30

Chapter 30:

"GAH!" Yang crossed her arms, bracing her gauntlets against each other, forgetting about attacking completely, as she put everything she had into fending off the attack descending towards her. The construct of violet plasma struck and exploded outwards with the sound of a thunderclap, a wave of violet energy slamming into Yang and driving her back across the ring, the intense heat melting the floor and burning fiercely into Yang's Aura, searing away the power of her Semblance, as Yang put everything she had into simply riding out the blow.

A line of violet plasma crashed out across the ring, striking against the safety barrier, making it hiss and crackle as it struggled to withstand the force it had been struck with. The explosive sound Ruby's attack had made was so loud that everyone almost everyone missed the sound of the buzzer.

Glynda gaped at the sight of what Ruby had just unleashed. Smoke was streaming out along the line of her attack, the floor on either side of the deep cut she'd made in it glowing orange. The ring was already in rough shape, having been broken and cratered in multiple places by Yang's missed attacks. But now Ruby had practically split it in two. However, that was a secondary concern.

Glynda looked down at her scroll, analyzing the Aura-levels on display. Yang's Aura had been knocked all the way down to zero. If any of Ruby's attack had gotten through after that point, Yang could have been severely injured. Gulping, Glynda brought down the safety barrier.

"Ms. Xiao Long, are you all right?" she called out as she stepped into the ring, a wave of her riding crop scattering the smoke.

A rough cough greeted her and the smoke cleared to reveal Yang, her gauntlets still crossed. Her eyes had returned to their normal color and the light of her Semblance had petered out completely. Her skin and clothes were dotted with black smudges, and sections, including a sizable portion of her face, looked as though she'd been inflicted with a sunburn. Despite that, she was still standing, though it was apparent she'd been backed up against the safety barrier. Fortunately, even though Glynda had brought it down, Yang was still standing.

"I'm..." Yang paused and coughed again, before regaining her voice. "I'm okay."

"Then Ruby Rose is the winner," declared Glynda, giving Ruby a cautious look.

Ruby had closed her eyes and was breathing slowly, her posture relaxing further with each breath she took. Finally, Ruby opened her eyes and sheathed her sword, looking at Glynda. Turning her gaze back to Yang, Glynda saw that the older sister was watching her as well, both apparently waiting for her critique.

Except that Glynda wasn't sure what to say. Any criticisms she might have had had died on her tongue the moment the fight began. It was apparent that the girls had taken the fight seriously. Yang had not held back out of reluctance to fight her sister, and Ruby had not attacked maliciously out of hatred. Instead, the two of them had met in a spectacular battle. Glynda wasn't sure what to say to either of them. Both of them had clearly fought with a strong understanding of their respective strengths and weaknesses, so she couldn't see any advice to give.

"Well fought, both of you," she said finally.

"Thank you," said Ruby with a slight smile, while Yang grinned.

Then Ruby made her way across the ring to Yang and offered Yang a shoulder to lean on as they made their way out of the ring.

Glynda looked down at the work that lay before her. Normally, it only took a matter of seconds to repair the ring. A flick of her riding crop and broken pieces would reassemble themselves perfectly, as though they'd never been separated in the first place. But that damage was minor compared to what the two sisters had inflicted over the course of their clash. This would take a good bit longer to repair. More to the point...

"It seems that we will have to call an end to the class here," said Glynda, looking up, hearing a combination of ragged cheers and groans of disappointment. Some students saw Combat Class as the most entertaining of Beacon's courses, whether it was because they enjoyed fighting or watching others fight. However, there would always be those who regarded any class as an irritation, regardless of how important it might be.

"However, before I dismiss you, I wish to inform you that, starting with our first class, next week, I will not be choosing the matchups. For four classes or so, I will allow you to volunteer and/or issue challenges to your fellow students. In preparation for those classes, please consider who you wish to fight. I advise you to pick opponents who challenge your skills, not those you think will give you an easy match for the sake of improving your ranking or to pursue petty grudges." Her gaze settled on Cardin Winchester who, predictably, was glaring at Jaune. However, she couldn't really do anything at this point. Instead she sighed. "Dismissed."

Jaune and Weiss flinched as Glynda's announcement was greeted by a shrill squeal from the seat next to them. They both turned to look at Pyrrha, who looked as though her birthday and Yuletide had come simultaneously. "Uh...Pyrrha?" prompted Jaune.

Pyrrha snapped out of her gleeful daze, looking at her teammates, then flushing a furious red as she averted her eyes. "I'm sorry!" she said abruptly.

"What are you so embarrassed about?" Nora wanted to know, leaning over Pyrrha and examining her closely.

"It seems she wants, quite badly, to challenge Ruby-chan," observed Sasame with an amused smile. "Am I right, Pyrrha-chan?"

"Yes," said Pyrrha softly.

Sasame's tail rose up and brushed up and down Pyrrha's spine, the soft fur tickling against the bare skin of her shoulders as Sasame's Aura flowed through her in a gentle, soothing wave. "Come now, Pyrrha-chan, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. I appreciate your enthusiasm to challenge Ruby-chan. I think you will be a fine opponent for her."

"But why are you so excited?" asked Blake.

"It's just..." Pyrrha sighed. "I don't want to talk down about my previous opponents, but it's been so long since I've had a real fight."

"I thought so," said Sasame with a giggle. "You have the spirit of a true competitor, Pyrrha-chan. Yet I also noticed the melancholy of a competitor who has not had someone to truly compete against in a long time."

Pyrrha nodded slowly.

"Well, I guess if that's what makes you happy..." said Weiss.

