5

Reclined on the soft mattress, Ruby crossed her arms beneath her head, vexated and restless to a certain point. The reason for her uneasiness being the difficulty she encountered in trying to unlock the hazy mist that had been her dream. Eventually, she relented, knowing there was little to no chance she would remember if she forced it.

'It'll come back to me when the time's right, I suppose.' Ruby sighed, plucking her scroll from where it rested beside her. Connecting to the internet, she streamed through a selection of videos, giggling here and there at the amusing mishaps of the characters.

"The communications are back up! Everything is burning!" Someone yelled from Ruby's scroll.

"London Bridge is falling down!" Another person exclaimed.

"Falling down?!" Hysterically screeched the voice from before.

"Falling down!" A frantic echo of the previous voice.

"London Bridge is falling down… My fair lady, what should we do?" An older voice, panicked like all the others, asked.

Ruby's loud outburst startled her teammates, disrupting their quiet peace. Weiss prepared to fire a reprimanding statement at her raucous partner, but it fell short of her lips when she decided not to. A pointless endeavor in trying to tame Ruby's sometimes wild behaviour. Letting her head fall, she went back to her business while Blake persisted in reading her book, silently ignoring Yang as she tried to strike up a conversation. One would think Yang understood trying to talk with Blake when she was reading would always be hopeless. Weiss inaudibly gave her an 'A' for effort, though. Wrapping up some loose ends of her work, Weiss packed her supplies in her bag before planting herself on her bed, turning in for the afternoon. Night would soon be falling, and it never hurt to get a little headstart on sleep with her team like hers.

Pale feet landed on the carpet as Ruby stretched, enjoying the sound of her bones cracking. That was a good video session, she admitted to herself. About to place her attention on her other half, Ruby's question to Weiss died on her lips when she saw the slow rise and fall of her icy partner's chest. Weiss was asleep, and most likely out for the rest of the day, which would be ending shortly in a few hours. Sighing, Ruby dejectedly moved over to the door. The young Rose had hoped to spend some time with the heiress, but Weiss worked hard almost everyday. She wasn't an inconsiderate person, so she allowed Weiss to get her well deserved relaxation.

However, her mood brightened when her gaze fell on her sister.

"Hey, Yang, you wanna hang out?"

"Might as well," she peeped at her dark partner, and raised her hand to hide her mouth, "this one's a lost cause." Yang jerked slightly when Blake sent a small kick into her thigh. Yang snorted before she got off the bed. "Also, it's been a while since I spent time with my baby sis." Yang cooed, pinching her chubby cheeks on her way out.

"Yang! Would you stop calling me your baby sister!" Ruby rubbed her cheek, heat running across her face at both the term of endearment and at being doted on. "Besides, you're only two years older!" Ruby tromped out of the dorm after Yang.

"So, where are we going?" Ruby asked.

"No clue, I thought you had someplace in mind." Yang eyed Ruby doubtfully. "You taking me somewhere to get jumped?" Walking ceased on Yang's part. "Is this because you couldn't find that cookie dough ice cream you had hidden in your tool-kit inside that special bag you made with ice Dust?"

"How do you know about that ice cream cold case?" Ruby fixed Yang with a scrutinizing stare, gaze becoming sharper when the possibly guilty party started to fiddle with her hands.

"You were talking about it in your sleep. You know how you sleep talk sometimes when you go to bed after eating a whole box cookies." Yang performed a celebratory dance in her mind when the stare vanished. 'Nailed it!'

"Oh." Considering that the skeptical gaze was gone, Yang thought she was scotch-free, until Ruby spoke again. "Wait, how did you know about the special bag in my tool-kit." Just like before, the stare returned.

"Lucky guess." The bruiser didn't stick around to wait for the revelation as she briskly sped away. Ruby may not have been Schnee level smart, but she had her common sense, and taking into account the obvious signs of guilt Yang displayed, she would no doubt figure it out.

Putting two and two together, Ruby solved the case. In record time, too!

"Yang!"

"Rubes, come on!" Yang whined, chipping to keep up with Ruby's speedy tempo, boots tapping on the concrete of the sidewalk. "You can't still be mad at me."

"Hmph!" Ruby gave a sniff so haughty that it would've impressed Weiss.

"Ugh!" Yang groaned in frustration, extending her squirrel like steps into long strides so that she now stood in front of Ruby.

At the new blockade, Ruby was forced to stop, looking anywhere except for Yang's face.

"I swear, I'll do anything to make it up to you!" Yang plead, and begged, a tactic she wasn't too fond of. She even tried to imitate Ruby's legendary puppy dog pout, failing miserably.

A wasted tactic, sadly, as Ruby remained unmoved by the plea, moving around Yang's tall form and resuming her walk of disregard.

Yang could attest to the fact that she'd just turn to a statue of stone, struck deep in her heart by her darling sister's cold demeanor.

'I can't believe it, Ruby shut me down...' Yang thought all hope was lost in her efforts of gaining Ruby's forgiveness, until a twinkle caught her eye. 'I can still fix this!'

Before she could fully turn the corner, Ruby found herself being dragged away by large hand. Glancing back, she found the culprit to be her sister.

"Yang, what's the deal?" Ruby's stomach dropped as Yang crossed the street, not bothering to look left or right for oncoming traffic. "Yang! Are you mad?!" And as such would have it, a semi truck was heading their way. Today would be the day Ruby Rose died, and not the courageous way she hoped of by being fell by the hand of a mighty foe, but by careless street smarts, and in the hands of her sibling. "Yang!"

