The sun was slowly rising on the horizon, and shadows fled the Academy's campus in its presence. The castle-like school stood proudly once more at Beacon Cliff, soaking in the dawn's rays. Months had passed since the fall of Salem, and the fragile atmosphere had faded back into one of easy familiarity.

The halls of Beacon Academy were silent and empty in the early morning hours. The first classes of the new year wouldn't start for another few days, and the new batch of first years had arrived the afternoon before. While the first years were to be just beginning their initiation, the older students had already gotten situated in their rooms, enjoying their extra days of relaxation before lessons began.

The dorm room of Team RWBY was quiet, all four girls sleeping soundly. On a bed held up by a pile of unwanted books, Yang Xiao Long rolled over, her blanket bunching around her legs as she snored. Her eyes blinked open slowly and she sat up, her hair a tangled mess and drool on her chin. She looked around, blinking her heavy eyelids, leaning towards the edge of her bunk bed. Her lilac eyes squinted as she tried to make out the number the clock showed from where it rested on the desk. Just after six. She blinked hard, before realization swept over her and she grinned broadly.

Yang leaned down suddenly, looking down at the bunk below her where her partner, Blake Belladonna, slept soundly. The cat Faunus was nearly curled into a ball, everything but her head covered by her blanket. Yang gave a hushed laugh. Like a little purr-itto.

"Pst. Blake," Yang breathed.

Blake's kitty ears twitched.

"Blakey," the blonde whispered in a sing-song voice, careful not to wake the other two girls in the room.

Blake's brow furrowed, and she burrowed deeper into her blanket cocoon.

"Blake!" Yang hissed loudly.

The Faunus jolted awake, her amber eyes wide. She scrambled into an almost-sitting position, her body pinning her own blanket down and keeping her trapped. Her gaze landed on the upside-down, drool-stained face of her partner, framed by the brawler's messy mane of golden hair.

Blake relaxed, her face immediately shifting from fear to relief to indifference. She regarded Yang with narrow eyes, sneaking a glance at the clock.

There weren't any classes today. It was too early to be awake.

"What?" she asked drily.

"Guess what today is," Yang sung happily.

Blake rolled her eyes, forcing away a smile Yang never failed to bring to her face. "Sunday?"

"Well duh," Yang replied. "But other than that."

"A perfect day for sleep?"

"Blakey," Yang whined.

"Fine," Blake replied, her amusement showing in her words. "I don't know what today is Yang. Enlighten me."

Yang brightened, her eyes lighting up. "It's first year initiation! The new teams are being formed today!"

"Whoopie," Blake responded sarcastically. There was no one she knew joining the Academy. There was no reason to wake her up.

Yang frowned. "And you know what that means?"

Oh.

Oh.

Blake almost smirked. Instead, she kept her indifferent expression. "You're kidding."

Yang cocked her head. "What?"

"You can't be serious."

"Blake?"

"I can't have been."

"Can't have been what?" Yang pressed.

This time Blake did smirk. "Stuck with you for a whole year."

Yang's face lit up like a firework, and she squeaked happily as she gracefully tumbled from her own bed onto Blake's. The blonde barreled into the dark-haired girl, hugging her tightly. "Happy anniversary!"

Blake inhaled sharply, her eyes widening and her ears jerking uptight. "Cold!" she yelped, shying to her right.

Yang pulled away immediately, nearly falling off the bed, guilt washing over her. "Sorry Blake," she said in a low voice that could almost be called a whimper, her eyes refusing to meet her partners. "I-I fell asleep with it on and forgot to put the glove on..."

Blake's hand immediately reached for Yang's own, her fingers curling around the cold steel of the blonde's prosthetic right hand. "Don't, Yang," she said in a low voice. "It was just unexpected," Blake told her, trying to comfort Yang and fearing she was failing. Fresh guilt clawed at her.

Then Yang gave a half-hearted smile. "No worries. I've done it to myself before, too."

Blake bit back a sigh. It was her who should be comforting Yang, not the other way around. It was her fault the metal arm was necessary in the first place...

Quickly changing the subject, Yang piped up excitedly, "I've got something planned for us. We'll have a blast, you'll see."

Blake smiled at Yang's enthusiasm. "I'm sure we will."

"I'm gonna hop in the shower," the blonde announced. Yang bounced off the bed and waltzed happily to the bathroom.

Blake sighed. If Yang made plans, she knew she was in for an exciting day.

With her hair wrapped up in a purple towel and swaying cheerfully to music only she could hear, Yang stepped out of the bathroom as she finished reattaching her prosthetic arm, wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top. She looked at Blake, her face determined, smiling and putting her hands on her hips. Blake was still laying in bed with a book on her lap.

The Faunus looked up, her eyes searching Yang's own. "...what?" she asked reluctantly.

Instead of answering, Yang strode forward, hooking one arm across Blake's back and the other under her legs. Making sure the blanket wasn't caught, Yang carried her partner towards the bathroom.

"Yang!" Blake protested, trying to break free from the blonde's strong grip. "Yang what are you doing!"

"I'm not doing anything. You're taking a shower," she replied, smiling broadly.

"I took one barely three hours ago!" Blake cried.

Yang paused. "Why?"

Blake frowned. "I couldn't sleep. And it was hot. Someone activated their semblance in their sleep."

Yang rolled her eyes, not bothering with trying to deny it or explain herself. "Well you're taking another." Yang shifted the Faunus in her arms, who huffed in irritation, and reached to open the bathroom door.

"But why?"

"Because. No whining, kitty cat."

Blake rolled her eyes. "You know I could get away from you easily?"

"Yup," Yang replied, popping the p. "But you haven't. And you won't."

Blake glared as Yang set her down on the bathroom's tile floor. "Oh really?"

"Mm hm. Know how I know?" Yang asked cheerfully.

"How?"

Yang leaned in, her eyes level with Blake's. "Because you love me," she sang. Blake simply glared. "Shower time Blakey!" Yang announced, pushing Blake into the bathroom and closing the door, blowing her a teasing kiss as the Faunus smiled faintly, turning away.

Yang walked across the room, casting a look at the form of her younger sister then down and the heiress in their respective beds, thankful they managed to sleep through the noise she and Blake made. Ruby was far from a light sleeper-just like her sister, Yang thought to herself, smirking-and Weiss had spent her entire Saturday training hard for the next year, so she wasn't really surprised they were still asleep.

Yang observed the room with her hands on her hips, trying to figure out what needed to be done first. She crouched, reaching under Weiss' bed and pulled out a small wicker basket. She would have hidden it under Blake's bed, but that was where the Faunus stored her books, so it wasn't as safe. Yang would much rather get lectured by an angry icicle than have her plans ruined.

The water turned on as Yang opened the lid to the basket, glancing inside and going through the mental checklist to ensure she hadn't forgotten anything. She smiled proudly, silently congratulating herself on a job well done. She walked to the desk that rested below the window, pulling out a pencil and writing a quick message on a sticky note. She reached up, lightly pressing it against Ruby's forehead. The sleeping Huntress muttered, but didn't wake.

