7

Tossing Ruby's pillow back at her, Yang chuckled and took the hint. "Fine, fine. I'm just kidding." She raised an eyebrow. "Seriously though, how did it go?"

Ruby grinned and threw her a thumb's up. "It was great! We had a lot of fun."

Pyrrha smiled. "It was quite pleasant, yes."

Blake shrugged. "No complaints here."

Yang waited for a few moments. "And...?"

Ruby blinked. "And what?"

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Did you figure out which girl you like the best?"

Ruby opened her mouth, then closed it. "It was just one date... I haven't had enough time to decide anything."

Pyrrha smiled. "It's fine. I'm in no rush."

Blake nodded easily. "Yeah, don't worry about it, Ruby."

Ruby gestured to her two girlfriends and looked at Yang. "See? It's fine!"

Yang rolled her eyes. "Sure, sure. So what next?"

Ruby shrugged. "More dates, I guess? We're not in a race, Yang."

She faced the room, looking from Blake to Pyrrha. "So, what do you two want to do?"

Pyrrha licked her lips. "Perhaps we should have some individual dates next?"

Blake quickly nodded. "Yes, I agree."

Ruby blew out a breath. "OK, sure. How should we decide who goes out with who first?"

Pyrrha glanced to Blake, then smiled. "Well, since I confessed to you first, I thought perhaps Blake should get the first individual date?" Blake smiled gratefully, then looked hopefully at Ruby.

Ruby nodded slowly. "OK. Cool. Next weekend?"

Blake smiled back. "Next Saturday. I'll plan it, OK?"

Ruby beamed at her. "Neat. I'm looking forward to it!"

Pyrrha looked a bit hesitant. "And the Saturday after that, I can take you out, Ruby?"

Ruby nodded quickly. "Of course!"

Yang broke in. "And the Saturday after that, Blake and Pyrrha should go out!" The other three girls in the room all turned to Yang with wide eyed stares.

"Er... what?" Blake asked incredulously.

Yang grinned, then shrugged. "Hey, you're all dating to figure out how compatible you all are, right? What's wrong with finding out how compatible you and Pyrrha are, Blake?"

Blake blinked twice. "Er..."

Pyrrha looked thoughtful. "It's fine with me. I would like to get to know Blake better one on one."

Blake looked at Pyrrha curiously. "Oh?"

Pyrrha blushed lightly. "As friends. It certainly won't hurt us to become closer as friends, especially if we want to keep our team strong and united."

Blake chuckled. "Sure. That actually sounds like a good idea."

Yang put her hands behind her head and grinned. "All of my ideas are good ones."

Ruby pointed at Yang. "You should go out with Pyrrha next week while I'm going out with Blake! And go out with Blake the week after that while I'm going out with Pyrrha!"

Yang blinked at that. "Um... why am I getting roped into this?"

Ruby smiled innocently at her. "Well, won't it be good to be able to get to know Blake and Pyrrha better?"

Yang looked thoughtful at that. "OK sure. When you put it that way, I'm in." She glanced at the other two girls in the room. "How about you two?"

Pyrrha smiled brightly. "Actually, this is starting to sound quite lovely. And Yang and Ruby can have a sisters day while Blake and I are on our date?"

Blake's expression was mixed, but she settled on a wry smile. "Honestly, yeah, putting it that way, I can't see any real problems with the idea. Our team will be stronger, and it'll be fun, getting to know everyone one on one."

Ruby was smiling fit to burst. "This is great! Team RPBY is going to be the best team ever."

Yang chuckled. "Was there ever any doubt?"

/-/

Sunday was quiet, and the girls worked on homework assignments for the next week and relaxed.

School the next week was as peaceful as life at a school focused on learning to fight monsters could be. Ruby got to face off against Russel in Combat Class and dominated him with ease, zipping around him and shooting him from range, or using her semblance to get behind him before he could turn and swipe at him with the blunt side of Crescent Rose. Russel never landed a solid blow on her. Ruby was happy, although she remembered Russel being tougher than this. Or perhaps it was the fact that she knew how just about everyone in the school fought already? She'd had spars against Russel in the previous timeline, and had watched him in matches in both. It was just... easier knowing what your opponent was likely to do, not to mention she'd honed and refined her combat style during the previous timeline in preparation for the Vital Festival. Even though it had been Yang and Weiss to go on into the doubles and singles rounds, Ruby had pushed herself very hard the previous time through. She didn't have the muscle memory from the previous timeline, but the techniques and tricks she had learned had stuck with her, and Russel wasn't anywhere near fast enough to take advantage of the minuscule pauses in her moves that the lack of muscle memory caused.

Ruby resolved to train hard with Crescent Rose in the coming weeks to regain the fighting edge she'd had in the previous timeline. She was already quite a bit stronger than she had been at this point the last time through, but she could do better. She had to do better, if she wanted to defeat Cinder Fall and save Pyrrha.

The biggest trouble in class was still boredom. She had already had difficulty sitting through lectures in the previous timeline, but now that they were constantly covering topics she'd already covered, it was even harder. She made a game of trying to remember what each professor would say ahead of time, and while she rarely remembered enough detail to do so, it kept her entertained enough that she stayed awake. Most of the time.

It also made her seem quite a bit better informed than she had on the first time through. Her grades were significantly better in almost every subject. Time travel did seem to have it's uses!

Ruby sometimes noticed Yang staring at her in astonishment after Ruby answered a question in class. Ruby had never been the best student, and in the previous time line she'd struggled constantly to keep up her academics, so Ruby could understand why her sister would be confused at how well she was doing. She tried not to giggle at the startled expression Yang would adopt whenever Ruby showed a firm grasp of some concept she shouldn't have learned about yet.

Yang finally confronted her about it in the Library after classes that Thursday. "How did you know the answer to that question about dust manipulation in Professor Peach's class today?" Yang asked with a mix of annoyance and curiosity in her voice. "They didn't teach you that in Signal. Dust studies comes in during the last two years there, and you hadn't taken that class yet."

Ruby shrugged with a small smile, enjoying a rare feeling of superiority over her older sister. "I've been reading ahead in our text books."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Reading ahead? Who are you and what have you done with my baby sister?"

Ruby shrugged again, putting her hands behind her head in a gesture of relaxation. "I'm a team leader now Yang, I have to do my best to be a good leader for you all."

Yang shook her head in amazement. "I just can't believe how quickly you've grown since you've gotten here, Ruby. You were never this dedicated back in Signal. In combat classes, and working on weapons, sure, but you're acing history and theory classes here too." She sighed. "You're getting better grades than me, and you've got a better win/loss record in combat class than me too. I guess you really are a prodigy."

