Chapter 4: The Mirror Crack'd

YANG

Her sister was upset. That was a problem.

Yang was no stranger to seeing Ruby in distress; as a young girl, her little sister would curl up into a ball and started bawling whenever she or her father had refused to give her more cookies or let her stay up past her bedtime. And even now, all it took was a little bit of teasing to throw the girl into an angry fit, usually with a lot of punching and kicking involved. It was just a normal part of the Rose-Xiao Long lifestyle.

But this was different. Ruby's bursts of anger and distress were always just that - bursts. A few seconds would pass and suddenly, she'd be back to normal, and the only indication that she'd even been angry in the first place was the sharp ringing she left in your ears.

When Ruby was utterly silent, though, like how she looked entering Team RWBY's dormitory after that disastrous combat training class, that was when you knew she was upset.

Yang immediately knew what had caused her sister to enter such a state. She cast an angry scowl at Weiss, who was softly humming to herself as she worked on her homework, not even turning to look at her partner.

What the hell did she say to her? Yang thought. It must have been pretty awful to make Sis look like that.

Blake also looked at the younger girl with visible concern - enough so that her eyes popped up above her copy of Shinobi Heartthrob when Ruby walked in. The dark-haired girl exchanged a look with her partner, and Yang shook her head sadly.

I'll just talk to her, she thought.

Eventually, once night had fallen, Weiss had to go use the restroom, leaving the others free to talk amongst themselves. "Hey, hey, Sis!" Yang leapt off her bed and launched herself across the room, landing leading on Ruby's bunk. "Talk to me, sis. You're okay, right? Whatever Weiss said, you can't let it get to you."

"She's a Schnee," Blake added. "You can't put much stock into anything a Schnee says. That family is the worst of the worst. They lie about everything and do whatever it takes to put other people down."

"W-Well, maybe let's not take it that far," Yang said, surprised by the sudden venom in her partner's voice. She glanced over to see Blake's eyes narrowed like that of a predator. A chill ran through her spine - she hadn't realized the quiet girl could be so… scary.

Well, she's a Faunus, she reminded herself. The less-than-friendly relationship between the Schnee Dust Company and the Faunus was common knowledge to practically every soul in Remnant. From all the constant protests by the White Fang or more peaceful activist groups, to the whistleblowers reporting the nightmarish working conditions Faunus were subject to… it was a bad scene all around.

Still, even Weiss couldn't be that bad, right? The girl was a grade-A bitch, that was for sure, but she sure as hell didn't seem evil, at least. Though the fact that 'not evil' was the best thing Yang could say about the heiress at the moment certainly said a lot about her reputation among the team.

"She… just said that I'm not worthy of being a leader," Ruby finally spoke, her voice almost inaudible as she sniffled, brushing away a strand of snot from her nose. "A-and… she was right."

"No, she's not!" Yang protested. "I think you're a great leader, Sis!"

"Am I?" Ruby put her head in her hands. "But I've never had any experience leading. I've never been good at making people do what I say. Plus, I'm younger than you guys, anyway, so why would you want to follow me?"

Yang opened her mouth to respond, but her sister continued without pause. "Weiss is gonna be the president of the SDC one day. She's… she's a born leader. Maybe… Ozpin did make a mistake."

Tears were falling from Ruby's eyes now. "That's possible, right? Like, maybe he accidentally said the wrong name during the ceremony and then was too embarrassed to correct himself? That would explain how this happened."

Oh no. Now she's getting hysterical. Yang had seen this sort of behaviour before, too, so she gently knelt down and patted her sister on the head reassuringly. After a few seconds, Ruby's sniffles stopped.

When she raised her head, for a moment Yang saw a much younger girl, more weak and vulnerable. Someone who needed to be protected. But her eyes told a different story. They shone brightly, like two silver gemstones, and Yang knew that even now her sister hadn't given up on herself.

You've got a lot of fight in you, Ruby - more than you know, she thought proudly. Maybe even more than me.

"Listen, Sis," she said. "I don't care whether it was a mistake or not - cuz to me, it wasn't a mistake. No matter what, I believe in you! You're the only leader I'd ever follow." Yang winked. "And trust me one hundred percent on this - you're doing a better job than I ever would as a leader."

To her relief, Ruby finally smiled. "Hehe… well, that goes without saying," she chuckled.

At that moment, Weiss came out of the bathroom, and in a flash Yang did a somersault back onto her own bed, Blake's attention returned to her book, and Ruby covered her face with her hood.

The heiress glanced around the scene with her now-signature scowl. "... What exactly is happening here?" she asked icily. "Were you all talking about me behind my back?"

"No!" all of them replied in unison.

Weiss sighed, clearly not convinced in the slightest, but didn't probe any further. Yang assumed the petty mumblings of lowly peasants were just too beneath her, or something.

That night, Yang found it hard for her to sleep. She couldn't really say why, but after an hour had passed she was still staring up at the ceiling, feeling the chilly air around her, not tired in the slightest.

She wasn't afraid of the dark. She had been, once upon a time - so afraid, in fact, that her father had to personally tuck her in bed every night and only shut off the lights once her eyes were already closed.

But then Ruby had been born, and it was soon afterward that their father had… shut down, leaving Yang to care for her sister alone. And for some reason, baby Ruby just wouldn't stop crying unless she was in total darkness. For her sister's happiness, Yang had learned to face her fears and brave the dark, and soon she didn't fear it at all.

