Ch. 44 Talking Things Out

"The winner is Ayaka Mika"

Alabast had expected this. He knows that Ayaka hadn't used her semblance. But he can't be 100 percent sure. She has become too proficient with it to the point where it only affects the people she wants it to. His nose might be able to pick up a scent, but even that is uncertain. And the fact stays the Ayaka has a lot of experience fighting humans. That and Ruby's scythe isn't made for fighting humans. She is out of her element so to speak when fighting humans.

Ruby's scythe is very lethal in any fight. But humans are smarter than Grimm and they don't just charge and attack. They are agile and use their environment to their advantage. Sure this flat stage doesn't mean anything. But if Ayaka was in an abandoned city or a dense forest Ruby would have been defeated before the time ended. She needs some room to swing the scythe. That's also why Alabast has Bestia Fang. His swords are long, so he might not have room to swing properly. Bestia Fang allows him to keep fighting in those situations he normally wouldn't be able to.

——————

"Man!" Ruby breathes a little hard. "That was a close one. Good fight Ayaka!" She smiles brightly.

Ayaka sheathes Ven. "Same to you Ruby"

Crescent moon shifts into its compact form and Ruby sets it on her back. "Next time I'll definitely win!" She points at her opponent and friend. "I'll show you!"

Ayaka smiles. "I look forward to our rematch, even if I don't like fighting my opponents directly"

——————

Ruby and Ayaka went and changed as other student were called to go fight.

Back in their seats Ruby continues talking with Ayaka.

"Your semblance seems really effective. But how does it help when you fight Grimm?" Ruby asks. "I don't know much about it but does it only act as poison?"

Ayaka sits up straight, her long hair going down her back. "It's not just poison. And Grimm also have a sense of smell. As long as a being breathes my semblance can affect them. I can make my semblance have a variety of effects. Some beneficial and others can be detriment to a persons system" She holds out the back of her hand. "Here, smell this"

Ruby brings her nose next to Ayaka's hand and sniffs. "It smells like….Cookies!"

"Mhm!" Ayaka brings her hand to her nose. "I can create almost any scent. So I am able to trick Grimm into running away from me instead"

"But Grimm aren't attracted to Colkies" Ruby says. "I am!"

Ayaka giggles. "You are right. But what about this?"

Ruby smells the air. "No way! It's the sap from Forever Fall!"

"Correct" Ayaka lowers her hand to her lap. "You have a good nose, don't you"

Ruby scratches her cheek and looks to the side. "I just like sweet things. Alabast's nose is much better"

Ayaka looks across the room and sees Alabast looking at her and Ruby. She waves and smiles but Alabast just narrows his eyes. "Alabast is just a cheat. It's not just his sense of smell that is enhanced"

"Yeah. It makes sneaking up and surprising him very hard" Ruby folds her arms over her chest and puffs her cheeks. "I tried surprising him to get back at him for always picking me up and carrying me like a stuffed animal. But he just ends up catching me….. And then holding me again!"

Ayaka looks at Ruby and her smile grows. "Something tells me that you don't mind that though"

"I…" a Ruby tries to deny it but then she remembers being held by Alabast. "…..I-Well it's better than when my sister picks me up"

Ayaka laughs into the back of her hand. "Anyway. Back to my point"

Ruby nods. "Right"

"The Grimm are attracted to the red sap. And I'm able to recreate the same fragrance that attracts them. They might still sense negative emotions, but the scent is enough to distract them if even for a second" Ayaka holds up a finger.

"And sometimes that's all it takes to win a fight!" Ruby pumps her fist. "A single second"

Ayaka pats Ruby's head. "Correct….. Oh? Is this why Alabast always does this?" She tousles Ruby's hair.

"Noooo~" Ruby tries to get Ayaka's hand off her without causing a scene. "Not you too~"

Ayaka takes her hand away and placed it in her lap. "Sorry, you just looked so adorable I couldn't help myself"

Ruby looks at Ayaka's eyes. "It's fine….. I just don't like it when people do that. It makes me feel like they're patronizing me and treating me like a kid"

"And that's a bad thing?" Ayaka asks.

Ruby leans back in her seat. "It doesn't sound that bad. But when everyone looks at you like you're a kid when you are in the same grade as them it gets annoying. I know Alabast and my sister don't mean any harm, but it's the others that treat me like I'm a kid. The people who walk down the halls, the other people in the classroom. They look at me and see a 15 year old way out of her league…."

