Chapter 1

No Place Like Home

The student dorm of Beacon Academy appeared to be nearly abandoned despite all active missions having been recalled and every team flown back to the City of Vale for their protection. With classes still on hiatus, it seemed every capable student had gone into the war torn city despite that war already being over, leaving the only occupants those who had fought on the front lines and were still recovering.

There were dull flickers of life however as a journey was being made by the youngest of the freshmen that was nearly as agonizing for her teammates watching as it was for herself.

"You're doing great, Ruby!" yelled an encouraging and somewhat high-pitched voice from down the long hall.

The young girl grunted as she took another half-step before stopping to catch her breath again.

Blankets of sweat rolled down her colorless face as did a few tears which she wiped away in a hurry. Her baggy clothes which covered bruised arms and legs had long since become drenched looking as though she'd fallen in the nearby river rather than come from outside on a cool day.

Foggy silver eyes glanced up to see her partner standing beside the open door of their room with a corgi sitting beside her giving supportive yips.

"Tell Weiss I'll be there in a minute, Zwei..." she said groggily.

He relayed the message as the young girl wrapped her clammy palms around the handles of her ancient crutches and took a few more steps before pausing.

The comforting gesture of a gentle hand being placed on her shoulder caused Ruby to turn and snarl as if she were going to bite it.

"Blake..." she practically growled.

"Sorry!" The raven haired girl jumped back immediately, and glanced down the hall with remorseful eyes.

The girl in white nodded back sympathetically. It hadn't been their leader's bandaged shoulder that she'd hurt, it had been her pride.

After hours of fighting with doctors for her release that nearly resulted in violence, they finally relented upon realizing that their stubborn patient was going to crawl back to her bunk bed on scabbed hands and knees regardless even if it killed her. When they had brought her a wheelchair however, Ruby had refused in favor of a pair of wooden crutches that looked ready to break in half and had given her a handful of splinters.

'I don't need a hospital, I don't need a doctor, and I don't need a wheelchair now that I can walk', she had declared in defiance.

If one could consider this walking...

With Ruby's knees looking ready to buckle, Blake hovered nearby holding her breath and keeping her peculiar shadow from giving away her position.

"I can do this on my own," the younger girl insisted sensing her presence.

Step by painful step she inched her way closer to home and could finally see the mysterious purple carpet stain at the entrance that everyone on the team had denied causing.

Feeling her damp socks slide on the tile floor she tightened her hold on the crutches and paused as red tipped hair blew in her face. Despite sweating profusely, a chill went down her spine and glancing up she noticed air blowing out the vents. After catching her breath she found herself nearly shivering and her body becoming as light as her head.

'Thank you...'

She couldn't help but be aware of the red cape that would normally be blowing behind her absent however. By habit she'd already tried pulling the hood over her face a dozen times, and each time found herself more discouraged than the last.

Blake being only half a step behind smirked as her sharp eyes caught a soft glow behind the heiress' back that resembled a teal colored dust crystal. With her free hand, Weiss brought a finger to her lips where a grin was hiding in the corner.

Glancing up, the faunus glimpsed a glyph of the same color in the vent as well as white ones sticking to the bottom of Ruby's padded socks helping propel her forward while the heiress' naturally frigid aura cooled her partner.

From the vein protruding from the side of her head though, Blake could tell Weiss was straining to use so many glyphs with such little aura despite their small size. By reading her lips she could see both girls were now muttering the same thing.

'Just a little farther...'

With Ruby approaching, the faint glow began to fade meaning her progress began to slow as well. Luckily she was so preoccupied with her own struggles that she didn't seem to notice her partner's labored breathing or the sweat on her brow as she passed through the doorway.

*woof*

"Come here, puppy-tart." Weiss scooped the corgi into her arms being conscious of her left which hidden beneath her jacket was heavily bandaged. "You did it, Ruby," she cheered, applauding with Zwei's tiny paws.

"All by yourself," Blake beamed.

"Yay..." Ruby mumbled too exhausted for words.

She dropped her crutches before flopping down on the nearest bed, burying her pale face into an ivory pillow.

Seeing her pristine and without question expensive sheets imported all the way from Atlas being ruined, the heiress' eye twitched.

"I suppose it was time to wash my bedding anyway," Weiss said as kindly as possibly through her teeth. "Or burn them..."

Resigned to doing laundry later, or more likely creating a pyre, she set the corgi beside his best friend where he began licking her ear possibly trying to see how far he could stick his tongue.