She finished getting dressed, drying and brushing her long hair. She lifted the basket up onto the table just as the water shut off. Blake emerged from the bathroom, a fluffy purple towel around her body.

"Get dressed, and then we'll head out, 'kay Blakey?" Yang said.

Blake made an absent noise of agreement, getting dressed quickly. Yang smiled at the Faunus, her smile fading as Blake wrapped her car ears in the long, black ribbon.

Blake paused, looking at Yang curiously. "What?"

"Why today?" Yang said.

"What do you mean?" Blake asked.

"You haven't worn it all weekend."

"Oh my bow. Well," Blake started, shifting, "we haven't really gone anywhere all weekend."

"And were not now," Yang replied. She sighed. "Nevermind. If you feel you need to wear it, I'm not gonna argue with you. But let me say." Yang met her eyes, their lilac depths serious- a rarity. "I wish you wouldn't."

Blake sighed. "I know, I know. I'll take it off when we get... Wherever we're going."

Yang brightened. "Great!" She slipped the handle of the wicker basket, bouncing excitedly on the balls of her feet. "You ready?"

Blake smiled. "Yes."

Yang grinned, hopping towards the door and indicating that Blake should go first, bowing dramatically. "My lady," she laughed.

Blake chuckled. "Thank you," she replied, equally dramatic. Yang closed the door behind her, prancing forward.

"Ah we're gonna have so much fun!" the blonde declared.

Blake looked curiously at the basket in Yang's arms. "What's in there?"

"You'll see!" Yang sang.

"Yang."

"Yes kitty cat?"

"Could you explain to me exactly why we're here?"

Yang smiled at her over her shoulder. "Well where else would we have our anniversary picnic but the place we first met?" she asked.

"Okay, but Yang-"

"Look! I made sandwiches! Your's is tuna, mine's peanut butter and banana." Yang looked at her sandwich with a peculiar expression. "I've never had it, but Nora says they're great, so I took her word for it." She put the sandwiches back in the basket. "And I brought chips. And soda. And-"

"Yang."

Yang frowned. She pulled the blanket from the basket, laying it neatly on the forest floor. "What?"

"We shouldn't be in the Emerald Forest today," Blake said firmly.

"Why not?" Yang asked.

"It's innitaition!" Blake insisted.

Yang frowned, not seeing the problem. "So?"

Blake sighed. Was she going to have to spell it out for her? "There will be first years!"

"...And?"

"We're not first years! What if one of them-!" Blake cut off, her unveiled Faunus ears perking forward and her amber eyes focusing on something beyond her partner. "...sees us."

Yang looked at Blake. Then she turned.

Standing behind her, with a shocked and confused expression, was a short, dark haired boy.

A first year.

"...Oh," Yang said, looking back at Blake. She laughed sheepishly, turning back to the first year. "... Uh, hi."

The boy blinked. "...Hi?"

Blake raised one hand to her forehead, silently groaning. Of we get caught, Yang, I swear I'm gonna kill you...

"So uh... Did Ozpin keep the whole first-person-you-see-is-your-partner thing?" Yang asked, laughing nervously.

The first year nodded slowly. "So... Does that make you my partner?" he asked, leaning to the side and looking at Blake.

"Well, you see, the thing is, uh," Yang started, rubbing the back of her neck.

Blake stepped around her partner, glaring at the older blonde. She turned her soft gaze to the first year. "Actually, I'm not. Technically, I'm her partner," Blake explained, indicating Yang. "Because we're not first years. We're second years."

Recovering from the surprise quickly, the not said snarkily, "I thought second years would be smart enough to not get stuck out here." He shifted his weight and crossed his arms, smirking.

"Excuse me?" Yang demanded, her voice shrill with indignation.

"Yang," Blake said in a calm, firm voice.

"Then again, you are a blonde." His gaze shifted to Blake, eyeballing the ears atop her head, and Blake felt the overwhelming urge to conceal them. "And you're a Faunus."

"You little-" Yang strode forward, red bleeding into her irises.

Blake put an arm out to stop her. "Listen," she said testily, her amber eyes burning into his. "You really shouldn't be here."

"Yeah I should. First year, remember?"

"Exactly. You should be trying to complete initiation. You want to actually get into Beacon don't you?"

The boy's smirk faded. "Well yeah."

Yang brightened. "Well you need a partner for that. And you need to collect an artifact before they're all gone."

"And then make it back to the cliff," Blake finished, relishing the look on the boy's face.

"So you'd better get going!" Yang said cheefully. "Or not. I don't really want to have to go to the same school as am arrogant, speciesist peice of crap like yourself."

"Have fun trying to pass!" Blake added.

The boy huffed, looking like he wanted to argue longer, before storming away.

Yang rolled her eyes, sitting down on the blanket and reaching for the sandwiches. "Dust, first years suck."

Blake chuckled. "Last year you complained about the upperclassmen picking on first years."

"It's different now."

Blake rolled her eyes. Than she asked, "You're really not going to leave the forest yet?"

"Nah," Yang replied, taking a bite of her sandwich. She paused. "This is really good." Then she smiled at Blake. "Sit down, kitty cat. The tuna is calling you," she sang, waving Blake sandwich.

Black laughed lightly, sitting down beside the blonde. "This is very thoughtful of you, Yang."

"It was nothing, partner," Yang replied.

There was a pause.

"If Ozpin or Goodwitch catch us-"

Yang cut her off. "Oz is a softie, and Mrs G loves me. We'll be fine. Now hush up and eat your sandwich."

Ruby woke with a sticky note stuck to her forehead.

For a moment she was still to sleepy to register that it was there at all. She sat up, gave a broad yawn, and slipped down from her bed onto the floor. A quick look told her Yang and Blake had already left the dorm-she assumed for breakfast-and she turned around to tell Weiss good morning. She smiled, and Weiss blinked tiredly at her. Then the heiress smirked. "Dolt," she said, rolling her eyes and turning back to making her bed.

Ruby tilted her head in puzzlement, wondering what she had done, when she finally saw the note. Ruby frowned, her hand reaching up and brushing the yellow sticky note stuck there. She peeled it off, wincing as it tugged on her hair, and held it up so she could read the messy words written there.

Happy 1 year! Have fun with the Ice Queen, be safe be smart don't do anything I wouldn't do blah blah responsibility and all that.
Love, Yang
PS Blake and I should be back sometime after lunch.

Ruby's eyes widened. She had completely forgotten how important today was. Better not tell Weiss that... she thought sheepishly. She looked to the heiress, who had already gotten dressed, and asked casually, "Any plans for the day, Weissy?"

"I hadn't made any, no," Weiss replied, tugging on the corner of her blanket.

"Well, now you do!" Ruby announced.

"Oh really?"

"Yup! Today is our one year anniversary as partners, and we are going to celebrate!" Ruby told Weiss brightly.

"And how are we going to do that?" Weiss asked.

Ruby faltered, pausing to think. "Well, we haven't hung out in a while. We could catch an airship to Vale and just walk around. I have some money. Ooh and we could make cookies later."