Ayaka puts her hand on Ruby's. "That just means it's easier for you to surprise them. They won't expect much from you, so when you outshine their entire team they will be even more surprised and forced to respect you after. Can I tell you something Ruby?"

"What is it?" Ruby says in a better mood.

Ayaka brings her three fox tails into her own lap and places her free hand on them. "My 3 fox tails are kinda like Alabast's multiple Faunus traits. My mother only had one. And my father had fox ears. I don't remember much about my parents, but I know their traits. And for me to have 3 tails….. It's abnormal"

Ruby's eyes slightly widen. "I…. guess you're right. I wasn't really sure about that so I wasn't going to bring it up"

"Well I haven't found any fox with three-tails, have you?" Ayaka sarcastically asks.

"No, can't say I have" Ruby awkwardly responds.

"Anyway" Ayaka looks over at Alabast who is still looking at them. "This is kinda the reason why I was so stuck on Alabast"

"Oh" Ruby looks over at Alabast. "I almost forgot about that"

"Don't worry. I've stopped my craziness and obsession. My time here at Beacon has been…. therapeutic" Ayaka takes her hand from Ruby's.

"Yeah. I think it's been the same for Alabast" Ruby taps her chin as she remembers how he was at the beginning.

"It's not Beacon" Ayaka shakes her head. "You and his other girlfriends changed him. Even his other teammates. There's no way something like Beacon alone would have changed Alabast. He was so lost and alone in the Darkness. I was honestly surprised somebody had actually gotten through to him by the time I got here. And imagine my surprise when 5 girls did what I couldn't"

Ruby blushes. "Ehehehe~" She laughs in embarrassment.

"I just hope to be friends now…. Although I would understand if I already burned that bridge last semester" Ayaka closes her eyes and lowers her head.

"Well, practically drugging him is kinda a big deal" Ruby admits.

"So why are you being friendly with me?" Ayaka opens one eye to look at the small girl.

Ruby takes a deep breath. "That's because I can tell you have changed. How? I don't know. But it's probably the way you act….. and you don't seem as crazy and obsessed with Alabast"

Ayaka has a small smile on her face. "Whatever your reason. Thank you for talking with me and giving me a second chance"

"We all make mistakes" Ruby winces. "Some, like yours, are worse than others. And not everybody deserves a second chance. But I think you are worthy of a second chance" She looks at a light above her on the ceiling. "But a second chance doesn't mean anything if you didn't learn from your first. So prove to me that I'm right in giving you this chance. Will ya?"

Ayaka lifts her head. "I'll do my best" She slowly says. She looks over at Alabast who finally looks away from them. "Remind me, how good is Alabast's hearing?"

"Really good" Ruby puts her hands on her head and mimics Alabast's wolf ears.

"Like how good?" Ayaka asks as she looks at Ruby's hands.

Ruby points her hand ears forward. "Really, really good"

Ayaka narrows her eyes. "Like he can hear us from all the way over there good?" She points at Alabast.

Ruby turns towards where Ayaka is pointing. She moves her hand ears more forward. She pauses when she sees Alabast looking at her from the side of his eyes. "... Yeah..."

Ayaka lowers her hand. "Good to know"

Ruby waves her fingers at Alabast as her hands don't move.

Alabast's left ear twitches and he pulls out his scroll for a second. Types something. And then puts it away. Then he looks at the stage and folds his arms over his chest.

Ruby feels her scroll buzz. She takes it out and sees a message from Alabast.

Ayaka wonders what it says. "Mind sharing what he sent?"

Ruby gives an awkward smile. "He said that he could hear us. And that he wants to talk with me after class"

Ayaka raises an eyebrow. "Is that good or bad?"

Ruby puts her scroll away. "Well, it's been a while since it's just been him and I. And the last time he asked to see me after class has been a lot longer. So hopefully good?" She raises her shoulders up.

Ayaka shrugs. She doesn't really know. But it's probably about her.

——————

Yang ends up pummeling Neptune. He tried to be a gentleman, but that ended up backfiring on him. And when he took the fight seriously he was outclassed by Yang. She was already in close range and she wouldn't let Neptune get away. So she won the fight after the first minute.

Blake and Sun's match was very interesting. Blake used her clones to outmaneuver Sun's clones and defeat him. Sun has to stay still when he summons his clones and it leaves him open to attacks. But he was able to hold his own before when he fought head to head against Blake. It's just that he figured with 2 of himself he would win so he jumped away and summoned two clones to overwhelm Blake. But he was wrong. And ended up getting a boot to the face.