"Relax, geez." Yang stepped onto sidewalk again, the semi barely missing Ruby by hair's breadth. "See? Safe."

"I know dad should've gotten you checked out when you hit your head on that tree stump…" Ruby sagged, sweat beading on her brow, skin sickly pale. She wondered if it were possible to acquire an arrhythmia from being scared half to death. She'd have to ask Weiss later.

"It would've been a waste of money. I'm totally fine." Yang countered. "It'll be worth it when you see where I brought you."

"Yang, you have one minute before I unfold my baby." Ruby threatened.

"Ta-da!" Yang swiftly revealed the reason for their near death.

An ice cream parlor.

"You almost got us killed for ice-cream...?" Ruby whispered, staring at her sister in disbelief.

"Yup!" The bruiser proudly grinned. Yang's nonchalant ignorance could be soothing at times, and others, it could be downright dangerous.

Ruby stared at Yang blankly, eyes blinking ever so often. Yang's teethy grin remaining in place, either ignorant to the stony expression, or blatantly disregarding it.

The caped red head's resolve was only so strong, knowing she couldn't stay mad at her sister for such an extended period of time, so she backed down.

"Fine..." She mumbled, holding her hand out for it to be snatched as Yang led them into the desert shop.

The tiny bell situated atop the door tingled as the duo entered the parlor, a few customers turning their heads to the newcomers before going back to their frosty treats. Yang strode forward with purpose, dragging a despondent Rose with her.

Yang selected a booth near the back, away from prying eyes, and sufficient privacy for her and Ruby. Speaking of Ruby, the girl was still downcast as she sat opposite of Yang.

'Not for long.' Yang hailed the waitress. A young, ginger haired woman approached them, notebook and pencil out as she awaited their orders. "One large, strawberry sundae, and one regular cookie dough supreme, please."

Orders taken, the young lady nipped over to counter, and handed the ticket to her work associate who read the parchment and swiftly pieced together the two orders. Adding the finishing touches to the ice-cream, he handed them both on a platter to his partner and placed the ticket one side.

The waitress returned with their orders, gently placing them on the table before wishing them well and running off to dispatch more customers.

Yang rubbed her hands together in glee, picking up her spoon and diving into chilly goodness. Yang didn't have as much of a sweet tooth as Ruby, but she would indulge in a treat or two when the mood struck her. Sweet yet tart became acquainted with her taste buds as the pink dessert melted on her heated tongue.

Across from her, Ruby sat and watched as Yang devoured the sundae. Ruby proudly stated, whenever she got the chance, that she was an aficionado on all things sweet and tasty, and things cold as well. By the looks of it, Yang should be getting ready to expect a headrush of a brain freeze at the rate she was going. The blonde froze mid-bite, face bleaching as a light blue hue formed on her forehead.

Ruby smirked.

Yang dropped her spoon, nails raking along the smooth table top as she hoped the pain would subside soon. Her attention was diverted from her predicament when she heard soft laughter. Peeking through one eye, she saw Ruby giggling. "Find this funny, don't we."

"Unbelievably."

"Yea, yea, you gonna eat yours, or what?"

"Don't rush me." Ruby inspected her own ice cream. The basic cookie dough ice cream with tiny bits of chocolate chips embedded inside vanilla ice cream, but something caught her eyes. "Marshmallows?"

"Yup!" Yang seemed to have recovered, since she was already going back for more ice cream. "Dig in."

Obeying her sister's goading, Ruby feigned daintiness as she took up her spoon, causing Yang to snort around her spoonful of ice cream. Sticking the spoon in it, Ruby scooped up a decent amount and shoved it in her mouth, marvelling at how well the marshmallows tasted with the cookie dough. "This is really, really good."

'Heh, I'm the best sister ever.'

They sat in amicable silence as they ate their deserts. All remained good and calm until a naughty thought creeped into Yang's mind.

"Hey, Rubes, want some of mine?"

"Sure."

"Close your eyes."

"Huh, why?"

"Trust me." Yang said with an honest-to-goodness smile.

"Okay…" Ruby closed her eyes. A heartbeat later, coolness settled on her lips, followed by a firm still soft object. Interest piqued, her eyes flittered open, greeted by self-satisfied lavender and plump lips on her own. Before she could react, Yang locked her head in place by holding her chin, and thereby, deepening the kiss. Ruby found herself reciprocating, however, unable to resist the tantalizing flavour of the strawberry sundae mixed in with Yang's own natural nectar. Then, Ruby remembered where they were, and pulled back quickly.

"Yang, what was that?!" She whisper-yelled.

"Chill, no one saw us. Why'd you think I chose this booth?" Yang smugly leaned back in the chair, resting her hands behind her head.

Ruby, yet again, fixed Yang with a disbelieving stare, to which Yang wiggled her brows.

Black and red tipped hair splayed out on the table as Ruby dropped her head in submission.

'Is this the consequence of being incestuous?'

The Club

After leaving the ice-cream parlor, and roaming Vale for a decent portion of the day, Ruby and Yang reached their destination.

"This place looks familiar." She muttered as the club became visible.

"Oh, really?" Yang hiked a brow as she side-eyed her sister.

"Now, I remember!" Ruby exclaimed, smacking her fist in her palm.

"Ruby, you naughty girl, this isn't a place for someone like you." Yang snagged Ruby in a loose chokehold and ruffled her hair, causing her to squawk like a baby Nevermore. In retaliation, Ruby elbowed the brawler in the side, forcing her to let go as she rubbed her smarting side.

