A/N: Everyone has been getting ready for the upcoming dance. Some except Blake, who Yang eventually has a talk with in regards to how she's been for a while now.

Ruby, looking all glum, was resting her head on her hand and staring into the distance before she's startled by Weiss slamming her palm on the table.

Weiss: I need you to pick a tablecloth.

She showed two tablecloths to ruby, both seeming to be similar shades of white

(Y/N): they're both the same.

Weiss: I don't even know why I asked!

Weiss walks out while Yang was carrying a massive speaker on her shoulder, which bounces her sister and the table she's moping on again to jump in the air when she drops it on the ground.

Yang: So, have you picked out a dress yet?

Ruby: What's the point? Who cares about the dance if Blake isn't going?

(Y/N): Oh, don't worry. she's going. Just give it time.

Yang then looked over to the door way, exasperated.

Yang: Weiss! I thought we agreed: No doilies!

Weiss: If I don't get doilies, you don't get fog machines!

Sun and Neptune soon came in.

Neptune: Your dance is gonna have fog machines?

(Y/N): wrong time boys.😐

Weiss then stepped up to him and gave off a sweet attitude.

Weiss: We were thinking about it...

Neptune: That's pretty cool.

Sun: You ladies all excited for dress-up?

Ruby: Pfft... Yeah, right!

Yang: Laugh all you want. I'll be turning heads tomorrow night!

Weiss: What are you two wearing?

Sun: Uuhhh... this?

He gestured to his current shirtless outfit.

Neptune held a hand in front of sun's face.

Neptune: Ignore him for he knows not what he says.

Sun: Hey, I may have moved to Mistral, but I grew up in Vacuo. It's not exactly a shirt-and-tie kind of place.

Yang: Yeah, we noticed.

(Y/N): seriously. -_-

He then rubbed the back of his head while asking.

Sun: Soooo... what does Blake think of all this? She still being all, y'know... Blake-y?

(Y/N): sorry sun, but unfortunately yes. And we still can't change her mind.

Yang: Guys. Trust me; Blake will be at the dance tomorrow.

(Y/N): "sighs" I hope you're right.

Blake was sitting at one of the library tables with a holographic screen in front of her while being more sleep-deprived than ever and barely focusing on what she's seeing... until a small, bright red light appeared out of nowhere. Blake's eyes follow it down to her hand, then it disappeared. She turned around, looking irritated, but no one among the tables was the one. She turned back to the computer and started typing on the beeping keyboard before the laser dot appeared on her hand briefly, prompting her to look around again and still find no one. The red point showed up on the screen, moving around in circles until Blake pounded her fists on the table and stood up from her chair to find the light on the floor. She started to follow it blindly through shelves of books until both the dot and her turned the corner, only for Blake to bump, shocked and shaken out of her more "animal" instincts, into Yang, Who waved her left hand while her right one held a laser pointer.

Yang: He-lloooo!

Blake: What are you...

She grabbed Blake's arm.

Yang: We need to talk.

(Meanwhile).

Ren sighed in contentedness as started to walking away from the steaming bathroom in a pink towel, only to be stopped by Jaune.

Jaune: We need to talk!

Jaune pulled his teammate away. And they sat in the dorm with Ren still in the pink towel.

Jaune: Ren ...I'm just gonna say it. You are one of my best friends. These past few months, I feel like we've really bonded, even though you don't say much. I mean, you're really quiet. To be perfectly honest, I don't know that much about you, personally, but darn it, I consider you to be the brother I never had!

Ren: And I you.

He said as he glanced at his usual outfit hanging by the door.

Jaune: Which is why I wanted to get your advice on... girls.

Ren: Girls?

He said as he started reaching out for his clothes while Jaune was looking away.

Jaune I just... don't know... how to... girls. Um, I....I guess what I'm asking is... Well, how did you and Nora ...y'know...

Ren gave an awkward look.

Ren: Uh ...uh ...uh...

Nora cleared her throat to get their attention on her, wearing nothing but her emblazoned headphones, a "BOOP" T-shirt, and pink lightning bolt underwear as she reads a book resting on her knees, before she laughed nervously.

Nora: We're actually not "together-together...

Jaune: NORA I SAID HEADPHONES ON!

Nora as Jaune command very quickly.

Ren: Jaune, what is this all about?

Jaune gave a sigh as he looked down at the floor before speaking.