Ruby blushed, starting to feel bad. In the previous timeline, Yang had been ahead of her in everything, Ruby always struggling to keep up. It didn't really seem fair to her older sister, and Ruby wondered if Yang was feeling bad about Ruby doing better than her.

Yang glanced down at the paper Ruby had been working on, then blinked. "Ruby, what is this?" She scooped up the paper and frowned at it. "Doctor Oobleck hasn't assigned us anything about Menagerie, has he?"

Ruby winced. She'd been reading up about Blake's homeland, and remembered that in the previous timeline, Dr. Oobleck had assigned everyone a paper on the various individual nations' customs that she'd found particularly difficult. Of course, he hadn't assigned it yet in this timeline. Ruby was sure it'd be sometime this month, and had figured she'd put her research to good use and get the paper out of the way ahead of time. But how to explain?

Yang was staring at Ruby in confusion, noticing the way Ruby was obviously trying to think up an excuse. She knew her baby sister well enough to recognize that face, but why would Ruby lie about a piece of homework?

Ruby's face relaxed as she decided to go for a partial truth. "Well, he hasn't actually assigned one yet, I just figured he probably will at some point." She gestured to a book she had open on the table. "I've been reading up about Menagerie since I wanted to know more about where Blake came from, and I thought I might as well write some stuff down in case Dr. Oobleck sets an assignment like this later."

Yang blinked in astonishment. "You're... doing homework that you think he MIGHT assign?" She stammered. "Rubes... I don't know whether to be proud or disturbed. That sounds like something Weiss might do. When did you become such a teacher's pet, anyway?"

Ruby groaned. "Yang... I told you! I'm a team leader. If I don't do well, our whole team could suffer!"

Yang put a hand on her little sister's shoulder. "Hey, you're doing great, Ruby. Don't work yourself into an early grave. Relax a little more."

Ruby waved Yang off. "I am relaxing! I've got dates planned for the next two weekends, and I'm getting plenty of sleep. Don't worry, Yang! I've got it covered!"

Yang shook her head again. "When did you grow up? What happened to my baby sister who eats too many cookies and forgets to do her homework?"

Ruby looked away from her sister, embarrassed. "I still eat a lot of cookies."

Yang grinned. "True. I guess I'm just impressed. I thought I'd be helping you a lot more, but you've really grown up, Rubes. Two years ahead, staying on top of your classes, top of the school in combat class, AND you're dating two girls at the same time. I'm going to have to step up my game!"

Ruby smiled weakly. "Thanks, Yang." Yang wasn't showing it on her face, but Ruby could tell that it was bothering her a bit. Still, she didn't know how to help. Ruby considered purposely doing worse in some of her classes, but common sense prevailed almost at once. It wouldn't help Yang for her to do worse, would it? And doing better in classes meant she'd be better prepared when Roman and Cinder struck. She wouldn't have to worry about her schoolwork as much while trying to save the world if she got ahead with her classes now. Not to mention, every bit stronger she could get in her combat skills would help as well. There just wasn't a good enough reason to slow down. She loved her sister, but Yang was tough. She would step up and do better as well, if only to keep up with her baby sister, and wouldn't that be good in the long run as well?

But was it alright if only Ruby was better prepared this time through? Ruby didn't think so. If she could help her friends be better prepared as well, that was something she wanted to do.

Team RPBY and team WJNR had a team unarmed combat training session together that night, but this time, Ruby had something different in mind.

As the two teams gathered in the unused combat arena that night, Ruby cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. "Could I speak to everyone before we get started tonight?" Ruby asked with as much confidence as she could muster. Public speaking was HARD, but this was important, so Ruby swallowed down her nervousness.

Everyone quieted down and turned towards Ruby without complaint, so she took that as a cue to speak.

"I suppose some of you might be wondering what Blake and I have been working on in private the last few weeks..." Ruby began, glancing toward Blake with a questioning look. Blake looked surprised, then smiled and nodded, so Ruby went on. "You see, ever since Roman Torchwick escaped, I've been worried about what he could be up to. And both Blake and I are concerned about him working with the White Fang."

Jack looked confused. "What does that have to do with us? We're just students."

Ruby frowned. "Well, I'm a little worried that Torchwick might hold a grudge against me for getting him arrested, not to mention the fact that I hurt him pretty badly in that fight. But even if I wasn't worried about that, I kind of feel like Roman Torchwick is partially my responsibility now."

Yang spoke up. "Sis, seriously, he's probably long gone..."

Ruby shook her head. "No. If the White Fang broke him out of prison, they did so for a reason. Plus, there have been two more dust shop robberies since then. I stopped Torchwick from robbing a Dust shop in the first place, so it's pretty likely that it's him doing it."

Blake spoke up. "I don't know if it really WAS the White Fang who are helping him, but if they are, I want to know why."

Weiss spoke up. "Why seems obvious. They want to use the dust to hurt people."

Blake bristled, but Ruby put up a hand to stop her from speaking. "Or to sell it, but yes, the most likely reason someone would steal dust would be to use it, and dust is a weapon." Ruby took a deep breath then went on. "The original White Fang was peaceful. The current White Fang use violence, but, as Blake has pointed out to me, they've never worked with human criminals before. That's really unlike them. So either they've changed how they operate for some reason, or it's not them." Ruby knew better, of course, but she wanted to seem like she trusted Blake's opinion.

Weiss looked thoughtful at that. "It COULD be another group, trying to deflect blame onto the White Fang." She shrugged. "But more likely it's exactly as it appears."

Blake grimaced at that, but Ruby nodded. "There's only one way to know for sure."

Ren spoke up at this. "I'm not liking where this conversation is going..."

Pyrrha frowned. "Ruby, surely you aren't suggesting we hunt down Roman Torchwick?"

Ruby wrinkled her nose. "Actually, I am suggesting that. Or at least, we figure out where he's going to strike next, and see who he's really working with, and then, if we can, stop him and have the police arrest him."

Everyone except Blake was gaping at her in astonishment.

Ruby shrugged helplessly. "I'm not saying we go out searching the streets or anything. Just that we pay attention to what's going on, see if we can figure out their next move, and then maybe go looking? If we figure out where Roman Torchwick and the White Fang..."

Blake cut in. "Or whomever is working with Torchwick..."

Ruby shrugged again. "Or whoever is working with Torchwick... if we find them, we tell the police, and Ozpin, and let them handle it."

Nora was grinning. "Or we could beat them all up ourselves..."

Ren sighed. "No, Nora."

Ruby spoke up. "We don't have enough information to act yet, and I'm not suggesting we do. But what I wanted to suggest, was maybe... maybe we do what we can to be better prepared in case something DOES happen?"

Weiss frowned. "You COULD just leave well enough alone, you know. Torchwick and... WHOMEVER he may be working with are really none of your concern."

