It was like walking in a whole new world. The colours were sharper, the smells more intoxicating. It was if a weight that she had been carrying all her life was suddenly lifted. The sense of freedom was incredible. Weiss watched Ruby stare in wonderment at every little thing, as the pair walked to her apartment. For the first few weeks Ruby would be staying with Weiss, who would be mentoring her.

In the three days that Ruby had spent as a Vampire, she had come to see the world in a new light. Underneath everything, behind closed doors and in the shadows, a strange world existed. Vampires, Werewolves and Warlocks, demons and devils. "Do you remember what it was like?" Ruby asked, her eyes tilted towards the heavens. Weiss frowned,

"Remember what?"

"How everything looked back when you were human?" Ruby said now looking to Weiss for her answer. Weiss stroked her chin for a moment, thinking on the question.

"No, not really. I have gotten used to seeing the world like this."

"Well, it's amazing," Ruby said with childlike wonder, spinning around and feeling the breeze rush over her skin.

"Yes, it is rather beautiful," Weiss said, letting Ruby enjoy the moment. There were darker lessons to come, but at least, for now, Ruby was enjoying herself.

Yang had gotten used to the idea quickly, seeing Ruby so full of life, despite the irony, helped her a lot. Weiss stopped Ruby in front of a large apartment building, "Here we are, a little nicer than Blake's apartment I think." Ruby was a little shocked at the opulence of the building, not expecting such a grandiose place after Weiss had spent the last three days harassing Ruby about the need to be subtle.

Taking the elevator up to the penthouse, Ruby was even more taken aback when she saw the actual interior of Weiss' apartment. Bookcases filled with classical books, various historical pieces from ages long past; suits or armour, old timepieces and paintings. It looked and smelt like a library. "How did you afford all this?" Ruby said taking a few tentative steps into the room, feeling as though she should be careful of breaking anything, like in a museum.

"Well, I happen to be quite wealthy. After living for so long, I decided a while ago that making money was well worth it," Weiss said as she moved to the kitchen, the most modern part of the apartment. From the fridge she grabbed a blood bag, pouring some into two mugs and placing them in the microwave. "Do you have a job?" Ruby asked as she picked up a sword that sat next to a very large ornamental desk. Weiss shook her head,

"No, Vampire's second law." Weiss said as if Ruby would understand her at all.

"What?"

"Vampire's third law, we are to be invisible to humans. If not they tend to get violent, you've seen the movies, read the books. Pitch forks and all that." Weiss took the mugs from the microwave, passing one to Ruby and taking the sword from her. "Long ago, ancient Vampire's set up a few laws to help them survive, to help newcomers understand what they were. Nowadays, 'Modern Vampires', are more anarchical, they don't care for proper etiquette or rules."

"Then how did you afford all this?" Ruby asked, not quite understanding Weiss' ramblings about laws. Weiss smiled mischievously,

"I steal things." Ruby stared at her blankly, unsure of how to react.

"What?" Ruby asked for what felt like the hundredth. Weiss rolled her eyes,

"I steal things, from demons, other Vampires, Humans, anyone with anything worthwhile."

"So drinking people's blood isn't enough," Ruby said with some disgust. Weiss glared at her, taking a long sip from her mug.

"Is it fair that you got cancer?" Ruby's eyes grew wide at the question, forcing her to take a step back into the suit of armour behind her.

"How could you ask that?!"

"It's a simple question, is it fair that fate decided your life be cut short?"

"Well, no, it's not fair but-"

"But nothing, life is not fair. You know what I had to endure? I was the perfect little princess back in the day, with a loveless father, to be sold off to whatever duke or count desired an alliance with my family. If only that had been the worst thing, I-" Weiss cut herself off, not wanting to mention the other things that had been done to her. "And your sister? Lycanthropy is a horrible curse, trust me. Is it fair that she is the way she is?"

"No," Ruby said without argument. Weiss nodded,

"No, none of it is. We were dealt a bad hand, so I say, throw away the cards and take someone else's. We all deserve a little happiness."