Weiss smiled at her. "Get dressed. I think an airship leaves at nine."

Weiss watched Ruby press her face against the glass, turned around completely in her seat and watching the city pass below them. When questioned about her eagerness, Ruby had told her that "the view never gets old" and, watching the younger girl, Weiss had to agree.

The heiress felt her ears burn at the thought, and she promptly looked away from her partner, down to the people below them. "You know," Weiss began, "when I was younger, my family had an airship with a clear floor."

Ruby's eyes widened. "Really?" she asked excitedly.

Weiss nodded. "My mother was terrified of heights, so we didn't have it long."

"That would be awesome," Ruby breathed.

Weiss gave a small laugh. "It was fun while it lasted."

The airship began to descend, and Weiss pulled Ruby back from her window to sit properly. Ruby groaned, but didn't resist-the last time she tried to stay sitting like that while the airship landed, she had fallen over backwards and hit her head on the floor. Neither she nor Weiss were eager to repeat that.

They walked out of the airship, Ruby practically bouncing while Weiss walked calmly behind her, smiling faintly. Ruby paused. "You know," she started thoughtfully, "you never talk about her."

"Who?" Weiss asked, confused. The question had come out of nowhere.

"Your mom. You've told me about your dad, and I've met your sister, but this is the first time you've mentioned your mom," Ruby explained.

"My mother is..." Weiss began, look it down at her clasped hands. "...not well."

Ruby nodded in understanding, grasping it was a sensitive subject and trying to divert the conversation by asking the heiress, "So, anywhere you want to go first?"

"Well we still haven't had breakfast," Weiss said pointedly.

As if on cue, Ruby's stomach rumbled loudly. She laughed sheepishly. "Yeah food sounds good."

They gradually made their way to Weiss' favorite café (courtesy of Ruby, since Weiss had no sense of direction, even with instructions). Weiss ordered coffee for herself, hot chocolate for Ruby, and muffins for both of them. Ruby slowly sipped on her drink, blowing on it and smiling happily. The two talked as they ate, discussing where they should go next. Ruby still clutching her half-eaten muffin, they left the café and continued their aimless walk.

"Ooh, that's the new weapons store! Yang was telling me about it. She said the owner is super nice," Ruby told her partner.

Weiss indicated the door, and Ruby grinned at her, prancing up the steps with Weiss close behind. The sound of a softly tinkling bell reached their ears, Ruby chatting to Weiss over her shoulder.

"She's gonna get so rich this close to Beacon," Ruby announced, skimming through the weapons magazine stand near the door.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "What is your facination with these?" she asked, gingerly picking up a magazine and pursing her lips.

"Because," Ruby countered simply. "Who cares who plays in movies and stuff? That's all fake anyways. Hunters are much more interesting. There are weapons reviews, information of famous Huntsmen and Huntresses, interviews, new information on Dust and Grimm, mission reports and useful stuff like that," Ruby told her happily. "Look-an article of Faunus rights. Blake would like that."

Weiss' eyes skimmed the white letters printed on the blue background, noticing her family's name mentioned at least three times before looking away disdainfully.

Ruby looked at her curiously, oblivious, then her face caught on the word Schnee and she grimaced. "Oops..."

Ignoring her, Weiss' expression grew determined. "I'm going to change that," she vowed.

"Change what?" Ruby inquired. "Your name?"

"No, dolt," Weiss snapped, Her ears burning. "My father's reputation. When I inherit my father's company, things will be different. I'll make them different."

Ruby smiled, the gesture genuine and kind. "When the time comes, I'll stay with you, if you need me to. I'll do whatever I can to help," the younger girl promised.

Weiss' first instinct was to snap back that she didn't need her help, that she could do it herself, but as soon as the thought formed, the desire to thank her as honestly as Ruby's gesture had been overpowered it. She opened her mouth to speak, just as Ruby continued, saying, "So will Blake and Yang."

Weiss closed her mouth abruptly, looking away. She silently reprimanded herself, telling herself-not for the first time-that she needed to stop overanalyzing Ruby's random acts of kindness. "Come on, dolt," she said curtly, walking to a wall lined with Dust, vials and crystals of any kind a Huntress could ever need. "I'm running low on fire," she mused aloud, running a slender finger down a vial of red Dust. She glanced over her shoulder to see Ruby gaze at the price of the magazine, frown, and slowly set it down before joining the heiress by the Dust. Weiss arched a questioning eyebrow.

Ruby shrugged. "I'm trying to make my money last until vacation. Magazines don't really fit into the budget," she explained glumly.

Weiss frowned faintly. Then she looked back at the Dust. "Are you low on anything?"

"Regular bullets," Ruby said. "But not Dust rounds." She looked at Weiss as she lifted a vial off the shelf. "You have to buy your Dust?"

"Well, I'm not about to steal it."

"But... Your family is the biggest producer of Dust on Remnant, and you're telling me you still have to buy Dust?" Ruby asked incredulously.

Weiss had to admit, she herself hadn't been happy at the prospect, but Winter had encouraged her to be more independent-that meant not running to her father whenever she needed something. "Normally I wouldn't," Weiss told Ruby shortly. "But your brute of a sister thinks I don't notice when she borrows my Dust supplies." Weiss pointedly finger-quoted the word "borrows," rolling her eyes.

Ruby chuckled in embarrassment. "Sorry. I, uh, can talk to her if you want me to," Ruby offered.

"If I needed to I'd talk to her myself," Weiss retorted. Ruby seemed to shrink slightly. "Besides," Weiss continued, allowing a small, apologetic smile, "you girls are my closest friends. A few vials here and there is nothing." She frowned. "Though I wish she would ask permission."

Ruby smiled. Weiss picked up a few more vials as Ruby looked around some more. Weiss waited while Ruby skimmed a rack for the bullets she needed before rejoining her partner. Her lips were pursed unhappily as she read the price. "These should last me... A week or two."

"I can buy them, Ruby," Weiss said, Her voice tinged with exasperation.

Like usual, Ruby waved away the offer. "You to too much for me already. Besides, I don't know how I'd be able to pay you back."

I'm sure you could think of a few ways, Weiss thought unhelpfully, and she felt her ears redden. "You don't need to worry about that, Ruby. What's a little more lien?"

Ruby's silver eyes looked sternly into Weiss' blue ones, and the heiress fought the urge to look away, to eliminate the sense of vulnerability the action brought. "Weiss," the scythe-wielder said seriously. "You have to pay for the Dust you use. I'm not letting you pay for my bullets."

Weiss huffed. "You can't just let me to something nice for you?" she muttered, turning away.

"You do plenty of nice things for me, snow angel," Ruby said, her voice light-hearted once more.

"Like what?" Weiss inquired sharply.

"Well... You're here with me, aren't you?" Ruby asked shyly.

Weiss was almost sure her ears were permanently branded red. You are so immature, she told herself angrily. "This is nothing, Ruby."

"Not to me."