Blake spoke up softly. "It's more than just Ruby that has reason to worry." Everyone turned to look at the cat faunus with expressions ranging from confused to understanding. After a long moment, Blake went on to explain. "I left the White Fang because I didn't want to be part of their violence, because I wanted to help people as a huntress. The White Fang, and more specifically, my old mentor, are almost certainly not happy about my turning my back on them. If the White Fang really are here in Vale, then they may come after me as well. And with Ruby and I on the same team..."

Yang winced. "Twice the reason to come after us. Great."

Pyrrha put a hand on Blake's shoulder. "I think it does not need to be said that we will all fight to protect you and Ruby both, Blake."

Yang snorted. "Duh."

Weiss sighed. "Well now, that IS a horse of a different color. If there is any chance that the White Fang might come to Beacon looking for Blake... with or without Roman Torchwick perhaps wishing revenge on Ruby... well obviously we should take precautions."

Blake spoke up. "Even if they don't come after us, I feel a certain responsibility regarding the White Fang. If they are hurting people and I can stop it, I want to do what I can."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "We're already training to be hunters. What more can we do to prepare?"

Ruby shrugged. "Well, maybe there are things that we aren't being taught in classes that we can work on? Like team tactics? Or maybe I could help upgrade some of our weapons?"

Weiss looked thoughtful. "Team tactics IS a good idea. After all, the Vital Festival is coming up next semester, and it can't hurt to start preparing a little bit early. But wouldn't we want to prepare as our separate teams?"

Ruby looked at the floor. "I was hoping... that we could share stuff between our two teams. We're already working together really well, and we're all friends..."

Weiss looked mildly condescending. "But wouldn't you want to have an advantage during the tournament?"

Ruby looked up at Weiss, her eyes firm. "It wouldn't be a disadvantage if we ALL shared. If your team knows our tricks, and our team knows your tricks, things will be even between us. But we'll be at an advantage over every other team out there."

Weiss blinked. "Actually, you have a point there. So what exactly are you suggesting?"

Ruby swallowed. "That we share. That we work on team tactics as a group, not just in our separate teams. That we explain how our semblances and our weapons work, and we figure out how we can use our abilities better together."

Ren looked thoughtful. "I would not be opposed to such a suggestion. Learning how to operate in conjunction with a diverse group of talented people would almost certainly be beneficial in the long run."

Nora shrugged. "Eh, whatever. Just don't tell anyone else. My semblance is a killer secret weapon!"

Ruby smiled. "I think we can all agree to keep what we learn about each other to ourselves, can't we?"

Yang looked thoughtful. "An agreement between teams?"

Pyrrha smiled. "After initiation, I felt like our two teams were people I could truly trust on the battlefield. I think sharing our abilities could be beneficial." She sighed. "My trainers would never approve, but... I will agree, if everyone else does as well?"

Weiss sighed. "Well, the Schnee semblance is hardly a secret, as it's been passed through my family for generations. I'm in."

Blake nodded. "My semblance isn't a huge secret either, although I do have some tricks I've been saving up."

Ruby grinned. "Great! Who wants to go first?"

Jack shrugged. "Well, Ruby already knows about mine. It's basically just physical enhancement. I don't get tired, and all my metabolic functions are enhanced. There's no real trick to it."

Yang pointed to herself. "Well, mine is pretty simple. When I activate my semblance, I get surrounded by an aura that absorbs any damage I take. The harder the hit, the stronger I get till I use all that power to attack."

Ruby pointed at herself. "My semblance is velocity. I can transform and zip around really fast. I'm not really... physical when I use my semblance, so I can't hit anything while I'm using it, but I maintain most of the momentum when I move, so I can use it to build up speed for an attack. I can even take people with me if they're not too heavy, and I can go in any direction, although going up I have to fight gravity, so I can't go up very far with it. I can't use it for very long at a time, either."

Ren spoke up. "My semblance isn't very useful in combat. I can remove negative emotions from myself or anyone I touch. It is very handy for hiding from Grimm, however, and it can be useful for maintaining... focus in tense or emotional situations."

Nora pointed a thumb at herself. "I absorb electricity! It doesn't hurt me, and it makes me stronger!"

Pyrrha blinked. "How did you discover that?"

Nora shrugged. "Got struck by lightning. Didn't die."

Pyrrha goggled at that, then giggled. "Well, my semblance is polarity. I control magnetism. I can manipulate metal objects near me, and move them wherever I wish." Nearly everyone goggled at her.

"Wow..." Yang said. "That sounds awesome."

Pyrrha sighed. "Unfortunately it's not terribly useful against the Grimm. But it is, perhaps, one reason I have been undefeated in tournaments so far." She looked positively embarrassed at admitting that.

Weiss nodded. "It makes sense. But I think I speak for all of us in saying we won't hold it against you. Having a powerful semblance is a good thing. But we won't betray your trust by telling anyone." She smiled at Pyrrha. "Thank you for telling us. That seems like it would be a massive advantage in the ring. I can understand how you might be reluctant to share it."

Pyrrha smiled faintly. "I try not to rely upon it too much, as my trainers advised that I conceal my semblance to use as a trump card, but I've gotten very good at using it subtly. It... it feels rather unfair sometimes. It bothers me."

Weiss snorted. "Nonsense. Your skills are undeniable. Your semblance is just part of who you are. It'd be foolish for anyone to expect you not to use your full gifts in combat."

Pyrrha sighed. "That's what they tell me. Still, it makes fighting human opponents almost painfully easy sometimes."

Weiss grinned. "And that's a good thing." She frowned. "Well, not for us when we meet you in the Vital festival, but we always knew that beating the Invincible Girl would be tricky."

Pyrrha wilted at that.

Weiss sighed. "Pyrrha, it's OK. You've trained hard, and your skills are your own. I don't hold any hard feelings about that."

Pyrrha shrugged her shoulders. "I just... I don't like that name very much. It feels like that name is part of what kept me from having any friends before I came to Beacon. I came here to Beacon to try and get away from all of that."

Weiss bowed her head. "Believe me, I do understand. I also came to Beacon to try and escape my name. As a Schnee, I could have anything I wanted, at least, back in Atlas. Everyone would defer to me, not because I had earned anything, but because they feared my family. I wanted to earn respect on my own as a huntress, to be worthy of my family name rather than to be held up like a trophy."

She coughed. "In any event, my semblance is glyphs. I can create glyphs that can accelerate anyone who steps upon them, glyphs that can pin a target in place, and with dust, I can create glyphs that fire bolts of fire, or ice, or whatever element the dust is. I can alter the terrain around me with dust as well."

Ruby beamed. "I've got some ideas already! Hey Nora, what would you think about putting a lightning dust crystal into your hammer? I could set it up to electrify Magnhild whenever you hit a button. You could use it for a strength boost, or to zap anything you hit at the same time as boosting your strength."