"Hmph!" Ruby harrumphed, tidied her hair—which was pointless either way since it would stick back up—and ignored Yang, marching up to the door. Straightening up, Yang proceeded through the half glass door, Ruby close to her rear. Ahead of them, by a vending machine, some guards idly stood by, appearing intimidating until they saw the two girls walking in their direction, and fled.

'Weird.' The younger teen paused when her stomach snarled at her. 'Wasn't that ice cream enough?' Stopping by one of the many vending machines, she pulled out some change from her pocket, and inserted the coins into the slot. Pressing the number of her desired snack, Ruby bent down and collected her snack from the take-out port. She unsealed her package, eating as she jogged to catch up with Yang, who happened to be speaking with the establishment's owner, Junior, when she arrived.

Standing there, Ruby watched the faces of the patrons as they danced in the club, eyebrows raising when she saw two new faces. Two girls, twins. One, a teenage girl with long, black hair and pale green eyes which her cyan make-up accentuated. She wore a white, strapless dress with cyan lining. Her sister had short, raven hair unlike her long tresses. She shared the same green eyes as her twin, highlighted by the same cyan make-up. Her dress was fashioned similarly to her sister's, but instead, it was red with black lining, and appeared to be made out of newspaper. 'Guess Weiss isn't the only one who can rock white.' Ruby flexed her fingers, and cleared her throat. 'Alright, I can do this. Just be calm, and confident.' Taking one step forward, she confidently, or so her hoped, strode over to the twins.

Upon approach, twin malachite daggers turned to Ruby, making her partially confident strides falter into skittery mouse steps. 'Maybe this was a bad idea.' But, it was too late. By the time she'd reach them, she stood a nervous wreck. 'Definitely a bad idea.' Unable to say anything under the double piercing stare, she fidgeted on the spot as the twins continued to stare at her with those intimidating, bright green eyes.

Minutes ticked on and on and on as Ruby just stood there, hands tugging at her hood. The twin gaze of the pair seemed to paralyze her like the stare of a King Taijitu. Ruby's anxiety filled suffering came to an end when the white clad sister roared at her.

"Well, are you just going to stand there all night?!"

The sudden bark kicked Ruby's thought and speech functions into gear, but maybe a bit too fast as she stumbled on her words. "U-Um, hi. My n-name's R-Ruby Ro-ose."

"And? Is that suppose to be of some importance to us?" Wow, the had been cold. Probably even colder than Weiss. She pushed off the bar, stepping closer to Ruby, those bright green eyes cutting into Ruby's own silver. "You're eyes… they're silver." A whispered utterance, a complete contrast to her harsh and unforgiving behaviour a few seconds ago.

"U-Uh, ye-yea." Ruby hiccuped, taken back by the sudden change in demeanor. "They're s-silver, alright."

"So, what? You think that makes you special?" And, there was that acid personality again. Had it been Yang in Ruby's situation, she would've asked the sharp tongued girl if she was bi-polar, thereby pissing her off more than she already was, and probably clocking her for even thinking of raising her voice at Yang. But, Ruby wasn't like that. She preferred to avoid confrontation at any cost unless a grave threat posed a danger. "Anyone could possess silver eyes if they wore contacts, so big deal." White, as Ruby had dubbed her, finished. Another set of malachite eyes caught Ruby's, the other twin. Desiring not to get ripped into by the second sibling, she quickly averted her eyes.

"Er... I-I... you s-see." Word processing seemed to have left Ruby all together as the girl continued to tear into her. Dust damn her social awkwardness. If she didn't have an almost severe case of anxiety when it came to meeting new people, she would've come up with a proper response to end all the belittling. Wanting to disappear from the world around her, Ruby pulled her cowl over her head, head bowed as she hoped her wish would come true.

"Tch! Just leave already, it sounds like you're having a seizure each time you speak." Melanie scoffed cruelly.

"Melanie, that's enough." The second twin finally spoke.

Melanie, the cruel—another nickname from Ruby—whipped her head around to face her lookalike. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Red calmly approached her sister, ignoring the narrowed look she was giving her. "Enough. You've done plenty of damage as it is."

"What're you talking about?" Melanie turned away from her victim, fully facing her twin now.

"Look," Red pointed to Ruby, "you've made her a shivering mess, and for absolutely no reason at all." Melanie glanced back at Ruby to see her hand quivering as she clutched her hood close to her, knees trembling as they struggled to support her.

Guilt creeped its way into her chest, a suffocating feeling she realized she hated. She chose to cast it aside.

"It's her fault for trying to talk to us, she should know better." Melanie defended.

"You make it sound like it's some crime to speak with us." Red mocked. "This is why we don't have much friends, you drive off anyone who tries to make conversation with us."

"We don't need anyone else, Miltia, we already have each other and Junior." Melanie blinked when her double mockingly laughed.

'Miltia... that's a pretty name.' Ruby viewed from under her hood the argument before her.

"Junior? Oh, come on, Melanie. Junior is nothing but our boss, and we, his bodyguards. That's all we'll ever be to him, hired protection to guard his hide when he's up against the chopping board. Get rid of whatever delusional fantasies you have prancing around in your head about it." Miltia laid it down, indifferent and uncaring to the truth she'd just spewed.

Melanie stood rigid as Miltia ridiculed her. Miltia was known for being polite and quiet, obeying orders without a complaint, but when situations became irrational or unjust, she put her foot down and spoke her mind; something she never feared to do.

