44

Chapter 44: Speed

Ten minutes later, Emerald Forest

"We really appreciate this, Professor Port."

"Oh, think nothing of it, Miss Rose!" The portly professor boomed as he lead the four girls deep into the Emerald Forest, towards a clearing he had claimed as his own. "I had planned to remain here for a few hours anyway. It's no trouble to escort you. Especially after the help you gave me earlier."

"Uh, no offense, sir," Yang interjected, shifting the weight of the borrowed duffle bag hanging from her shoulder. "But we didn't really have a choice in helping you. Detention and all?"

On either side of her, Blake and Weiss nodded in agreement.

Port shook his head, quirking his grand mustache. "Regardless, voluntary or not, you all saved me hours of work capturing these mighty beasties."

As if in answer, a howl sounded from directly in front of them. As the group stepped out into the clearing, several sets of molten yellow eyes tracked their every movement. Six cages of various sizes lay strewn about the area, each one housing an agitated Grimm. Two Boarbatusks, a tiny Nevermore, and, caught by Port himself, a very large and very angry Ursa Major.

The bearlike Grimm reared up on its hind legs as they passed its prison, roaring in rage as it slammed its paws against the bars.

"Yes, yes, bellow all you like," Port dismissed the creature with a wave. "You're not getting out of there until the Senior class' pop quiz come Friday."

At his words, the Mated members of Team RWBY shared a look, each one having the same sense of disbelief and unease. If an Ursa Major was part of a pop quiz, what the heck did Port do for the actual tests?

As they were marching passed the row of cages, Ruby said to the professor, "We're going to do a few little experiments before we try for real."

Port nodded with a chuckle. "Of course, of course. Merely give me a warning before you head off. I'll be back examining our new friends in the meantime."

The girls nodded to him as he walked away, while they continued to the opposite edge of the clearing, far enough away that the roars of the captured Grimm weren't too distracting. Once the howls and growls had faded to mere white noise, Ruby whirled around, putting her hands on her hips as she faced her girlfriends and sister.

"Alright, team," she started, going into her rendition of 'drill instructor mode'. "Day one of Ruby Rose's Superspeed Academy begins now!"

Weiss rolled her eyes with a huff, a slight smile tugging at her lips. "Ruby, must you do this?"

"Yes, I must!" Ruby punctuated her sentence with a sharp jab in Weiss' direction.

Yang and Blake chuckled at her antics. "Okay, seriously, Ruby," Yang said. "How do you want to go about this?"

Ruby pouted at them all. "You're all no fun," she muttered with no bite. She cupped her chin, looking up at the sky in thought. "Well, the first thing we should do is make sure that Blake and Weiss can activate my Semblance."

Yang nodded in agreement, while Blake and Weiss shared a look. "How… exactly do we do that, Ruby?" Weiss asked, crossing her arms.

Ruby blinked, then smiled. "Oh, that's easy! You just need to…" She trailed off, looking down at her hands. She frowned. "First you…" She flexed her hands, her fingertips blurring red. Ruby tilted her head at them, thinking. "Hmm…"

Confused, Blake and Weiss looked to each other again. Yang bit back a chuckle at her sister's expense like she was in on some joke. Glancing at her, Blake turned her attention to the young leader. "Something wrong, Ruby?"

Ruby looked up from her hands, surprised. She smiled sheepishly. "Oh! Sorry. Um… it's just that…" She struggled with her words for a moment, speaking as much to herself as them. "I know what you guys have to do, but… I'm not sure how to explain it."

"Want me to try, Sis?" Yang asked, surprising the monochrome pair.

"How could you explain it better than Ruby could, Yang?" Weiss asked with a frown.

Yang just grinned, stepping next to Ruby. "Easy. See, when Ruby's Semblance first started acting up, it took me, Dad, and our Uncle Qrow a lot of thinking to figure out exactly how she could control it."

Seeing Blake and Weiss' surprised expressions, Ruby nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Before, it was really hard to use my speed when I wanted to, and a lot of times, I'd use it when I didn't want to."