Weiss set her mug down and fell onto the couch in the centre of the room. With a heavy sigh she calmed down, "Sorry. Your room is down the hall on the left, the suns nearly up so you should get some sleep. Tomorrow we can start getting you up to speed."

Ruby took the last sip of blood, the taste was still weird, it still tasted metallic, but it was the feeling it gave that was different. "Goodnight, or morning, or whatever," Ruby said softly as she retreated to her room.

The next night came quickly, Ruby enjoying a dreamless sleep. Walking out into the living room, Ruby found Weiss dressed and ready for the night. Unlike Ruby who was still in the process of waking up. "Evening," Weiss said casually as she flicked through an ancient looking book.

"Uh, yeah," Ruby said still getting used to the turn of phrase. "So what's the plan?" Ruby asked plopping down next to Weiss, looking at the page Weiss was reading.

"Well, first, how hungry are you?"

Ruby felt the strange pangs of hunger, unlike human hunger; this one was more of a deep calling than a basic bodily need. "Pretty hungry," Ruby replied honestly. Weiss studied the younger girl closely,

"Hmm, yes, well I don't think you are quite ready for a live feeding yet. There is some blood in the fridge."

Once Ruby was thirst was happily sated, Weiss began her lessons. "There is a lot that you need to learn. First we will go over the basics. Sunlight will kill you, in small doses, a ray here or there, you'll only burn, but full exposure and you will turn to ash. A stake through the heart will also kill you, though I have met very few things that could survive being stabbed through the heart with a wooden spike. Holy water is a stupid myth, as is the whole running water thing. You don't have a reflection, though that has many advantages."

"Do I have to count bags of rice?" Ruby asked, remembering hearing that that was another Vampire thing. Weiss looked at her incredulously,

"We walked past two Asian grocers on the way here, did you feel any compulsions to count rice then?"

"Uh, no. Oh, what about being invited into people's homes?"

"No, we can go as we please, I imagine humans made that up to make themselves feel safer."

Ruby thought for a moment, mulling over the information, "Do you know why everything is the way it is, why we have all these rule?"

"I have no idea, Vampirism isn't a science, it's a curse and a magical one, it doesn't follow the rules of logic. It's not all bad however; it has benefits, immortality for one, powers like charming as well." Weiss said, flicking over to the page in her tome. "Wait, we can charm people?!" Ruby exclaimed, a tad excited,

"Yes, I charmed you on the night we met, though you as expected you have no memory of it. I wouldn't worry about that yet though, it takes a lot of practice to be able to influence someone's mind. If you are not careful, diving into someone's head can end poorly." Ruby nodded, but was still very eager to try out her power eventually. "Most importantly, you have to keep a handle on your thirst. The longer you go without drinking, the weaker you will get, and the thirstier you will get. You are dangerous, without self-restraint you could kill hundreds of people before you could be stopped. This is especially true for a starved Vampire."

"Will I… Have to kill people," Ruby said nervously. Weiss shook her head,

"No, you can learn not too, but chances are that you might." Weiss paused for a moment, turning over to another section of her book and clearing her throat, "Let's try to prevent that though. Back to history, let's start with the three laws."

Ruby settled in for a long lecture. It was hard to believe that a story about mystical creatures could be so boring, yet somehow Weiss pulled it off. It wasn't all bad though, Ruby felt like she was back at University, something she had been forced to miss out on during her first life.

Yang's head sank into her hands as she read over her bills again. Power, water, internet and rent, it all piled up in front of her. Her job at the café down the road wasn't giving her enough hours to pay everything off. Dealing with the stress of the last few months had made it hard to really focus on work, hard to make it worthwhile to put her on shifts. So here she was, on the verge of being totally broke.

Yang cracked open the last beer she had in her fridge, gulping down the drink quickly. She had noticed that ever since she had become a Werewolf, alcohol seemed less effective nearer to the full moons, though thankfully she had time until that was the case again.