That was just one of the many things for which she was grateful to her sister.

Yang squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force herself to sleep, but to no avail. "Damn it," she muttered out loud. "I hate this."

"It's an annoying feeling, isn't it?" Someone responded from directly below her. Blake.

Yang lowered her head down the side of her bunk, seeing her partner sitting cross-legged on her own bed, still reading in the darkness. One of the benefits of being a Faunus, huh? she thought, remembering that they were supposed to have incredible eyesight and night vision.

"I get bouts of insomnia myself sometimes, when I'm worried," Blake said softly. "That must be what's happening with you, right? You're worried about your sister."

"I guess that must be it," Yang said. It did make sense; she could tell that Ruby was still hurting inside, and the thought bothered her immensely. "Say… do you have any siblings?"

"No," Blake said immediately.

Yang stared curiously at her partner, ignoring the blood that was now rushing to her head as she continued to hang upside-down. She wanted to know more about Blake, this mysterious girl who didn't like talking about her past, who feared discrimination so much she'd tried to hide her own Faunus trait.

She'd promised she wouldn't inquire about Blake's past until she was okay with it, but Yang still wanted to get to know her better, especially since they were gonna be working together for the next four years. And she knew just what to do.

"Hey Blake, I was wondering…" she said. "We've got a free period tomorrow. You wanna do some sparring? Figured it might be a good chance to get used to each other's fighting styles! Whaddya say?"

For a moment, Blake was silent. Well, she does seem like the type who just wants to be left alone, Yang thought, feeling a bit chilly from the cold reception. "Um, but if you don't, then that's-"

"No, I'd be happy to," Blake said, and smiled. Yang was awestruck; the girl was already quite pretty, but she was outright beautiful when she had a smile on her face. "Actually, I was planning to ask you, eventually."

"Well, good thing one of us decided to take the initiative," Yang chuckled. "Alright then, it's settled. You, me. Tomorrow at three." She grinned. "Hey, that was a pretty cool rhyme."

"It was alright," Blake replied.

Smiling, Yang threw herself back onto her bed and covered herself with the sheets. It still took a little while, but she finally managed to fall asleep, and drifted off into a blissful, dreamless slumber.

She was woken from her bliss by an obnoxious, shrill screech, loud enough to make her eardrums bleed. "GRAAAAHHHHH!" she screamed, leaping up and assuming a battle stance.

"Calm down," Weiss Schnee grumbled from below, a silver-plated whistle in her hand. "You're gonna wake up the entire school with that loud noise."

Me?! Who just made it sound like the goddamn apocalypse was going down in here?

"What are you doing?" Ruby asked indignantly, groggily getting up from her sleep. Blake was angrily rubbing her Faunus ears - well, her bow - clearly more affected by the sound than the others, but thankfully no one seemed to notice.

"Since Ruby is clearly unfit to be leader, I'm assuming all duties until further notice," the heiress replied. "And I've decided some ground rules need to be set. First order of business: everyone wakes up at the crack of six - no exceptions!"

"Six?!" Yang said incredulously. "Are you completely insane?"

"On the contrary, I'm the most reasonable one here. Discipline is one of the key attributes of a Huntress, and punctuality is a key part of that." She shook the whistle in her hand. "Anyone who fails to meet this requirement will be dealt with appropriately."

I think she's lost it, Yang thought. It's kinda impressive. Five seconds after taking power and she's already gone bonkers.

Too tired to defy Weiss or even make a snarky remark, Yang and the others went along with it and got changed - though by her orders, they were each only allowed five minutes total to shower, brush their teeth, and put on their uniform. Then they marched out into the hallway in single formation, which Yang decided was the most embarrassing thing she'd ever done.

"And another rule," Weiss decided as they stood back-to-back in the cafeteria line. "Another crucial aspect of a Huntress's life is a healthy, balanced diet. That means no chocolate milk, no cookies, and no overloading your plate with bacon."

"What?" Ruby yelled.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?" Yang yelled. Oh that's it, bitch. Now you've really crossed a line!

Once Weiss was done, it was her turn to get her food. Looking back to make sure the heiress wasn't looking, Yang stealthily grabbed a chocolate-chip cookie from the stand and slipped it to her sister. "My treat," she whispered, and Ruby smiled in thanks.

As it turned out, they were so early that Team JNPR weren't up yet, which greatly soured Yang's mood. She so greatly wanted to chat with Ren and Nora about their experiences at Beacon, and maybe get to know Jaune and Pyrrha a bit better, but if Weiss had her way those opportunities would be few and far between.

Sighing in frustration, she picked up her omelette with her bare hands and shoved the entire thing into her mouth, earning herself a look of disgust from the heiress.

The moment they were done, Weiss clapped her hands together like some hotshot military sergeant and ordered them to march to their first class for the day - which wouldn't be for another hour. Something about being early earning you extra points with the teacher, but no one else seemed to care.

The rest of the school day was a blur. They had military strategy with Professor Port, a flamboyant old man who told stories of his former escapades with mustachioed bravado. Then after lunch they'd spent the afternoon learning the history of Remnant from the overly enthusiastic Professor Oobleck, whose mouth seemed to be either talking, breathing air, or consuming coffee at all times.