Nora looked enthusiastic. "That sounds AWESOME!" Her face fell. "But I usually can't afford much in the way of dust. I have to use the bulk stuff in my grenades because it's cheaper. Dust Crystals are pretty expensive."

Weiss shrugged. "As part of my team, I'd be happy to finance some improvements to your weapon if you'd like."

Ruby threw up a fist. "Yeah! And I'll do the modifications for you!"

Blake spoke up softly. "I can also use Dust with my semblance. I can leave behind shadow clones of myself. They can take a single hit before evaporating, and they can even help me move or give me a boost when I'm fighting. But with dust, I can give my clones elemental properties. Fire Dust will cause my clones to explode on impact, Ice Dust will cause my clones to freeze around an opponents weapon when they strike, trapping them in place, I can use Earth Dust to create a clone that will act as a barrier. Unfortunately, I usually can't afford it."

Pyrrha nodded to her. "I believe I can help with that a little. For the good of the team. I'll get you some dust you can use for emergencies."

Blake smiled at her. "Thanks, Pyrrha. I won't waste it." Ruby grinned. This was going better than she'd expected.

"We should work on some team tactics tonight!" Ruby announced. "I've already got some great ideas for combo attacks!" Now she REALLY was cheating. It'd taken them months to figure out effective team attacks, and Ruby already knew which ones worked best, and what mistakes they'd made in the past while trying to figure them out. They'd still have to practice, but she could keep her team from wasting a ton of time on stuff that just wouldn't work.

The rest of the training session went well. Tactics were discussed, and they split up into small groups to practice combo attacks, very often with advice from Ruby on what they should be trying for. The teams were different enough from the previous timeline that Ruby had to improvise a bit, remembering what she could of team Juniper's combo attacks and working to combine those into what she remembered of her own team's moves, which had been rather more extensive.

As their time in the combat arena elapsed, Ruby called everyone together again. "Blake and I are just doing some research for now. We're not cops, and we can't just stake out all the dust shops in town. More than that... well, it's probably best if Torchwick and the White Fang don't realize we might come after them, so until we have a really solid lead, I think it's best if we don't do anything to let them know we're coming."

Nora looked disappointed. "No stakeouts? No rooftop crime fighting?"

Ruby shrugged. "We really are here to learn. I just want us to be ready in case something does come up where we feel like we have to act. Plus, we ARE learning how to fight monsters. Becoming stronger together just helps with that."

Weiss smiled at Ruby and nodded. "I can't disagree. You know, Ruby Rose, I find that I am continually underestimating you. You truly do deserve to be the leader of your team."

Ruby's eyes went wide, and a moment later, shone with tears at the corners. "Thanks Weiss. That really means a lot to me to hear you say that."

/-/

Saturday morning rolled around, and team RPBY was getting ready for their dates.

"This is kind of weird..." Ruby admitted. "All of us going out on dates with our teammates..."

Yang grinned. "More like awesome! This is going to be great."

Pyrrha smiled slightly at Yang's enthusiasm. "So, where are we going today, Yang?"

Yang winked. "To a place I know in town. Do you like dancing?"

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow. "You're bringing me to a dance club?"

Yang shrugged. "Yup. Sound OK?"

Pyrrha smiled and nodded. "It sounds lovely. Should I dress up?"

Yang shrugged. "It's not all that fancy. Last time I went there I just wore my combat outfit."

Ruby winced. "Yang, are you taking her to that place you destroyed in Vale?"

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Maybe? I heard they finished rebuilding a couple weeks ago!"

Pyrrha looked dubious. "Are you sure you'll be welcome?"

Yang laughed. "Don't worry, P-money. I've got it covered."

Pyrrha rolled her eyes. "If you're sure."

Ruby turned to Blake. "So, what are we doing today, Blake?"

Blake shrugged. "I thought I'd take you to a couple places in town I know? Nothing really fancy. Just dress casual."

Ruby nodded with a smile, then raised a finger. "Actually, Blake, could we get back to Beacon by seven? I've got a surprise that will be ready right about then."

Blake blinked. "I thought it was my turn to plan the date."

Ruby nodded. "It is, I just... I didn't want to wait anymore. Will you promise me we'll be back here by seven? It's important."

Blake tilted her head curiously, then nodded. "Alright. You've got me curious now."

The four girls got ready to go, and before noon, Blake and Ruby were headed to the airship dock to head into Vale. Yang, on the other hand, led Pyrrha to Beacon's underground garage, where she'd parked Bumblebee.

She handed Pyrrha her spare helmet. "So, Pyrrha, do you know how to ride?"

Pyrrha blinked at the sight of the powerful looking black and yellow motorcycle. "I'm afraid I've never had the experience before."

Yang grinned. "Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it in no time. Just wrap your hands around my waist, lean into my back to keep the wind resistance down, and lean with me when I do. It's easy."

Pyrrha blinked, then nodded. "I'll do my best." She finally said. Yang mounted up, putting her yellow helmet on, and Pyrrha gingerly got onto the motorcycle behind her, and tentatively put her hands around Yang's waist. "Like this?"

Yang looked over her shoulder. "You've got to hold on tight, and lean against my back. It's a lot easier if you're close. Less wind resistance, and you can feel when I'm going to lean better."

Blushing, Pyrrha did as instructed, wrapping her arms more tightly around the blond brawler's waist and hugging herself to Yang's back.

Yang felt the pressure of Pyrrha's breasts against her back and grinned. "That's it. Now hold on!" Revving the engine, she took off, starting things off relatively slow at first. Coming out of Beacon, Yang took it easy, taking turns relatively slowly and using the brake and gas in moderation. She felt Pyrrha shifting with her with each turn, and before long, it was obvious that the Mistralian girl had gotten the hang of it.

"OK! Let's pick up the pace a bit!" Yang announced over her shoulder as they came to a stop at an intersection. "I'm going to really gun her, so hold on really tight!"

Pyrrha chuckled. "Please do."

Bumblebee shot out of the intersection like she was powered by rockets, and Pyrrha whooped in excitement as they accelerated down the road. Yang kept the speed high as they entered their first turn, leaning hard into the turn to whip around the corner, and accelerated further.

"This is quite exhilarating!" Pyrrha shouted in Yang's ear.

"What?" Yang shouted back, not quite able to make out the words.

"This is quite exhilarating!" Pyrrha shouted again.

"Fun, huh?" Yang answered back, not really knowing what Pyrrha was saying, but getting the idea that she was happy from her tone.

They rode into Vale, past, and through it, and up to a ridgeline overlooking the city before Yang finally pulled over at a rest stop that had a good view of Vale below.