"Hey," said Jaune, patting Pyrrha's shoulder, "whatever else, I'm glad to see a bit more of the real you."

"Very true," agreed Ren.

Pyrrha squeaked and hid her face.

"What's going on?" asked Ruby as she and Yang emerged from the stairs leading down to the ring, Yang's arm draped over Ruby's shoulder as she helped Yang walk.

"Nothing important," said Sasame, her tail flicking behind her as she turned to beam at Ruby and Yang. "I'm certainly glad to see that the two of you put on a good match."

Ren took in Yang's battered and burned state. "Um...Do you think we should get her to the infirmary?" he asked.

"I'm not that bad," said Yang, before coughing.

"Besides, something much better is right here," said Sasame, walking over to Yang, her Aura washing over Yang in a pink wave. The red burns marring Yang's skin faded back to their natural color, and Yang felt the pain and fatigue of her fight fade, leaving her feeling like she'd had at least an hour to rest and get her wind back.

"What did you do?" she asked as Ruby slipped out from under her arm.

"I am a healer, after all," said Sasame with a laugh. "My healing arts have numerous potential applications, from treating injuries, to relieving fatigue, to supplementing a person's Aura."

"You can do that?" gasped Ren.

Sasame nodded. "In combat, I can support my allies by channeling my Aura into them and enhancing their natural combat abilities. Given that my allies are typically so strong as to not need such an ability, it's a skill I tend to use rarely."

"Wow," whispered Nora. "That's so cool!"

"Thank you," said Sasame with a chortle.

They filed out of the classroom, Team RASP planning to head to the library to get their homework out of the way so that they could focus on their training in the evening. With some cajoling by Ren, RYNB moved to join them, Nora and Yang reluctant to spend even more time working on schoolwork immediately after class. Even Blake had a tendency to procrastinate, preferring to unwind by curling up with one of her books.

"Thanks, by the way," said Ren to Ruby in a soft tone as they made their way to the library.

"For what?" asked Ruby.

"I don't think Yang would have been half as willing to do this if she wasn't trying to keep your respect," said Ren. "She likes to blow off her homework until the last minute and, even then, she's prone to pressuring me to let her copy my answers."

Ruby raised an eyebrow and glanced in Yang's direction. "Let me know the next time she does that and I'll give her a piece of my mind."

Ren sighed. "I wish I was half as good at this leader thing as you are," he said.

"You're doing fine," said Ruby. "I'm lucky the only major issue I had with my team was dealing with Weiss. I'm amazed we managed to wrap that up in just a couple of days. You've got my sister, who's apparently something of a party girl. And then you've got Nora, who's...Nora."

"You're not wrong," said Ren with a wry smile.

"Still, I figured Blake would be helping you keep things under control," said Ruby.

"She does, somewhat," said Ren. "But dealing with Yang and Nora is asking a lot of her, and she's not always comfortable around other people, to say nothing of people like your sister and Nora." He sighed. "She tends to just disappear from time to time. I figure she's sneaking off somewhere to read."

Ruby frowned. Her own experience with running her team, if what she did could actually be called "running," had taught her it was a group effort. The leader provided direction, yes, and did her best to account for the capabilities and nuances of her teammates. But that depended on her teammates being there to support her during critical junctures. Ruby wouldn't have consolidated any authority on her own, not if Pyrrha and Jaune hand't given her their support during that critical period when Weiss had tried to usurp the position for herself.

"If you need her help, then talk to her," said Ruby, patting Ren's shoulder. "A leader needs to lead, but he can't do everything by himself. If he could, then he wouldn't need a team to lead in the first place. That's one thing I've learned this year."

Ren gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks."

That evening, all eight of them retired to the rooftop, after dinner, to practice their Aura techniques. Besides Temper and Suppression, Sasame had determined that Jaune, Weiss, and Pyrrha were ready to begin practicing Flow. However, in a statement of solidarity, especially remarkable for Jaune, the three of them decided to hold back, so that they could practice with RYNB when they caught up.

After their evening practice, the group filed in. But Blake was stopped by a hand pressing gently against her forearm.

"I asked to speak with you, didn't I?" prompted Sasame.

Blake nodded, swallowing nervously. Sasame wasn't holding Blake by the arm, but instead gently pressing her hand up against it. The message was simple. Sasame wanted to talk, but she would not force Blake into doing anything. That knowledge helped put her at ease.

"We'll have to keep our voices down, though," Sasame noted. "There is a troublesome group beneath our feet."

"I know," said Blake with a wan smile. "Ruby did warn us."

"So then, Blake-chan, what has made you decide to hide your faunus heritage?" asked Sasame.

Blake sighed, her hand going up to the ribbon that covered her cat-ears. "Because I want to be judged for who I am and what I do, not what I am."

"That's naive, Blake-chan," said Sasame firmly, making Blake gasp. "Do you wish to fight for the betterment of your people?"

"Of course!" said Blake frantically. "That's the entire reason why I want to become a Huntress, to make a difference!"

"How?" asked Sasame firmly.

"I..." Blake's mouth worked silently as she realized she didn't exactly have a coherent answer.

"Your goals are shaped by your experiences," said Sasame. "Your experiences are shaped as much by what you are as who you are. As a faunus, there are experiences you have been through that no human could truly understand. But when you hide your ears, hide yourself, you deny all that."

"I...I'm not...!" protested Blake, her tone weakly.

"If you truly seek to help create a world where all may hold their heads high, you will never be able to accomplish it, unless you yourself learn to hold your head high, and proudly show who you are," said Sasame. "Hiding the truth about yourself is nothing more than acquiescing to your fear."