Normally, these things would be of some interest to Yang, but she'd begun today in a bad mood, and whenever that happened it tended to persist throughout the whole day. All she looked forward to was that free period, where she could get away from Weiss for just a few blissful hours.

She dreaded that somehow the heiress would come up with some bullshit rule to ruin even that small pleasure, but thankfully Weiss let them do as they pleased. "As long as you don't do anything stupid," she'd added, her eyes fixated on Yang.

And so Yang made her way to the training fields outside the academy building, where she found Blake sitting in the shade of a tree, fixated on - what else? - her book. "Hey, hey, I said I wanted to spar, not do a group study," she said jokingly.

"That's a shame," Blake replied, smiling as she rose. "Let's go a few rounds, shall we?"

She came at Yang with Gambol Shroud, taking advantage of her greater agility to leap around the stronger Huntress's attacks. Yang cocked Ember Celica and began firing at her, but her blasts were too slow, and Blake avoided them easily. One of the blasts struck the tree she'd been sitting under, busting it open.

Uh-oh, Yang thought. I hope that doesn't count as property damage.

Blake combined her blades into the grappling hook, throwing the ribbon and latching onto Yang's left arm. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed onto it and pulled Blake towards her, within range of her gauntlets. Blake retracted her ribbon and met her strikes blow for blow, her attacks cutting through bits of her Aura.

Taking a gamble, Yang fired off a shot at point blank. The blast knocked both her Blake backwards, but she was prepared for it, and shrugged off the pain as she managed to land without falling over. Impressively, Blake managed to reorient herself and also land on her feet.

Just like a cat, Yang thought, and immediately felt bad. Wait. I think that might be racist.

However, Blake was clearly still recovering from her last attack, judging by how she staggered as she moved towards her.

Invigorated, Yang yelled as she activated her Semblance, feeling a rush of energy rising up inside her as she radiated golden light. She fired several more shots, and Blake darted away from them with quick, lithe movements. One shell seemed to make contact, but it quickly phased through the Faunus's shadow clone, revealing the real Blake a few feet away - directly in Yang's line of sight.

Perfect. Yang leapt up with all her strength, raising her arm above her head as she prepared to land the decisive strike. Without moving, or even blinking, Blake stepped a little to the side and raised her katana, waiting to meet her.

Yang realized her mistake just in time, forcing herself to land early. As her feet hit the ground, she saw clouds of dirt fly up nearby, scattering a flock of birds into the sky. And she felt a sharp, cold sensation, as the sharp edge of Blake's weapon lay against her elbow. The dark-haired girl smiled at her.

"I think we're done here," Blake said.

"I guess so," Yang said, laughing nervously as she pulled herself away.

"You really do fight well," Blake remarked, sheathing Gambol Shroud and placing it on her back. "Who taught you your style?"

"My dad, mostly," Yang replied. "He trained me and my sis both. Well, mostly me. What about you? Did your parents train you, too?"

"No, I learned to fight from… my partner," she said after a short pause. "He taught me to use a blade, and showed me how I could protect myself in this world. I owe him a lot."

"Interesting!" Yang grinned. "I think I'm starting to know a lot more about you, Blake."

"Really? How so?"

"Well, like you said, I'm damn good at fighting, and when you fight a lot you start to notice things. For one thing, you get to learn more about people just from their fighting style."

Blake raised her eyebrows. "That's… a new concept. Well then, based on our match just now, what kind of person am I?"

Yang stopped to think. "Hmmm… well, judging from your attack patterns, and the speed of your movements, I'd say you're the type who fights alone."

"Hmph. I guess you're not as good as you think," Blake said, looking disappointed. "I know I seem like a loner, but many of the battles I've fought, I've done it with my friends."

"No, no, I'm not talking about that. I mean you have a tendency to do things your own way, even if people disagree, or order you to something else. You don't like relying on other people's judgements. Heh, it's a pretty metal way to live." She grinned at her partner's shocked expression. "Buuut… it wouldn't hurt for you to lean on others once in a while. Just some friendly advice."

"I'm… impressed," Blake admitted. "You really got all that just from my movements?"

"Parts of it, anyway," Yang said. "Really, it's more of a gut instinct thing."

"So you're saying you were just guessing?"

"If you wanna think of it that way, sure." Grinning, Yang pointed to herself. "Well, how 'bout you try? After that fight, what can you say about me?"

Blake let out a soft laugh. "Well… you seem like the sort of person who punches, shoots and brawls their way out of all their problems. Completely reckless… and with a lack of respect for the local scenery, to boot."

"See? You're already getting the hang of it!" Yang laughed.

They went for a few more rounds, with Yang winning the next, then Blake, then another ending in a draw, and then so on, so forth. Once they were both utterly exhausted, and the sun was beginning to set, they made their way back to the dormitory.

"Well, based on your assessment of me, I think I should try changing things up," Blake said. "So for our combat class tomorrow, you don't mind pairing up with me, right?"

"Heh. You didn't even need to ask," Yang said, happily cracking her aching knuckles.

They found Ruby in their room, loudly playing video games on the TV and munching on a plate of cookies. Weiss wasn't anywhere to be seen. Yang didn't know where the Schnee girl could be, and she honestly didn't care.

"Hey, Ruby!" she greeted her sister as they entered. Immediately, Ruby put down her controller and ran over excitedly to Yang.

"Sis, sis!" Ruby said. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Well… you're gonna," Yang replied. What's this about?