"Stop it, Zwei," Ruby whined, feeling her brain being slobbered on.

The pair grinned as they could hear laughter in her voice for the first time in days, and Blake with a watchful eye on the faunus-eating-beast sneaked around to the mini-fridge where she discovered a bottle of water beside something green and fuzzy that caused her sensitive nose to turn. Leftovers from sometime before the mission, and possibly from the previous semester...

"Here you go, Ruby."

She held out the drink and without looking, the younger girl graciously accepted it. Grimacing, she rolled over to her back and opened the bottle with her teeth.

*cough, cough*

While trying to avoid looking at the sweat stain where she normally laid her head at night, Weiss rolled her eyes as more water was running down the girl's chin than into her mouth where it was being immediately hacked back up.

"I'm sleeping on your side tonight," she informed Blake.

"Alright," she deadpanned. "You can have Yang's bed, and she can have Ruby's."

Weiss turned to the gravity defying bunk bed her partner had engineered with books and candy wrappers on the first day of school, and when she caught sight of the bed that had not once in her time at Beacon ever been made she shuddered.

"Even if I hadn't had all of my shots, I would still rather risk sleeping in the Beowolf infested city again," she said truthfully to the other girl's amusement.

Gasping like a fish, Ruby finished the bottle and weakly tossed it in the air missing the trash can by several feet.

Her monochrome roommates blinked at the litter before at each other.

'When was the last time Ruby missed?' Weiss' eyes asked.

'Never,' Blake's replied.

*woof* Zwei added.

Closing her eyelids the younger girl wrapped the corgi tightly under her arm to her chest as if he were a drooling teddy bear. With her breathing beginning to slow and becoming rhythmic, her face at last looked at peace, something that was more frequent on the battlefield than when she was sleeping.

Just when they began to think she'd drifted off however, Ruby cleared her raw throat.

"So why'd Yang disappear and where'd she go?" she asked already knowing the answer.

"School stuff," they replied quickly as she began pointing at herself and mimicking a drink in her hand.

Ruby blew the hair out of her eyes despite not opening them. "I'd almost believe you if we weren't talking about my sister."

The pair glanced at one another and somehow the girl in black was nominated as speaker with Zwei coming in close second.

"All Yang said was that she had to go into town," Blake replied coolly, "and that it had something to do with school before taking off."

Cracking her eyes open, Ruby pursed her lips unable to identify how much of the truth she was telling.

"If she comes back smelling like my uncle and whistling the Pumpkin Pete's jingle again she's your problem."

Blake's features remained stoic as did Weiss' causing Ruby to roll her eyes as she had learned from her partner before letting gravity win another hard fought round.

"This is why we don't play poker anymore..."

"That and your sister cheats," Blake added.

"That too.

"Plus you keep losing the cards," Weiss chided.

"Probably because she never wins," Blake whispered loudly.

Ruby grumbled something about her teammates not playing fair but let the issue go being too exhausted to pull rank, not that it ever accomplished much anyway.

Catching movement in the clear blue sky, the faunus glanced out the window and spied half a dozen white airships in the horizon returning from the southeast.

She motioned her head to get the other girl's attention. "Looks like the military's back from Mt. Glenn."

Weiss rushed to the window but had to cup her hands around her eyes and squint just to see a faint glimmer of ivory bullheads. She scowled knowing the emblems on their wings despite not being able to see them, but soon she began bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Her demeanor changed however as she regarded her barely conscious partner.

"Ruby?" she asked worriedly. "Will you be alright by yourself?"

The girl gave a weak thumbs up that fell by the side of the bed which didn't boost their confidence.

"Are you sure?" Blake questioned. "I can stay here if you want me to."

"I can make it to the bathroom and back," she proclaimed boldly. "I'll be fine."

Feeling their troubled eyes watching, Ruby shook her head. "All I need is sleep, which is the only medicine that seems to work..."

Her teammates nodded feeling guilty that they'd had the luxury of taking medicine when their bodies already naturally healed much quicker. They'd gone so far as to take it behind her back so as not to trouble her.

"No more painkillers," she smiled happily.

They both flinched reflexively and Ruby sensing their unease glanced up to see them both looking over their shoulders in case a certain flammable blonde should come stumbling in.

"What Yang doesn't know can't hurt her," Ruby reassured.