"That's not...true..." Blake still averted her eyes, her words sounding halfhearted, even to her.

"Well," noted Sasame, "it seems you're already aware of that. Yet you continue to hide...why?" She frowned, and her eyes narrowed. "Because your status as a faunus isn't what you're truly afraid of others finding out is it?"

Blake gasped, paling sharply, her bow flattening out to match the ears beneath it.

"I see," said Sasame. "As a faunus, there are certain things, certain groups...that only a faunus would affiliate with. That is a suspicion that many faunus labor under already. But you fear that suspicion because, in your case, it is all too real."

"Why do you have to do that?" asked Blake, her voice a low groan.

Sasame gave Blake a sad smile. "It's what I do. As a healer, I examine my patients to diagnose their ills, so that I can efficiently and effectively treat them. In the process of making that diagnosis, I have learned to read a person's reactions to my questions, interpret their responses and fit it into the framework of what I already know about them. From there, I build up a complete profile."

"So I'm your patient?" asked Blake skeptically. "I'm not sick or injured."

"There are ills of the body, ills of the mind, ills of the spirit," said Sasame. "You live with the fear of being outed as a faunus, not merely in and of itself, but because the discovery of that might well lead to the discovery of a deeper, and much more dangerous, secret. How long were you in the White Fang?"

"My entire life," said Blake. "I was practically born into it."

"I see," said Sasame.

"Have you met them before?" Blake wanted to know.

"A few times," said Sasame. "We've crossed paths with a few of their members. But I've had little reason to interact with them."

"Even though you're a faunus?" asked Blake.

"I'm a Mibu, first and foremost," said Sasame. "Unfortunately, as a Mibu, I have no right to truly interfere in how humans and faunus in the outside world treat one another, save for when it affects me directly, as was the case with Winchester-kun. We relinquished that right with our own inaction.

"When the Revolution occurred, we did nothing. We sat back and watched as the faunus of the outside world struggled for their rights. So I do not have any right to criticize the actions of the White Fang, save for when they threaten those under my protection, or those I care for."

Blake sighed.

Sasame tilted her head. "But you certainly do have that right," she noted. "As one who has been a faunus of this world, as one who has been a part of that struggle, you are the one empowered to speak of what you have been through, of drawing on your own experiences. However, you can't do that if you live in denial of them, in fear of their discovery."

"So...what?" asked Blake. "I'm just supposed to go to my classmates and admit I'm a faunus, that I was part of a terrorist organization? If I do that, I'd be thrown out of Beacon in a heartbeat. I'd probably be arrested on the spot."

"That depends," said Sasame. "Not all treatments are instantaneous. Even for healers like me, there are some ailments that can only be alleviated over the course of time. Your fear and your history are of that sort. I'm not suggesting you out yourself to the student body, all at once. But it wouldn't be a bad idea to start out small."

"Small...?" Blake blinked, her ears perking beneath her bow.

"With a few you trust," said Sasame, "or even just one person you feel you can let your guard down around..."

Blake swallowed, her mind immediately going to her team, maybe even Ruby's team...with the exception of Weiss. Blake got the feeling that outing herself to Weiss was a disaster waiting to happen.

"As for the legal ramifications..." Sasame smiled slyly. "I get the feeling that the one in charge of this school has a willingness to play fast and loose, as it were, with the law, if he truly trusts in a person's good intentions. If you go to him, I am certain that he will help you. In fact, he may already suspect the truth about you, both in terms of who you are and who you were."

Blake swallowed nervously.

Sasame's smile disappeared and the look on her face was now deadly serious. "But, the main reason I advise this is for your own sake. The longer you hide, the harder it will be. Worse, you risk having the decision taken away from you, risk being outed in a way that could potentially undermine, or even destroy, the trust your friends have in you."

Blake's mouth went dry at the possibility. She had to admit that it was frightening to consider. The thought of Nora or Yang walking into the bathroom at an inopportune moment, or something happening to her ribbon in the midst of battle, had been possibilities that had hovered at the back of her mind ever since coming to Beacon. She had to admit that it was tiring, having to constantly keep her guard up, for fear that someone might uncover the truth about her. The best she'd managed was to retreat to the most isolated corner of the library she could find and curl up there. But that wasn't a real solution.

"I suppose...I suppose I should," said Blake, lowering her eyes.

"You don't have to right this minute," said Sasame. "But the sooner, the better."

"Right," said Blake. She sighed. "I guess I should thank you."

"You don't have to if you don't want to," replied Sasame. "I won't force you to do anything. Just as I did with Ruby-chan, all I can suggest is a path that may work better than the one you are following now."

"Thank you," said Blake earnestly. "That being the case, I choose to thank you."

Sasame smiled warmly, then actually gripped Blake's arm, pulling her close. Before Blake could react, Sasame's arms were around her, hugging her tightly. What was more, Blake felt something soft and fluffy, like a big, furry blanket wrap around her, its warmth suffusing her entire body, seeming to wipe away her tension and fear.

"You are a strong girl and, ultimately, you don't lack for courage," said Sasame. "In the end, I know you will do the right thing."

"But...is it all right to stay like this a little longer?" asked Blake, not able to remember the last time she'd felt so comfortable...so safe.

"Of course," said Sasame.

The rest of the week went by rather fast. Pyrrha was on pins and needles during Combat Class, eagerly counting down the days before she could issue her challenge. She was so excited that she barely paid attention to the class itself. Glynda called her down to fight once, and Pyrrha beat her opponent handily.

