Chapter 19: DanceDancePreparation

"Pst."

Weiss turns around, but nobody's there. She scratches her head with her pencil, then goes back to work. With her and Yang being chosen to finish what team CFVY started. She is somewhat distracted by a development that happened earlier between Blake and Sun. In fact, the whole team is worried about Blake at this point. You can tell just by looking at her that she-

"Hey Weiss."

Weiss turns around again to find nobody. She frowns and squints her eyes. The voice is telling as to who it is, and it's not helping Weiss. But, she carries on with her planning and thinking. Blake needs to relax, and there's only one way to do that. The rest of RWBY is going to make her go to the dance, no matter what. That's part of why it's hard to plan this dance. She has to make sure that-

"How're you?"

"Will you stop?" Weiss shouts, getting out of her chair and turning around.

Everyone around her stares at her like she's insane. Nobody else is there. Nobody has even talked to Weiss during her time in the library. Weiss notices all the glances and internally growls. She sits back down, tapping her heel incessantly.

From some distance away you're killing yourself laughing at Weiss' expense. You teleport back to your original location.

"What're you laughing about?" Glynda asks, her arms crossed.

You shake your head as you laugh, waving your arms in front of you.

"N-Nothing. I was j-just cycling between four locations like you said," you answer. "Actually... I need to do it one more time, hang on!"

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Yang stands outside the bathrooms, her hair flaring up and her eyes a deep red. She's breathing heavy as she stands still, ready to punch anything around her. You arrive behind her in a small mist of shadow. You lean behind her and quickly whisper.

"Banana."

The moment the last syllable leaves your lips you teleport right out of there. Yang howls, turning around and punching the wall, activating her weapon at the same time.

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Glynda awaits your return. Suddenly you're back and a quick explosion erupts in the distance. You're killing yourself laughing, unable to even speak at that point. Glynda grinds her teeth. She slaps your arm with her riding crop.

"Ha- OW!" You complain, rubbing your arm. "What was that for?"

"What were you doing? I told you to practice your range and fluency, and you're torturing other students."

You cross your arms and look away.

"I am not," you retort.

"I'M GONNA FIND YOU (Y/N)! AND WHEN I DO! GAAAAH!" Yang announces to all of Beacon, her tone making the toughest students quiver in their boots.

Glynda leans on her hip and stares disappointedly at you. You keep looking away, innocently blinking to try and deflect any responsibility. Eventually you start to laugh from the heat of Glynda's constant stare.

"Okay, okay, but how can this not be funny?" You laugh.

"Can you please take this seriously? I'm trying to help you with this"

"You have helped me!" You nod. "All the training I did on my own and with you has helped a ton! But there's still one major problem still lingering."

"And that is?" Glynda asks, putting her hands behind her back and standing as straight as she can.

"I don't know what to call it," you whisper.

Glynda sighs at your predicament. It can't be serious like aura control and usage of this newfound power. No, it has to be what this will be called. She lets her head rest in her hand to try and deal with your... priorities.

"Can you not just call it 'teleportation?'?" Glynda asks, waving her hand away from her face then returning to the same position.

"No, no, no, no," you wave her off. "That's boring – dull. I need something more. Teleportation... Translocation..." You lift your hand to your chin as you pace back and forth in front of Glynda. "But I turn into a shadow when I'm going... so... Shadow Translocation? No, that's lame. Shadow... Shadow... Translocation... Transmission... ha!" You shout. "Shadow Transmission!"

"Why do I deal with you?" Glynda asks herself, shaking her head.

"But maybe that's the overall name. I mean, it feels different depending on what I do!"

This part piques Glynda's interest. In truth, your semblance is a unique one that's interesting to the Huntress, but your inability to take the training serious is what's holding back any hope of her learning more about your telepo- no, Shadow Transmission.

"And what do you mean by that?"

You turn your back to Glynda, then turn your head to see her and point at your shoulder.

"Put your hand on my shoulder. I'll show you."

Glynda lightly grabs your shoulder.

"Alright, give me a minute. Let's go to... hm... Atlas?"

"You can make it to Atlas?" Glynda exclaims in surprise.

You nervously chuckle.

"Well, I haven't tested it. But that might drain me too much. Hm... how about..."

You close your eyes and allow yourself to find where you're thinking. This is something you haven't been able to explain to Ms. Goodwitch or anyone else: how you actually teleport. In short range it's basically sight. You can see where you want and go there with ease. But when going somewhere out of the immediate area, or somewhere out of eye sight, it's different. It's almost like time slows down and you see farther than your eyes could ever allow. The closest thing you can describe is as if you dissociate yourself from your body and scour through Remnant as you find where you want to go. Then once you arrive there, you "lock on" and can leap there with your ability.