'But, she just did that to me. Her blood, her twin, all because of some nobody. How dare she!' Melanie's lip curled, features becoming crooked and twisted, marring the beauty of her pastel face. Melanie stomped up to Miltia until she stood directly in her face, those green eyes of her raging with fury, her sister's own remaining nonchalant and unbothered.

"Have you forgotten who's the elder here?" Melanie quietly spat. She had no qualms about bringing up their age difference, be it that she was born only mere minutes ahead of her.

"Makes me wonder if I should've popped out first then." Miltia showed no remorse whatsoever as the words passed her lips.

Uncaring.

Cold.

Miltia's reply served to rattle Melanie further as she leaned in closer to the point she could feel Miltia's warm, steady breath washing over her face.

A suck of her teeth, and a rough shoulder check, Melanie stomped past Miltia and into the throng of bouncing bodies. Ashen and mint green watched as the crossed youth accosted a random dancer who'd accidentally bumped into her before she shoved through the wave and disappeared.

Now that her sister had left, Miltia placed her attention on Ruby.

"Hey, you alright?" She said mutely. Ruby provided her with a bop of her head. "Good. I'm sorry about my sister, she can be a bit..."

"Mean?" Ruby supplied before her hands flew to her lips like she'd just said something forbidden. Expecting to suffer the wrath of that came when insulting someone else's sibling, Ruby was pleasantly taken by surprise when Miltia smiled and snorted slightly.

"That's one way to put it, but I'd suppose a better term would be avoidant." Miltia further explained once she noticed the blank expression on Ruby's face. "Avoidant meaning she doesn't do too well when people are brave enough to try and speak with us. We've been together since birth, and we know each other's flaws and what makes us tick. Melanie's main flaw is that she thinks we don't need to communicate with other people as long as we stand side by side. I, on the other hand, disagree with that mentality as you so happened to witness a few minutes ago." Miltia's face became pensive. "Sometimes, I wish Melanie would be able to get along with new people, but the thought of allowing people to enter our tiny bubble and a possible wedge forming between us because of that has rendered her particularly mistrustful of strangers."

"But, you're not like that, are you?" Ruby asked with innocence of a one year old.

"I'm talking to you now, aren't I?" Miltia cocked a brow teasingly.

"Case in point." Ruby fumbled with her hood when she noticed her mistake. "Ah! I'm sorry, I didn't get to introduce myself properly." She wiped her palms on her skirt first before lifting her hand up to Miltia. "Ruby Rose, huntress in training."

Miltia delicately placed her hand in Ruby's. "Miltia Malachite, sister of Melanie Malachite, though you already know that."

"I like you, you're nice." The corners of Ruby's eyes crinkled as she smiled.

"You're not so bad yourself." Miltia ended the handshake. "I should get going, the chances of Melanie waiting to jump me are probably ten to one right now."

"D-Do you have to go?" Ruby eyed her demurely. "I mean, it's not everyday you get to meet a twin…"

"And, you wanted to ask me a few questions." Miltia finished for her. Chuckling when Ruby nodded her head. "Hm, deal with my sister now, or deal with her when the wound settles in... I guess I could indulge you for a while." Miltia perched herself on a barstool, inviting Ruby over to sit next to her. This was a rare experience for her. Hardly anyone had ever wanted to talk to her over sister, or ever got the chance to when they had to run away like they got their asses scorched by a fire breathing dragon. It was even rarer for her to take the side of a complete stranger over the side of her twin.

"Ask away to your heart's content, and no, we can read each other's minds just because we're twins." Miltia continued, squashing Ruby's first inquisition on the spot.

"Wah?! How'd you know I was gonna ask that?!" The bartender's eyes flickered to Ruby, his gaze a tad annoyed at the high pitched screech, but he returned to dispatching the patrons when Ruby's offered him an apologetic smile.

"It's been asked before, so we got use to it." Mitlia called over the bartender. "One floradora." The bartender nodded. "You want anything, Ruby?"

"We don't serve minors here." The gruff voice of the server cut in before Ruby could answer.

"She'll be an exception." Miltia hissed. As part of Junior's staff, mainly being one of his bodyguards, she had some leeway on ordering around a few of his lesser lackies. "She'll take a virgin strawberry daiquiri."

"O-Of course, right away." He scuttled over to the drinks where he mixed the desired beverages. He returned swiftly after with their orders, carefully setting them down on the counter. "Enjoy your night, ladies!" He distracted himself from Miltia's punishment-promising gaze as some party goers walked up to the bar.

"What's this?" Ruby asked, eyeing the chilly drink before her.

"Try it, you'll like it, I promise." Miltia sipped her cocktail, savouring the slight sting of the gin.

Ruby did as told, bringing the glass to her mouth and letting the cold slush slide down into her mouth. A burst of sweet and sour goodness partied in her mouth at the first sip. Miltia had been right, she did like it. Nothing could ever be disgusting when strawberries were involved. "Mmm, this is so good!" Ruby swallowed gulp after gulp of the delightful treat, not being able to get enough of that sweet though sharp flavour.

"Told you, although you might want to slow down." Miltia's words fell on deaf ears as the girl guzzled down the drink, brows furrowing and mouth pulling taut as a wave coldness danced in her head. "Warned you."

"Ow, ow, brain freeze..." Ruby tapped the heel of palm on her head, trying to lessen the effect of the headache.