Jaune: It's Weiss. I'm completely head-over-heels for her, and she won't even give me a chance. She's cold, but she's also incredible. She's smart, and graceful, and talented. I mean, have you heard her sing? I ...I just wish she'd take me seriously, y'know? I wish I could tell her how I feel without messing it all up.

Pyrrha: Then do it.

He looked up to see Pyrrha in the doorway, with Ren and Nora doing the same.

Jaune: Uh, wha?

Pyrrha: Tell her exactly what you said. No ridiculous schemes, no pick-up lines. Just... be honest.

Jaune: But what if I.....

Pyrrha: Jaune. You can't get it wrong if it's the truth.

Jaune: You're right.

He stood up.

Jaune: Thanks, Pyrrha!

He looked back to his bed as he got out.

Jaune: Good talk, Ren!

Ren smiled and waved while Jaune closed the door. Upon doing so, Pyrrha became noticeably less cheerful as she walked over to her desk, with Nora gigging a concerned look before sighing.

Nora: Practice what you preach, Pyrrha.

Back with Yang and Blake, who were in an empty classroom as they were talking.

Blake: Yang, if you're going to tell me to stop, you may as well save your breath.

Yang: I don't want you to stop; I want you to slow down.

Blake: I don't have the luxury to slow down.

Yang: It's not a luxury; it's a necessity.

Blake: The "necessity" is stopping Torchwick.

Yang: And we're going to. But first you have to sit down and listen to what I have to say.

She said as she patted the part of the desk across from her. Blake only looked away for a moment until she eventually relents and drapes her legs over the desk's edge.

Blake: Fine.

Yang: Ruby and I grew up in Patch, an island off the coast of Vale. Our parents were Huntsmen. Our dad taught at Signal, and our mom took on missions around the kingdom. Her name was Summer Rose, and she was, like... Super-Mom: Baker of cookies and slayer of giant monsters. They were good friends with a few Arcosians before what happened too. And then... one day she left for a mission and never came back.

She said as she looked down and Blake looked sorry for her.

Yang: It was tough. Ruby was really torn up, but... I think she was still too young to really get what was going on, y'know? And my dad just kind of... shut down. It wasn't long before I learned why. Summer wasn't the first love he lost; she was the second. The first ...was my mom.

Blake looked amazed as Yang kept talking.

Yang: He wouldn't tell me everything, but I learned that the two of them had been on a team together with Summer and Qrow, and that she'd left me with him right after I was born. No one had seen her since.

Blake: Why did she leave you?

Yang: That question... Why?

She sighed as she got off the desk and walked to the chalkboard, picking up a piece of chalk.

Yang: I didn't know an answer, but I was determined to find out. It was all I thought about. I would ask anyone I could about what they knew about her.

Yang started to draw on the board with the chalk.

Yang: Then, one day, I found something. What I thought was a clue that could lead me to answers, or maybe even my mother. I waited for Dad to leave the house, put Ruby in a wagon, and headed out. I must've walked for hours. I had cuts and bruises, I was totally exhausted, but I wasn't gonna let anything stop me. When we finally got there, I could barely stand, but I didn't care; I had made it. And then I saw them. Those burning red eyes... There we were: A toddler sleeping in the back of a wagon and a stupid girl too exhausted to even cry for help. We might as well have been served on a silver platter. But, as luck would have it, our uncle showed up just in time. My stubbornness should've gotten us killed that night.

Blake: Yang ...I'm sorry that happened to you, and I understand what you're trying to tell me, but this is different. I'm not a child, and this isn't just a search for answers! I can't just...

Yang was still facing the board as she was clenching her fist.

Yang: I told you: I'm not telling you to stop! I haven't! To this day, I still want to know what happened to my mother and why she left me, but I will never let that search control me. We're going to find the answers we're looking for, Blake. But if we destroy ourselves in the process, what good are we?

Blake: You don't understand! I'm the only one who can do this!

Yang: No, you don't understand!

She turned around sharply as her hair lightly glowed and her eyes were red.

Yang: If Roman Torchwick walked through that door, what would you do?

Blake: I'd fight him!

Yang: You'd lose!

She pushed Blake away.

Blake: I can stop him!

She tiredly tried to do the same to Yang, but she didn't even budge.

Yang: You can't even stop me!