"No," Weiss corrected with hints of fear in her voice. "What your sister doesn't know-"

"-can't hurt us," Blake finished mirroring her tone and expression.

"She wouldn't be that mad," Ruby scoffed.

"Alright," they said in unison. "You tell her."

Ruby opened her mouth but promptly closed it before shaking her head. Even if Yang did return home with half a dozen colorful little umbrellas to add to her already vast collection, it probably wasn't a smart idea to tell her sister the she had swallowed several painkillers in order to make it back to the City of Vale then even more during the battle with Weiss and Blake's knowledge, especially if they wanted to preserve what little health they had going for them.

"Nope," she said popping the 'p'. "I may be a dolt sometimes, but I'm not stupid."

Her infectious smile seemed to brighten the room as well as their spirits.

"Are you sure you'll be alright on your own?" her partner asked again.

"Go on," Ruby yawned, waving them away halfheartedly. "I'll probably just sleep here all day, or the rest of the week. Maybe Yang will have my cape cleaned up by then."

Blake and Weiss nodded as their leader just wasn't the same without her trademark hood.

"We'll be back soon," Weiss promised.

Making their way out they glanced back one last time and caught the girl making cutting motions with the hair beneath her eyes, but the damp socks with red stained bandages underneath caused their mouths to dry.

They quietly closed the door leaving her and her dog to rest peacefully.

"We should have just tied her to the wheelchair and gagged her mouth," Weiss lamented. "Then maybe I wouldn't have to burn my sheets when we get back."

Blake slowly turned her head back from the door. "Do you think they reopened again?"

With her partner no longer watching Weiss' expression grew weary. "I don't think they ever really closed," she choked.

The girls glanced down at her feet and shifted their weight uncomfortably.

"It'll just take time," Blake comforted. "She doesn't have to worry about red dust infections anymore, and her aura's already starting to recharge."

"Yeah but she tore or at least pulled half of the muscles in her body, Blake, and have you seen her feet since we got back?"

Her nose twitched at the memory that had made even Yang gag and feel ill, which was nothing compared to the reactions of the squeamish heiress and odor sensitive faunus.

"Let's just go to the hanger, get our gear and hurry back," she suggested. "I'm sure Ruby would like to have her ammo belt back and her cookie supply refilled."

Weiss snorted in an unladylike manner. "Yeah, Yang's been going crazy without her special shampoo, and you've become chatty, talking nonstop about being on the last chapter of your book."

To say Blake was slightly on edge due to not knowing the ending to her story might've been an understatement, but 'talkative' and 'chatty' had never been very good descriptions of her.

"I'm kidding," Weiss said to the bewildered look she was given. "And I'm pretty sure you'd never talk about those books in public anyway."

Blake cracked a smile and pointed to the elevator. "You're the one who wants to go down to the hanger instead of having our packs sent back to the room, and the one who won't quit talking about having a surprise for Yang."

Weiss dug her hand into her pocket. "Who I should text and tell her to hurry back now that Ruby's alright."

"This should end well..." Whatever her partner was doing, Blake doubted it combined well with vehicles and holographic devices, but found solace knowing nothing short of bullhead dropping out of the sky likely would kill her despite being even more tightly wrapped in bandages than her sister.

As Weiss was about to take the lead, a door to the left creaked open and a sullen face appeared hidden by shadows.

"Jaune?" she questioned.

The blond boy smiled awkwardly before waving. A small stubble was growing on his chin and for the first time Weiss noticed how tall and broad he appeared, and swore she never had to tilt her head back so far before.

"How is she?" he asked so lowly she could barely hear.

"Exhausted and feeling worse than she's letting on," Blake answered truthfully. "She's going to get some rest while we pick up the supplies we left on the mission."

He furrowed his brow. "Will she be alright on her own?"

They nodded but none of them seemed particularly convinced.

Weiss followed his eyes which appeared to be gazing through their door. While she'd never admit it to her partner, Ruby was her absolute best friend and almost like a sister, but to Jaune his fellow leader was someone he looked up to despite being a foot taller, and admired for all the qualities that made her who she was.

"We shouldn't be gone too long, Jaune," she reassured. "She'll be alright."

"We'll keep an ear out anyway," said a tall red head suddenly appearing beside him.

They smiled. "Thanks, Pyrrha."

She nodded and flipped the light-switch revealing a short, stocky girl with orange hair tied to a chair and her mouth gagged. Standing over her was a boy with dark hair, save for a lock of magenta by his left eye, watching her struggle with a satisfied grin.