Yang looked down to her phone, she needed to talk to someone. She had forced herself to distance herself from her old friends. Trying to explain why she was different recently, why she couldn't go out this night or that night, was getting to be too painful. Secrets were like poison to most relationships, a quiet killer that always loomed above everything you did. Yang could call Ruby, her sister happy to talk about all her new adventures as a Vampire. No, looking outside Yang remembered that right now, in the middle of the day, Ruby would be asleep.

Yang needed to think, she needed money, she needed to stop being so depressed about everything. So she went for a walk.

It was a fairly quiet Friday afternoon in town. Six months ago Yang would be out partying with everyone, now she rarely found herself out late having a few drinks. The last time she had, nearly a week ago, Ruby had gone missing, and subsequently become a Vampire. "What is my life right now," Yang whispered to herself. Around her people partied, made bad decisions, took a walk on the wild side, the dark side. None of them new that Werewolves and Vampires existed, they would all wake up and their mistakes would become little but memories. Yang wished she could wake up from everything, but no, her life was lived now almost exclusively on the dark side.

As her walk progressed, the sun started setting, the neon lights of bars and clubs lighting up. More patrons swelled into the dens of vice. Yang left it all behind, heading for Blake's shop on the other side of town. She walked past the people heading into the city, brushing past them. Without warning or reason, the back of her neck tingled, causing her to stop and quickly asses where she was. Only one street away from Blake's shop, and the only person standing on the sidewalk. No, there was someone else here, a short girl across the road, their eyes meeting. The girls eyes, each a different colour, were oddly familiar. Yang brushed it off, quickening her pace, often looking back to see the girl doing the same.

Just before Yang could reach Blake's store, she noticed someone exiting. The man had what Yang had gotten used to calling, a supernatural vibe, something that she, as such a creature, could detect in others. He wasn't a Vampire, or a Werewolf, just something other to Yang. They shared a nod of greeting as he headed off and Yang entered.

Blake was busy restocking a shelf with more odd knickknacks. "Yang, what can I do for you?" Blake asked as she set down everything she was carrying.

"Nothing really, just came to say hello."

"Oh, hello then," Blake said nonchalantly.

"Whatcha doing?" Yang said, trying to make conversation. Blake shrugged,

"Nothing much, just working, no big plans for tonight. Unless of course people start showing up half naked asking for help, or if say, a Vampire comes in carrying a dying girl." Blake shared a sarcastic look with Yang. Yang smirked, "Yeah, it's never boring around here is it."

"Not with so many interesting people running around. What are you really here for Yang?" Blake asked as she sat down behind her counter. Yang shrugged,

"Just company, something to do, I'm just sick of worrying about bills, and jobs. It's hard to focus on that stuff when every full moon you turn into a crazy wolf."

Blake nodded, "I can imagine it being especially hard for a Werewolf. You're more in touch with the human world than any of us. Vampires have to look away and forget, otherwise the survivors guilt can becomes too much."

"What about you?" Yang asked as she pulled over a box to sit on.

"I guess you could say it's similar for me. I'm not fully demonic, nor fully human, another half-breed like Werewolves and Vampires. I have my magic though, it make me useful, keeps me in touch with both sides when they need it."

The pair was interrupted by another customer coming in; this one Yang was fairly certain were human. Blake served them quickly, the girl just buying some crystals. Once she was gone, the two sat back in their seats and continued. "Have you been keeping up with Ruby?"

"Yeah, I have called a few times, gotten some of the low down on Vampires,"

"At least there is that, she is in very good hands, Weiss will teach her well." Blake said as she nodded in satisfaction.

"Yeah, I'm just worried you know. I just hope that… I don't want her to become a monster, like…"

"You? Like me? She is a monster Yang, we all are. You both will have to decide whether to embrace it, or if you can refuse it." Yang buried her head in her hands,

"I'm not a freaking psychology major, and I'm not drunk enough to think about stupid questions like that." Blake smiled and rolled her eyes,

"Has Ruby told you about what she has to do?" Yang looked up at her,

"No? What does she have to do?"