Getting off the bike, Pyrrha was breathing heavily, but beaming, her face reddened by the wind and her hair more than a little windswept, despite the bronze hairpiece that normally held it in place

Pyrrha looked around, curiously. "I thought we were going to a club?"

Yang shrugged. "The club won't open for a couple hours yet. I thought we could ride for a bit first."

Pyrrha smiled. "I have to admit, I am enjoying it. Bumblebee seems like a very fine machine, and you seem quite skilled at using her."

Yang's eyes twinkled, and she stepped into Pyrrha's personal space. "You're a pretty fine machine yourself, Pyrrha. And trust me... I'm skilled at using all kinds of things." Pyrrha blushed pink, but didn't answer right away. She swallowed, licking her lips nervously. Yang hesitated. "Sorry... too much?"

Pyrrha wrinkled her nose. "No... not exactly. But I thought we were just having a date as friends?"

Yang shrugged. "One, I like to flirt. Two... isn't that sort of what going on a date is about? Finding out how we fit as MORE than friends?"

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow. "Won't Ruby be jealous?"

Yang looked thoughtful at that. "I honestly don't know. But it was Ruby's idea that I take you out on a date, so I don't think so. She knows me better than that."

Pyrrha looked confused. "What is it that you think Ruby wants from all of this?"

Yang shrugged. "Honestly? I think she wants all of us to be happy. That's the most important thing to her. And, well, I was going on about how going on dates with people was how you figure out if you're compatible with someone... I think Ruby wants us all to figure out who we're most comfortable with."

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow. "And why were you so willing to go along with it?"

Yang grinned at her. "Why do you think, P-money?"

Pyrrha blushed. "I... I would rather it said clearly, Yang."

Yang nodded, turning away, and started to walk slowly. Pyrrha came up on her side and the two of them started walking along a path that led along the cliffside.

"I've told you that you're hot, right?" Yang began.

Pyrrha swallowed, then nodded. "I suppose it's not too far fetched to imagine someone might find me physically attractive." She admitted.

Yang snorted. "Ninety percent of the population probably agrees with me. There's a reason your face is on cereal boxes, Pyrrha, and it's not just because you're an undefeated champion. You're positively smoking hot."

Pyrrha blushed again, but smiled. "Thank you for the complement, Yang. But is that the extent of it?"

Yang shrugged again. "No, not really. I've told you that I swing both ways, right?"

Pyrrha nodded back. "Yes. You said something to the extent that you can find both men and women attractive."

Yang nodded. "Well, that's true. And I've looked. Do you know how many people at our school are both currently unattached and I find even mildly interesting?"

Pyrrha shook her head. "I assume you plan on telling me?"

Yang grinned. "You assume correctly. Of the first years, Cardin's team is a bunch of mouth breathers. No joy there. One or two of them might have caught my eye if they weren't such sycophantic losers, but Cardin's ruined them. No way." She licked her lips. "To be honest, I could go for either Ren or Nora, if they weren't so obviously together. I mean, they can deny it all they like, but I'm pretty sure Nora would start contemplating murder if I hit on Ren... and Nora wouldn't look twice at me with Ren in the picture, even if she swung that way... so they're out."

Pyrrha blinked. "That makes sense. What about Weiss? Or Jack?"

Yang shrugged. "Weiss is... well, she's cute. And that's not bad, but... she's a bit too uptight for my book. She might be fun to try and thaw her a bit, but... that's a lot of work for only a small chance at a reward. Might be worth it, but there are tastier fish in the sea. As for Jack? Boy's... nice, but I'm just not feeling it. Maybe I'm not being fair. He's got a lot of potential, and he's growing fast, but... no. I'm not going to go out with him just because he's a nice guy, even if I kind of feel bad for dismissing him out of hand like that."

Pyrrha swallowed. "Which, I suppose, leaves me and Blake out of all the first year students?"

Yang nodded. "You both are really hot. And I like you. I mean, sexy and fun to be around? What's not to like?"

Pyrrha licked her lips lightly and nodded. "That makes sense, I suppose. Why haven't you said anything before this?"

Yang shrugged. "Ruby." Pyrrha looked at her curiously, and Yang explained. "Well, besides the fact that both you and Blakey are obviously into her, Ruby is coming out of her shell for the first time here at Beacon. I want to give her every chance to be the wonderful woman I know she can be. Ruby's going to be amazing when she finishes growing up. She makes me so proud I almost want to burst, you know? What kind of big sister would I be if I swooped in and stole the girl she first fell in love with?"

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you sort of doing that now?"

Yang shook her head. "This... this is Ruby's choice. I'm going to support her as far as I possibly can. If that means I have to date a really hot, smart, and tough badass like Pyrrha Nikos? Well damn. I'll gladly throw myself on that sexy, sexy grenade if she needs me too."

Pyrrha snorted, and broke out into a fit of giggles. "Oh Yang... you are... you are too much!"

Yang threw her arms wide as if to emphasize herself. "You know it!" Pyrrha started to laugh harder, and Yang chuckled along, both of them grinning at each other like fools.

When Pyrrha finally managed to stifle her giggles, she shook her head. "Yang... do you really like me? I mean, like like me?"

Yang shrugged. "I'm not making any of this up, Pyrrha. I think you're sexy as hell. You're smart, you're strong, and you're great with Ruby, which is pretty important to me, seeing as I'm always going to be trying to look after her. I don't want to get between her and someone she wants... but... well, Ruby wants this." She gestured at Pyrrha, then herself. "She wants us to figure out if we like each other as more than just friends. She wants us all to figure out who we'll be happiest with. So yeah, I'm interested, P-money. But we'll take things slow. Plenty of time to figure all of this out, right?"

Pyrrha nodded slowly in agreement. "Yes. Yes you're right." She smiled softly. "I must admit, I do find you very attractive as well, Yang."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say that before Ruby, you never really found anyone attractive like that?"

Pyrrha nodded. "I did. And today I found someone else I am attracted to."

Yang grinned. "Well damn. On the short list!"

Pyrrha smiled. "It's a very exclusive club."

Yang opened her mouth, then closed it. "I was going to make a joke..." She said finally. "But damn. I'm actually really flattered right now."

Pyrrha just smiled. "You deserve to be flattered. You're a really wonderful person, Yang. You're the best big sister I've ever known... to be honest, you define those words to me now. If I ever hear someone call themselves a big sister, I'll end up comparing them to you, and I have little doubt they'll come up lacking. You're so warm to all of us. You brought us into your heart and you take care of your team like we're members of your family. You make jokes, but we all know how much you care about us. You are truly remarkable."

Yang was speechless for quite a while. "Well... dang. That was a thing."