Stop being so sweet. "We're just shopping, dolt."

"I just... I really missed you, Weiss." Weiss looked at the caped girl out the corner of her eyes. Ruby had her head vowed slightly as she spoke. "It was weird..." She smiled, nudging Weiss' arm playfully. "Not having my snow angel."

Weiss felt like screaming in confusion and frustration. Instead she smiled waveringly. "I missed you too, dolt. Now come on." The two approached the counter. A woman with long silver hair sat behind the counter, reading a book. Her red eyes traveled across the page, and stop her head was a pair of long, white rabbit ears. She glanced up as the pair grew closer, smiling kindly, one ear twitching.

"Good morning, girls. Anything I can do for you?" she asked as Ruby gestured for Weiss to pay first.

"No, thank you. We're just here to pick up some supplies," Weiss said, not looking at the Faunus woman as she lay the Dust on the counter.

The Faunus looked at Ruby. "Are you two paying together?"

"Yes," Weiss responded.

"No," Ruby replied simultaneously.

The two girls looked at each other, annoyance clear on both faces. The woman looked between them.

"Weiss, I told you, I'm not letting you pay for my stuff," Ruby said stubbornly.

Weiss pursed her lips. "Just for today," she insisted. "To celebrate."

"You needlessly spending your money on my isn't my idea of celebrating," Ruby countered hotly.

"Celebrate?" the Faunus cut in curiously.

Ruby looked at her brightly. "It's our one year anniversary!"

Weiss coughed pointedly, fighting back the blush that threatened to cover more than just her ears. "As partners. At Beacon."

The Faunus smiled. "You look a little young to be at Beacon," she said to Ruby.

"I got accepted early," Ruby explained. She laughed. "My partner wasn't happy."

"Oh hush, you dolt," Weiss replied indignantly as the woman scanned the Dust vials. Weiss handed her some lien and moved aside for Ruby to pay.

"So what are you guys doing to celebrate?"

"Weiss said she'd make cookies with me later," Ruby said.

"I did no such thing," Weiss replied.

"But Weiss..." Ruby whined.

Weiss glared. "Maybe."

"Awesome."

The Faunus chuckled at the exchange. "Your first year as partners is a very important occasion," the Faunus told them, her voice easy and open.

Ruby looked at her, he silver eyes widening slightly. "Are you a Huntress?" she asked excitedly. Weiss rolled her eyes.

The Faunus smiled. "A retired one, yes. But if the need arises, I'm more than willing to take up arms again."

"What's your name?" Ruby inquired.

The woman chuckled. "Alice White."

Ruby's brow furrowed in thought. The she smiled brighter. "Can I have your autograph?"

Alice laughed loudly. "I'm not famous. I doubt you've ever even heard of me."

"But you're still important!" Ruby insisted, her eyes sparkling, clearly fascinated. It was like seeing one of her magazines come to life. "Where are you from? Where did you go to school? Who was your partner? What was your weapon? Do you have any scars? How long have you been retired?" Ruby fired off question after question without pausing for breath until Alice held up her hands, clearly amused.

"Slow down, there. One at a time," she laughed.

Weiss exhaled slowly, leaning against a wall and getting comfortable. They were going to be there for a while...

"What are your names?" Alice asked.

"I'm Ruby, and that's Weiss," the caped girl said, gesturing at Weiss, who half-smiled, nervousness filling her stomach. Most Faunus didn't take kindly to Schnee's, for good reason.

Alice's red eyes lingered on Weiss' face, but she said nothing, turning back to the obviously-ecstatic Huntress in training. "I'm from Menagerie, and I moved to Mistral to attend Haven. I married a Huntsman from Atlas and moved to Atlas with him. When he died, I moved to Vale."

Ruby's face darkened. "Oh. How did he die?"

"Cancer," Alice said softly. She laughed faintly. "He was so angry about it. He always said he'd die on the battlefield, and we all believed it." She cleared her throat. "But that was years ago. I did solo missions for a few years, retired, and opened up this shop." She smiled, raising her eyebrows as an invatation for Ruby to ask questions.

"Who was your partner?"

"Elisabeth Sterling. She was killed on a Hunt in our fourth year, so you wouldn't have heard of her either."

Ruby's eyes grew wider, sadder, and more sympathetic than they had already been. Fear pitted in Weiss' chest, tearing at her as she considered the posibility of losing Ruby. Would she be able to endure that? Alice clearly had, but...

"As for scars," Alice continued, remembering one of Ruby's earlier inquiries, "the Deathstalker that killed her struck me in the back immediately after. They stopped the poison from spreading and removed it, but the impact scar and the skin around it is still stained black. It's pretty nasty looking," she admitted.

"Does it hurt?" Ruby asked quietly.

"Sometimes," Alice told her. "But not often. Anything else, Ruby?"

Ruby smiled, and Weiss bit back a chuckle. The scythe-wielder had just told the woman her name not too long ago, but it was clear she was happy she hadn't forgotten it yet. "What was your weapon?"

"What is my weapon," Alice corrected, smiling wryly. She kneeled down and reached beneath the counter, lifting up a silver sheath with a white hilt protruding from the open end. Intricate red designs covered the hilt, lacing together like spiderwebs, and white veins criss-crossed the sheath. Alice's hand grasped the hilt, withdrawing a thin, curved, pure white shamshir. There was a slot in the hilt for Dust to be inserted, and at the base of the pommel was a black symbol, an arrowhead. "This is Akira."

"Is that your symbol?" Ruby asked, pointing at the arrowhead.

"No that was Elisa's. That was how we celebrated our anniversary. As partners," she added pointedly, smiling slyly at Weiss.

Ruby's eyes lit up. "Ooh, Weiss, we should do that! Would you?"

Weiss hesitated. She wanted to-it was a way to keep a part of her partner with her wherever she went (Dust that sounds so cheesy... she groaned silently), but where on Remnant would she put it? Myrtenaster was so thin. Despite her doubts, Ruby looked so pleased with the idea... She smiled. "Sure. Why not."

"See, it's not something but, you're not paying for anything, and it'll last!" Ruby said brightly. she grinned at Alice. "Thank you, ma'am! For everything!" she added cheerfully, moving to pull Weiss out the door.

"Where are we going?" Weiss asked.

"We've gotta get paint! And stuff for cookies. Do you think Blake'll paint the symbols for us?"

"Probably."

"Happy anniversary, girls!" Alice called after them. "Don't take these years for granted!"

Ruby hopped down the steps, waiting at the bottom while Weiss walked down them in a much more dignified manner. "We have all day, Ruby."

"I know."

Weiss paused. "I forgot something," she said suddenly.

Ruby laughed. "That's a first," she teased.

"Don't be a pest," Weiss snapped. "Wait here. I'll be quick." Weiss dashed back up the stairs and back inside, leaving Ruby wondering what her partner was buying.

After a few slow minutes, Weiss emerged from the ship. "What'd you get?" Ruby asked, the curiosity eating at her.

Weiss, always so skilled at reading her partner, smirked as they began walking down the street. "Curiosity killed the cat, Ruby."