Weiss fought with Pyrrha. And it went about as well as everyone expected. Weiss lost and Pyrrha barely lost any aura. Pyrrha was just too experienced and would have won even if she didn't use her semblance. But she wanted Weiss to learn not to telegraph where her glyphs will pop up by pointing her rapier.

Ren beat his opponent. He was able to dodge all the attacks and was able to counter with extreme precision and was able to show off his combat capabilities.

Nora….. Well Nora was Nora and ended up chasing her opponent around the stage with Magnhild raised above her head. Her poor opponent was terrified by the orange haired maniac laughing maniacally and swinging the big hammer around wildly. Nora ended up getting scolded by Glynda, mainly because she ended up nearly destroying the entire stage. She just wanted to fight and hit something and got a bit excited. It was a 'Whoopsie' moment.

——————

After the class ended Alabast stood up immediately. He ignores Seraphina, he didn't know if she even wanted to talk to him. But he didn't care. He went towards Ruby and Ayaka.

Both girls stand up as Alabwast walks up the steps towards them.

"Hi Ashy" Ruby greets.

Alabast grabs her hand and glares at Ayaka. "I'll talk with you later"

Ayaka smiles slightly. "I suppose that's better than being completely ignored"

Alabast then pulls Ruby up the steps towards the exit. "Let's go, Ruby"

Ruby follows behind him. They end up going past the other students that make way for them. They end up walking out of the classroom and down a corridor. Once they turn a corner Alabast stops walking and turns towards Ruby.

"Are you upset?" Ruby asks, assuming he isn't pleased with her being friendly with Ayaka. "Whaaaa~!"

Ruby and Alabast sink into their shadow. This surprised Ruby as she felt the ground beneath her disappear and then reappear somewhere else.

Ruby looks around but can't see anything. There isn't any light at all where they are now. "Alabast? Are you there?"

As Ruby looks around she spots a dim light ahead of her. She holds her arms out towards it and carefully moves forward. "Alabast?"

The light begins to get slightly brighter.

"Is that… a desk?" Ruby says aloud as she continues carefully walking forward. "Where am I?"

She gets to the dim light and looks down at it. She reaches her hand out and just as she's about to touch it a shadow surrounds the light and snuffs it out.

"I heard you and Ayaka talking. Do you really think she deserves a second chance? After what she did to Weiss?" Alabast says.

Ruby looks around but can't see anything. Alabast's voice also sounds like it's coming from all around wherever they are. "Yes. She apologized for what she did to Weiss and you. We talked and she seemed genuinely sorry and regretful"

"I don't particularly care about what she did to me" His voice moves in a circle around Ruby. "But she hurt Weiss. It might not have been too bad, but if I hadn't stopped her when she was about to strike Weiss it would have been a very different story. Did she tell you why her weapon is named Ven?"

Ruby stops trying to look around for Alabast. "No. Does it stand for Vengeance?"

"No"

A light appears a few feet from Ruby and she walks towards it. This time it appears to just be floating in the air.

"Ven is short for Venom. That's also part of the reason why she won. Sure she would have won without it, but your aura was being slightly drained by it. She didn't have poison on it, but because it's been covered in so many various poisons for so long it has a corrosive property. And it chipped slowly away at your aura" Alabast's voice circles around Ruby but she can't see him or hear his footsteps at all.

She gets to the light. "So what. You even said she didn't poison her blade during our fight"

The light begins to slowly spin.

"Yes, but what if it had came in contact with Weiss when she was so out of it and defenseless? We both don't exactly know. And I wasn't willing to risk it and find out back then. So with this information you still believe she deserves a second chance?"

Ruby hears Alabast's voice come from behind the light. "I'm not saying her previous actions are forgotten. But she does seem to have reflected on them and regrets them. I'm giving her the chance to apologize and make it up to us. We lose nothing by befriending her"

"You're too nice for your own good" Alabast moves into the dim light and pinches the dim light he then lets it fall to his palm and closes it. When he opens his hand the light is brighter and it slightly illuminates the room they are in.

"Where are we?" Ruby asks as she looks around. Then she sees rows of desks. "A classroom?"

"You don't remember this room?" Alabast asks in a slightly amused tone.

"Am I supposed to?" Ruby looks around. "It's also still dark"

Alabast walks up next to Ruby. "I'll give Ayaka a second chance. But she must prove that she has changed. And she must apologize to Weiss"

"You will?" Ruby turns and looks at Alabast. But she can hardly see his face. "Bend down a little will you?"