"That's what you get for drinking something so cold too fast." Miltia played with the rim of her empty drink glass.

"Owie..." Ruby nursed her brain freeze, pushing her drink away for later.

"Would you like to ask me anything else, or was that your only question?"

"No, no!" Ruby shot up, nearly falling off the bar stool. "I have a few more questions I'd like to ask you, if that's okay."

"Ask away."

"What's it like to be a twin? Doesn't it seem kinda weird to be looking at a mirror image of yourself, well, without the mirror?" Ruby reached back for her drink. Yeah, you'd think she'd learn from before, but she was a sucker for all things sweet.

"It's not any different from having a regular brother or sister, and it's not really all that weird to be seeing your face on someone else's body when you've been together for most of your life." The bartender came over and collected her glass, keeping his eyes low to avoid her gaze before he went elsewhere.

"That must be really cool, having someone else who looks like you. Makes me wonder if people get confused between the two of you." Ruby placed her glass in the bartender's hands as he passed by her, giving her a stink eye which was rewarded with Ruby sticking out her tongue at him.

"Sometimes, people do, but that's only because they don't pay attention to details. We basically dress independently so people can tell the difference between us. Hell, even our hair is a dead giveaway." The bodyguard swivelled her bar stool around to face the dance floor below.

"I bet that must be annoying." Ruby offered up, also turning to the overlook the sea of gyrating bodies.

"Without a doubt." Miltia threw her head back and sighed. "Melanie likes to keep it that way, though. Loves the fact that we're interchangeable, despite our obvious individualities. Makes it difficult for people to distinguish between us until they get to the point where they give up and lose all will to enter this so called bubble of ours. Melanie's glad for that, of course."

"Must be frustrating." Ruby said softly.

"You don't know the half of it." Miltia almost spat. It was so frustrating having to be deemed uptight and pompous or anti-social and unfriendly just because her sister didn't see the need to socialize with other faces. She was nothing like that, in fact, she welcomed anyone who tried to speak to her, but if only her sister would allow that. "You know, I was a bit surprised when you came up to us. I had gotten so use to the fact that people were afraid to talk to us that I decided to accept the reality of being unapproachable and gave up on interacting with others." A hint of a smile flashed on Miltia's lips. "I'm even more surprised you stuck around long enough to talk with me, what with the way you froze up back there. I must say, you've piqued my interest."

"Hehehe... yea." Ruby toyed with the ruffles of her skirt. "I'm not usually a social butterfly, actually, I tend to stray away from any form of interacting with my peers, but I'm a huntress in training, so I kinda have to talk to people." She scrunched the gritty fabric between her fingers as she spoke. "Then, when I came in here, and saw you two, I thought it would be a good idea to try and come out of that shell by speaking with you, but you saw how that turned out..."

"Almost crashed and burned there, eh?" Miltia jested lightly.

"Yeah. Would it be wrong if I said I'm glad you called out your sister?"

"No."

"Good, I'm glad you called out your sister." Ruby sighed audibly, giving the fabric a break from her constant tugging.

"Truth be told, I was reaching my breaking point on how much longer I could take Melanie's monopolizing." The red fashionista said coolly.

"But, telling her off like that in public, was that okay?" Ruby didn't like the thought of coming between someone's sibling bond, more so if the candidates were twins. Twins were known for having mostly impossibly close and tight bonds with each other, far closer than some brothers and sisters could ever hope to achieve.

"She'll get over it. Girl needs to learn some humility." Miltia brushed off the concern before spinning around on the stool to face her conversational partner. "But, enough about me and my sister drama, don't you think it's time I learnt something about you?"

"W-What would you like to know?" Ruby sat in the spotlight now.

"Whatever you feel comfortable telling me." Miltia lapped her legs and rested one arm on the bar top, bent slightly as she got cozy.

"Well, I'm fifteen, and a huntress in training..."

The two easily conversed with each other. Miltia asking questions that Ruby felt safe answering, and Ruby revealing some engrossing facts about herself. As they spoke, Miltia latched onto each word that fell from Ruby's lips, never showing disinterest, only fascination. At one point, she called for the bartender and ordered a few drinks for her and Ruby, the latter's being non-alcoholic, of course.

"My, my, you're an intriguing character, aren't you?" Miltia teased. 'Though, a bit naive. Revealing such important information about herself, she's lucky it's me and not Melanie. Remnant knows she'd only go straight to Junior. Ruby's only fifteen, though, she still has a lot to learn, so it's alright.'

"I guess you could say so." Ruby smiled, displaying her perfect pink gums as she played with a red tipped lock of hair.

"Hmm, indeed." Miltia hummed low in her throat. "I'm afraid it's time I took my leave. I can only imagine how Melanie must be itching to get back at me for how I treated her. No doubt she's already sharpened the blades on her heels."

Ruby watched as Miltia stood and smoothed out the non-apparent creases in her uniquely crafted dress.

"Here." Miltia handed a slip of paper with seven digits on it to Ruby. "Call me whenever you're in the area again, or if you just feel like having a gossip partner." She threw in a wink before she sashayed off in the same direction as her sister did earlier, and disappearing in the crowd almost as slyly.

Ruby looked down at the slip in her hands before she smiled, cheeks lighting up in a pretty shade of pink. 'I got her number! I can't believe it!'

Now left alone, Ruby figured it was time to get going. She made her way over to Yang, tapping her on shoulder to get her attention.

"What's up, sis?" Yang asked.