So you find a place you've been before and bring you both there. In an instant you and Glynda appear at ground zero of Aza's kamikaze attempt. You huff once the transition is complete, but Glynda feels uneasy.

"That... was different," Glynda speaks.

"Yeah, right? Now remember that feeling."

Once again you teleport, but this time only a few feet away. Glynda lets go of your shoulder once the final move is complete. You turn to face Glynda, a question ready.

"You feel how those two are different feelings, right?"

Glynda nods. She's unsure how to describe what just feeling sent chills down her spine twice, but they were two distinct feelings.

"So, they should be named differently!"

Glynda sighs.

"Still on the naming topic?"

"I'm almost done," you assure. "Now, they both feel different as you've agreed. So why not give them both different names? Now, I got this Glynda!" You nod, way too enthusiastic about this than you should be. "Soooooo, I say that a short range teleport is sort of a step while a long range is definitely a leap!"

"So, just to clarify," Glynda starts, appeasing your childish outburst. "This was pointless?"

You pout at Glynda, which does make her snicker. She takes in a deep breath as she looks around the area. She finally recognizes the dust, crater, and overall destruction.

"(Y/N)... is this... is this where you fought Aza?"

"Oh, heh, yeah," you rub the back of your head. "I couldn't think of anywhere else that wasn't too far away. But I don't really wanna stay here, you know? Not fond of a place I nearly died at. Aaaand we should get back to Beacon. Glynda!" You jump and spin around, then point at your shoulder. "Load up!"

Glynda stares at you with utter disappointment. You huff.

"Please just let me have this."

Glynda rolls her eyes as she places her hand on your shoulder.

"Does it have to be the shoulder?" She inquires.

You shake your head.

"I don't think so. It can really be anyone touching me, which I should probably work on. But I just assumed you didn't want to hold my hand or something," you honestly answer.

Glynda nods in acknowledgement. With no distractions, you take a few second to lock on to Beacon, then leap back to your original location, which was just a separate courtyard on the grounds.

Glynda removes her hand from your shoulder and fixes her clothes.

"The feeling doesn't go away," she says to herself. "Well, we shall continue practicing your semb-" You give her a hopeful stare. She sighs in defeat. "We'll continue practicing your Shadow Transmission." You smile happily. "At a later date. I bid you farewell, (Y/N)."

"Actually, Ms. Goodwitch, I have a favour to ask you," you pipe up.

Glynda returns her eyes to you.

"Oh? What is it that you need?" She courteously asks.

You rub the back of your head, trying to figure out how to phrase it.

"Well... um... can I drop by your room, later?" Glynda's eyes widen and she adopts a crimson tint.

"Wh-What for?" She blurts out.

You don't notice her state since you're staring at her black heels.

"Well... I need your help with something and I don't really want to do it in front of everyone."

"(Y/N), what is it you want?" Glynda demands, wishing to clear the air from any improper assumptions.

You squirm a bit.

"Well... I, heh... I need help... with dancing."

"Dancing?"

You nod.

"I can't really dance, but I wanna knock it out of the park this weekend! I thought you would be the best person to ask. Well, maybe Ozpin, but I find it would be easiest with a female dancing partner. So... can I?"

Glynda sighs, but she still smiles. She nods her head.

"Sure. Come by my quarters around nine o'clock. Do NOT 'leap' or 'step' or whatever into my room. Simply walk up to my door and knock."

You chuckle, but nod.

"Yes ma'am. Thank you, Ms. Goodwitch!"

"My pleasure. Now go on. I'm sure your friends would enjoy your company."

"Sure. Thanks for the training. We'll definitely continue," you shout before leaping away, leaving only a lingering shadow to remember you by.

Glynda shakes her head as she rests her arms on her hips.

"That boy will be the death of me some day. Though dancing with him... it might bring back those times."

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Glynda brushes down her dress, making sure everything is perfect. Her shimmering black dress is laced with Dust to make it sparkle. The use of Dust in clothing is not unique, but Glynda's spent some time making the dress for this night, and she is extremely pleased with the result. It curves around her neck and drops down which results in a large portion of her back being shown, and also a bit of cleavage to indulge her boyfriend. It beautifully flows down to her black heels that complement the black dress.

Her hair is curled down her back with her bangs done by her teammate. She takes in a deep breath and exhales to rid herself of the butterflies. She's so scared for tonight. She's so excited for tonight. She gets to attend a dance with a man she's cared about for months now. One who's made her laugh, made her worry, made her damn near insane, but has always been there for her no matter what.