Blake and Weiss blinked at the unusual scene while Jaune and Pyrrha merely shrugged as though it were an everyday occurrence.

"We nearly did the same to our own unholy terror," Weiss said approving of their actions.

Beside her, Blake made a cross with her fingers and placed it by her shirt collar.

"Excuse me," Weiss apologized. "Holy terror."

Pyrrha gestured behind her. "We had to tie Nora up to keep her from breaking the door down and helping Ruby."

"And gag her to keep her quiet," the boy in the back added with humor in his voice.

"Thanks," Weiss hung her head. "It bothered Ruby enough for the two of us being there watching, and I think that's one reason Yang took off."

Blake nodded. "She can't stand seeing Ruby like this, and she would've tied her to the wheelchair."

Silence fell between the two teams but was finally broken up by a muffled cry.

"Isruboky?"

Everyone turned unsure what had been said except Weiss who had countless hours of experience with a partner who constantly talked with her mouth full.

"She's fine, Nora."

"You can take the gag out now, Ren," Pyrrha said to his disappointment.

Jaune rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "We were kinda listening in and looking through the peephole," he admitted to neither girls' surprise. "She didn't look good, is she-?"

"She's Ruby," Blake said simply. "She'll bounce back and be alright."

"That's great news," Ren smiled. "Right, Nora?"

The short girl let out a breath that she must have been holding for quite some time as her face had turned a shade of purple, either that or like Yang she'd never learned to properly breathe through her nose.

"The best," she affirmed breathlessly, hugging her partner just as Jaune and Pyrrha did.

Seeing them together both Blake and Weiss couldn't help but smile at the happy couples who'd only grown closer during the breach and in their recuperation time together. They all had their fair share of injuries, but luckily they'd been able to stay in their own beds and not in the hospital like their sister team, who all but Ruby had been released days ago but refused to leave her side.

"We'll keep an eye on her," Jaune repeated.

"Oh I know! I'll watch her!" Nora shouted. "I could draw pictures for her and she wouldn't suspect a thing!"

Blake and Weiss turned to each other hiding their feelings but knowing what the other was thinking. Although the lines between Ruby's obliviousness and willingness to look the other way were often blurred, they knew their leader wouldn't be pleased with a babysitter, especially when Nora needed one herself.

"I don't have any red crayons but I have lots of lightish red."

"Pink..." Ren muttered under his breath, glancing at his partner's side of the room, and Weiss poking her head in was instantly given a migraine.

"That's alright," Blake said backing away. "We shouldn't be gone too long."

"Thanks again," Weiss waved following suit.

"No problem," the four said in unison.

The duo turned to leave as the door closed but remained cracked so they would be able to hear across the hall. Weiss glanced over her shoulder as the further they walked the more worried she seemed to become.

"Why don't we pick up some dessert on the way back?" Blake suggested. "It'll cheer Ruby up, and honestly I think that would cheer us all up a bit."

She nodded and finally took her eyes off the door. "Sounds good, but I'm pretty sure Yang is already in high spirits right now."

They rolled their eyes at the pun but despite themselves chuckled and began whistling the Pumpkin Pete's jingle.

The roar of the music inviting guests to join the dance floor was the only thing that could drown out the shrill cries of party-goers as spotlights shined singling out those most skilled at their craft. Free drinks being passed around were courtesy of the bartender who seemingly rewarded those with passion and charisma, but in reality simply wanted the stars of the afternoon to be seen indulging in his club's second most valuable service.

With so many customers on stage it left many of the tables fair game for those looking for an evening alone with their dates. Unnoticed by the patrons however were the dozens of identical looking men wearing matching black suits with red ties and sunglasses who saw to their every need while trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible.

Oddly enough the only ones who weren't matching were a pair of identical twins sitting off to the side, whose jobs seemed to be to eye everyone suspiciously and turn their noses up at anyone who attempted to converse or mistakenly flirt with them. Occasionally, the girl in red would turn her wrists over revealing long slender blades while the other in white would have the light catch her sharpened heels and let their threats be known to any possible troublemakers who may not know of their well-earned reputation.

For one wayward and dedicated party-goer however, she couldn't help but catch the twins out of the corner of her eye and smirk at the red and white combat skirts that reminded her of two other girls she knew, and wondered if they all shopped at the same store that sold impractical gear for pint-sized huntresses.