"Good thing I'm not Blake," the caped Huntress responded immediately.

Weiss let out a genuine laugh that sounded like Ruby has surprised it out of her, and the younger girl smiled at the sound. "I forgot energy Dust," Weiss said.

"Oh. Okay."

"Disappointed?" the heiress teased.

"No," Ruby retorted. "It's it like a weapons store sells cookies."

Weiss looked shocked. "You didn't see them?"

Ruby recoiled. "What? There were cookies?" Ruby spun around as if she were about to sprint back to the shop.

Weiss placed a hand on her shoulder, laughing. "That was a joke, dolt."

Ruby pouted, crossing her arms. "Not funny."

"You just don't see the humor," Weiss replied, turning Ruby and starting to walk down the sidewalk. "Where are we going?"

Ruby paused. "Uh... Well..."

"You don't know?" Weiss guessed dryly.

Ruby shot her a nervous smile. "I've never needed paint before. Everything I needed for my sweetheart was provided for us at Signal."

Weiss sighed and pulled out her Scroll, quickly finding a small arts store. It wasn't long walk, and after fifteen minutes, they had their paints (which they both bought) and had already visited a neighboring store for the baking supplies (purchased by Weiss, against Ruby's wishes). Each of them clutched a small container of paint, one red as a flawless rose and the other the color of untouched snow.

Weiss' finger traced the lid to the red paint as they headed back to the airship that would return them to Beacon. "Ruby?"

"Yeah?" Ruby replied, looking at her with innocent silver eyes, eyes that had seen so much pain but were still able to show pure happiness and honest sympathy, eyes that reminded Weiss of shards from a broken mirror.

"Why were you so excited to meet that Huntress? You see at least seven Hunters every day," Weiss asked.

Ruby pursed her lips, thinking about the question. "It's just... Different, you know? The Hunters that teach is are famous. People know their makes. Not many people know that the woman who runs your local weapons store was once a Huntress. I mean, sure she may not have been well-known, but people owe her so much. Their safety, their lives, their hope, their future... Their appreciation and gratitude that I don't think she gets enough of. She's not parading her title around, but... If I were in her position, I'd want one or two people to be a little interested in what I'd done, what I'd lost." Ruby looked at her, her eyes hopeful, as if she were waiting for Weiss approval.

Weiss pondered her words, her gaze narrowing. "You're ridiculous."

Ruby sputtered. " Wh-what do you mean? Was I wrong? Was that stupid?" she asked worriedly.

"No, it wasn't," Weiss assured her. "It was very perceptive. Impressive. But," she continued, "one minute you're pouting over cookies, the next you say something profound."

Ruby smiled brightly. "I'm full of surprises!" she announced, crying out and bolting forwatmrd as the airship ascended.

"Sit down, dolt," Weiss reprimanded, pulling Ruby into the seat next to her. "You'll hurt yourself."

"Aw, Weissy cares," Ruby teased, looking at Weiss happily.

"Of cours I care," she replied, her ears turning red. "If I didn't, I wouldn't have agreed to put your symbol on my rapier."

"I know," Ruby said, leaning her head on the heiress' shoulder. Weiss stiffened. "This was nice," Ruby said contentedly.

"It was," Weiss agreed.

Ruby looked up at her. "You okay Weiss?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Yes, why?"

"Your ears have been red all day. You don't, like, have a fever or something, right?" Ruby asked, her voice full of concern.

"I'm fine, dolt," Weiss said looking away, positive her ears were growing redder.

Ruby smiled, relaxing back on Her shoulder. "Okay, Weiss."

It was late afternoon by the time the two returned to their dorm room. Yang and Blake had already returned, both laying in their respective beds-Blake reading and Yang on her Scroll.

Ruby lay her bullets and the white paint on the desk by the window, telling herself to ask Blake to paint Crescent Rose later that night.

Weiss lay her paint on top of Ruby's and the bag of ingredients on the ground next to the desk, smiling at the younger girl as she walked towards the bathroom. Ruby pointed at Yang, glaring. "Don't touch my paint."

Yang looked up, a grin spreading over her face. She laid one hand over her chest, asking innocently, "Who, me?"

"Don't play dumb. You know what you've done," Ruby shot back before closing the door.

Weiss placed her Dust vial in a suitcase, glancing at the bathroom door quickly before standing up on her bed and laying something on Ruby's blanket that she had retrieved from the small pack that rested on the small of her back. She quickly scrambled for a pen, writing a more on the object, and slipping back to her bed just as Ruby reopened the door.

"I'm going to go train for a little," Weiss announced, collecting her rapier from where it rested by her bedpost.

Two small noises of acknowledgement met Weiss' ears and as Ruby opened the opened the fridge, she said, "See you at dinner."

"Happy anniversary, girls," Weiss said kindly as she opened the door, closing it behind her before any of them could respond.

Ruby grabbed a soda and a handful of strawberries, slipping off her boots and climbing up to her bed, pausing for a moment.

Laying on her bed was the magazine she had been looking at in the store. On a section of the cover that was white and in familiar looping cursive, a message was written.

Happy anniversary, Ruby Rose. Thank you. For everything. (We'll bake cookies next weekend, if you survive the first week of classes.) Yours, Snow Angel

Silence met Ren's ears as he felt himself slowly wake up. He didn't open his eyes, relishing in the lingering feeling of deep sleep that clung to his mind and body. He let a few more blissful seconds pass in between sleep and wakefulness, waiting for the ritualistic wake-up call brought to him by the perpetual ball of energy he had the pleasure of calling his partner and best friend.

A minute passed, and Ren began to grow uneasy. Nora should have sensed the change in his Aura by now. It never took this long for her to "wake him up." His thoughts began to race, his Aura spiking, and he was sure Nora had to have noticed.

Instead of opening his eyes, he reached out for her bright Aura, but it was clear she wasn't in the room. He could sense he Aura-she was never too far away to prevent that-but she wasn't with him, in their dorm room, where she always was. His mind built a thousand scenarios before tearing each one down, only to have them replaced by even deadlier, crazier possibilities.

He bolted upright, his eyes wide, searching in vain for his partner. He looked to his leader, Jaune Arc, where he stood rummaging through a drawer for clothes.

"Where's Nora?" Ren demanded, fighting down panic.

Unaware of the fear that boiled beneath Ren's calm facade, Jaune yawned before answering. "I think she's in the kitchen. She forgot to pack some supplies and wanted to bribe the head cook with a stuffed Ursa toy," Jaune explained.

Immediately, relief washed over the Huntsman-in-training. She was safe-as safe as she ever got when she was up to something without him.

"I thought you knew where she was," Jaune said. "With that Aura thing."

"I can tell she's not in the room," Ren explained. "And I could find her, but that takes time. I only wanted to be sure she was safe."

Jaune nodded. Both boys were still uneasy to be back at Beacon. So much was the same, but so much was different. It felt too good to be true, that if they relaxed too much disaster would strike once more, or they would open their eyes and realize this was all a dream and chaos still reigned Remnant.