/-/

Blake led Ruby through the city, holding her hand. She kept glancing back at the diminutive girl, wondering at how strange her life had become since meeting the girl who was now her team leader. Everything had changed in the last few months. She had been in love... or she had thought she was in love, with a tall, intimidating man. Ruby was a short, cute girl. Where Adam had been implacable, Ruby was thoughtful, where Adam had been controlling, Ruby was almost afraid of pushing her too hard. Adam was a faunus who was both older and more experienced than she was, Ruby was a human girl two years her junior who had led an almost idyllic life in comparison to her own. Rather than preparing to attack SDC facilities or hijack trains, she was at school, training to protect people from monsters. Almost nothing of her old life remained.

One thing was very similar, however. Ruby was driven. Dedicated. Adam had been as well. Blake assumed he probably still was, although the direction of that drive had twisted from wanting justice for their people into wanting to destroy humanity. Ruby's focus on the other hand was on being a huntress, and on being a good team leader, and on making everyone around her as happy as she could manage. Blake found Ruby's dedication considerably easier to believe in.

She came to a stop outside a small, quiet looking bookstore, 'Tuckson's Book Trade.' "This is our first stop." She told Ruby with a smile. "I know the owner."

Ruby beamed. "Neat! I like bookstores."

Blake smiled. "Me too."

Entering, they found the place deserted, although it was filled almost to the roof with stack upon stack of books laid upon the many shelves.

Blake went up to the front counter, and rang the bell. A large man with dark sideburns came out from the back with a pleased smile. "Welcome to Tuckson's Book Trade!" he greeted. "Home to every book under the sun." His eyes widened slightly as he took in the sight of Blake, glancing up at her bow, then over to Ruby.

"Can I help you ladies?" He asked carefully.

"Hey Tuckson." Blake said easily. "This is Ruby. She's my team leader at Beacon. She's cool."

Tuckson blinked. "Is that so?"

Blake nodded. "Yeah. She knows all about me. Figured out I was a faunus after... what, a week?" She glanced back at Ruby, who shrugged sheepishly.

Tuckson snorted. "I told you that that bow wouldn't fool people for very long."

Blake shrugged. "Well, it works MOST of the time. I still wear it in the city. Easier than dealing with bigots on the street."

Tuckson grunted. "Not all of us can hide who we are, Blake. But I guess I can't blame you."

Blake sighed. "Yeah. Not that I hide much anymore. My secret is out all across Beacon." She smiled. "It's actually a pretty nice place. The staff don't give a damn if you have cat ears or a tail. They just want to train good hunters. And they do." She shrugged. "There's still a few idiots, but my team has my back, one hundred percent."

Tuckson gave Blake a genuine smile. "That's great to hear. It's good to have more faunus hunters out there, you know?"

Blake nodded. "There are actually quite a few faunus students there. We've got our share of bigots too, but they're firmly in the minority, and pretty much nobody is in a mood to listen to their crap." She shook her head. "And get this. Weiss Schnee... heiress to the SDC, is one of my friends there."

Tuckson blinked. "You're kidding, right? When does a Schnee come down out of the clouds to spend time with the dirty faunus?" He scoffed. "There has to be an angle."

Blake shook her head. "No. I know why you'd think so. I mean, I thought the same myself when I first met her. But Ruby... well, Ruby and my team, and Weiss's team, we've been close since initiation. Fighting giant monsters together can do that. And I got to know Weiss before she knew I was a faunus. When she found out, it shook her. Sure, she was raised to hate us, but she's not stupid. She can think for herself, and she has. She doesn't like her father's treatment of the faunus, and she wants to change things..."

Tuckson raised an eyebrow. "Sure... seems a bit too good to be true."

Blake shrugged. "Old man Schnee won't give up control of the company till he's dead and gone, but, if Weiss does end up inheriting, I think we'll see more than just a little progress on that front."

Tuckson nodded slowly. "Huh. That's actually kind of good to hear. I mean, it doesn't do anything now, but..."

Blake smiled and shrugged. "Hope for the future, maybe?" She hesitated. "Hey, do you think I could bring her by sometime? Weiss, I mean? She'll be on her best behavior, I promise."

Tuckson blinked. "Huh. Really?" He thought about it. "OK, if you vouch for her, she's welcome. I'd like to see this miracle for myself."

Blake smiled. "Just be polite, OK? She's a good person, but she's still..." she searched for the word.

"Uptight?" Ruby supplied helpfully.

Blake laughed. "Well, she expects everyone to rise to her standards, I guess. It's not really a bad thing..."

Tuckson laughed. "I get it. All snooty and polished manners?"

Blake shrugged. "Well, the manners... and yeah, she's a little snooty. But underneath she's lonely, and a little shy. And there's a genuinely nice person underneath all the icy exterior. She never once belittled or insulted any of the faunus at school because of who they are. She'll insult you to your face if she thinks your... uncouth, or whatever, but never because you happen to have cat ears."

Tuckson snorted. "I get the idea. Sure. Bring her on down." He rolled his eyes. "Just give me a couple hours warning, huh? A Schnee walking in on the wrong set of customers might start a riot."

Blake chuckled. "I'll let you know."

She turned to Ruby. "So... this is an old friend of mine, Ruby." She gestured from Ruby to the big man. "Ruby, this is Tuckson, Tuckson, this is Ruby."

Ruby beamed and held out her hand to him. "Hi! Nice to meet you!"

Tuckson took her hand and shook it firmly. "Right back at you. Team leader huh?" He looked her up and down. "Can I say you look really young for your age?"

Ruby blushed. "Actually, I'm fifteen. I got into Beacon two years early."

Blake nodded to Ruby. "Apparently my fearless leader here stopped a Dust Store robbery and captured a particularly notorious criminal... right when Beacon's combat instructor was about to show up. Miss Goodwitch saw Ruby here in action, and before the night was out Headmaster Ozpin himself came down to give her an invite to Beacon." She bragged.

Ruby blushed brighter, and Blake grinned at the reaction. "Ruby doesn't like it when people brag about her, but she's really amazing. I've never seen anyone cut through Grimm like this little reaper can."

Tuckson's eyes were wide. "That was you?" He gaped at Ruby. "Wow... I thought you'd be taller." Tuckson's face turned grave. "Blake... actually, about Torchwick..." He glanced at Ruby, frowning. "Can we talk?"

Blake glanced around the shop, finding it still empty save for them and Ruby. "Ruby knows all about me. All about. You can talk freely."

Tuckson blinked. "Really? Er... wow?" He shook his head as if to clear it. "Word is, he's running the local chapter of the White Fang. No idea how he managed it, but a lot of people are looking to get out like you did. They don't like the way the new White Fang is handling business."

Blake had gone still. "So... it's true?"

Tuckson nodded. "I've been slipping people out of the city a few at a time. Torchwick doesn't like it when people desert. Neither does Adam. You should watch yourself."