"Uh, well, Weiss said… she said she didn't want to pair up with me for the combat lesson tomorrow." Ruby's head slumped downward, and she looked miserable. "I don't want to fight alone, so I was wondering…" She raised her head expectantly. "Is it ok for you to be my partner, sis? Just for one day."

Yang froze. Slowly, she turned to look at Blake, who stared back with a look of equal discomfort.

"Right," Yang said. "About that…"

WEISS

"I'm afraid there's no way I can allow you to see Professor Ozpin at this time of day," Glynda Goodwitch said sternly, pushing up her glasses. "Now run along back to your dorm, young lady."

"But-" Weiss protested.

Goodwitch swung her riding crop, and she instinctively flinched. "No buts! I understand your frustration, but the headmaster is far too busy with his duties to be bothered with these petty concerns of yours. I thought that as the heiress to one of the largest companies in the world, you'd realize that."

"I realize that I'm an ideal leader," Weiss replied. "I'm basically acting as our team's leader now, so how hard could it be to just change a couple names on the record and-"

The professor gave her a look so withering she almost prepared herself for battle - which would have definitely come up on her student transcript. "I think I told you we were done talking, Miss Schnee. Go get some rest. You'll want to be at full strength for tomorrow's class, believe me."

She turned away and closed the office doors behind her with a loud thud, leaving Weiss alone in the silent hallway.

Weiss stood there for a second, seething as she gazed at the entrance to Professor Ozpin's room. All she had to do was speak with him, and this entire problem would be solved. It was so simple; he would see that she deserved to be Team RWBY's leader, and then she'd officially take over the position and make everything better.

It's my duty, she thought. My duty is that of a leader.

And it would be good for Ruby, too. The poor girl was clearly terrified at having to lead people older than her, and she wasn't ready for the responsibility in the slightest. Weiss would be taking that heavy burden off her shoulders. Why couldn't she understand that?

"Tomorrow, then," Weiss muttered through clenched teeth, storming off towards the dormitories. "I'll come here the first chance I get. He'll listen to me. He'll listen to me, I know he will."

On her way there, she came across a surprising face. It was none other than Pyrrha Nikos, who was holding a large box of some kind over her shoulder as their paths converged. "Hello, Weiss!" she said cheerfully. "What are you doing out here at a time like this? Evening classes, I presume?"

"A-ah, no, it was…" Weiss stuttered, "Umm… I was just coming back from office hours. You know, for help with homework. Not that I needed it, of course! Just wanted to check to see if… if…"

"I see," Pyrrha said, smiling warmly at her. "You're the most hard-working out of all of us, that's for certain."

"Thank you. It means a lot to hear you say that." Weiss bowed. "I'm glad to see someone around here appreciates my talents."

"Hmm? What do you mean? I would think everyone here looks up to you as a model student, Weiss." Something fell off the top of Pyrrha's box, hitting Weiss's shoulder as it fell to the floor. "Oh! I'm sorry."

"It's alright." She knelt down and picked it up, noting with a frown that it was some sort of small packet. Triple-Action Ambrosia, read the label, The leading brand in stomach pain relief. "What are you carrying this around for?"

The redhead smiled ruefully. "Well, it's not for me. Jaune started to feel a little… unwell after second period, I'm afraid. As it turned out, he ate a Persephonian Fruit during Plants and Sciences because he thought it was a snack, since he was sleeping when Professor Peach explained that it was poisonous."

She sighed and shook her head. "He's been throwing up for three hours now… I'm bringing him some more medicine from the infirmary since we've completely run out."

Yes, that sounds like him, alright, Weiss thought. Everything she saw and heard of Jaune Arc only reinforced her belief that the boy wasn't fit to be a Huntsman, let alone the leader of his team. Ozpin really did make some questionable choices.

"It's unlikely he'll recover in time for tomorrow's sparring matches," Pyrrha continued. "It's really quite a shame… I was looking forward to us working together as partners again." She took the medicine packet and gingerly placed it back inside the box.

"... I'm sorry to hear that," Weiss said, hiding the fireworks that were now going off inside her head. Yes! Yes! Oh my gods, YES! "Do you… have any ideas on who your new sparring partner will be? I'm sure you're strong enough to go solo, but…"

Pyrrha nodded. "Yes, I considered it, but I really do think cooperation is crucial to our growth as Huntresses. I don't know who I would choose to pair up with, though. I think you would be a splendid choice, though I'm sure you'd rather be with your own partner."

"Oh no, it's fine!" Weiss exclaimed. "Ruby, um, decided she wanted to things by herself, so as fate would have it, I'm completely free! Would you like to pair up with me tomorrow, Pyrrha?"

The redhead raised her eyebrows. "Oh, is that so? Well in that case, I'd love to." She gave her another one of her pretty smiles.

When they reached the dormitories, they heard the loud, ugly sounds of retching behind Team JNPR's door. Nora burst out of the room, waving her hands frantically. "Mayday! Mayday!" she cried. "We've had a major breach! There's flooding everywhere! We need support, now, or Jaune's gonna drown!"

"Don't worry, I've got more," Pyrrha reassured her, showing her the box of medicine. Looking relieved, Nora went back inside.

"To think Jaune of all people is your team's leader…" Weiss said with a shudder. "From the bottom of my heart, you have my deepest condolences."

Pyrrha frowned at her. "Hmm? What for?"