The days had become something of a routine for them. The weekend came and, without any hesitation, they transitioned to their Saturday training, focusing on continuing to build up Jaune's strength and stamina. Strangely, Ruby seemed anxious about something, her distraction once again leading to...interesting...results for Jaune's training.

It was a little bit worrying, so it was only natural that they brought it up at dinner.

"You look worried about something," noted Pyrrha. "What's wrong, Ruby?"

"W-well...I was thinking about calling Ashley," said Ruby. "I was hoping that...uh...maybe, we could hang out tomorrow."

"Why are you so worried about that?" asked Weiss.

"W-well...we only just met," said Ruby. "Wha-what if she thinks I'm being pushy or clingy?"

"I doubt she'd think that," said Yang with a smirk. "I mean, it's not like you've been calling or texting her every day or something."

If that statement had been meant to calm Ruby down, it failed miserably. Instead, Ruby gasped and cradled her head in her hands, a look of panic washing over her face. "Oh my God! You're right! I haven't talked to her at all, all week! Oh God! What if she thinks I'm some prissy elite who completely forgot about her the minute we parted ways? She must hate me! What do I do?"

"Ruby-chan..." said Sasame, her stern tone cutting through Ruby's haze of panic and indecision in an instant. "...Calm."

"Y-yes, Sasame-nee," said Ruby, taking deep breaths and relaxing herself a little.

"There's no harm in asking," said Sasame. "You live a different life from Ashley-san, there's no denying that. You have a busy schedule and are working hard. I'm sure she will be able to understand that without much trouble. But that understanding will never come if you don't talk to her."

"A-all right," said Ruby.

"So go ahead and call her," said Yang, patting Ruby on the shoulder.

"Okay," said Ruby, pulling out her scroll and moving towards the edge of the dining hall where the ambient noise was less.

Despite her friends' assurances, she still found herself staring nervously at Ashley's contact on the phone for a moment, before working up the willpower to make the call. After that, she waited anxiously while the scroll rang, before she heard a voice on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Ashley," said Ruby.

"Hi, Ruby," Ashley said back. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you." She sounded slightly nervous too. But then again, she was a student of a relatively ordinary high school, talking to a Beacon student.

"I'm sorry," said Ruby. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

"No! You didn't," Ashley assured her, a slightly frantic note to her voice. "I...I wasn't doing anything important. I just wasn't expecting to hear from you. I mean..."

"Um...I wasn't sure," said Ruby. "I would have called you earlier this week, but our schedule's pretty busy and...I didn't want to be a bother...or anything like that."

"You're not," Ashley assured her. There was a pause and a sigh, mixed with a giggle. "I guess we're going to need to work on this."

"I guess," agreed Ruby with a small smile.

"So...what are you calling about?" asked Ashley.

"W-well...I was wondering if you'd like to hang out sometime...tomorrow," said Ruby.

"Well, I have my job tomorrow morning and afternoon," said Ashley.

"Oh..." said Ruby, her face falling.

"But I'll talk to my boss," said Ashley. "He's a nice guy, so he might be willing to let me off early. Why don't you come down to my job and meet me there. It's a flower shop just down the street from where we met. I'll send you the address."

"Sure!" said Ruby eagerly.

"Okay, I'll see you around...does one sound good?"

"That sounds great," said Ruby eagerly. "I'll see you there."

"Good," said Ashley. "Are your sisters coming?"

"Uh...I hadn't thought of that," said Ruby. "I could ask them."

"Well...they don't have to," said Ashley. "They might have other things they want to do."

"I'll check with them and see," said Ruby.

"Okay," said Ashley. "Then I'll just wait and see who else you show up with tomorrow."

"All right," said Ruby. "I guess this is goodbye for now."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," said Ashley.

Ruby hung up the scroll, and took a moment to calm herself down.

"Geez, you look like you just confessed your love to somebody," observed Yang wryly, leaning against the corner by the door to the dining hall.

"EEK!" squeaked Ruby, jumping and spinning. "Yang! Don't scare me like that!"

Yang just laughed. "But it sounds like you're going to meet her tomorrow," she said. "Looks like you didn't have anything to worry about."

"I know," said Ruby with a sigh. Then she looked up. "By the way, Ashley asked about you and Sasame-nee. Are you coming tomorrow?"

Yang stretched, rolling her eyes upward in the process, thinking about it. "I think I'll pass this time. You should try hanging out with her on your own a little. It'll help you get used to making friends and meeting people if I'm not hanging over your shoulder the whole time."

Ruby blinked, staring at Yang in confusion.

"What?" asked Yang, noticing her scrutiny.

"It's just...I have a hard time imagining you saying something like that," deadpanned Ruby, remembering Yang's confession that she'd nearly beaten Jaune to a pulp over her frustration at being kept at a distance.

"Hey!" protested Yang. "Don't be like that." She sighed and brushed her fingers through her hair. "But, your other sister certainly says some smart things. I have to admit, now that we've made up, I do feel better about letting you go off on your own. Sasame said she won't be coming either."

"Aww..." moaned Ruby, sagging.

"She said she wants to get to know your teammates a little better," said Yang. "I think she's taking Weiss out to Vale tomorrow."

"Weiss?" Ruby blinked. "I wonder why."

"Well, you could ask her," said Yang.

"I guess," said Ruby. "But she'll only talk about it, if she has something to tell me."

"I really do want to get to know your teammates and friends a little," said Sasame, when Ruby approached her after their evening Aura training. "I agree with Yang-san that meeting with Ashley-san on your own will be a good chance for you to work on building relationships."