Yang snorted in amusement. "Yeah. Between my strength and Ruby's random speed bursts, Dad had to start buying paint and spackle in bulk just to fix all the holes in the house." Either not noticing or not caring about her girlfriends' gobsmacked expressions, Yang went on. "Anyway, we eventually latched onto the best ways for Ruby to practice her Semblance. Y'know, for her to train how to turn it on and keeping it on."

Blake and Weiss nodded in understanding. They'd both had similar learning curves when they were first discovering their abilities. "But…" Weiss asked, her brow furrowing as she looked to her youngest girlfriend. "I don't understand, Ruby. Why is it so hard to explain, then?"

Ruby's cheeks tinted as she looked away, rubbing the back of her head bashfully. "Well… I guess 'cause… I don't use them anymore?"

"What?"

"What she means is…" Yang explained, ruffling Ruby's hair. "Ruby's gotten to the point now where she doesn't need to do those practices. Going from zero to a hundred is second nature to her now. Right, Sis?"

Ruby nodded, smiling up at her big sister. "Right. I know what I have to do to use my speed, but I can't really explain it. I don't even have to think about using my speed anymore, it just kinda… happens." She shrugged helplessly, emphasizing her point.

Weiss nodded, kind of getting it. "I suppose that makes sense." She then raised a brow at Yang. "That still doesn't explain how you can explain it any better, or, now that we're on the subject, how you can already use Ruby's Semblance so easily."

Weiss punctuated her sentence with a warning tone, one Blake couldn't help but agree with. They'd both tried asking how Yang could already use Ruby's Semblance, but the blonde had stayed tight-lipped, much to their irritation. She kept saying she'd explain it when they got to training.

Yang chuckled, putting her hands on her hips. "Well, first off, I wouldn't call it easy. Still feels like I ran to Patch and back every time I do it. Buuut, as for how, it's simple: every time Ruby practiced her Semblance growing up, I was there helping her. I've always known what she has to do to use her Semblance. I just never had a reason to use it myself."

Blake hummed in thought. "So that gave you a head start."

Now Yang was the one to rub her neck sheepishly. "Well… sort of. I might be a step ahead of you and Weiss, but I'm about ten steps behind Rubes at the moment." She then shot a look at Ruby. "Tell you what, Sis. How about I give them a crash course in turning the speed on, then you take over on how to control it?"

After a moment's thought, Ruby's lips split into an excited grin. "That could work. I need to plan out a course for us anyway." Facing her girlfriends once more, Ruby slipped into her faux-teacher persona. "Alright students, change of plans! While I go mark off a running course for us, I will leave you in the experienced hands of my apprentice Yang."

Yang raised an unimpressed brow, crossing her arms. "Apprentice?"

"See you in a bit!" Without giving the slightest chance for a response, Ruby ran off towards the caged Grimm to let Port know what she'd be doing.

Blake watched her go, her amusement tinged with a bit of worry. "Is Ruby okay?" she asked Yang. "She seems a bit more… impulsive than usual."

Yang waved her off with a chuckle. "She's been stuck in the slow lane for three days. She's a little hyper right now." Without warning, a red blur shot between them all, zooming out of the clearing and into the forest with an excited yell. Batting away the rose petals settling in her hair, Yang waved towards Ruby's vanishing form with a smirk. "Case in point."

Blake and Weiss giggled in agreement. Then Weiss decided to bring them back to the point at hand. "Okay, Yang. How do we get started?"

Yang looked her and Blake over, a contemplating look on her face. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Well, it is a little complicated. There are two main parts of Ruby's Semblance you need to get down before we can actually try running."

"And they are?" Blake asked curiously.

At her and Weiss's perplexed looks, Yang tried to explain. "Look, turning Ruby's Semblance on is actually pretty easy. Weiss, y' know how we have to focus our aura through our arms to use your glyphs?"

"Yes," Weiss answered, confused by the seemingly change of topic.

"Well, Ruby's power works kinda the same way," Blake and Weiss were surprised by that, but Yang just went on. "To use her speed, you have to focus your aura just like that, except not into your arms."

"Let me guess," Weiss piped up with a grin, the same one she had during her best classes. "We have to focus on our legs instead."

