know what happened last night. Follow me."

Now holding her hand Weiss walked a little ways until she found an empty communications room and locked the door behind them and turned off the cameras using her personal security clearance. She didn't bother turning the light on as the fiery halo around Yang was more than sufficient, and out of breath she glanced up to see the tall, menacing blonde suddenly more scared than angry.

"Yang, last night Ruby and I didn't just share our auras with each other, and it wasn't just vague memories I saw. Your sister gave me permission to perform a soul dive, and despite my best efforts to talk her out of it I eventually relented." She closed her eyes and took a series of deep breaths, and when they reopened her eyes had a silvery tint to them. "After repeating our huntress vows to each other Ruby and I merged our souls together."

Lilac eyes widened and Yang's mouth fell open. "Whoa..."

Weiss nodded. "She did keep some things from me, mainly secrets that didn't belong specifically to her, but I saw and experienced everything else for myself. It's all a little fuzzy now and getting fuzzier the more time passes, but a part of Ruby's soul now lives inside of me. I was there the day Patchwork fell, a-and it was more horrible than I could've ever imagined." She swallowed and took a deep breath. "The Beowolves didn't just leave her injured and scarred like you led us to believe. They killed her, but not before nearly tearing her body apart..."

Yang covered her mouth and tears quickly began rolling down her cheeks. She shook her head and attempted to release herself from Weiss' grasp but the smaller girl held on and guided her to a desk to sit on.

"I also saw what happened afterward, some through Summer's own eyes. Your stepmom did more than just close Ruby's wounds. She brought her back to life, and somehow she's been keeping her alive all these years later." Yang's body stiffened just as Weiss expected it would, but she squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I don't know how that's possible and quite frankly I'm not sure if I want to know, but my point is Ruby didn't go through it alone. From now on she'll remember me lying in the snow with her, being carried by her mom back to the cottage, and lying underneath the bed together waiting for your uncle to find us. I know this because Ruby knows this, but that's not the only reason I brought you here."

She wrapped her arms around Yang, standing on her tiptoes so they were close to the same height. "I wanted to privately thank you for taking care of Ruby, and by extension me. She and I know it wasn't easy for you, and both of us are sorry for being such a burden."

Yang shook her head vehemently, more tears falling from her face. "She was never a burden!" she cried almost hysterically. "Never!"

"Yes we were, especially right after Summer died. Everyone but you shut down, and you hid how badly you were hurting from the rest of us even when we started acting normal again. Even all these years later you're still trying to hide it." Silver overtook the blue in Weiss' eyes and the room began smelling distinctly like roses.

"Speaking as both Ruby and Weiss, we just wanted to say thank you. In my first go-around I didn't exactly grow up feeling loved by my family, but as of last night that's changed and I don't feel nearly as lonely anymore. Thank you for taking care of us, for practically raising us, and for always protecting us. And don't you dare ever question whether you've been a good big sis in front of me ever again. You're the best, got it?"

With some effort and through some unintelligible sobbing Yang nodded, and Weiss buried her face in the crook of her neck. "You don't know how much your sister loves and appreciates you, or how much I love and appreciate you..."

Yang let out something in between a snort and a whimper, and wrapped her arms around her threatening to break every bone in her tiny body. She flared her aura like Weiss had, and searched deep within for her sister's aura but didn't have to search long. Ruby' aura had already been there within Weiss for quite some time but buried and always resembling something like a photograph or photocopy. Nice to look at but a forgery and not the same as the real person. This however was vivid and alive, and even reacted to her aura the same way Ruby's did whenever theirs intertwined.

'Hey, sis,' Yang heard in her mind.

She let out a chuckle. 'Hey, Rubes...'

After a silent conversation between the sisters, all three auras began to separate as did Yang and Weiss from each other, both out of breath and just beginning to perspire.

"Is Ruby gonna be alright?" Yang asked finally, her voice uncharacteristically weak.

Weiss paused for a long moment before nodding. "Of course she is, but when this is all finally over she's going to be wanting to have a long talk with you."

Yang swallowed with some effort and nodded back, relieved but also visibly anxious.

"Ruby understands why she couldn't know the truth and even wishes she didn't, but she's also not happy about all the lies and secrets growing up. She's not angry, not exactly, but she's hurt and a part of her feels betrayed. Not just by you or your father and uncle, but also Summer. To be completely honest the only person I think she's truly angry with is her mom..."