"I'm gonna head back." Ruby informed.

"Alright, stay safe, yeah?" Yang clapped her on the shoulder gently.

"Always." Ruby waved to her sister as she left the club. Once outside, she saw that night would soon fall. 'Dark already?' She harried along to the airship docks, not wishing to be caught in the dark of the night by herself.

Dorms: Team RWBY

Quietly twisting the knob, Ruby shuffled into her dorm. Upon entering, she saw Weiss had woken up, but Blake was still sound asleep. Seated at her desk, Weiss dutifully tended to her most prized possession. Ruby lightly stepped over to her, stripping out of her mission attire in the room itself since Weiss' back was turned to her before climbed into her bunk, enjoying the cool, crisp feel of the sheets and the softness of the mattress. She rolled side to side, ensuring each part of her body got a feel of the coolness before settling in a comfortable spot.

"Hey, Weiss?" Ruby, after a while, whispered in the silence. She reasoned that it would be inconsiderate of her to talk at an obnoxious level that would wake Blake. Even now she was taking a risk by whispering.

"What is it, Ruby?" Weiss spared Ruby a glance as she placed Myrtenaster in its case before sitting on her bunk.

"How are you so good with your rapier? I've never seen someone wield one before, and I know I've never seen one wielded with such skill as yours." Silver eyes popped into view as Ruby dangled her head from above.

Weiss stared at her partner, her face an expressionless mask. At the look, Ruby feared she'd asked something too close to home. Her fears were assuaged when she heard the older girl sigh before she spoke.

"I trained. I trained relentlessly everyday I remained in Atlas. Sometimes, I trained until I collapsed from exhaustion. Perfection came at a cost, one that I was willing to pay if it meant I would be the best. Of course, I was scolded for neglecting my health, but I continued on my way." Weiss remembered those days well. The days where she would practice until sweat drenched her entire body. The days where she would faint onto the cold ground until someone came from here. Winter, being the only person whoever came. Why would her father come, when he had been the one to put her through those rigorous exercises, scolding her for being weak enough keel over. Winter and him would often go to high words for this matter. Winter admonishing him for his cruel behaviour, and her father defending his actions with the simple words of: "A Schnee must always aim for perfection, almost isn't acceptable." The two would argue for the rest of the day, and sometimes go on into the night while Weiss recuperated in her room, her faithful butler tending to her. Weiss clenched her hands, fingers cracking. In time, her father's disdain towards her would come to a halt. Weiss was going to change, yes, but not for his pleasure, instead for her own fulfilment. She would prove to everyone else and her father, that she was not to be taken lightly. That she was not some dainty little princess who couldn't defend herself. That she, too, could look danger in the face and not crumble. Soon, he would come to respect her. Her solemn vow. "Given my unyielding combat master, I had mastered Myrtenaster within a short time span. Then, Dust was introduced. An extra year was given to me to learn the basic mechanics and how to wield Dust while in combat. I became proficient in Dust manipulation, of course, as you've witness many times before. In the end, the hard work paid off, and now, here I am, with you." Her tale finished, Weiss bid Ruby goodnight as she laid her head down on the soft pillows, eyelids falling as if lead were attached to them.

"Wow," Ruby eyed Weiss for sometime, amazed at how resilient Weiss' will was. No doubt that resilience was what made her the person she was today. A strong, confident and assertive soul. "You're a real hard worker, Princess." Casting one last look of admiration at her partner, Ruby lifted her head head up, and pulled the sheets over herself, curling up into a small ball, a small smile taking root on her lips.

Warm rays of sunlight shined on Ruby's face, the brightness sneaking under her eyelids. Her eyes fluttered open as she sluggishly sat up in her bed, a big yawn leaving her mouth. Ruby sniffled, nose a bit stuffy as rubbed her eyes. At the same time, Weiss walked out of the bathroom, blow drying her hair. Ruby became bright eyed at the sight of her frosty partner as she zipped out of her bed. Weiss was minding her business, drying her hair when she another body collide with her back, knocking all two of them to the ground. Groaning, Weiss looked up to see none other than her hyperactive partner sitting on her.

"Ruby! What are you doing?!" Weiss moved to push Ruby off, but her attempts were thwarted when Ruby's hand flew to hold her down in a firm grip.

Now, some may wonder why Weiss didn't protest a bit more, but it was pointless to get out of Ruby's hold. For crying out loud, the girl brandished a gigantic scythe, and was able to swing it around like it was a toy, showcasing how sturdy her grip was. Energy would only be wasted in trying to escape.

"Weiss, you're hanging out with me today!" Ruby declared as though she wasn't sitting on Weiss' stomach and stifling her breathing. To prove this point, Weiss roughly bucked her hips, hoping Ruby got the hint to move. The crimsonette did as Weiss stood, brushing off herself while she directed a scathing glare to her childish opposite.

"Would it have killed you to ask like a normal person?" Ruby opened her mouth to reply, but Weiss stopped her. "You know what, never mind. I'll join you, but try to be a little less rough next time. For both our sakes." Weiss swiftly got dressed before she left, pausing as she threw a, "I'll meet you at the Vale Café after class," over her shoulder to Ruby.

City of Vale

Frustrated, Ruby prowled the streets, searching for the café where Weiss had said they'd meet. 'Ugh, just great, I forgot which way to go. Good thing I brought my scroll.' Opening the GPS option on her scroll, Ruby was able to locate the café.

Weiss sipped on her cup of tea, patiently waiting for Ruby with her scroll in hand as spoke with her sister.