To her surprise, Yang shook her head. "Nope. I can see why you'd think that," Yang assured her with a grin. "But Ruby's not just moving her legs faster with her Semblance. It's her whole body. No, to move as fast as she does, Ruby has to focus her aura somewhere a little more centralized."

Blake furrowed her brow, not quite understanding. Centralized? What does she mean by… Her thoughts trailed off as an idea struck her, her ears perking up in realization. If Ruby wasn't focusing her aura on her limbs, then that only left…

Blake's eyes widened as she stared at Yang. Yang smiled at her, understanding the silent question. In answer, she lifted her hand and tapped her chest, just a little to the left.

Blake's pupils shrank. "Her heart?" she murmured in disbelief. Weiss looked to her in surprise, surprise which quickly turned to open-mouthed shock. "Ruby's focusing aura into her heart?"

Yang nodded with a grin. "Yep. Not quite sure how it works, but if Ruby pumps enough aura into her heart, it starts beating faster, jump-starting her Semblance. The faster she makes her heart beat, the more speed her Semblance puts out."

Weiss shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, staring off in the direction Ruby had run. "That sounds… dangerous."

Yang's grin lessened a bit as a sigh passed her lips. "Yeah… Ruby's Semblance had a lot of side effects, at least until she got a handle on it." She chuckled ruefully. "We, on the other hand, are going to have to deal with them if we want to get anywhere near her speed."

Blake swallowed nervously, her ears pinning back. "What kind of side effects are we talking about?"

Yang let out a beleaguered breath, her brows coming together as she thought hard. "It's not really something you can put into words." She hummed to herself, then nodded sharply. She met their eyes with a determined glint in her own. "Let's see if you two can turn it on first. You'll see what I mean yourselves."

Blake and Weiss shared a meaningful look, both more than a little nervous. Manipulating aura into a body part was a fairly common ability, one both of them needed to do to use their own Semblances. But to do it to their heart? It just seemed… risky.

After a moment's contemplation, Weiss bit her bottom lip and nodded to Blake. Blake returned the gesture. They'd agreed to train their Affinity as a team, and if this is what was required for Ruby's portion of it, they'd give it their best shot.

When they turned back to Yang, Determination radiating off them, the blonde clapped her hands together with a grin. "Okay, let's get started. "Like I said, it's pretty simple. Just start concentrating your aura into your heart. Remember though, you're not cycling your aura like we did with Weiss' Semblance. Think of your heart like… I don't know, a balloon or something. Focus your aura into your heart, and keep it there. Don't let it out."

Blake closed her eyes, taking a calming breath like Yang said. Unintentionally, she slipped into the blank void of their Link, seeing the wispy forms of Weiss and Yang's aura. She could feel Yang's patient curiosity and both Weiss' Determination and Uncertainty. Off in the distance, a streak of red blurred through the darkness. Bubbly Happiness and Excitement tickled the back of Blake's mind, Ruby's feelings radiating out as she ran.

Blake held onto those feelings, using them to bolster her confidence. She focused inward, on the dark violet of her aura coursing through her body. Remembering what she needed to do, she tried visualizing her aura moving, converging at a single point within her chest.

She could feel it working, the left side of her chest becoming cooler as her aura pooled around her heart. But… she didn't feel any different. After a couple of minutes, all the while feeling Weiss' frustrations, Blake voiced her concerns. "Yang, I don't think its working."

"It takes a while the first time," Yang's reassuring voice came from Blake's left, suggesting she'd moved to stand between her and Weiss. "Just keep focusing. Listen to your heartbeat and picture it speeding up. You won't even realize it's working until it hits."

Blake gave a tiny nod, shifting her thoughts. She did as Yang said, picturing her aura entering her heart and staying there.

It was subtle at first. Her heart had already been going a little faster than normal just out of nerves, but then, she felt a twinge. Like her heart had skipped a beat. Slowly, she could feel her heartbeat increase. At first, she thought it was just from excitement, but then it kept climbing. Despite not moving, her heart was acting like she'd just run a marathon.

I… I think it's working, Blake thought to herself. This has to be what… what Yang… wait… what…?