Alabast holds the light in his left palm. And with his right hand he puts it in Ruby's cheek and bends down. "What do you want?"

She reaches out and moves his bangs out of his face as the light flickers like that of a fire and illuminated his face. "To see your face would be a start. And you still haven't answered where we are"

Alabast takes his hand off her cheek and fixes his bangs to the side and leaves his face exposed. He stands up and takes a few steps towards the side of the classroom. "Catch" He tosses the light through the air towards Ruby.

As the light goes through the air it leaves Alabast in the darkness as it moves towards Ruby.

She catches it in both hands expecting it to be delicate or heavy or something. But it doesn't give off any heat, nor is it heavy. But when she opens her hands the light gets brighter. "Wow~"

The room get illuminated by the light in Ruby's hands. She looks around. "This place….. seems familiar. We're still in Beacon right?" She looks over at Alabast as he leans his back against the wall.

"We are. I'm not that good to be able to transport us to any other school….. yet" He smirks.

Ruby intensely studies the room. There's a teachers podium at the front. And there is a door across from Alabast on the opposite wall with a rectangular window that looks covered up. "I….. have no idea where we are"

"This is the classroom where you misunderstood what I meant" Alabast states fondly.

Ruby looks around and the light floats up into the air and shines brighter fully illuminating the room with white light.

"Ohhhhh!" Ruby looks at the door and then the desks and then over to Alabast. "Ohhhhh…."

Alabast has a small smile on his face. "Come over here, please"

Ruby walks over to Alabast with a small blush on her face. Not because she forgot about this room, but because Alabast brought up her misunderstanding his words and intentions. She stands in front of Alabast and looks up at him. "Why did you bring us here? And why so theatrical?"

"Just felt like coming back here with you" He shrugs and steps forward and grabs Ruby's hand and guides her to the first desk. "We haven't had much time alone together"

"But aren't we like… really close to Ozpin's office?" Ruby asks.

"We are close to his elevator. His office is up at the top. We are down at the bottom" Alabast picks Ruby up and It's her on the desk facing towards the back of the class.

"Why am I facing the back?" Ruby asks. She doesn't mind that she was picked up. Just that she was sat down facing away from Alabast.

"Curious today aren't we? Are you perhaps also a cat Faunus like Blake?" He jokes. "Just wait a second"

The light at the front disappears and the room goes dark.

"Wait for what?" Ruby asks.

"This" Alabast appears in front of her sitting down in the chair of the desk she is sitting in. Thousands, no. Millions of small little dots of light float in the air near the ceiling. They don't cast much light, but with so many of them it's like they are under moonlight.

"Woah….." Ruby gasps as she stares up at the beautiful lights up above her. It's like the night sky but indoors.

Alabast has used his Darkness to cover the ceiling and portions of the walls to make them indistinguishable and make it impossible to tell the height of the ceiling.

"You've definitely improved in your semblance control" Ruby says, awestruck at the sight.

"It took a lot of effort just to get this. And I haven't showed the others yet. I figured you'd be the first" Alabast says as he looks at her face with the fake stars behind her. She is slightly taller than him when he's sitting down.

"That's why you brought me here?" Ruby looks at Alabast's red eyes. It's weird for her since she almost never looks down at him.

"It's not the only reason" Alabast places his elbows on the desk on either side of Ruby and leans forward with his head tilted up to look into Ruby's silver eyes. "You know I don't think of you as a kid right?"

Ruby brightly smiles. "I know"

"Good" Alabast leans forward a little more and kisses Ruby. "Because I wouldn't be dating a kid"

"Y-Yeah" Ruby blushes.

"We've got some time to ourselves. And our teams won't be lost without their leaders. Aaaaand, we still have a few days before we begin our super secret mission to find out what's going on in Vale" Alabast grabs Ruby's cape in his hands.

Ruby's blush deepens. "T-They shouldn't be completely lost without us" She puts her hands on Alabast's face.

Alabast moves his chair forward with his semblance so that he is sitting between Ruby's legs and puts one hand on Ruby's back. "And I think we need to talk about the books you've been reading"

"Books?" Ruby is confused. Why would he bring books up at this moment.

Alabast smirks. "Yeah, where else did you learn about katanas?"

Ruby's face goes completely red and she covers Alabast's eyes with her hands. "No comment"

"I know Blake's the one with some interesting books. I just don't know what type of books. Do you recommend any? And did Blake know that you read a few?" Alabast interrogates in a light tone. He just wants to mess with Ruby a little.