"I wish you could have taught me how to do that Aura trick," Jaune said after a moment.

"Aura sharing is dangerous, Jaune," Ren said. "You know that."

You know it wouldn't have saved her.

"I know," Jaune replied sadly.

Ren put a hand on Jaune's shoulder as he moved to get himself ready for the day. "I miss her too, Jaune."

Jaune gave a small, understanding nod. His lips upturned in a small, supportive smile that reflected the emotions in Ren's eyes. "How long do you think we have until Nora comes back?"

"She's still away from the room, and she left her Scroll on the table, so we'll have to let her in when she does return."

Jaune smiled. Nora had a bad habit of walking in whenever Jaune was changing, and it had made the blonde wary. "Thanks, Ren."

Ren nodded, saying to his leader that he was going to take a quick shower before Nora returned to execute the plan she was sure to have hatched and drag him along for the ride.

By the time he was done, his partner still hadn't come back to the dorm. Jaune was fully dressed, laying on his bed and playing a strategy game on his Scroll. Ren frowned slightly, running a brush through his long black hair and tying it back for the day.

Suddenly there was a frantic knock at the door, and Ren moved to open it. There stood Nora, her ginger hair tousled and her arms full of items Ren didn't get a chance to identify.

"Ren! You're up!" Nora observed, her voice cheerful.

He smiled as she hurried past him, not bothering with a reply. She lay her gifts on the dresser, smiling brightly at her partner. On the dresser now sat a box of pancake mix, a large silver bowl, a measuring cup, and a pan. Ren smiled faintly. "You were in the kitchen?"

"Yup," Nora chirped, grinning. "I gave Chef a stuffed Ursa and he let me borrow all this."

"You should have waited for me to get up. I never have to bribe him."

Nora stuck out her tongue. "Bragging is rude, Renny dear. Besides, Chef is fun to bargain with. Like a pirate. Ooh, do you think he was a chef on a pirate ship? That could explain the tattoos! Do you think he's stolen treasure? He could teach me to sail! That would-"

"Nora."

"Yes, Ren?"

"I don't think Chef was a pirate," Ren said gently.

"That would be super cool, though," she insisted.

"Yes, it would."

The ginger's face lit up like it always did when a new idea crossed her mind. "As your partner, I have decided to assist you in preparing these celebratory pancakes, she announced.

"Celebratory pancakes?" Ren inquired.

"For our anniversary of being partners!" she explained happily. "A whole year at Beacon, and we still haven't been kicked out!" A darker emotion flickered over her eyes and her happiness wavered, before returning. She smiled at Jaune. "Are you going to join us?" she asked.

Jaune looked away. "Maybe later. I think I'm, uh, gonna... Go for a jog. Sorry Nora."

The hammer-wielder smiled again, but it didn't meet her eyes. "Okay. See you later then. I'll save you some pancakes! Well, Ren will, since I'll probably forget, but he won't!"

Jaune smiled halfheartedly as he moved towards the door, slipping his Scroll into the pocket of his jeans. "Thanks guys. See you later."

Jaune closed the door behind him, and a moment passed in silence before Nora looked purposefully at Ren. "Let's go! I'm starving!"

"How are we going to cook them?" Ren asked, knowing full well Nora hadn't thought of that.

True to his guess, Nora's face fell in mild surprise. Then she shrugged, smiling hopefully at him. "We could always use fire Dust...?"

"No," he said firmly. "Not again."

She groaned. "I blow up the dorm one time! How was I supposed to know you can't use Dust to cook?"

"Dust explodes, Nora. Maybe if you spent less class time sleeping you'd remember that," he pointed out, only half teasing.

"But you always help me study, and I like learning from you much more than out actual teachers," Nora justified. "Hey, you should be a teacher, Ren! I'd Hunt and when I come home late you-" she cut herself off, her mouth clamping shut. He pretended not to notice the pause before she continued. "You could teach kids how to Hunt and protect people. We could still Hunt together, just not as much. But not together-together, because Jaune would probably want to come and that would be weird. But we might go on more with just us since we've been best friends forever. Speaking of best friends, what's a pancake's best friend?" Ren started to reply, and not a second passed before Nora added, "Hint: it's not syrup."

Ren hesitated, then opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off again.

"Or butter."

He let a long pause settle, Nora looking at him expectantly. Once he was sure she wasn't going to run over his words, he said calmly, "I don't know, then."

From Oum knew where, Nora produced a bag, cheering gleefully, "Chocolate chips! For celebratory pancakes! Let's go take Chef his stuff back. We can cool in the kitchen." Nora managed to grab both Ren's arm, all her supplies, and open the door. Fearing she'd drop something, Ren took most of the supplies, and they walked down the hall to the Beacon Academy kitchen.

"What makes these pancakes different from ordinary pancakes?" he asked.

Nora, her hands now free, had opened her bag and popped a few chocolate chips into her mouth. "Well, they're eaten in celebration, duh," she explained. More chocolate chips made their way into her mouth. "Plus," she said, swallowing. "They'll have chocolate chips in them." Another handful met the same fate.

"Not if you hold into that bag," Ren pointed out.

"Dust, these are fantastic," Nora said as a reply.

Ren chuckled, shaking his head. He noted vaguely he probably should have been irritated that she was asking him to cook for her but eating before then, but he knew her. A few handfuls of chocolate chips was no where near enough to ruin her appetite, especially for her favorite meal of the day.

"You'd better-" she ate a few more chips, "-take these from me." She made no move to hand him the bag.

He smiled, reaching out for it. She took one more small handful before giving it to him, tossing the chocolate chips into the air and catching (most of) them in her mouth before they could melt on her palm.

They walked down the halls, Nora babbling cheerfully to him while he added his input whenever she asked for it, but otherwise remained quiet, content to listen to the fascinating way her mind worked.

Chef smiled at Ren as they entered the kitchen where the workers were finishing cleaning up. Ren had offered to assist the man in charge of Beacon's host of cooks during his first year, giving him access to the kitchens, which meant his team came down with him, Nora most often.

Ren prepared their breakfast, turning a blind eye while Nora smuggled more chocolate chips. He had made plenty of pancakes to give some to Chef as thanks, as well as share some fairy between the three members of Team JNPR. Ren only had to reprimand Nora once for trying to take one of Jaune's pancakes shortly after inhaling her own.

As they made their way back to their dorm room, Nora groaned. "I feel like I gained ten pounds..."

"Doubtful," he replied.

"Youre right... It must be more...blech..."

He laughed lightly. "I don't think so," he told her as she clutched at her stomach dramatically.

"I'll work it all off tonight," she said, pain forgotten and waving off his reply. She looked at him, her blue eyes hopeful. "Will you come with me?"

He smiled kindly. "Of course, Nora."

She smiled brightly, always so easy to please. "Thanks, Ren! Do you think Jaune's back yet? You still have his pancakes right? I promised him."

"Always, maybe, yes, I know," Ren said, answering each of her questions.