Yang winced. Earlier that day she would've never thought it possible for Ruby to be upset with Summer beyond perhaps her breaking her promise about coming back. She also couldn't help finding it strangely ironic that the reason Ruby was upset with her mom was the very reason why Yang found it so easy to forgive her. If her stepmom and all of Patchwork's villagers had survived but Ruby dead in their place Yang wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to forgive them, and tried to never think about it.

Taking deep breaths she wiped her eyes one final time, and needing something to do rather than think about she retrieved a little hand mirror from her stylish ammo belt to check her makeup. Her mascara running wasn't a pretty sight and would take some time to clean and reapply, but if she wanted to hide in that dark room all night she could. Her Uncle Qrow would just be tough out of luck.

"After everything I've had to put up with you're not getting out of this that easily," Weiss said as if reading her mind. "The evening has barely even begun." Down at her hip she spun Myrtenaster's cylinder and pulled the trigger, causing the blade to glow a dark shade of violet. "I came prepared for such an occasion as this. Now hold still or else I might accidentally take your eyelashes off."

Glyphs appeared all around them both and what mascara and makeup had smeared drifted away into a nearby trashcan followed by Weiss' once she got a good look at herself in the mirror. Afterward, out of breath and sweating Weiss flashed a smile and opened her dust pouch, producing a small makeup kit just for such emergencies. "Never leave home without it."

It didn't take long for the experts to finish touching up their mascara and makeup, and staring at one another awkwardly they hugged again with Weiss being careful not to smear her makeup on Yang's vest.

"Thanks for telling me," Yang said at last, kissing her on the cheek. "And thanks for taking care of Rubes. I'm glad you're her partner, and I'm more than happy to have you as a sister."

The embrace tightened, though Weiss rubbed her cheek just to make sure no lipstick was left behind before kissing her back, much more lightly even though Yang didn't seem to care if she left a mark.

After a few more sniffles the pair released one another. "Come on," Yang said, taking a deep breath. "I am way too sober right now."

Weiss nodded fervently. "The dinner hasn't started yet but there should be refreshments and servers in the banquet hall, which is where the majority of guests will be meeting. Anyone who wants to be seen will be there but we can probably sneak into one of the nearby hosting rooms without much trouble. We can probably find something to drink there."

"Embarrassed to be seen with me?" Yang laughed.

A smile grazed Weiss' lips but there was a touch of sadness as well. "Despite all that I just said I have no interest in taking you to meet those people. Although you can be quite charming when you want to be and could probably fake your way into a setting like that you're still you, and I wouldn't wish meeting those people even on my worst enemy. By the way, what do you plan on doing while Ruby's with Penny and I'm at the dinner?"

As she studied the girl suspiciously Yang grinned. "Oh, don't worry about me. I'll figure something out..."

(A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. I've been looking forward to Flynt and Neon's introductions for awhile now and I hope I did them justice in your eyes. In Volume 3 I found Neon's interactions with Yang to be rather flirty, and just like in their tournament match I wanted to leave their interaction here somewhat up to interpretation. She could've very easily just been trying to throw Yang off balance here, which she succeeded at, and I enjoyed seeing Yang get a taste of her own medicine. She strikes me as the type who likes being flirty with both guys and girls just to see what their reactions are, and for once it backfired. You could also interpret it as Neon coming to her partner's aid as perhaps she thought Yang was being a bit too flirty with him. And offering to buy Ruby a milkshake sometime while sweet is a surefire way of getting under Yang and Weiss' skin. "D all the above" is probably the correct answer though ;)

I also enjoyed Yang's view of how Ruby might react if the world ever turned against her, and thinking of her as having thin skin. She's completely not wrong, but to a certain degree I think she underestimates Ruby, and I think that's seen in their interaction with Flynt and Neon. There will come a time when the world turns against Yang (Volume 3) but I guess we'll have to wait and see how Ruby might react. I also like the idea of there constantly being "consequences" in Weiss' life, and it being something that her teammates don't fully understand. Yang is about as carefree as it gets and Ruby's similar but also rather oblivious, and Blake despite having many regrets in her life has never truly had to face the consequences for her actions. I like to view Weiss' life as having many social and political pitfalls she has to avoid, and that there's a giant chess game being played around her. I think that makes her a bit different than her canon counterpart but I really enjoy seeing this cold, cunning, and tactful side of Weiss.

All credit goes to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has blessed me with this story and with all of you wonderful readers. God bless)