"I did fine with Natsu-chan," said Ruby.

"Yes, but you and Natsu-chan were classmates, who saw each other every school-day," said Sasame. "You had no shortage of opportunities to speak to her without needing to make special arrangements around your respective schedules." She laughed. "Besides, Natsu-chan is an inordinately friendly and approachable girl, especially by Mibu standards."

"I guess that's true," admitted Ruby.

"Ashley-san, on the other hand, is a friend that you will have to make an effort to maintain a connection with," said Sasame. "The two of you lead very different lives, with very different claims to your respective times. Learning to work around that will be a good experience for you."

"All right," said Ruby.

"So go have fun tomorrow," said Sasame. "Also, I don't think Sunday will be the only day you can do this. You've done very well to shoulder the responsibility of helping Jaune-kun improve, but it's reaching the point where he knows what to do on his own. At some point, he will have to begin progressing without you holding his hand." Seeing Ruby's hesitance, Sasame shrugged and shook her head. "But it will be between you and your teammates to decide when that time comes."

"Okay," said Ruby.

"Now, let's get to bed," said Sasame. "You'll have plenty to do tomorrow, I'm sure."

"Wait!" said Ruby, glancing from side to side for a second, determining that the others were out of earshot. She wanted to talk to Sasame about the thing that had been on her mind since her match with Yang.

"What is it, Ruby-chan?" asked Sasame.

Ruby frowned and swallowed. "Sasame-nee, Yang has the Crimson Eyes."

"That she does," replied Sasame.

"You knew?" asked Ruby.

"Yep," said Sasame. "I saw them when I got that opportunity to talk with her alone. She allowed her anger to get the better of her, and lashed out at me. When she did, the Eyes emerged."

Ruby swallowed back an indignant exclamation that Yang would attack Sasame, before realizing that Sasame had let Yang attack her. After all, Sasame could shrug off any damage Yang could do easily, after all.

"So," prodded Sasame, "what about her Crimson Eyes?"

"I just want to know...if that's important?" asked Ruby.

"Amongst the Mibu, it would be," said Sasame. "Someone being able to invoke the Crimson Eyes in both eyes like that is an extremely rare occurrence. It means that Yang-san comes from a potent bloodline, if she has such an ability. It also likely means that she possesses yet-untapped potential. However, out here, such a trait has little meaning. Most likely, everyone who has seen it associates it with her Semblance, since it normally appears in conjunction with that, which isn't surprising, given the nature of Yang-san's Semblance."

"I guess so," said Ruby. "Should...should we tell her?"

"That...I'm not sure," said Sasame. "Whatever bloodline she is descended from is probably forgotten to the Mibu Clan. It might be worth investigating, but only out of purely academic interest. I do not believe that knowledge of the significance of a trait only really of importance to a group of people, with whom she's never associated, will be of any worth to her. But you are not obligated to keep it a secret either. It's your decision, Ruby-chan."

"All right," said Ruby, not sure what she wanted to do.

"But don't worry about that for now," said Sasame. "You're meeting your new friend tomorrow. Focus on that."

"Okay," said Ruby.

Finding the flower shop was a little bit hard, mainly because Ruby was not used to navigating with her scroll. Ashley had texted her the address and Pyrrha showed Ruby how to plug the information into the map app on her scroll and use that to locate the shop. Afterwards, Ruby found she had to be careful following the directions her scroll gave her. It was a little too easy to get so lost in interpreting the map that she might have wandered out into traffic if she weren't careful.

This day, she decided (or had been forced, rather) to wear the outfit Weiss had gotten her on RASP's first day out as a team. Her ears were still ringing slightly from Sasame's squeal over how lovely she looked in the outfit, cementing Weiss' conviction that she was right to insist that Ruby wear it again.

"I didn't buy that ensemble for you just so you could wear it once and forget about it," Weiss had lectured her, the memory making Ruby grumble under her breath. She had to admit, she did like the feeling of how it looked on her, Jaune's assurances of how good it looked particularly compelling.

She supposed it was a better look for a day out with a civilian friend than showing up in her Huntress outfit, though her sword remained holstered behind the small of her back, something no one had bothered to try and dissuade her from.

Finally, Ruby found herself on a familiar street, turning a corner and looking along the street, past the mouth of the alley where she and her sisters had first seen Ashley. Warily, Ruby kept her awareness about her, just in case those delinquents were hanging around in the vicinity. Heading down the street, Ruby noticed that the address was just up ahead. Pocketing her scroll, she continued forward, finally finding herself standing at a slightly busy intersection, staring at the large windows encompassing a shop directly across it from where she'd come.

The road was relatively quiet, cars passing through every couple of minutes at a moderate speed, but infrequently enough that a four-way stop was all that was needed to regulate traffic, rather than a set of lights. Foot traffic was a good bit heavier, and Ruby saw numerous people wandering across the intersection, heading up and down streets. She supposed that made this a good spot for a shop, especially one occupying a corner.

The shop itself occupied the corner section of the first floor of a fair-sized multipurpose building. The floors above it might have been apartments or offices of some kind, Ruby couldn't tell. While the corner above it was sharp, conforming with the overall blocky shape of the building, the windows of the shop itself were arranged in a curved formation, giving it a slightly more organic look. The windows almost completely flooded with a picture of flowers in a variety of colors, though most were varying shades of yellow...which probably had something to do with with why the sign over the shop's door read Golden Flower Traders. Ruby had to admit that, just looking at it from the outside, it looked like a nice place visit, maybe even a nice place to work.