"I won't sell her out! You can't make me! I'm no snitch! Snitches get stitches!" Ruby declares.

"So you admit that there is something there that you won't sell her out for. Fine" Alabast confidently says. He caught her red handed.

"I-No! You tricked me! No fair~" She pouts. "And it was only one book….."

"Little Red….." Alabast looks at Ruby through her fingers. "Were there pictures?"

Ruby moves her fingers together to fully block his eyes. She rests her forehead on his. "Does it matter?"

"Why won't you answer?" Alabast continues to mess with her.

Ruby shakes her head against Alabast's. "There weren't many…." She whispers.

"Ohhhh~? Anything catch your interest?" Alabast's smirk grows.

"Hush you!" Ruby covers his eyes with one hand and moves her other hand to cover his mouth.

"Mmmffff mfmmm" His voice is muffled as he attempts to talk.

"Let's change the subject" Ruby states. She just keeps digging the hole she's in deeper.

Alabast moves his abdomen to the side of the desk and pulls Ruby towards him,to the edge of the desk. He leaves his left hand on her back and brings his right hand to Ruby's hand over his mouth and moves it. "Alright, what do you wanna talk about then? It's just the two of us for the time being"

"Mmmmmm" Ruby thinks of something they can talk about.

"How about we talk about my weapon?" Alabast suggests.

Ruby's eyes light up. "Nights Fall? What about it?"

Alabast moves his hand around on Ruby's back. "I've come up with an idea that will help me fight in the future. And I know that you are our resident weapons expert so I figured I'd run some ideas by you. And then we can upgrade Nights Fall. It will also give us some more alone time together"

Ruby moves her hand that covered his eyes and puts it on his head and tousles his hair a bit. "Sounds like a date! So what did you want to change?!"

Alabast closes his eyes as he feels Ruby's nails scratch his head. "We can talk about that later. What do you want to do now?"

Ruby holds Alabast's left ear and rubs her thumb over the cut part. "Be with you"

The fake stars around the room glow a bit brighter.

Alabast puts his head on Ruby's chest. "I feel the same" He can hear Ruby's heart beat even when his ears aren't on her chest.

Ruby madly blushes with their current positions. Her eyes widen slightly at first but she slowly calms down and wraps her arm around Alabast's head and gently holds him.

After a few minutes Alabast puts a hand on Ruby's shoulder and sits up and looks at her eyes. "How do you like the taller position? Is it everything you thought it would be?"

"It's overrated" She gives a smile that is brighter than the lights around the room.

Alabast smirks. "Fair enough"

"Woaaaa~!" Ruby screams a little in surprise as Alabast suddenly stands up and pushes Ruby down onto the desk. He put his left hand under her head so he didn't accidentally hit her head. He leans over her as his long hair falls over his shoulders.

The lights near the ceiling begin falling all around the pair. The small lights stop moving at random heights all around. Now instead of looking up at the stars they are among the stars.

Ruby's back is against the desk with Alabast's left hand under her hand and his right hand next to her shoulder and stops him from falling onto her.

"You know, you make it very hard for me to control myself" Alabast whispers and kisses the right side of Ruby's neck.

"Mmm~!" Ruby moves her head towards the left as Alabast kisses her neck slowly.

Alabast looks at Ruby's thin neck. Her pale and flawless skin that is smooth and slightly warm to the touch. He moves towards her ear. "You know what I want?"

"Ngh ngh" Ruby doesn't know. And his breath tickles her ear. She puts her arms around Alabast's sides.

"I want…" Alabast lightly bites her ear. "…. these peaceful times to last. Even if I know they won't. I want…."

Alabast goes and kisses her neck again. "….to be with you and the others more than anything else in the world. And I want…."

The lights get a bit brighter and some get bigger. Now they vary in size from small pebbles to golfballs.

"….everyone to be happy, and for me to be there…." Alabast brings his face inches over Ruby's face. "Happy, right along you girls"

Ruby feels her chest heating up and start to flutter. Her mind begins to get a bit hazy. She can feel her cheeks burn a little from her blush. And her eyes gaze at Alabast's barely illuminated face with all the lights above and around them.

Alabast uses the thumb of his right hand to move some of Ruby's black hair that is tipped with a beautiful red rose color. "And it's all because of you, Ruby Rose. You are the little red spark that started all the good in my life"

One small light moves next to Alabast's face and changes to the color of Ruby's cape. It is very difficult to change the color from white, and it's kinda useless. But it does have its uses.

"Thank you, Little Red" Alabast deeply kisses Ruby.