"Well, for her safety she has to fake her death. She's been missing for nearly a week now, if she just shows up, cancer no longer affecting her, no pulse or reasonable explanation as to why she was gone, there are going to be questions." Yang buried her head in her hands again.

"Damn it. What do we have to do?" Yang said with resignation. Blake raised her eyebrows,

"I think all you need is to show up at the funeral. Ruby will play dead, not a hard thing for her anymore, the police will find her, the end. We plan on making it look like a suicide; Weiss has a few contacts in the police force so the investigation should be fairly relaxed if there is any at all."

"She's not going to have to dig herself out of a grave again is she?" Blake let out a single laugh,

"No, I have an illusion ready to cast to make it look like Ruby's body is in the coffin."

Yang leant back against the wall, taking in the news. "Fine, I'll be there."

"You seem very willing to do all this, I would have expected at least some hesitation," Blake said in surprise.

"Ruby deserves a second chance, so I'll give it to her, even if she isn't human anymore."

Blake watched Yang thoughtfully, judging her. "Say, you said you had trouble with bills, do you want a job?" Now it was Yang's turn to look surprised,

"Uh, yes, if you're offering, what do I have to do?"

"Well, Weiss and I run a little business. It's not exactly a noble profession," Blake said honestly. Yang laughed,

"We're monsters remember, I don't exactly expect it to be picking flowers."

"Pretend it is picking flowers, just not our own flowers," Blake said with a sly smile.

Ruby stood at the edge of the building, wind whipping through her hair. She could hear the sirens off in the distance, the police having already been called. A small crowd had assembled on the street, people calling for her to step away. Instead she hopped off the edge, aiming for the alley beside the building.

Ruby had never gone bungee jumping, so the feeling of total freefalling was new. The drop would have killed a human, if she wasn't careful it could injure her. As she hit the ground, out of sight of the public eye, she tucked and rolled like Weiss had taught her. Ruby felt the spikes of pain as her feet hit the ground, but her bones didn't break, and instead she rolled forward, helping distribute the impact of the fall.

Blake came running out now, Ruby moving into a facedown prone position on the concrete. With the wave of hands, and the sprinkling of a foul smelling liquid, a spell was cast over Ruby. To human eyes, there wouldn't be an unharmed girl lying in the alley, but the victim of a long fall.

It was a blur of movement and the police and paramedics rushed into the alley, finding Ruby's corpse. Eyes closed she could only hear everyone, feeling their presence. A hand pressed to her neck, "No pulse, she's gone," the paramedic said sadly. Ruby heard the resigned sighs of the policemen. Photos were taken, as were statements, and then Ruby was shipped off on a gurney to the morgue.

The ride was quick and quiet, the paramedics not saying a word.

After a few minutes she found herself lying on a metal table in the morgue's office, to be dealt with later. Almost certain no one was in the room now, Ruby opened her eyes, met with the sight of a dark medical looking area. She quickly grabbed her phone out of her pocket and sent the message to Weiss. Within seconds Weiss strolled through the front door. "Is everything okay?" Ruby asked as she slid off the table. Weiss nodded, Ruby helping to lift up the body bag Weiss was carrying. "The police won't remember us coming or going and the camera's won't see us,"

"Did you wipe the camera's memory or something?"

"No, we don't cast reflections, it's the same for videos or photographs." Weiss replied, saying it as if it were the most obvious thing ever. Unzipping the body bag reviled the body of a girl that had Ruby's face, dressed in similar attire.

"Oh," Ruby said in shock as she looked down at her dead body. Weiss had no reaction, keeping her face totally neutral.

"The polymorph spell Blake cast will last for a few days, by that time it will be long buried."

Ruby could only stare down at her own face. "Get a good look while you can, it might be the last time you see your own face," Weiss said matter-of-factly before folding up the body bag.

"… Most of all, she was my sister, my little sister." Yang said, the tears finally stopping. The funeral was small, Yang being Ruby's only living family. The small group of friends that had assembled had meant a lot to Ruby though. It wasn't real, that's what Yang kept saying to herself. It was just an infuriatingly good illusion, a masterfully pulled off trick. To everyone here, Ruby Rose had killed herself after having recently received the news she had lost the battle with cancer.