Something felt wrong. Her hands started shaking, her palms starting to sweat. A pounding started in her head, growing stronger by the second. A chill ran up her spine, spreading out until her whole body began to tremble. Her breath grew choppy and quick, and her chest hurt.

And her heart kept beating faster and faster and faster still.

"Blake, Weiss!"

Something slammed hard into Blake's back, knocking out what little breath she had left. Her eyes flew open, her hands flying to her chest as her heart hammered away at ludicrous speeds.

She was dimly aware of someone rubbing soothing circles on her back, muttering words of encouragement.

"Hey, it's okay. You're both just fine. Just take long, deep breaths, okay?"

Blake slowly turned her head, taking deep shuddering breaths. Yang was the one at her side, rubbing circles just below her neck with one hand. Just on the blonde's other side, Weiss stared at Yang with wide, fearful eyes, her face white as a sheet.

"Y-Yang?" Weiss asked shakily. "W-w-what was…?"

"Okay, you both need to sit down before you fall over." Yang gently grasped them both by the shoulder and started to kneel. Neither girl was in much condition to resist, letting Yang guide them to the ground until they were all sitting side by side. Yang's hands never moved from their shoulders as she looked between them, worry plain on her face. "Are you two okay now?"

Blake had no idea. Her heart had slowed back down to somewhat normal, now just pounding away due to whatever the hell had just happened.

A sudden pressure on top of her head made Blake jump before she realized it was just Yang's hand. Nails gently scraped the base of her cat ears. Blake stiffened at the contact, but melted almost immediately, taking comfort in the slow scratches as her eyes slipped closed.

"Blake?"

Her amber eyes opened after a minute. She'd leaned further against Yang in her daze, and was reluctant to pull away. She swallowed thickly before she could talk, looking into lavender eyes. "I… I think so." Across from her, Weiss nodded weakly, the heiress hanging onto Yang's shoulder just as tightly, pink dusting her cheeks. Licking her dry lips, Blake asked, "What just happened?"

Yang let out a long sigh. "The side effect I mentioned. Let me guess: you both felt like your heart was trying to blast its way out of your chest? Cold sweat, clammy hands?"

Weiss shuddered. "Exactly." She looked to Yang, completely confused. "What did we do wrong?"

Yang managed a weak chuckle, pulling her two girlfriends a little closer to her chest. "That's the thing, Weiss. You didn't."

"What?"

"You did it perfectly, Weiss. Both of you did."

Despite still being rather pale, Weiss managed an impressive glare. "Yang there was nothing perfect about that! It felt like… it felt like I was having an anxiety attack!"

Blake nodded in agreement, leaning into Yang's shoulder. That was the best way she could describe it, too.

Yang met Weiss' glare with a sympathetic smile. "That's what I mean, Weiss." When Weiss just stared incredulously, Yang went on. "Look, even though it's what you need to make Ruby's Semblance work, the human heart isn't supposed to beat that fast. Your body thinks something is wrong with your heart, and so… well, you felt it!"

Weiss could only stare at her. "That… but that's… Yang, it didn't even work!"

At that, Yang's smile widened a bit. She arched an eyebrow. "Oh, no?" She then looked at the ground, grinning wryly.

Frowning, Blake and Weiss followed her gaze. Amber and blue eyes widened in shock.

Scattered on the ground around them, fluttering in the breeze, were dozens of white and black rose petals.

Hesitantly, Blake reached out, grasping a few of the delicate petals between her fingertips. She rolled them in her hand, feeling the familiar texture, before letting them settle in her palm. "I-it worked?" she breathed to herself.

Yang must have heard because she chuckled. "Yep. It was only for a second, but you both blurred in place and started shedding these off."

Weiss looked up from her own petals, her brow furrowed. "But… I didn't feel it. Just that…" She paused, eyes narrowing in realization. "That's what her Semblance feels like?"

Yang nodded with a grim smile. "Yep."

"But…" Weiss looked from Yang to the petals, to Blake, and back again, trying to comprehend what Yang was getting at. "It feels so… wrong."

Yang snorted. "Welcome to life with a physical Semblance. The human body is built to work a certain way, and when our Semblances try to push past its 'normal' limits, your body lets you know how unhappy it is." Before either of them could question how she knew that, Yang was already explaining. "Mine works kind of similarly, so it wasn't so bad for me to adjust."