"I assume you're enjoying your stay." Winter spoke.

"Yes, I am. It's actually quite pleasant here. I'm learning a lot more than I could back home." Weiss beamed, offering her sister one of her rare smiles.

"Is that happiness I hear?" Winter teased a little.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Weiss squawked, her face flushed.

"Oh, calm down, I'm only teasing you." Winter sighed in amusement. "Do you have anything planned for today?"

As soon as the question left Winter's mouth, Ruby entered the café, eyes looking for a young girl with snowy hair. Finding her partner, Ruby crept up on Weiss.

Weiss sighed, rubbing her temples before she returned her attention to Winter. "I'm meeting with my team leader."

"Is that so?" Winter asked curiously. She couldn't fathom the idea of someone telling Weiss what to do and what not to do. Well, anyone except their father. While Winter had no problem in knocking heads with their old man, Weiss was a bit more docile, preferring to avoid confrontation by complying with his wishes. Winter hoped one day, Weiss would break free from their father's grip.

Ruby was all set to leap up from behind the booth where Weiss sat when she saw the figure on the screen. Neatly bunned white hair with a bang covering an eye of penetrating light-blue. Ruby almost swooned in fear as she paled quite visibly. 'What's she doing here?! Well, not here as in person- bah, I know what I mean!' Ruby tossed a look back at the door. 'Maybe I can get away without being noticed.' Wishful thinking on her part, for the moment she turned to dip back, Winter caught her. Ruby freezed up when the voice recognized her presence.

"Would that happen to be your leader?" Winter pointed to Ruby's frozen form, something glinting in those eyes when she noticed those red tipped locks. Fate could be so cruel at times, but other times so delightful.

"Hm?" Weiss looked over her shoulder, and indeed saw her goofy leader. "Ruby, you're here."

Ruby whipped around, laughing nervously as she rubbed the back of her head. "Y-Yea, here I am. Sorry, I got a bit lost. I hope I didn't make you wait long."

"No, not really. Join me." Weiss offered, utterly unaware of the look Winter was gracing Ruby with. Pleasure, nothing but pure glee at Ruby's expense.

"Yes, Ruby, why don't you join us?" Winter's voice dropped slightly as she said Ruby's name, creating a line of goosebumps going down Ruby's spine.

Ruby mechanically complied with the request, about to position herself across from Weiss when Winter spoke again.

"Why not sit beside Weiss? She is your teammate after all. Is that okay with you, dear sister?"

Oh, Winter was sly mistress.

"I don't have a problem." Weiss moved around, so that now she was on the inside, leaving the open end for Ruby to sit. Wordlessly, Ruby dropped down beside her partner, shoulders slumped inward as her bangs covered a good portion of her eyes. Weiss slanted a brow at her partner's conduct. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, I'm… just fine." Ruby glanced at the scroll from beneath her bangs, eyes darting down when she saw that Winter was still staring at her. 'I hope she doesn't say anything too telling…"

Weiss peered at her companion a bit longer, observing her deportment. Slumped shoulders, hidden eyes, hesitant speech. Weiss wasn't dumb, and she felt insulted if people thought they could hide things from her. She put her attention back on her sister, only to realize that she was gazing at Ruby, a wall of unknown emotion in her eyes. These two displayed the classic signs of two people who knew each other, but sought to keep their relationship private.

Ruby's eyes kept flickering to Winter, while the beauty returned the stare in kind.

This was getting annoying now.

"There's only so much I can take." Weiss muttered. "Do you two know each other?"

"No, no, we don't. Never met her." Ruby blurted out, suggesting otherwise.

"Is that true, Winter?" Weiss asked.

Winter glanced at her sister, then at Ruby. Silver pools inaudibly begged her not to say anything that would compromise her. Eventually, Winter's lips parted, and Ruby scrunched her eyes shut.

"I know of Ruby, because her uncle loves to talk about her to his colleagues, practically gushing as he tells them about his talented niece, and how she got into Beacon at such a young age due to that ability. I've never met her, however, until now. Though, she is quite adorable." Winter fibbed without contrition, though completely truthful on the adorable part.

"I'll take your word for it then." Weiss said after a while, though a little nagging feeling itched at the back of her mind when she recalled Winter's eyes on Ruby. An emotion she'd never seen her display. If only she could decipher it.

Meanwhile, Ruby breathed a sigh of relief, but then Winter spoke again.

"I never thought that Weiss would actually let someone two years her junior be her leader." There was a subtle hint in Winter's eyes that said: "Nor did I think it would be you."

"Neither did I, but I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter." Weiss spoke under her breath. "Despite her age, Ruby is a rather competent leader, and an even more competent huntress. I admit, I gave her a bit of a rough time at first, but she proved my misgivings wrong." The heiress praised her leader, feeling somewhat proud to say that she was Ruby's partner. Beside her, Ruby fought to keep down her smile. A sense of happiness filled her at being complimented for her skills as young huntress, mainly because it had been Weiss applauding her.

A faint smile graced Winter's lips. "Wonderful, that means you're in safe hands." The older Schnee among them regarded Ruby one last time before shifting back to Weiss. "Oh, Weiss, there's a little something I have for you on Christmas."

Weiss cocked a perfectly shaped brow. "I suppose I'll have to wait until then to see this so called surprise."

"Indeed, you will. I fear it is time I bid you goodbye. Take care of yourself, Weiss." Ruby gulped when Winter considered her. "I hope you watch over my sister, Ruby, while you watch yourself."