"I mean, he doesn't seem like he can even fight, let alone lead a squad of elite Huntsmen like yourself. And he's clearly a total idiot. I certainly wouldn't want to follow someone like that."

"Well, it's true he's very rough around the ages," Pyrrha admitted. "But he's friendly, funny, and even when his attempts to be charming don't pay off, it's still endearing. The three of us enjoy being around him. That's all there is to it."

"Even if he's likable, that has nothing to do with whether he's a good leader," Weiss insisted.

Pyrrha frowned at her, her expression confused. "... Why not?" she asked.

"PYRRHHAAAAAAA!" Nora's shrill screams rang out from behind the door. "We're losing him! Come on, come on, hurry! It's an emergency!"

"Oops!" Scrambling, Pyrrha ran into the dormitory, pausing to look back at Weiss. "I'll see you tomorrow, Weiss! I look forward to fighting with you!"

Weiss was smiling as she strolled into her room, only for her face to drop as she saw Ruby, Yang and Blake all playing some stupid video game on the TV, utterly fixated on it. The two sisters in particular were causing a total ruckus. Bags of chips, as well as empty soda and beer cans were strewn everywhere.

"What the hell is happening here?" she shouted, catching her teammates' attention, all of whom turned to look at her with similar scowls on their faces. "Who gave you permission to turn this place into a pigsty?"

"No one did," Blake said. "We just kind of decided to do it."

"Well, stop it!" Weiss stomped over to the TV and forcefully pulled the plug, earning her an anguished cry from Ruby. "It's already late at night! It's time we all went to bed - don't forget, we'll be getting up early again tomorrow."

Yang scowled. "Do you think you're our mom, or something?"

"Do you want to hear this again in the morning?" She dangled the silver whistle in front of her, and the blonde had the grace to flinch.

"No," Ruby muttered quietly. Silently, all three girls began to prepare for bedtime, not saying a word or even looking Weiss in the face. Watching them, she began to feel a sensation that was somehow familiar, yet alien to her. She couldn't quite explain it.

An hour later, Weiss lay on her bed in the darkness, trying her best to fall asleep. To her side, she could hear the faint sounds of laughter coming from the other room. Team JNPR's room. She could just make out Jaune saying something, followed by a hearty laugh from Nora. When she listened closely, she could hear Pyrrha joining in. Even Ren seemed to be laughing.

Sad, she thought. Why do I feel sad?

As it turned out, her teammates still had no intention of following her orders. So the following morning at six o'clock sharp, Weiss blew the whistle again, to the immense indignation of Ruby, Yang and especially Blake for some reason.

They went through the motions once more - breakfast in a near-empty cafeteria, then Huntsman Law class with Tukson, where Weiss had to prod Ruby and Yang awake on several occasions, and then Stealth and Security class with Professor Greene, where Yang ended up blowing up most of the training equipment.

Throughout the morning, Weiss was aware of a persistent, resentful energy in the air - her teammates wouldn't look at her, and only spoke to each other in hushed whispers that left her anxious. At one point, she'd tried to initiate a friendly conversation with Blake, wanting to compare answers, only to be met with a cold, piercing stare.

That depressing atmosphere seemed to have alleviated come lunchtime. Blake just ate silently, but that was nothing unusual. Ruby and Yang were eagerly chatting away with Ren and Nora about something - it was probably stupid and not worth listening to. Jaune hadn't been able to get up due to his sickness, which meant Weiss had the Invincible Girl all to herself.

"I can't wait to see how well we fight together, Pyrrha," she said sweetly. "I love your weapons - a lance and shield, combo, hmmm? Very unique."

"Yes, Milo and Akouo are my most trusted companions," Pyrrha said. "Though I'm afraid they're simply hand-me-downs, as I'm not very skilled at weapon construction…"

"What, a talent you don't possess? That's impossible!" Weiss smiled. "Why don't I teach you sometime? Let's both stick together, and with our combined power we can take over this entire academy!"

"Well, I don't know if I'd put it like that, but the offer sounds lovely," the other girl laughed.

Suddenly, they heard a commotion from nearby. "Look who it is," came a rude, gruff voice as a quartet of male students approached their table. Weiss recognized them as Team CRDL, led by Cardin Winchester, who had given the demonstration in their first combat class along with his partner, Russel Thrush. Their equally-ugly teammates, Dove Bronzewing and Sky Lark, followed them closely behind, with the same dumb grins on their faces.

Bullies and troublemakers, Weiss thought in disgust. Not worth my time. She turned away from them and went back to her food. She needn't have bothered, though, since Cardin and his goons were more focused on someone else.

"Word about you's spreading all over Beacon," Cardin sneered at Ruby. "Y'know they call you the 'Red Prodigy', right? One of the youngest people to ever attend Beacon. Ha! I wonder if they'd say the same if they knew how badly you got your ass kicked the other day. More like the Red Runt, am I right?"

For some reason, his three friends all burst out laughing like it was the funniest thing they'd ever heard. They're all idiots.

Yang flared up in anger, her eyes flashing red. "Back off, you asshole!" she yelled, coming to her sister's defense. "Ruby's worth ten of guys like you!"

"Really? Well, lucky her - she'll have a chance to prove it today!" Cardin laughed. "You're gonna show up to the sparring matches. Right, runt? Not gonna chicken out, are ya?"