"Good," she replied, sliding her Scroll through the scanner and pushing the door open, about to greet Jaune.

The room was empty.

Nora's face fell, her shoulders slouching in disappointment. "Aw... He's not home yet..."

Ren moved around Nora, laying the plate of pancakes on the dresser for Jaune to eat whenever he returned. Nora hopped onto her bed. "Can I braid your hair?"

"Sure," Ren allowed.

Nora patted the space on her bed, and Ren moved to sit before her.

Nora grabbed her pink brush, one white hair the, and a few bobby pins from off her night stand. She undid Ren's low ponytail and run the brush through his hair smoothly before beginning to make two braids, her gentle fingers twisting the hair and trying the ends. Then she twisted each braid, giggling as she used the bobby pins to pin the braids in coils on the side of his head.

He shot her an unamused look as she laughed, opening her Scroll's camera and showing him his reflection.

"Look! You're Princess Leila!"

"Leia."

"Whatever. Ooh, I'll be Lucas Skywalker."

"Luke, not Lucas," he corrected again.

"What's the difference?" Nora asked. Then she looked at him. "Does this mean I have to kiss you?"

You could," he told her. Her eyes widened, her cheeks flushing before he continued. "But you're actually my brother."

Nora recoiled. "Gross!"

"They didn't know," Ren explained.

"That's still super gross."

"Says the girl that read the Immortal Implements."

"The Mortal Instruments," Nora growled,"and they weren't related!"

"They still kissed when they thought they were. That's still weird. And she kissed her real brother," Ren pointed out.

Nora huffed. "You'd have to read it to understand. She knew, all subconsciously, what was wrong and what was right."

"What's wrong and right?"

Both Ren and Nora looked to the door as Jaune walked in, catching the last bit of their conversation. His eyes landed on Ren's hair and he burst out laughing. "You look like Leia."

"And I'm Lucas Skywalker!"

"Luke," both boys corrected simultaneously.

"Whatever. Jaune, you can be the hot guy with the bear! The guy that plays Indiana Jonas."

"Jones," Ren sighed.

"He's not a bear, he's a Wookie!" Jaune corrected indignantly.

"What-ever!" Nora cried. "What's his name?"

"The Wookie?"

"The hot guy! That killed the green guy in that bar," Nora rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Han Solo?"

"Yeah! You're Han Solo, I'm Luke, and Ren is Leia!"

Both Ren and Jaune made noises that sounded like crosses between coughing and laughter. Ren quickly moved to undo his braids, ignoring Nora's protests.

"Nora, I think you can be Han Solo," Jaune said. "You'd be much better." He grinned at Ren, who glared for a second as he removed the bobby pins and hairties.

Oblivious to the exchange, Nora bounded to the dresser, retrieving Jaune's pancakes and holding them out to him.

"Thank you guys," Jaune said, smiling gratefully.

"Group hug!" Nora announced, pulling the boys towards her and squeezing them tightly. "Happy Anniversary, Team JNPR..." Nora whispered, thankful for their happiness.

Beacon's hallways were the same, but they felt wrong. It was like someone had moved everything an inch to the left, disorienting and hard to pinpoint and very off. He didn't like it. His stomach felt sick as he closed the door on the faces of his teammates, because being around them felt wrong, too. He felt wrong.

His worn-out shoes led him to the courtyard where students shuffled quietly past the Fountain, heads bowed and silence settling over them, and he wondered if they felt wrong like he did.

He watched them for a moment. Some of their heads turned to the stone-and-water monument that had replaced the rubble of the Statue of Heroes. Raw pain and sorrow tore their features as they forces themselves to walk away. Others looked away immediately, nervous, feeling like they were intruding, and their footsteps quickened. No one stopped. He had to.

With his hands in his sweatshirt pocket, absently fiddling with a thread, he shuffled forward. The Fountain's edge reached his knees and was plated with silver, names engraved in the smooth metal, and coins glittered in the water where students had tossed change for respect and good luck.

Jaune pulled a small round coin from the pocket of his jeans. He ran his finger over the surface, the face of some leader he didn't care enough to remember, before tossing it in and watching it splash on the rippling surface and sink to the bottom, nestled among the others that had accumulated after such a short time, each a whisper, a promise, a wish, an apology.

His heavy blue eyes ran over the words, tracing the letters gently, lingering, the names a whisper in his mind. It took only a moment to find the one he was seaching for.

Pyrrha Nikos.

His thumb ran over the name, the heavy feeling of sorrow and wrongness rising in him like the water in the stone circle, filling the brim but not spilling out. The Fountain of the Fallen had been created to honor those lost in the Battle of Beacon and the chaos that followed, names of students from all four Academies etched there.

Jaune turned and sank to the ground, leaning against the Fountain's edge, feeling the cool stone press against his back and a heavy weight compress his chest.

For a long moment he sat in silence, thoughts moving sluggishly through his mind as he breathed deeply. Then like the droplets that splashed faintly against his hair, the words began to tumble out.

Happy Anniversary.

The emotions spilled out of his mouth as if she could still hear him, and he spoke of how wrong it felt and how different things were and how careful everyone was. In two days, they had been avoided, pitied, apologized to, stared at, sympathized with, favored, and comforted, but it was all wrong.

He thought of her smile, her laugh, her bright eyes, her optimism, and he pretended the wetness on his cheeks was water from the fountain. Slowly he caught his breath, his lungs' resistance wavering. What would she want, he asked himself, and he already knew the answer.

She would want them to be happy. To live, to adapt, to move on. To laugh and love and remember but heal. To think of her fondly and without despair and guilt and regret.

So he smiled.

It was forced, any onlooker would think it was painful-in a way it was-and it didn't reach his eyes, but it was a start.

Slowly and suddenly, like a rock tumbling down a cliff, crashing against others and breaking them off to clatter to the ground together, he began to talk about what has changed for the better. Ozpin finally fixed up the spare classrooms, and added an arena behind the school. Nora's new obsession was pirates, after going out to dinner with Team RWBY at a pirare-themed restaurant Ruby picked out-"I just hope I don't come back to the dorm someday and find a pirate ship, like she did when she found out you liked Harry Potter." The words, the memory, hurt but managed made him smile. The look of surprise on Pyrrha's face when Nora turned their room into the Slytherin common room was priceless. Jaune had no idea anyone could own that much Harry Potter merchandise.

He spoke some more, more for himself than anything, happy memories like a knife to his stomach, both old and new, ones she had shared and ones she would never know.

He filled his chest with cold, damp air, opening his eyes and looking at the cloudy gray sky, and he felt wrong. But he knew he wouldn't always. Jaune stood, giving an odd painful goodbye glance at his partners name, and turned, preparing to face a year alone-but not quite. He smiled faintly. He still had Ren and Nora, and they had him. Life goes on, he told himself wavering, and began to walk slowly to the dorm room.

He found himself at their door much quicker than he expected. He could hear them arguing on the other side, though neither of them sounded angry, and he smiled. They would be fine. All of them.