While the spotlights didn't follow as she navigated her way through the crowd, there was an unmistakable shine around her resembling sunshine that caused a few to forget where they were and stop and stare. She kept her head down, letting her jacket's hood cover her golden mane and her aviator sunglasses hide her lilac eyes. Although the almost intoxicating heavy rhythm of the base pulsing through her body was tempting her to join the dance, and a few of the guys did look like fun, she made her way to the lonely bar sitting like an island by itself.

With expert hands she sneaked a drink or two off the moving trays before replacing them with empty glasses. By the time she made it to the alluring bar, the edge had been taken off her stiff muscles and she was no longer thirsty from her long drive into the city. She still couldn't help but lick her lips however at the bottles sitting behind the counter with color changing liquids.

"Care to mix me a drink?"

The tall man behind the counter nodded, fervently cleaning a glass with his back to the customer.

"What will it be?" asked a gruff voice.

"Whiskey," she purred.

The bartender shook his head finally turning around. "Sorry blondie, your fake ID might fool the soon to be fired doorman but you're still not old enough."

"Psshh." She leaned back in her seat. "My birthday's in just a couple of days."

"Weeks..." he corrected sounding bored.

"Looks like you do know everything in Vale!" she cheered, removing her sunglasses. "Care to share a few things over a strawberry sunrise? They're Signal's specialty you know, and my uncle taught me everything he knows."

When the bartender continued to stare down at her darkly she winked playfully.

"Come on, Junior." She clasped her hands together. "I didn't come for a fight and I'll even pay for my drinks this time. All I want is some information and I'll be on my way."

The large man stooped down to pour a drink but when she reached for it he pulled it away.

"I've got cops watching my establishment and I don't need it shut down early because of you."

Yang followed his gaze to the tables in the back and even without their uniforms she could easily tell who were the undercover cops. One naturally picked up a sixth sense going to Signal...

Her eyes drifted to the upper floor and noticed it was a lot barer than she remembered and that the workers looked unhappy and sluggish despite it still being early.

"What did you come here for?" he asked before taking a shot. "And don't say-"

"Torchwick?!" she slurred, raising her voice as if she didn't notice.

"Sssshhh!" He scowled at the officers then back at the grinning customer.

Junior leaned forward. "I'll tell you exactly what I told the cops and what I told you last time. I don't know anything about anything."

She leaned forward as well still grinning ear to ear. "Bull."

"That's the truth." He took another shot.

"So then why are you skipping town?"

The bartender's lip curled glancing around his club. "If you hadn't noticed Vale isn't safe anymore, kiddo, and if I were you, I'd take my sister and do the same."

"Obviously you know something or you wouldn't be running away with your tail between your legs."

She reached for her wallet but he shook his head. "Trust me, it's out of your pay grade."

When she continued for her wallet he set the now empty glass down.

"Not even Schnee money is worth risking my life."

She glanced up in surprise and from the look on his face it seemed the words had been foreign to his tongue.

"This is my father's arrangement not mine, and I'm getting out of this city while I still can."

The girl grumbled to herself that she could really use a drink and flared her semblance. With just the slightest movement, her fingers brushed against one of the red tied workers passing by, causing him to trip and break the glasses he'd been carrying.

He looked up in shock and fear at his boss but the tall man simply pointed toward a broom and dustpan behind the counter. The waiter who now had a slight limp and feeling as though he'd been through a car wreck nodded, and quickly got to work cleaning while miserably saying goodbye to his paycheck.

All the while he cleaned his mess the bartender and his customer stared at each other neither blinking.

"You had better have a good reason for doing that, blondie," he said glancing at the twins. "You just got released from the hospital, and I'd hate to see you back in there."

Yang eyes flickered red as she bore holes into him.

"That's for the whistle you sold to 'you know who' that nearly got my best friend killed." Although her tone had been cheerful, the dark message rang out clear.

Junior continued to stare but finally begrudgingly nodded. Yang noted his muscles relaxing and breathing returning to normal, and found herself mildly pleased that her reputation had only grown after the city's breach, and that even with bandages under her clothes wrapped around so tightly she could hardly breath and aura that barely registered on her scroll, that she could still intimidate a man twice her size who was used to daily death threats.

As her semblance died down however, she could feel electricity shooting through her limbs and with a grimace reached for the drink Junior was pouring. When it was pulled out of her reach again she tightened her hand into a fist causing him to spill the liquid as she cracked her raw knuckles.