Blake grimaced. "Adam. Is he in town?"

Tuckson shook his head. "Not as far as I know. Not sure where he is, I've been hearing weird stuff. Torchwick is stealing a whole lot of dust, and weapons. Looks like they're planning something big. Whatever it is, I don't think it'll help the faunus as much as it's going to help Torchwick."

Blake's eyes narrowed. "Why is that?"

Tuckson shook his head. "The guy's too neat. He's never been a sympathizer. He's in it for the money. Maybe the fame, but in any case, he's not in it for the cause. My gut tells me that there's someone above him pulling the strings, but I'm too far out of the loop to know for sure."

Blake frowned. "Tuckson, if things are getting bad, maybe you should pull out as well. Head to Menagerie. My folks will make sure you're alright."

Tuckson sighed. "I've been considering it, believe me. Still, a lot of folks don't have the wherewithal to get out without some help. That's where I come in. I can't just leave while people are still trying to get out."

Ruby put both hands on the counter with a bang. "What can we do to help?"

/-/

As they left the shop, Ruby was still talking on her scroll. "Thanks dad. I love you too."

Blake was shaking her head. "You don't have to do this. Your father doesn't have to do this..."

Ruby giggled. "Are you kidding? Smuggling faunus out of the city to escape the White Fang? Dad is happy to help. Tuckson can send people over to Patch, call my Dad, and my dad will make sure they get to a boat going to Menagerie from there. Don't worry, my dad is tough. He'll make sure everybody is safe."

Blake nodded slowly. "It'll help a lot. Nobody is going to expect faunus running away from the White Fang to go to Patch first. And having a trained huntsman escorting them in Patch will make them a whole lot safer."

Ruby smiled. "It's fine. Dad promised he'd keep things quiet from the police as well. He understood why some of the people running from the White Fang might not want to go to the authorities."

"Including myself." Blake admitted wryly. "I don't think there is a warrant out for my arrest in particular, but letting the police know that I used to be a terrorist isn't going to go over well. Still, I can't believe he agreed so easily!"

Ruby smiled. "Dad is the best." She sighed. "I wouldn't call that easily though. He didn't want to cause a fuss right there while we were talking to Tuckson, but he'll be giving me the third degree later tonight. I promised him I'd call him by eight."

Blake sighed. "Ruby... I'm sorry I'm causing you all this trouble."

Ruby smiled. "You're my friend. I want to do this. Your troubles are mine, OK?"

Blake smiled back, gratefully. "You really are the best, Ruby Rose."

Ruby blushed. "Aww... you're just saying that."

Blake snorted. "You have no idea how special you are, do you. Ruby... you're like no one I've ever known."

Ruby winced slightly, then tried to smile. "I like you too, Blake." She took in a deep breath. "So... was that the whole date?"

Blake blinked. "Oh my gosh! I forgot! I wanted you to pick out something you liked so I could buy you a present!"

Ruby beamed at her. "Oh, you didn't have to do that..."

Blake shook her head. "I wanted to. Want to go back to Tuckson's and pick something out?"

Ruby thought about that. "How about we go back tomorrow? I know our date is only supposed to be today, but... well, we kind of got interrupted by serious stuff."

Blake's face fell. "I'm sorry, Ruby. Not much of a date, I guess."

Ruby shook her head. "I don't mind. I'm glad I got to meet Tuckson. He seems like a good guy."

Blake's face brightened. "Well, let me at least treat you to tea. I know this great place..."

Ruby's eyebrows rose. "Tea...?"

/-/

Ruby tried to put on a smile and sip her plant flavored hot water some more. "Mmm!" She murmured with as much appreciation as she could muster.

Blake snickered, looking torn between laughter and feeling upset. "You don't like tea, do you." It was a statement, not a question, but Ruby answered it anyway.

"Well, I've never had it before... but it's... nice?"

Blake chuckled wryly. "Well, strike two, I guess. This date is not off to the best start."

Ruby shrugged. "It's fine. I'm just happy to be spending time with you, Blake. Did you have anything else planned?"

Blake shook her head with a sigh. "No, I think I'm going to surrender for today. Are you still willing to try again tomorrow?"

Ruby beamed. "I sure am! Can I pick tomorrow?"

Blake grinned. "Absolutely."

Ruby nodded. "I've got a plan then. Although we are going back to Tuckson's for my present."

Blake grinned wider. "Sounds good to me."

Blake lifted her own cup of tea and took a sip, while Ruby put hers down and pushed it subtly away from herself. Glancing out from the balcony of the rooftop cafe they were at, Ruby smiled. "The view is really nice. And they have other drinks here. I'm glad you brought me here."

Blake snorted. "Liar."

Ruby raised a hand. "Totally true. OK, apparently I'm not a big fan of tea, but this place is pretty, and it's got a great view. I like it. Next time I'll just get a hot chocolate or something."

Blake nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Want one now?"

Ruby pulled out her scroll and checked the time. "Maybe to go? We've got to get back to school. We need to be at the library by seven!"

Blake blinked. "The library?"

Ruby's nose wriggled back and forth, and she got a furtive look on her face. "Just... trust me, OK?"

Blake nodded. "I do. OK, I guess we should head back then!" She stood up, heading for the front counter of the little tea shop. "But first I'm getting you that hot chocolate to go."

/-/

Yang pulled her bike up to the front of Junior's club and stopped, pushing down the kickstand with one foot and removing her helmet. Behind her, Pyrrha removed her own helmet and put it on the back of the bike, looking at the front of the club curiously. The beat of dance music was easily heard from the street, and the light from a disco ball could be seen scintillating out of the various second story windows.

"So... this is the place?" Pyrrha wagered.

"Yup. Come on. Stick with me, and act tough." Yang hopped off her bike and started to swagger toward the doors with a sensual strut that all but challenged anyone watching to take a second look. The two men standing watch by the front doors saw her coming, and their eyes went wide. After several seconds of incredulous staring, they broke and ran inside, slamming the large double doors behind them.

Pyrrha, who had been more than slightly distracted watching Yang walk from behind, blinked in confusion as the two men ran, and she watched bemusedly as they closed the large doors with a bang. "I take it they know you here?"

Yang chuckled. "You could say that." She accelerated her pace slightly, heading for the doors with an air of determination. When she reached the door, she deployed Ember Celica and punched the doors wide open with a blast of mixed fire and air dust. Yang strode into the room with a cocky smile. "Guess who's back!" She announced cheerfully.

A dozen men surrounded her in a rough half circle inside the entrance to the dance club, pointing pistols at her. Alarmed, Pyrrha used her semblance to pull Miló and Akoúo into her hands as she rushed up to Yang's side, holding her shield out in front of the blond brawler, who had apparently retracted her shotgun gauntlets and was holding up her hands in a gesture clearly designed to show she wasn't about to attack.