She pushed Blake again, knocking her to land on the desk. Yang, still angry, walked toward Blake as she got up, but then embraced her in a hug. Yang's eyes go back to purple.

Yang: I'm not asking you to stop. Just please, get some rest.

She pulled back to look at her partner.

Yang: Not just for you, but for the people you care about.

She stepped away and started walking past the startled cat Faunus.

Yang: And if you feel like coming out tomorrow, I'll save you a dance.

Yang winked down at Blake, and Blake stared at Yang as she left the room. Unknown to either of the two, you were near the door way and heard the whole thing going on. You let out a light sigh as this happened.

(Y/N): .......Here's hoping that you managed to get through to her, Yang.

You whispered to yourself.

(TimeSkip).

Jaune was walking through Beacon Academy until he stopped at the entrance of a hallway with the sound of a certain voice, causing him to duck behind the columns outside.

Weiss: Neptune!

She said as she walked past Jaune, who was peeking around the corner as she was going up to Neptune.

Neptune: Oh, uh, hey, what's up?

Weiss: I know this is a little unorthodox, but... I wanted to ask you something.

She put her hands behind her back trying to look innocent as Jaune dropped his smile and recoiled at the oncoming words.

Weiss: Would you... like to accompany me to the dance tomorrow?

While Neptune rubbed the back of his head and smiled with raised eyebrows, Jaune lost all of his confidence and dropped the rose on the ground before walking back from where he came from.

(Give the guy a break already).

In another room, Yang was in a short white dress with black heels as she stood at a podium. You were in a white prom outfit, different from the usual black ones. The doors in front of you two opened and saw Ruby in a red dress with black lace, belt and pumps.

(Y/N): Nice.

Yang: Ooohh, you look beautiful!

Ruby: Can we have a serious talk about how Weiss fights in these?

She tried to maintain her balance as she walked to the podium, much to Yang's amusement.

Meanwhile outside, Sun was walking around and wearing a new black jacket with a white tie hung around his neck, which he proceeds to fight with before going inside.

Sun: Stupid ...dumb ...neck trap!

Blake: I knew you'd look better in a tie.

Sun stopped and stared at the dark purple dress worn by Blake, now looking like she traded her dark bags for violet eyeshadow, as she stepped forward and took him by the arm.

Sun: Sooo, does this mean we're going ...together?

Blake: Technically, though my first dance is spoken for.

Inside the ballroom, streamers were hung through glass chandeliers, pink and blue balloons were everywhere, and students in dark suits and bright dresses were stepping with each other to the music between the white-clothed tables. Blake was spun around by Yang before they curtsey to one another, and Sun came up and took his date's hands as Yang gestured for him to do so. She goes to hang with You, Ruby and Weiss in the back of the room, watching Blake laugh and enjoy herself before smiling at her team.

Yang: I told you she would come.

Weiss: Mission accomplished.

(Y/N): What a relief.

Ruby: Soooo, what do we do now?

Yang: Just have fun!

She proceeded to walk away and do so as Weiss walked the other direction. Ruby then shouted to Yang.

Ruby: Does that mean I can change out of these stupid things and into my hood now?

After receiving no answer, she waddled around in her painful footwear.

Ruby: Stupid lady stilts!

(Y/N): X3

Ozpin: Not enjoying yourself?

Ruby was surprised to see the headmaster step up by her side. But she shoke her head and laughed.

Ruby: Oh, no, everything's fine! I'm just not much of a fancy pantsy ...dancey girl.

(Y/N): Dancey? 😐

Ozpin: Well, you can't spend your whole life on the battlefield, even if you may want to.

Ruby: Yeah, that lesson's been floating around a lot lately.

Ozpin: If you think about it, fighting and dancing aren't so different. Two partners interlocked, although one wrong move on the ballroom merely leads to a swollen foot.

Ruby: Or a twisted ankle.

Ozpin: It's not every day that friends are able to come together like this. Time has a way of testing our bonds, but it's nights like these that can help keep them stronger than ever. Nights like these are ones we'll never forget.

Ruby smiled at the words of wisdom but turned her head at the sound of the doors opening up. Yang was back behind the podium, and smiled to see Cinder, Emerald and Mercury arriving.

Yang: You guys are just in time!

Mercury: Wouldn't miss it for the world.

A/N: and next chapter comes Cinder in a black stealth suit.