Cautiously, she made her way across the intersection and to the shop's door, pushing it open to the sound of a tinkling bell. Entering the shop, Ruby felt a little lightheaded as her nose was assaulted by the perfume of countless floral cultivars, mingling together in a heady aroma that displaced oxygen to a sufficient degree that Ruby was a little worried it might qualify as a health hazard.

After a few seconds, she adjusted and made her way further into the shop, her eyes having trouble figuring out what to focus on as she was surrounded by various floral arrays, all arranged to display their selections of flowers to the fullest. There were pre-arranged bouquets, vases where flowers could be selected individually and, on one side, rows of potted flowers, with basic gardening supplies; including empty pots, bags of soil, and seeds; in the adjacent corner, for people who wanted to try growing their own. Just as with the windows, it seemed that yellow varieties were the dominant option, though there was also a fair-sized selection of flowers in various other colors. At the back of the store was a small desk and cash register, almost looking out of place amidst all this floral splendor.

Ruby didn't see anyone upon first entering. However, as the wooden floorboards creaked slightly beneath her tread, she heard the sound of a heavier set of feet coming out from the back of the store.

"Welcome," intoned a smooth, lilting, yet masculine voice as the person she presumed to be the owner made his way out from the back. "How can I help you?"

Ruby had trouble finding her voice at first. This man was a stranger to her, of course, so striking up a conversation with him wasn't the easiest thing for her, particularly because she felt guilty about not entering his shop as a customer. She was taking up his valuable time for her personal affairs, and it wouldn't even lead to a purchase.

The other reason her tongue tied up for a few brief seconds was that this man was, perhaps, one of the most beautiful men she'd ever seen. Though he was unquestionably male, there was a strongly effeminate quality to his appearance, from his thin build to the wave of blonde hair that ran down past his shoulders in a smooth, radiant cascade that Yang would have been jealous of. His hands ended in slender, delicate-looking fingers, their nails filed with a precision that Weiss would have approved of. Piercing green eyes, of the same shade as Pyrrha's, met Ruby's.

He was dressed in a white, button-down shirt, with long sleeves that weren't skintight, but not overly baggy either. His legs were covered by worn, brown pants. Over all of that was a dark-green apron. All told, he definitely looked the part of a professional florist.

However, his most prominent feature was the pair of triangular, pointed ears; covered in soft, blonde fur; that rose up from the top of his head. Ruby thought they might have been fox-ears, which would make him a fox-faunus, like Sasame, albeit with a different trait.

"H-hi," said Ruby, shifting nervously. "I...I came to see Ashley."

The man's eyebrow went up slightly. "Oh? So you're the friend she was talking about."

"Um...I guess," said Ruby.

The man's scrutiny of her intensified. Given that he and Ashley were both faunus, Ruby wondered if he had issue with her being a human. However, after a moment's pause, he turned and called over his shoulder, "Ashley, your friend is here."

"Coming!" shouted a startled voice from the back. Ruby blinked, and wondered if Ashley hadn't been expecting her to actually show. She was a little early, it being roughly ten-to-one.

Ashley came out of the back at a slightly hurried pace, her hands already behind her, working the ties of the same kind of forest-green apron that her employer wore. When she saw Ruby standing there, her eyes lit up and she smiled brightly, though her momentum faltered and she came to a stop, looking just as shy and unsure as Ruby herself felt.

"Hi, Ruby," she said, the words emerging a little quickly from her mouth.

"Hi," Ruby said back.

For a second, they stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do or say, until Ashley's employer coughed politely. "Perhaps you'd like to introduce me to your new friend," he suggested.

"Oh! Right!" Ashley started a little at her employer's cough. "Chrys, this is Ruby Rose, from Beacon. Ruby, this is my boss, Chrysanthos Salazar."

"It's nice to meet you," said Ruby, suppressing the urge to bow to him in the manner of the Mibu Clan, people in Vale typically not using such gestures for greeting.

"Likewise," said Chrys, his voice and expression almost studiously neutral, almost as though he didn't know whether to approve or disapprove of her. "Ashley told me a little about you. I'm grateful to you for saving her from those thugs last week."

"It...it was nothing," said Ruby, looking down and blushing.

That appeared to bring a slight smile to the man's face and he chuckled. "Well then, I don't suppose you want to spend the rest of the day locked up in here, as nice a place as this is. Off with you two!" He turned his eyes to his employee. "Ashley, I'll see you on Tuesday."

"All right," said Ashley, draping her apron over the hand Chrys held out. "Let's go, Ruby."

"Okay," said Ruby, heading out the door with Ashley. Once the door closed behind them, Ruby gave Ashley a slightly confused look. "I thought you just worked here on the weekends."

"Mostly," said Ashley. "I have a short shift Tuesday and Thursday afternoons." She sighed and looked down. "My scholarship covers most of my school expenses, which is good, 'cause my family isn't that well off. They can handle the rest, but I figured I should work for my own spending money. I don't want to be too big a burden on them, not when I could have gone to a public school for nothing."

"You got a scholarship!" gasped Ruby. "Congratulations!"

Ashley gave her a slightly amused look. "It sounds weird, hearing that this late into my year at school. Not to mention hearing it from a girl who got into Beacon Academy...and a whole two years early."

Ruby blushed and mumbled incoherently, making Ashley giggle. "You certainly don't like to brag," she noted.

"Uh...Well...It makes me feel weird," said Ruby. "It happened so suddenly that…I don't really know what to think. I'm just glad I'm there at all."