"Of course she's not!" Nora replied, standing up and raising her arms aggressively. "If you try to go up against Ruby, buddy, she's gonna break your legs! One hundred percent guaranteed!"

Pyrrha nodded encouragingly at the younger girl. "You can do it, Ruby. Er, not the part about breaking his legs. I believe in you!"

"You're an early student at Beacon and a team leader," Ren said softly. "Statistically, that itself is an impressive accomplishment."

Blake said nothing, but placed an encouraging hand on Ruby's shoulder. She flashed a glare at Team CRDL that actually make them step away in fear.

"H-Hmph," Cardin growled. "All that's great and all, but what's it matter if the runt isn't even gonna stand up for herself, huh?"

Ruby glanced around at her friends, looking both nervous and great. "Y-yeah… yeah!" she said, nodding to herself. She gave Cardin a bold smile. "I'll definitely take you up on your offer. Bring it on!"

The large boy smirked. "Heh! It's a deal, then. Don't say I didn't warn ya." With that, he and his friends walked away, going over to harass some Faunus that were sitting at their own table near the entrance.

Weiss was enjoying her beef roast, savouring the newfound silence, when she felt a tight grip on her arm. "What the hell was up with that?" Yang yelled, her face uncomfortably close to hers. Her eyes were glowing red, as they always did when she was angry.

Weiss was confused. "Me? I didn't do anything!"

"That's my point!" the blonde snapped. "Everyone else here stood up for Ruby, except you! Aren't you supposed to be her partner? Didn't you want to be our leader? Leaders support their friends! How can you prattle on and on about how you should be leader and not understand that?"

Weiss stood up furiously. "Are you trying to lecture me?" she yelled.

"No, I'm just calling you out on your bullshit!" Yang yelled back. "Don't you get it, Weiss? This is why nobody wants you as their leader!"

Weiss stared at her, jaw hanging agape. A thousand angry retorts rose up inside her mind, but her mouth refused to speak any of them. An uncomfortable silence filled the air.

Thankfully, it was broken by the sound of the bell, signifying the end of the current period. "O-oh! Time for our next class, guys!" Nora said with forced cheeriness. "C'mon, guys! Let's not keep Professor Oobleck waiting!" She cast a nervous glance at Weiss as she raced out of the cafeteria, dragging Ren with her.

"I'll see you later, Weiss. I hope we work well together." Pyrrha gave her a courteous nod as she followed her teammates.

"... Whatever," she muttered quietly, glowering at Ruby, Yang and Blake. "We've got some free time before Goodwitch's class so just… do whatever you want. But don't be late." Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed her half-finished latte and stormed out of the cafeteria. Behind her, she could hear the three of them immediately return to their conversation, chatting happily.

Where am I going? She thought to herself, her legs moving on their own. I know. I'll go find Professor Ozpin again. It's still early enough in the day. I'll ask him to make me the leader. He'll listen to me this time - he will!

No he won't, her own voice responded. Don't be stupid. Weiss's shoulders slumped; of course the headmaster wouldn't. He was the busiest, most important person in all of Beacon, if not all of Vale. Maybe even all of Remnant itself. Weiss may have been a Schnee, even the heiress to their legacy, but here she was just a mere student.

There's no way, she finally decided, giving up. It had always been a stupid idea; it was simply ludicrous to think that Ozpin would have the free time or interest to speak to her and listen to her demands. The whole thing had been hopeless from the start.

She found the headmaster sitting cross-legged on a couch in the library, reading a book. "Hello, Miss Schnee," he said cheerfully. "What seems to be troubling you?"

She nearly spewed her latte. "P-P-Professor?!" she gasped.

"Oh. I'm sorry if I surprised you," Ozpin said, smiling at her as he sipped from his mug.

"N-No, it's just… I didn't really expect to find you in a place like this. I thought you were always cooped up in your office, busy with one thing or another."

"Mmmm, I often find myself getting tired of that room's atmosphere. Plenty more comfortable places in my academy, and this one has books, as well." He quietly flipped the page. "This is quite a delightful read - The Caged Songbird. You wouldn't believe it, but the author was a good friend of mine."

Isn't that story hundreds of years old?! "I'll… take that recommendation to heart, Professor. Perhaps I'll ask Blake if she has a copy."

"A good idea. I believe there's quite a lot to learn about Miss B… well, about that girl," Ozpin replied, giving her a meaningful look, one she didn't quite understand. "Ah, and please, call me Oz. Personally, I've never cared for the formalities. Now then…"

The headmaster pushed up his glasses and smiled at her. "...why is it you want to become the leader of Team RWBY?"

"Well, that's because I have all the right qualities for-" Weiss stopped herself. "W-Wait, how do you know what I was gonna ask?!"

Ozpin cocked his head to the side quizzically. "...Were you trying to hide it?" He asked.

Despite herself, Weiss felt a mild rush of embarrassment. I suppose I… wasn't really being subtle, was I?

"No," she admitted. "But you have to see it's obvious, don't you? My background makes me perfectly suited to lead a team. Ruby Rose has no such credentials. And I know being a leader isn't just about strength - you need to make efficient schedules, maintain the team's reputation, and make choices not just for yourself, but others as well. All of which I can do." She puffed out her chest proudly.

Ozpin stared at her. "... And what else?" he asked.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You were listing off qualities of an effective leader, correct? Do go on." He took another sip.