Dropping the act Yang's voice hardened. "What I really want is a lead that takes me to whoever broke into the CCT. I've got unfinished business to take care of."

The bartender continued pouring. "Don't we all," he muttered. "Sorry, I can't help you there as my informants keep finding themselves burned alive these days."

"Maybe you should get better informants."

Junior caught her eye. "I don't know who she is or who all's working for her, but I know enough and that's why I'm not sticking around to watch my club burn to the ground. You, your sister, and your friends should all do the same."

Yang swallowed and let a flame travel down her arm inches away from the bottle of liquor causing him to pause.

"Let me make myself clear," she growled. "I leveled an entire city block when I killed an Alpha Deathstalker with my bare hands, and then took out another blowing up the white head of an Alpha King Taijitu. I can and will do the same and worse to anyone who threatens my family, and I'm not afraid of a little fire."

The flame faded just as her unprotected skin began to blister which she quickly hid under her sleeve.

He sighed and began pouring another glass before pushing it across the counter.

"Tell you what blondie." He pulled it just out of her reach. "I can't help you find whoever nearly crippled your sister, but I can tell you where your sister's been going and who she's been seeing on this side of town if you're willing to make a deal."

She blinked not expecting this proposition again, and recalled the night she first came to Junior's club and discovered Ruby 'just walking through' the bad side of town.

"I'm listening."

"The City of Vale has been very good to me and my business. A few of my best customers have told me about a girl in a red hood with a scythe and a fiery blonde that saved their lives so I'm feeling a little generous, especially after hearing about how Torchwick's teeth were knocked down his throat." He chuckled to himself remembering the photo on the news. "All I want is a favor."

"What kind of favor?" She crossed her arms over her chest as her eyes flickered again.

"Your sister's been meeting with another info broker who's caused me a little bit of trouble in the past. I'll tell you when and where to find him if you'll just make sure he doesn't cut in on my business again. He could be a problem if I happen to stick around."

She clicked her tongue. "I'm not killing him if that's what you're asking."

"I run a credible business and I would never ask such a thing," he stated as if having memorized the line. "No one comes to this side of town not looking for trouble. Whatever your little sister got herself into, I'm sure you'd would like to repay him for it."

When she didn't respond he pushed the glass out a little further.

"All I'm asking is for him to be taken out of the game, and if you do a good job I'll even throw in free drinks on your birthday." He let out a long sight, gazing around his club with weary eyes. "And if your team's as good as they're saying, then you'll be making me a lot of lien during the Vytal Festival, and if you and your sister are half as good as your uncle says, then maybe I won't need to take my business back to Mistral..."

A small grin appeared on his lips finally seeing the blonde taken by surprise. "He's shown up a time or two," he explained, "buying and selling information while cleaning the bar out."

Yang's clinched fist began to soften and she held out her hand.

"I think I'll be having that drink now..."

(A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. This story feels like a fresh beginning and I hope it feels the same to you. This story won't be as intense or action heavy as its predecessor but will continue to balance the tone between lighthearted fun and seriousness, but it will be more relaxed comparatively. This story will likely skirt around the edges of insanity but I'd honestly expect nothing less from Ruby and her team. I hope you all enjoy.

While "The Patchwork Prodigy" is the continuation to the Volume 2 pseudo-novelization "The Petals Scatter Now" I will try to be as new reader friendly as possible. For those returning to the narrative, thank you. It means a lot that not only would you read a story the length of a novel but you'd come back to see its continuation. I cannot thank you enough for the support and kindness you have all shown to me.

For those unfamiliar to my style, similarly to my pseudo-novelization of Volume 2 certain elements from canon will find their way into this story that takes place between the two volumes. But I have to preface by saying that I've had most of this story outlined before Volume 3 was even released, and I've known my endgame for a possible Volume 3 pseudo-novelization even longer and it's no where near as dark as Volume 3's finale. Certain elements from Volume 3 simply won't work in "The Petals Scatter Now" and "The Patchwork Prodigy" narratives for various reasons but mostly because Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang are simply in different places development wise both physically and mentally. I mean no disrespect to the creators of RWBY with any alterations that are made to the story or characters. They are to simply tell the story I wish to tell, and the creators have my utmost respect for creating these beloved characters. Thank you.

RWBY as well as the cover photo of Ruby standing in front of her mother's grave is owned by the late great Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth.

All credit goes to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ who has blessed me and made this story possible. God bless)