That just made Ashley giggle again. They walked in silence a little further, before Ruby came to a stop and looked around, realizing she didn't have much of an idea where they were, nor where they were heading. A glance at Ashley saw that she was similarly uncertain...at least as far as their destination went. "So...uh...what should we do? I'm kinda new to this sort of thing."

"You've never had friends before?" asked Ashley.

"I have," said Ruby. "But, back home, my friends were all classmates, so that kinda made it easy. Before I came to Beacon, I hadn't been to Vale for a long time and, before that, I was originally raised on Patch."

"Oh! The island," said Ashley. "Did you go to Signal then?"

"No," said Ruby, her voice taking on a sullen quality. "I trained independently, sort of."

"Oh..." said Ashley, uncertain of what to make of the sudden change in Ruby's mood. "It's fine if you don't want to talk about it."

"Well...it's a little complicated," said Ruby. "The people who ended up training me aren't exactly on the best of terms with the Kingdoms, so talking about them is sort of...taboo, I guess."

"I won't pry then," said Ashley.

"So...anyway..." said Ruby, looking around again.

Ashley frowned pensively. Then, after a minute or so, her eyes lit up. "I know!" she said. "Follow me!"

She began leading Ruby along the streets, the direction of their walk taking them towards the Faunus Quarter.

"What do you think?" asked Sasame, smiling across the table at Weiss as she sipped her coffee.

"It's very good," said Weiss, after a moment, before shifting nervously.

Truth be told, the coffee was excellent, the kind of artisanal brew that one typically only found in small, local coffee shops, privately owned by people passionate about their craft. However, the location of the coffee shop definitely made Weiss feel more than a little awkward, particularly with so many eyes on her...most of them faunus.

This shop hovered on the border of Vale's Faunus Quarter and, apparently, was of sufficient quality that it attracted a fair number of humans, in addition to faunus. Despite that, Weiss knew that she; with her silvery hair, pale skin, blue eyes, and distinctive scar; stood out like a sore thumb. Even if she wasn't wearing her typical dress and jacket, with the prominent SDC snowflake sigil on its back, she knew that there were probably at least a few patrons of this shop who recognized her, perhaps from the concerts she'd performed, before coming to Beacon.

She doubted that many of the faunus in the establishment had actually watched her concerts. However, she wouldn't be surprised if the members of the Schnee Family were on the personal blacklist of quite a few faunus. The one who'd taken their orders had certainly given her an unpleasant look, probably wanting to refuse her service...had she not been with Sasame.

"You seem uncomfortable," said Sasame. "I apologize for that. It's harder to find shops that will cater to a faunus like me outside the Faunus Quarter, particularly because I don't wish to cause a ruckus."

"It's all right," said Weiss, slumping slightly. "I mean...I'm glad you're treating me well. I haven't had the best experience with faunus in the past."

"The White Fang?" Sasame raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," growled Weiss, "them."

"I see," said Sasame. "That's understandable. I haven't had many dealings with them in the past."

"But you have had dealings with them?" posed Weiss.

"I've crossed paths with their members, from time to time," said Sasame. "They tend to be less active out in the settlements, unless some incident of major discrimination arises. Otherwise, they tend to concentrate their operations within the Kingdoms themselves."

"Why?" asked Weiss.

"Out in the settlements, survival trumps racism," Sasame explained. "It varies from place to place, according to location, defensibility, history, and other factors. However, living out, away from the Kingdom walls, is like balancing on the edge of a knife. One slip and your settlement's internal discord could wind up drawing the Grimm, potentially resulting in its destruction. The people who live in those places have to be more amicable to those not like them, if they want to survive. Those who cannot make peace, faunus or human, are often not welcome to dwell in such places, simply because their attitudes represent a potentially greater threat."

"Wow," said Weiss.

"In a sense, the existence and nature of the Grimm make racism a luxury," said Sasame, "one that only those in comparatively safe locales can afford to indulge in."

"And what do you think about the White Fang?" asked Weiss.

"Hmm..." Sasame scratched her chin for a moment. "'Frustrated' is the word that comes to mind the most.

"Frustrated?"

Sasame hummed an affirmative. "I heard they began as a peaceful organization."

"Well, they certainly didn't stay that way," muttered Weiss.

"Understandable...if unwise," said Sasame, drawing a confused look from her companion. "Peaceful protests are difficult to maintain, especially when those you are protesting against react violently, yet call you savages for retaliating in kind. It takes a strong will and unwavering conviction to not meet force with force. It also takes time..."

"So why can't they be patient?" demanded Weiss.

"Because, however long it takes to change people's attitudes, it doesn't change the fact that those attitudes are wrong," said Sasame plainly. "While the law of the Kingdoms may now say that faunus are equal, that means little if the hearts and minds of humans don't themselves change. But people do not relinquish their prejudices so easily. Faced with that, it's so much more cathartic to respond in kind, to meet force with force. That is the appeal of turning to violence."

"But you don't think it's right?" asked Weiss.

"Speaking as one who cannot truly pass judgment, I would still say not," said Sasame. "Ultimately, even if the faunus win better treatment of themselves through violence, that treatment is backed by fear of that violence. That fear then turns into anger, anger that is turned upon others, often innocent of the violence perpetrated by others, just by virtue of the fact they happen to be faunus as well. It leads into a cycle of spiraling retaliation and escalation."

Weiss huffed, looking down at the table.

"There are no easy solutions," said Sasame, "and not any that any single person can bring about."

"And what about me?" asked Weiss.

"What about you?" Sasame replied, tilting her head quizzically.