The four of them assembled a day later at Blake's shop. Ruby and Yang were still shaken up by the ordeal that had been faking Ruby's death. Now though, she was truly free to live out her new second life. "So," Weiss started, "Now that is dealt with." Blake gave Weiss a chilling look, telling the girl to be more considerate. Weiss sighed, "I'm sorry that it was so… Emotional. It's getting harder and harder to fake a death, but it's a necessary step."

"So for the next weeks we are all going to relax," Blake added, annoying Weiss who was ready to start her operation. Ruby nodded and Yang shrugged.

"After that however, we are going to perform a job," Weiss said with authority.

"Only if you both agree," Blake interjected.

"What is it this time?" Yang asked,

"We are going to be stealing an ancient artefact from the local museum, worth quite a lot to certain buyers interested in the magical arts." Weiss explained, handing over brochures for the museum. "As per usual, the museum has no idea what they really have on their hands. Since it is only human defences we have to deal with it should be a fairly easy operation." Ruby grimaced, still not fully on board with the idea of stealing. Weiss noticed her unease immediately, "With the money you earn from this job you will be able to pay Blake back for her help with your fake death. As well as being able to set yourself up with some things that will help you deal with your new condition."

"No one will get hurt right?" Yang asked, standing protectively beside her sister. Weiss and Blake nodded,

"We are thieves, not mass murderers," Blake said, eyes flicking to Weiss for a second.

"It is very unprofessional to have casualties on such a simple job," Weiss said confidently, her inner perfectionist demanding high standards for such things.

"I'll do it," Ruby said with a soft smile.

"Excellent, but as I said earlier, we are not starting until next week. You two should spend some time together, celebrate Ruby's new life," Blake suggested in a motherly tone. Yang smiled, throwing her arm around Ruby's shoulder, "Pizza and video game night?"

"Yay!" Ruby chirped with a beaming smile, "Although I don't really eat pizza anymore."

"More for me I guess," Yang said a little awkwardly.

Blake and Weiss sat on the roof of Blake's building. Weiss sipped at her mug of blood, Blake preferring tea. "I think they are dealing with everything quite well," Weiss said, answering the unspoken question that lingered in the air. Blake shook her head and smiled, "We'll see. Do you remember how it was at the start? It's going to take a while before they can really get used to everything."

Weiss shivered, "At least they have some guidance. I ended up killing entire villages before I figured things out."

"Villages? God I keep forgetting how old you are," Blake said teasingly. Weiss looked offended,

"I'm only a little over two hundred! You're only fifty years younger than me." Blake chuckled at Weiss reaction, the two falling back into silence.

"You're right though, Ruby has a great teacher, and Yang seems to have a fairly solid head on her shoulders. They won't make the same mistakes we did." Blake said quietly, staring up at the crescent moon.

Vampire's First Law:

You are a creature of the night now. Sunlight will become a distant memory, or it will become your last one.

Vampire's Second Law:

You can no longer create the energy needed to sustain yourself. So you will be forced to take it from others, in the form of blood. It is this, which can sustain you eternally.

Vampire's Third Law:

You will become invisible. Your reflection is gone, in both the literal and metaphysical sense. You will have to become invisible to humanity, an outsider, no longer able to truly influence the mortal world. If not, then you will find that humans can be just as monstrous as even the most vile creature.

Darn I wrote another chapter of this instead of working on my Viking fic. Oh well, at least you get some more supernatural fun. Thanks for the follows, faves and reviews, getting that much support on chapter one has really helped to push me into overdrive for this fic. I also hope you liked the Vampire laws I wrote up, just some stuff i wrote at the start to get myself in the mindset for this, to set up the kind of vamps I wanted. I have a few more laws for each of the main characters species, so those might appear later on. Anyway, More on the way soon, but until then have a great day, and thanks for reading.