Blake nodded slowly, trying to wrap her head around the concept. "But… Ruby makes her Semblance sound so… fun. She's always so happy when she's running. If this is how she feels all the time…"

Yang cut her off with a shake of her head. "You're forgetting something. Ruby's had her Semblance for almost seven years now. She's so used to how her power feels that her heart doesn't freak out like yours did. It's just like, 'Oh, time for superspeed now!'" She bumped her shoulders against each of theirs, smirking a bit. "And she ain't wrong. I love my strength, but moving at Ruby's speed is one hell of a rush. Trust me, once you get used to the feeling and start running, you'll know exactly what I mean."

The three were silent after that. Blake didn't know how to feel, and judging from her pursed lips and clenched hands, neither did Weiss. "Does it get easier?" Blake asked eventually.

Pulling them both closer to her, Yang grinned. "Yeah, eventually. Like I said, Ruby doesn't get those feelings anymore. It'll just take time for your body to realize that there's nothing wrong when your heart beats that fast. We keep practicing, soon you won't even remember having problems."

Weiss bit her lip, glancing at Blake. They could all feel her Apprehension. "I didn't think Ruby's Semblance was so… unnerving." She eyed Yang curiously. "You're sure we can push past these feelings?"

Yang rolled her eyes, smiling fondly. "Weiss, you know what Ruby is like, especially when she's running. You think she'd be a big, hyper ball of happy if her Semblance felt like that every time?"

Weiss frowned in thought. She looked to Blake, a silent question in her eyes that Blake quickly understood. She nodded in response. If Ruby could deal with these unnerving feelings and still be the bouncy, caring ray of sunshine they all loved, then they would find a way past them.

Weiss nodded back, and they both turned back to Yang. Taking a determined breath, Weiss said, "Let's try again."

Yang grinned, giving them both a tight squeeze. "Alright! You both know what you're in for now, so let's see how long you can hold it." She leapt to her feet, offering each of her hands to her girlfriends to help them up.

Once they were on their feet, Blake and Weiss shared one last look, their resolve reflected in each other's eyes.

We can do this.

Twenty Minutes Later…

Ruby blasted through the forest, sending up a whirlwind of leaves wherever she went. She ran, she leapt, she flew through the air; every second she was moving was like a bolt of lightning through her body.

And she was loving every second of it.

I'm never staying still that long again! she thought merrily to herself as she ran headlong into the brush. With a super-powered twirl, Crescent Rose slashed, gleaming in the evening light as she reduced bushes and small trees to kindling. Bit by bit, Ruby carved a path through the Emerald Forest, making sure to mark a tree every dozen or so yards with a shallow cut of Crescent's blade.

She slowed slightly as she made her way back to Port's clearing. Once again, she was thankful for the Link she and her team shared. Knowing exactly where they were at a moment's thought was so much easier than having to check her scroll's map every two minutes. Plus, she didn't even have to stop to do it.

With one last bound, Ruby passed the very first tree she'd marked at the start of her run, signaling that she'd made a full loop around the forest. With a proud grin, she canceled out her Semblance, letting the air of her slipstream blast past in a satisfying gust. Slightly winded after such a long run, Ruby walked the rest of the way to the clearing, her smile fading a bit as she stepped out of the forest.

Yang stood with her back to her, arms crossed as she looked ahead, her new scroll held loosely in her hand. She glanced back, hearing Ruby's approach. She offered her sister a brief nod and a smile, before turning back. Ruby followed her gaze, her eyes widening at what met her.

Blake and Weiss stood side by side, eyes shut with their lips set in an uncomfortable frown. Their arms were limp at their sides, hands clenched into tight fists. Blake's ears were pinned back hard against her skull, clearly showing her distress.

Ruby noticed all that second, however. The first thing she saw was the glow around each of them, a slight blur around their forms like they were vibrating where they stood. Around Weiss was a glow of white light. Around Blake, a two-toned aura of black and violet. Black and white rose petals fell from their bodies every few seconds, drifting to the ground towards the pile around their ankles, replacing the ones that had already faded away.