He slid his Scroll through the lock, and silently decided he'd ask them both out to lunch with him-try and get back to easy normality before the stress of classes began.

Oum knew they needed it.

She was muttering again.

She'd been doing it all morning, and whenever he asked what was troubling her, all he got was a particularly sharp glare. That was not uncommon for her, of course, but she usually added some snappy remark that told him nearly everything he needed to know to fix the problem.

Today Ozpin was met with irritated silence, and it was making him anxious.

Had he forgotten something? He was using his cane, he had taken the meds for his leg, he had caught up on most of his paperwork, no one was mad at him (present company excluded), James wasn't trying to get him fired, he had cleaned his glasses, he'd helped some of the students settle back in, his hot cocoa had less sugar than usual, he'd even remembered to announce where the maps were this year.

So why on Remnant was Glynda so upset with him?

Was it stress? This was their first batch of students since the Battle, and he had been afraid the group would be much smaller than usual, but it wasn't. And stress usually didn't start until after initiation.

He searched his mind for the moment the irritation had actually begun. It wasn't until a little after launching the first years into the forest. Has he messed up the briefing? Or was it a student that put her in such a poor temperament? He hadn't been watching the cameras, so that seemed more likely. He watched her swipe the screen of her Scroll, pursing her lips at the footage.

"Miss Goodwitch?" he asked tentatively. Oum, I feel like a student...

She let out a small, irritated breath. "Yes, sir?"

Should he ask what was wrong or just try for conversation? "Have any partners been made yet?"

Without looking at him, she replied in a clipped tone, "Yes. Two pairs. Both have their artifacts and are heading towards the cliff."

"Do their artifacts match?" he inquired.

"No."

"Ah."

A long pause fell between them, and faint gunfire reached his ears. Sensing his interest, Glynda read off a name. "He's fighting a pack of Beowolves."

"Is there anyone around him?"

"Yes."

Ozpin waited for her to elaborate, and when she didn't, he sucked in a tight breath. Oh Dust, it was definitely his fault. Now what was he supposed to do? He couldn't give her his gift with her mad at him. He shifted his weight from his leg to his cane, wracking his brain. Think, Ozpin, think!

Suddenly Glynda gasped, the sound offended and furious. Ozpin looked up, trying to look at her Scroll, hoping for something interesting as Glynda muttered.

"...insufferable little... Detention for the both of them... The year hasn't even started yet..."

"Something wrong, Goodwitch?"

She bristled. "Miss Xiao Long and Miss Belladonna are having a picnic in the middle of initiation!" She snapped, enlarging the footage. The girls' voices poured faintly out of the Scroll's speaker.

Glynda continued to mutter angrily, and he lay a hand on her shoulder. "They're children, Glynda."

Glynda briefly relaxed at the contact, before stiffening again. "Children who are more than capable of controlling themselves."

He smirked. "I remember a certain third year sneaking off to a concert in Vale on a school night and leaving her team to cover for her." Glynda's eyes widened at the memory. "That doesn't exactly sound like control to me. Besides," he chuckled lightly. "Who are they hurting? They're not in the way, and they can handle themselves against Grimm."

Glynda narrowed her eyes at her Scroll. "They're talking to a first year."

Ozpin's smile faltered. "Oh."

"Sir," Glynda asked heavily. "Tell me, because I seem to have forgotten." Ozpin gulped. "How are partners determined?"

"Er... Eye contact?"

"Well," she responded briskly. "This first year just looked at Miss Xiao Long's eyes." the turned on him, her eyes firey green with fury behind her glasses. "So tell me, sir, would this have happened if they had simply stayed out of the way?"

His breath caught in his throat. Dust, you're beautiful.

Glynda recoiled, her eyes wide and her face a shade darker than usual. "P-pardon?"

His eyes widened. "I-"

"Don't try to change the subject!" Glynda snapped, flustered.

"I wasn't! I was just... Making an observation," he told her, recovering quickly. He gave a wry smile, silently grumbling, One that was supposed to stay unspoken...

"That's not the point here, sir," Glynda responded, turning back to the Scroll in her hands. "The point was, they're interfering with initiation, and they know better."

Ozpin smiled, looking at the image over her shoulder and listening closely to the conversation as Yang and Blake swiftly dealt with the first year's bad attitude. "Well, Miss Goodwitch, I believe they've just done us a favor."

"His transcript is wonderful," Glynda defended halfheartedly. "And he's nowhere near as bad a Miss Schnee was last year."

Ozpin smiled in agreement. "We've seen far worse, you and I."

Glynda smiled faintly. "We've seen good though, too."

Taking advantage of her sudden good mood, he breathed quietly, "Happy Anniversary, Glynda."

She gave a quiet chuckle. "I thought you forgot," she admitted.

"Never," he told her, his voice faintly amused, very relieved. That explains why she was so angry with me. He produced a small box from his pocket, holding it at his side and waiting to present it to her.

"How long has it been?" Glynda asked, her voice distant.

"Twenty years," he said, smiling fondly.

She breathed out slowly. "We're old..."

"Thirty-seven isn't that old. And you aren't any less beautiful," Ozpin told her charmingly as she rolled her eyes. He held the box out, and she looked down curiously at that.

It was small, just smaller than his palm. It was dark green, much darker and duller than the green of Ozpin's clothes. Glynda gave a small surprised smile.

"For you, Miss Goodwitch," he said pleasantly, pressing the box gently into her hands.

She slowly lifted the lid, her eyes widening. "Oh, Oz..." she breathed. "It's beautiful." She pulled the item from within the box, holding it up. It was a silver necklace with a bright green teardrop-shaped pendant, glittering in the sunlight.

"It matches your eyes," Ozpin said.

Glynda smiled happily, peering closer to the pendant and catching darker flecks within it. "Oz, you didn't have to."

"I wanted to," he assured her.

She reached behind her neck to clip the necklace together. He reached out, his fingers brushing hers as he took the end, and attatched them, smoothing the thin chain on her neck. His fingers lingered on the on the nape of her neck, brushing hairs that had strayed from their bun, and Glynda fought back a shiver. She could feel his breath on her neck and a blush creeping into her cheeks before she chastised herself sharply. You're an adult! Act like it! She cleared her throat. "Thank you, sir."

"Ozpin," he corrected gently, moving to stand beside her again. Silence fell, and he sighed, taking a sip of his hot cocoa. "Twenty years," he said thoughtfully, "and you still won't date me."

Glynda let out a small laugh, and Ozpin smiled at the sound. "Sure I'll date you." As if sensing the sudden speechless shock that had lit up his face, Glynda looked at him, flashing a rare teasing smirk. "Eventually."

Ozpin relaxed, slightly disappointed. It had been too good to be true. "How far away is eventually?" he asked.

"Hm..." Glynda pondered that. "Retirement," she decided.

He was silent for a moment, and she looked at him, worried she might have upset him. "Oz?"

He was smiling brightly, looking at the clouds above the bright green trees. Without looking at her, he spoke, his voice relaxed and sounding as if that promise had shed ten years off his age.

"I can wait."