"Ummm…" Weiss tried to think. "A good leader needs to look after their subordinates when they're in danger. They also need to discipline them so they don't get out of line. And… they share all their successes and failures with them, to maintain the team dynamic."

"I see." Ozpin nodded. "Well, what about companionship? You like to refer to your teammates as subordinates, but what about as companions? Shouldn't a leader also try to be liked by the people sworn to follow her?"

"Of course!" Weiss said sharply. "I just thought saying that would be redundant. A good leader will naturally become well-liked when people see how effective their methods are!"

"How has that been working out for you?"

Weiss froze. She thought about the way that Ruby, Yang and Blake looked at her, the reluctance with which they obeyed her commands - if they even did. And then she thought about that idiot, Jaune "Vomit Boy" Arc, how he could make his teammates laugh even while he was throwing up chunks and making a fool of himself.

The three of us enjoy being around him, Pyrrha had said. That's all there is to it.

Less than an hour ago, Ruby had been picked on by a bunch of bullies. Even though she was a lacklustre leader, and hurt the team's reputation because of her failings, everyone had, without a moment's hesitation, rushed to her defense. Because everything else aside, they all liked her.

Would they have done the same for me? Weiss thought, and realized she could not answer.

"You're upset that I chose Ruby Rose over you," the professor said. "You think I chose wrong. Is that your concern?"

"...Yes," Weiss said. No use denying it at this point.

"I remember my first meeting with Miss Rose," Ozpin mused. "A bright young girl, perhaps you could say she was naive, but she was full of joy and energy. I seem to have noticed… a change in her behaviour these past few days. You two didn't have some sort of disagreement, did you?"

Weiss scowled. "Nothing of the sort! It was all on her, anyway! Sh-she was just acting like a child! Why does she have to throw a fit just because things didn't go the way she wanted them to?!"

As she said that, she froze, as understanding finally dawned on her. Oh. She felt her face go beet red.

Ozpin saw it, and he smiled at her. "I wouldn't blame you for thinking I was wrong. I have made many mistakes, child, many more than you could possibly know. But I still made those choices - the good ones and the bad - because I believed in them. This time is no different. But whether choosing Miss Rose as leader was a mistake is something she will decide… and I think you will, too.

"There are many ways to lead, Miss Schnee," the professor concluded. "And not all of them require a title and a fancy badge."

Weiss began to think about her early days; the days she spent surrounded by the people of Schnee Manor. The loneliest days of her life. She remembered the things her father Jacques would say to her and her siblings, telling them what to do, punishing them for their disobedience, never being around for the important times - Winter's tournament matches, Whitley's art exhibitions, Weiss's recitals, and eventually even their birthdays as well.

Winter had been the one to take care of her then. Even after Whitley had… changed, her older sister was always there for her. Training her, looking after her, and sometimes even just telling her things were going to be alright would make her feel better. As far as young Weiss was concerned, Winter was the true head of the family.

… So that's it, she thought glumly. Now I see what I was feeling.

At that moment, the bell rang, signifying the beginning of the next period. "I believe that's for you. I wouldn't advise keeping Glynda waiting," Ozpin chuckled, sipping his hot cocoa. "I hope this conversation has been enlightening, Weiss."

"It has," Weiss nodded. "... Thank you, professor."

"Oh no, whatever conclusion you've reached from our talk, you came to it through your own understanding. I have nothing to be thanked for." Smiling sadly, the headmaster handed her his copy of The Caged Songbird. "Here. I've already read it many times before, after all. Just be sure to return it within the month."

Weiss ran to Professor Goodwitch's classroom as fast as she could, and burst in just as the next match was about to begin. "Is there really no one else free to pair up?" Goodwitch was saying.

On the stage, a very frightened Ruby was clutching Crescent Rose with shaking hands, staring down both Cardin Winchester and Russel Thrush. Laughing, Cardin swung his mace dramatically, causing the girl to flinch. Seeing her now, it was very hard to imagine her as the Grimm-slaying warrior she really was.

Weiss hurried down the steps, pausing by her team's desk where Blake and Yang stared at her in surprise. On her right was Pyrrha, looking at her with a curious expression.

"Hey, Pyrrha…" Weiss said hesitantly. "I know this is on very short notice, but…"

"It's okay. I understand." Pyrrha smiled at her. She'd shown her quite a few smiles since they'd met, but Weiss had a feeling that this was the first time it was truly genuine. "Fight well, Weiss."

Using her glyphs, she catapulted herself onto the stage, right next to a shocked Ruby. "Wait!" she yelled right as the boys were about to charge forward. "I'll be her partner! This is going to be a two-on-two fight! Please, Professor!"

"... Hmph. I don't much like your attitude of barging in late and asking things of me - especially since you haven't even changed into your combat uniform," Professor Goodwitch muttered, yet her tiny smile betrayed her. "But have it your way. I will allow it this time."

"What are you doing, Weiss?" Ruby asked her.

"Shut up, you idiot," Weiss said. "Are you doing this together or not?"

Her partner smiled. "... Yeah. Yeah!" she nodded. "Let's do it!"

The CRDL boys came at them - Cardin with his mace, Russell with his twin swords. Weiss and Ruby prepared to meet their charge. Ruby's weapon was heavier, so she ran at Cardin to intercept him, while Weiss summoned a glyph to knock Russell back, before lunging at him for a strike.