Coming up to her sister's side, Ruby whispered, "How are they doing?"

Yang hummed, whispering back, "Not too bad, really. Blake can hold it for about a minute and a half. Weiss is having a harder time, about a minute at most." She glanced towards Ruby. "They got real freaked out the first time."

Ruby grimaced. "I know. I felt it." The force of their Shock and Fear had been enough to stop her in her tracks, staring off in their direction until she felt their emotions calm. Looking from her practicing Mates to Yang, she asked, "Do you think they'll be able to run today?"

Yang gave the monochrome pair an appraising look. "Maybe a bit. I don't know how they'll handle the rush, though."

Ruby nodded, watching the pair shake in place. "We'll have to ask them when they stop." She breathed deeply through her nose, calming herself.

With a sudden gasp, Weiss' eyes flew open. Her trembling hands flew to her chest as she sucked in deep, ragged breaths.

Yang unfolded her arms, tapping her scroll's screen. She smirked at what she saw. "A minute-five. Much better, Weiss."

Weiss could only nod dimly, too focused on breathing to respond. Ruby was at her side in an instant, placing one hand on Weiss' shoulder and the other over the heiress' clasped hands. "Are you okay, Weiss?"

Weiss blinked a few times, shaking away the fuzzy feeling in her skull. Once her vision cleared, she offered Ruby a warm, if strained smile. "I'm… I'm fine, Ruby." She huffed heavily, slowly regaining her breath. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she added, "When you talked about... your Semblance before… you left out… this part."

Ruby winced a bit, smiling guiltily. "It slipped my mind?" she offered weakly. "To be fair, it's a lot easier to hold when you're moving."

Weiss scrutinized her, then huffed a laugh. "Dolt." She breathed, leaning heavily into Ruby's arms.

A sharp intake next to them signaled Blake's release, the Faunus' ears shooting up as her eyes blinked open. Her legs wobbled beneath her, but Yang was already there to steady her, wrapping her arm under her partner's.

"Minute thirty-two," the blonde noted, turning her scroll off. She smiled proudly as she helped Blake get her feet back under her, aware of the hummingbird-like heartbeat slowing beneath Blake's skin. "Pretty darn good for day one."

Blake grinned back, breathing quickly through her nose. "Thanks," she panted. Her eyes drifted over to Ruby, her head tilting slightly. "So… what next?"

Ruby frowned, looking between her exhausted girlfriends. "Well…" she started awkwardly. "I was going to say we could try running… but maybe we should wait a day?" Concern radiated from her in waves, tinged with guilt. "You both look like you could use a rest."

Weiss gulped, trying to wet her dry mouth. She shook her head faintly. "Just give us a minute," she said firmly.

Blake nodded in agreement, making sure that Ruby met her eyes. "We can give it one try before the sun sets."

Ruby glanced upwards, taking in the orange tint of the evening sky. She looked between Blake and Weiss, still hesitant. "If you're both sure…"

With an exasperated huff, Weiss pushed lightly against Ruby, telling the girl to let her go. She straightened out her back, taking advantage of the full half-inch height difference between her and her partner to look down at her. The only thing betraying her apparent recovery was her heavier than normal breathing. "See?" She smirked, only the slightest strain in her voice. "Fine."

Ruby tilted her head a bit, not quite buying it. Blake decided to throw her opinion out, stepping away from Yang to stand next to Weiss. "We want to try, Ruby. At least once today."

Still unsure, Ruby shot Yang a look, asking for her help. Yang just shrugged, bobbing her head towards the path Ruby had come from. When Ruby met Blake and Weiss's eyes again, she couldn't miss the expectation shining there. Their emotions reached out to her, Determination, Excitement, Curiosity. Ruby let out a sigh.

"...alright," she relented, flashing them both her usual grin. "We'll try for one lap through the forest, enough for you both to get a feel for how my speed feels when you're moving."

Blake and Weiss smiled back, shaking off the last bits of their unease as they mentally prepared themselves. "So, what do we do?" Weiss asked. "Is there another exercise we have to do before we start?"