Pyrrha blinked, confused, but remained where she was, facing down the large body of men with a fierce glare and readied weapons.

In the background, the music started skipping as the DJ apparently had taken cover instead of tending to his records.

"Yang..." Pyrrha growled softly. "Could you perhaps explain why all these men are pointing weapons at you?"

"Stop! Stop!" A gruff man's voice rang out from behind the crowd of armed thugs. "Nobody shoot... anything." A very tall man with a well developed beard and mustache rushed up, putting out his hands to the group of thugs, pushing some aside and pushing down their pistols where he could reach. "Blondie, you're here... with..." His eyes went wide. "With HER?" He whirled. "Everybody go... do something else. Nobody is starting a fight with these two, got it?"

Yang grinned, her hands were on her hips, and she nodded pleasantly to Pyrrha, who shrugged and put her own weapons away on her back.

Yang moved forward, grabbing the large man by the shoulder and dragging him toward the bar. "You still owe me a drink." She said, sounding utterly pleased with herself.

Pyrrha followed along, looking bemused as the gang of rough looking men in black suits dispersed quickly, hiding away their pistols and trying to pretend they hadn't been about to assault a customer. She took note of a pair of young women in fancy dress, one in red, the other in white, who had rushed up at the last minute. They glanced between her and Yang, then shook their heads and stalked away. Pyrrha could sense more than a little fear in their movements, although the two young women did their best to conceal it as they retreated. Pyrrha sighed. Her reputation apparently proceeded her even here, although at the same time, these people obviously also knew Yang well enough to know not to pick a fight with her... which Pyrrha had to admit, was probably wise. Yang was one of the most powerful fighters Pyrrha knew. Even as well armed as this particular band of well dressed thugs appeared to be, Pyrrha could sense that none of them would pose a significant threat to Yang alone, much less both Yang and her. It was just as well their apparent leader was wise enough to recognize that fact.

Pyrrha stalked after Yang towards the bar, determined to get an explanation.

Yang was quietly interrogating the man when Pyrrha reached them at the bar.

"I don't know where he is. I lent him my men, and none of them ever came back. I haven't seen him since the last time you were here." The man was saying.

"Junior... you better not be bullshitting me." Yang warned.

Junior rolled his eyes. "I've already told you everything. Torchwick hired my boys, and I guess he wasn't happy with them..." He glared at some of the black suited thugs who were trying to act casual by the doors. "Which is something I can relate to!" He shouted in their direction, causing them to mill about uncertainly, looking for something to do or someplace to go that wouldn't make it quite so obvious that they weren't busy doing anything useful. He glanced at Pyrrha as she walked up. "You didn't have to bring the freaking Invincible Girl down here to beat it out of me. I don't know anything else."

Yang chuckled. "Oh Junior, we both know I don't need anyone backing me up. Pyrrha here is just hanging out with me today. We wanted to go dancing."

Junior blinked. "Um... sure, whatever. Just don't bust up the place and you can have anything you want."

Yang grinned. "Then I want two Strawberry Sunrise's. With those little umbrellas."

Pyrrha looked at Yang and chuckled. "Well, I can't say I expected any of that."

Yang grinned back at her. "I'm always full of surprises."

Pyrrha shook her head, still smiling. "Apparently so." She turned to look over the dance floor, where the music had started up again, and customers had started to filter out onto the floor to get back to partying. "Interesting place. Whatever brought you here in the first place, Yang?"

Junior had walked off to prepare their drinks, and Yang sighed. "I was looking for my mom. My real mom. Ruby's actually my half sister."

Pyrrha blinked. "I see. What happened to your mother, then?"

Yang shrugged. "She left when I was only a baby. Ruby's mom, Summer, married our dad and had Ruby, and she raised us both. She was super mom, baker of cookies and slayer of monsters. She was the only mom I ever knew, and I loved her. But when I was six, she went out on a mission, and never came back. Dad... it broke him. It turned out it wasn't the first time someone had left him, and I found out about my own mom. Raven."

Pyrrha put a hand on Yang's shoulder. "That must have been very difficult for you."

Yang sighed. "It wasn't great. Ruby was just a baby, and dad was a mess. I had to step up and take care of things. But I wanted to know what happened to my mom. Why she left, why she never contacted us. She's not dead... dad's admitted that much, but he won't tell me anything else. So I've been looking." She glanced to one side and noticed Junior walk up with their drinks. "Thanks Junior."

Junior, who had apparently heard quite a bit more than Yang probably wanted, just shrugged. "On the house, Blondie." He hesitated. "I really have never seen her. I'd tell you if I had."

Yang nodded roughly and he took that as a sign he could go, which he did, wandering down to the other end of the bar to serve drinks to another customer.

Pyrrha glanced towards the tall man. "So... you came here looking for her?"

Yang nodded. "I busted some heads and found out that Junior here is the guy to go to for information here in Vale. So I came looking. Our first... conversation didn't go well, and I kind of tore up the place. Unfortunately, Junior's never seen my mom. Nobody seems to have. I'm at a dead end at the moment."

Pyrrha sighed. "I'm sorry."

Yang shrugged. "It is what it is. I've got Rubes, and Dad, and our Uncle Qrow. They're not the most normal family in the world, but they're mine."

Pyrrha smiled. "I think they must be rather wonderful."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Why is that?"

Pyrrha nodded at her. "Because you're a part of that family, and you're rather wonderful."

Yang blushed, then groaned. "Stop saying that. It's going to go straight to my head."

Pyrrha giggled. "I'll have to take my chances, I suppose."

Yang rolled her eyes, then laughed, taking a large swig of her drink, she put it down on the counter, then stepped away from it, holding out one hand to Pyrrha. "Well, we came here to dance, so let's dance!"

Pyrrha took Yang's hand, beaming. "I'd love to dance."

/-/

Ruby led Blake through the Beacon library to one of the terminals in the back corner, where the younger girl started tapping away, putting in her Beacon ID number, then apparently making some sort of long distance call?

Blake's eyes narrowed. "Ruby, what's this all about?"

Ruby rushed around to Blake's other side and started shoving her in the direction of the terminal. "It's a surprise... now come stand over here."

Blake reluctantly allowed Ruby to place her in front of the terminal, but her eyes went wide as the terminal connected, and she saw the person who was on the other end of the call.

Kali Belladonna's face went from hesitation to joy in an instant. "Blake! Oh Blake! It's so wonderful to see you honey!" She glanced off screen. "Ghira, Ghira come quick! It's our daughter!"

Blake's eyes fixed on the pleased expression of her team leader and nominal girlfriend, and her own expression caused the happiness to start draining away from Ruby's face. "Ruby Rose... what did you do?!"