"You mean you haven't-" Weiss cut herself off and shook her head. "No, of course you haven't. Ruby hadn't heard of me either."

"I can understand that you come from a well-off family," said Sasame. "It's clear that you've experienced past conflict with faunus, with the White Fang in particular."

"My family owns the Schnee Dust Company," said Weiss. "It's the largest supplier of Dust in all of Remnant. We own the majority of Dust mines and quarries across the world."

"Quite well-off then," noted Sasame.

"My father married into the family, and took over the company from my grandfather," said Weiss. She looked away. "When he gained control...Father took the company in an...unpleasant direction."

"Something to do with labor, I'd imagine," said Sasame.

Weiss nodded. "As one of the few companies in Atlas and Mantle willing to employ faunus, and supply them with equal pay to human workers, Father ensured that the majority of our workforce is faunus...something he exploits ruthlessly to maximize profit."

"And now I see why you would have issues with the White Fang," noted Sasame wryly.

Weiss nodded. "They've harassed the company endlessly. Board members have been kidnapped and executed. The White Fang attack our supply lines, hijacking or destroying the Dust before it can reach its destination, and causing damage to our infrastructure in the process.

"I've spent most of my life with a target on my back, knowing that the White Fang would come for me if they ever thought they had an opening. Even before I had settled on becoming a Huntress, my sister insisted I learn to fight, if only so I could protect myself on the occasions that our family's security was lax. My mail was inspected before it could ever be delivered to me, because we never knew when someone might send a letter bomb."

"And all because you shared the blood of a man who has done terrible things," said Sasame with a disappointed sigh, though it was clear that it wasn't Weiss who'd disappointed her. "I'm sorry to hear that, Weiss-chan."

"That's why I want to take over the company," said Weiss. "I'll fix what Father has done and restore our family's name and honor."

"It won't be easy," Sasame pointed out. "I don't have a strong understanding of economics, but I do realize that, if your father's measures have enabled profits to rise, those, besides him, who have a hand in running the company will be loathe to make changes that would shrink those gains."

"I know," said Weiss sadly. "But I have to try. I won't let Father destroy what my family has built."

"I wish you luck in that," said Sasame. "I also understand how frustrating it will be if the White Fang continues to target you, despite your good intentions, simply by the virtue of your connection with your father. But please don't allow that to taint your view of faunus in general. If you allow your experiences with the White Fang to induce you to paint all faunus with the same brush, you only serve their ends."

"How?" asked Weiss.

"Treating those innocent of wrongdoing with anger and suspicion arouses anger in turn," said Sasame. "That opens them up to being drawn into the White Fang. Make no mistake, Weiss-chan, they know they benefit every time people make generalizations about the faunus, based upon what that one militant group is doing. Even if it wasn't about the benefits, they would still see it as a righteous consequence, a punishment of sorts, for those who refuse to commit fully to the cause. The White Fang, as it is now, is about retaliation, not protection."

"All right," said Weiss, looking down.

Sasame smiled and reached across the table to rest her hands over Weiss' own. "I'm glad I had the chance to talk with you, Weiss-chan. And I'm even more glad that you will be with my sister from now on."

"I..." Weiss shuddered and looked away. "I...haven't been the best teammate I could be."

Sasame raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess, when it was announced that Ruby-chan would be the leader, you objected, and attempted to force her to turn the role over to you."

"Yes," said Weiss, once again feeling unbalanced about how easily Sasame could read her.

"If there's one thing I've noticed about you, Weiss-chan, it's that you are rigid," said Sasame.

Weiss gave her a questioning look, prompting Sasame to elaborate.

"You're used to getting your way, or at least forcing others into letting you have your way," said Sasame. "I have no doubt that you have worked and studied very hard. You thought being assigned leadership of your team was a natural course."

Weiss nodded.

"Given what you probably have been through, I'd imagine that you would definitely be a better leader than Ruby-chan, on paper at least," said Sasame, earning a gasp from Weiss.

"Should I have been leader?" she asked.

"No," said Sasame simply, her smile widening slightly at the aghast look on Weiss' face. "Yes, in terms of both skill and experience, you might have been more qualified to lead your team than Ruby-chan, but, in a sense, that is probably why you weren't made the leader."

"What?!"

Sasame giggled. "I imagine Ruby-chan felt quite out of her depth at first. She probably still feels a little bit out of her depth. It wasn't just that Ozpin-dono thought that she deserved the position, but because he felt there was something each of you would learn from that assignment that you would not be able to, if not pushed out of your comfort zone.

"Yes, you have more education on how to lead than Ruby-chan. But, because of that, there would only be so much you could gain from holding a role you are already comfortable with. On the other hand, being a subordinate, following the orders of someone else, I imagine that is a novel experience for you. However, this could benefit you someday, when you take over your family's company. It will enable you to perceive things from their perspective, to understand the viewpoint of one who is required to take, rather than give orders."

Weiss swallowed and nodded.

"To that end, you must enable yourself to become more flexible," said Sasame. "I can see you beginning to do that already, but you can do better. You have strength, Weiss-chan, but you need more give as well. A good sword is not forged from a single type of steel, but from at least two. The edge and outer parts might well be rigid, but the core needs a certain amount of softness, of give to it, so that it can absorb the shock of impact, and ensure the the blade can handle the rigors of battle without breaking. That is a good image for you to have for yourself, Weiss-chan."

"All right," said Weiss softly, her expression pensive. It was clear she was thinking hard about what Sasame had said.

Sasame squeezed Weiss' hand gently. "It's not something you'll be able to do all at once. But you will learn, a little at a time."