Ruby giggled a little. "No, um… the only 'exercise' my Semblance needs is just learning how to turn it on. Once you activate my Semblance, every movement you'll make will be in superspeed. From there… you just run." She shrugged a little helplessly, her smile never leaving her face. "Get a feel for the… 'feeling' of it, I guess."

Weiss bit her lip. She'd been hoping for something a bit more in-depth than what sounded like just trial and error. But, when she thought about it… it did sound very 'Ruby'. She nodded with a smile, which Blake mirrored. "Okay, Ruby. We'll follow your lead."

Ruby beamed back. Now that it was a done deal, her worries were quickly being replaced with excitement. Ever since they'd discovered their Affinity, she'd been imagining running as fast as she could, her teammates right alongside her. Her Semblance was such a huge part of who and what she was… she wanted the others to know how it felt, to know that rush and share the experience. Looking towards the opposite end of the clearing, she called out, "Professor Port!"

Standing in front of one of the cages, Port raised his eyes from his scroll, not even acknowledge the burning gaze of the Nevermore across from him. The beast let out an echoing, annoyed squawk as the mustachioed man walked away from it. "Back from your run, Miss Rose?" he asked as he approached them.

"Only for a moment, sir," she chirped, bouncing from one foot to the other. "We're about to head out as a group."

"Hm…" The professor squinted up at the darkening sky. "A bit late, all things considered."

Ruby followed his gaze, then looked to her team. She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly as she admitted. "We won't be that long."

Blake and Weiss frowned at that, Weiss feeling a tad indignant. They may not be experienced with Ruby's Semblance yet, but she made it sound like she had no faith they would make the full lap.

Neither noticed Yang stifle a giggle behind them, a smirk playing on her lips as her eyes darted between the two.

Port gave Ruby a long look, then gave a stiff nod. "Very well. I only ask that you keep your scrolls at the ready. Should trouble arise, merely call for my assistance and I shall aid you forthwith!"

"Um…" Ruby paused as she processed that. "Will do, sir." She turned back to her team, eyes fixing on Blake and Weiss. "You two ready?"

They nodded back. "Whenever you are, Ruby," Blake said.

"Okay," Ruby replied with a smile. She pointed out into the forest, at a large oak with a gash carved into its side. "See that tree?" She waited for them to confirm. "I marked a path through the forest using marks like that. It's an easy curve that loops right back here. You two will follow me as I lead you down it. Yang will hang back, just in case one of you trips or something."

Blake swallowed nervously. She didn't like picturing what tripping would do at the speeds Ruby was capable of.

"So, that's it?" Weiss asked for clarification. "We just… run?"

Ruby grinned back, humor dancing in her eyes. "Mostly. Just turn on my speed and… try to keep up."

Was it just her, or did Weiss hear a challenge in Ruby's voice? She didn't even need the Link, the glint in Ruby's eye was answer enough. Lifting her chin a bit, Weiss replied, "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Ruby gave a smile that was just short of a smirk. With not even a blink, her form started blurring, a red haze forming around her edges. "On your marks," she goaded.

Behind them, Yang gave a brief chuckle, before she too started shaking and glowing. As the sisters looked on expectantly, Blake gave Weiss one last look. The heiress swallowed nervously, then nodded sharply. Blake breathed deeply, then focused.

The two watched as the other started shining their respective color, each trying to ignore the overwhelming panic their brains were screaming out. They looked to Ruby, nodding.

Ruby beamed, feeling even more hyped up than usual. "Okay, girls!" She whipped around, hunching slightly as she faced her self-made path. "On my mark… go!"

Port watched curiously as the familiar red streak shot off into the distance. He was nearly blown off his feet when black and white blurs blasted after it, a yellow streak hot on their heels. The wind of four speedsters taking off at the same time blew the autumn leaves off the nearest trees, leaving them completely bare.

As what looked like a contained whirlwind tore through the forest, Port could only look on with wide eyes. Soon, a wide grin appeared beneath his mustache. "Extraordinary!"

Betaed by Covert Weapon

Old A/n: Well, they started running. Next chapter, we answer a very important question: how do they stop? Expect hilarity, heartwarming, cuddling… and a not-so-welcome guest.