The skinny boy yelped as he staggered backwards, struggling to keep his balance as he blocked her attack. Rotating her rapier's chamber, Weiss used a blast of ice Dust to encase Russell's swords, freezing them together. As the boy foolishly struggled with his now-useless weapons, Weiss drove Myrtenaster at his exposed stomach, knocking out his Aura.

With Russell eliminated, Weiss ran to reinforce Ruby, who was struggling to land a hit on Cardin. "Hraaah!" She rolled a vial of air Dust into the primary slot, blowing a strong gust of wind from Myrtenaster's tip. The boy raised his mace to guard himself, but the force from the blast caused him to stumble. He began to lose his grip on the weapon.

"Ruby! Now!" Weiss raised her rapier, summoning her glyphs around Cardin, who was still recovering. "Take him down!"

Grinning, Ruby nodded. Activating her Semblance, she dashed onto the first glyph, propelling herself onto the next one and gaining even more speed. She struck Cardin in the side with her first strike, causing him to drop his mace. The next glyph propelled her upward onto the highest one, and she let out a joyful cry as she hung upside down for a split second.

Then she charged downward, too fast for Weiss to even see, slicing into Cardin and obliterating the rest of his Aura in a single strike. The sheer force from her high-speed strike caused a miniature sonic boom, sending Weiss flying backwards with a yelp.

Hmph! Even when she's being useful, she's still causing me trouble. Still, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't impressed with Ruby's display.

When she recovered, a dazed Cardin was lying on the stage, futilely grasping for his mace. Ruby was wobbling around nearby, looking dizzy from how fast she'd been a moment ago. The sound of Professor Goodwitch's whistle rang throughout the room as she approached them, nodding in approval.

"And that's the match! The winners are Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee," she declared. "Very impressive, both of you. I see the two of you have improved your teamwork since your last attempt."

Ruby laughed. "Yeah… I guess we have." She flashed a smile at Weiss, and Weiss smiled back.

The audience burst into applause, and Yang's cheers drowned out all the others. "YEAAAHHHH! Go, Sis! You're the best! And you're great too, Weiss!" she hollered. "Team RWBY for life!" Beside her, even Blake was clapping for them, albeit a bit more softly.

Cardin slowly staggered to his feet, with Russell helping him up. "This ain't over!" he snarled at the two of them. "We'll be back next time, and we're gonna kick your asses! You better be ready… except you won't be! Bet on that!"

Weiss and Ruby didn't have the time for him. They made their way to where Blake and Yang were waiting for them. Weiss smiled apologetically at the two of them as they approached. "I suppose… I should apologize to you, Yang."

"Yeah, you should! You were being a total bitch earlier!" The blonde punched her shoulder, but it was a light-hearted one. "Still… it looks like you managed to get your act together, so I guess things worked out, huh?"

"I didn't think you actually had a nice side," Blake said begrudgingly. "Maybe you're not so bad after all."

Weiss smiled. "I'm… going to take that as a compliment."

She turned to look at Pyrrha, who was now on the stage facing her sparring opponents. She actually was going to fight them solo, but there was no doubt that she would be fine. Another time, Weiss thought. Don't think this means I've given up on you, Pyrrha Nikos.

That night, the four of them ate dinner together in their room. "I'm sorry for the things I said," Weiss told Ruby. "I… was too harsh. I was so caught up in all of my incredible talents that I failed to see your worthwhile qualities too."

"Hehe, I think that's the most humble apology you're capable of," Ruby giggled. "But it's okay. I should have been a better leader, too. I should have realized what was being expected of me, and tried to work towards it. Which I'm gonna do, starting right now."

Using her Semblance, she leapt onto her bed. "Alright, listen up!" she declared, after clearing her throat, "Now that I've reclaimed my rightful position as leader of this fine team, I'm gonna make some changes to the rules! And add some of my own, of course."

"... And what rules might those be?" Weiss asked, dread building in her heart.

"I'm glad you asked!" Ruby laughed, and began to list them off, one by one…

The next day, Weiss Schnee woke up at 8:30 for the first time in her life. She was blown away by how refreshed she felt as got out of bed, feeling like a completely new person. The only downside was that they were more likely to be late for class, but she supposed that was okay. Maybe showing up an hour early wasn't necessary after all.

In the cafeteria, they sat down with Team JNPR, who were already eating. Jaune reluctantly told the horrifying details of his stomach illness, and everyone burst out laughing at his expense. Weiss and Pyrrha exchanged their favourite combat tips. Ruby, Yang, Ren and Nora continued their talk from yesterday, which was about weapon upgrades. Interested, Weiss joined in, discussing a potential expansion of Myrtenaster's Dust chambers.

As the two teams shared stories and conversations over scrambled eggs, bacon and of course, chocolate-chip cookies, Weiss began to feel strange. It wasn't a bad feeling like before, though - on the contrary, she was the happiest she'd been in years.

For the first time in as long as she could remember, Weiss felt like she belonged. She was surrounded by people who were neither beneath her nor above her. Not subordinates, but teammates, friends, with whom she would forge precious memories that would last a lifetime.

She was home.

A/N:

Hi! In case you missed it, I've decided that I'll be posting chapters of this fic on a set schedule from now on. For now, the set dates are every Sunday at 9 am EST, so check some time around then if you're following!

Cheers,

donutkirby