"I will, I promise." Ruby found herself answering.

"Perfect. Farewell to both of you." Winter disappeared, the screen turning black as the call ended, but not before tossing one more look at Ruby. Ruby could only hope Winter wouldn't be coming soon. Pun not intended.

"So… you have a sister… and her name is Winter." Ruby carefully pieced together her words .

Weiss' response made Ruby a bit worried. She sighed and leaned back in the soft cushion of the chair. "Is there some kind of bad blood between you and your sister?"

"Hm? Oh, no. Winter and I get along swimmingly. It's just… she's so busy all the time that I hardly get to see her, so it's a blessing when we're able to talk to each other. I really do miss her." Weiss bemoaned slightly.

"I can't say I know how you feel, since Yang's been with me since childhood, but I'm sure Winter misses you too. From what I saw earlier, she cares a lot about you, and I'm sure you'll see her again soon." Ruby smiled and placed a reassuring hand on Weiss' shoulder.

Weiss eyed Ruby. The way her eyes lit up like she was so sure of herself. Pure irreproachability. It was so flawless, that Weiss graced Ruby with a smile. "Thank you."

"Always." Ruby removed her hand and folded it with her other on the table. "By the by, when are we going to the forest of Forever Fall?"

"That's next week, so you better try and remember it." Weiss gently warned.

Ruby gave a firm nod of confirmation before she picked up the menu. After she ordered for Weiss and herself, they both spoke about different topics. Unfortunately, their conversation was cut short when Weiss suddenly heard her scroll beep. Weiss sighed when she saw the caller.

"Sorry, Ruby, but I have to leave." Weiss paid for her and Ruby's meal, sending an apologetic look towards Ruby before she stood up and answered her scroll as she left the café. Ruby finished up her meal before she followed Weiss' previous example and left the shop, heading back to Beacon.

Beacon Academy

Blake chatted with Yang, beginning preparations for their missions to the forest of Forever Fall when Ruby jogged up to them.

"Hey, you two. What's up?" Ruby hailed as she stood before them.

"Hey, Rubes, I was just talking with Blake about our latest mission." Then, the new presence of her sister reminded Yang of her missing form this morning. "Wait a minute, I didn't see when I woke up this morning. Where were you?"

"Oh, I went out with Weiss, but she had to leave early." Ruby sighed, leaning against the wall. In the corner of her eye, Yang saw a girl—a rabbit faunus to be more precise—scurry by them with her head down before her attention went back to the others.

"So, Ruby, you excited for the trip?" Yang asked, interrupting the girl's inner musing.

"You bet I am, it might be a lot of fun. I might even get to kill some things." Yang sighed. Of course, anything involving killing would interest her sister. Blake rolled her eyes, a smirk on her lips as she shook her head at the younger girl.

Abruptly, they were alarmed when they heard a distressed scream. Yang spun around and saw the faunus girl from a moment ago, her bunny ears roughly being tugged by the meatheads that made up Team CRDL. Yang's blood boiled beneath her skin, but cooled instantly when a flash of remembrance passed over her. She quickly turned to Ruby, intending to stop her.

"Ruby, don't do i-" Too late. Ruby was no longer beside her.

"Ah!" Another cry, a deeper cry, this one full of pain.

Yang spun around in alarm at the bellow, only to find Ruby standing in the middle of fallen bodies, her boot becoming great friends with Cardin's face, hers an image of unbridled rage. Yang could tell she was enlisting the power of semblance to increase the force of her kicks. She also knew the boys would be sore for days, maybe even weeks. No pity filled her soul, nevertheless, they deserved it. Once Ruby was finished, the members of Team CRDL laid in the hallway, groaning, and their leader out cold, blood streaming from his nose.

Blake stood there astonished, having difficulty comprehending what she'd just beared witness to. She immediately turned to Yang for answers. "Yang, what the hell just happened? Why would Ruby do something like that?"

"Ruby… Ruby likes to protect people, and she hates to see people being discriminated or bullied, especially the faunus. You've seen how she can be at times. It's like, she's in a trance when she gets like this." Yang sighed. "She's always loved faunus ever since she was small. She was always protective of the faunus friends she had. Her need to protect them only grew as she got older." Yang sent a forlorn look in the direction of her sister, who was still coming down from her adrenaline high.

In time, Ruby calmed down. She breathed, in and out, getting her temper under control. She looked at the cowering girl, halting when she flinched as Ruby drew closer.

"Hey, hey, I'm not gonna hurt you." She slowly approached the girl, her arms raised slightly to show she meant no harm.

"You okay?" The brown haired faunus nodded in reply. Ruby smiled before she walked up to her. "What's your name?"

"V-Velvet S-Scarlatina." She stuttered, still recovering from her earlier assault.

"Hm, that's a cute name. It's nice to meet you, Velvet." Ruby stuck out her hand, offering to shake hands. Velvet slowly accepted the proffered hand. "I'm Ruby Rose."

Silver eyes glowed with joy. Fear replaced that joy shortly after when she heard someone yell her name, the voice very familiar. She froze as the sound of clacking heels got closer. Ruby dare to gaze behind her, swallowing big when she saw a furious Professor Glynda Goodwitch stomping down the hallway.

"Oh, boy…" She spun around back to Velvet and held both her hands close to her chest. "Though our time may have been short, very short mind you, it was nice knowing you, Velvet." Ruby sobbed, now fearing for her life.