Glynda gives herself one last check, making sure everything is perfect for tonight. She made sure to kick all her other teammates out so it'll just be her and Jet when he arrives to take her there. The moment she thinks it, a solemn knock catches her attention. She brushes herself off once again, takes a deep breath and approaches the door. Her slender fingers wrap around the cool door handle. Everything seems to be taking forever for her, but that's likely because she's so excited and nervous. She doesn't even know why she's acting like a schoolgirl about to hold hands with her first crush.

Glynda shakes off the butterflies then opens the door. Jet's swinging his hips as he waits. This time around Jet's wearing a baby blue suit that... who knows where he got it. Though it suits him, somehow.

"Oh!" Jet stops, standing straight and tall. "Hey, uh... I got you this," he says before holding out a collection of flowers. "Sorry it took so long. I saw them and thought, meh, why not grab'em for you. Probably need more time to prepare anyway. I hear girls need that, not that I'd know. Well, I mean I wouldn't know other than you," he rambles.

Glynda smiles at him. Even the confident Jet Slater is somewhat nervous at this, which puts Glynda's mind at ease. She takes the flowers from Jet's hand and smells them. He has a surprising taste in flowers; that, or he got really lucky in choosing a clever blend of aromas.

"They're beautiful, Jet. I'll set them up when we get back," she smiles, setting them inside a nearby water bottle that was conveniently there.

"Right, though I doubt we'll be back for a while. Harrier said it might drag on till one or two in the morning," Jet chuckles, rubbing his neck.

Generally Jet rubs the back of his head, but he doesn't want to mess up his hair tonight, not that it's vastly different from the messiness is usually is, but tonight a few less strands of hair are trying to flee the wave.

"A night to enjoy ourselves, then. Come, let's not keep everyone waiting," Glynda comments, to which Jet nods.

Glynda exits her dorm, ensuring the door is closed. Once she's out of the room. Jet slips beside her, offering his arm.

"M'lady," he bows his head.

Glynda rolls her eyes but does not argue being treated as a princess tonight. She wraps her arm around his and rests her head on his shoulder. The two leave the dormitories and make their way to the ballroom where the dance is taking place.

All around are couples, be them in a relationship or simply a friendship. Everyone is as spic and span as they can tonight. Every girl has spruced themselves up to the fullest, a luxury – or chore – that they don't get very often in their line of work. Still, a night to enjoy with your friends without having a care in the world is a much needed grace for a Huntsman, even those in-training.

The two approach the ballroom and enter through the doors, nodding at the professors who chaperone this event. Inside is a bunch of students with drinks in their hand – punch, of course. Those without drinks are dancing on the dancefloor, having a great time with their friends. Jet picks out Harrier from the crowd, standing with the rest of their team. Jet and Glynda approach Harrier. Even with a new suit and everything, Harrier keeps wearing his shades glasses. Jet chuckles at this.

"Still wearing glasses, Harrier?" Jet calls out, grabbing the groups attention.

Harrier smiles at his brother, both for his arrival and the pure joy on his and Glynda's face. He can tell already that they're just happy to be with each other.

"You know I've worn glasses since I was a kid, brother."

Jet nods.

"That's true. I don't think I've ever seen your eyes. Do they glisten?" He chuckles.

Harrier laughs as well, though he shakes his head. He's unsure why Jet's saying this though. He's seen him without glasses before.

"No, no. I just don't like the lights. But Glynda," he says, changing the subject. "You look marvelous tonight."

Glynda bows her head.

"Thank you Harrier. You look quite dashing yourself."

"Come on," Jet laughs, dragging Glynda to the dancefloor. "I didn't come here to chat."

"Gah, Jet! Calm down," Glynda giggles.

And thus the night proceeds on with laughs, dancing, and far too many jokes from one Jet Slater. But as the night progresses people begin to tire out. The dances slow down to ones full of emotion for those who wish to share them. Currently Jet and Glynda are participating on one of those dances. Their movements are slow as they hold each other in their arms, Glynda's head rests against Jet's stomach as they slowly twirl around.

"Hey... Glynda," Jet whispers. Glynda lifts her head from Jet's chest and looks up at him. His cheeks are red, and his confidence is oddly gone. "I... I love you. You know that, right?"

Glynda freezes up. They both stop moving. Glynda's heart skips a beat when she hears those words. She can't believe that Jet actually admitted loving her. She... she's so happy. Glynda grabs Jet's cheeks and pulls him into a passionate kiss. Some of the students not dancing notice, but they refrain from staring.

Glynda pulls away and gazes into Jet's eyes.

"I love you too. Oh, I love you too!" She exclaims, wrapping her arms tighter around him and burying her head in his chest.

Jet smirks. As he looks up he sees Harrier watching them. He nods at his younger brother, and all Jet can do is roll his eyes.

"Shut up," Jet mouths.

Harrier chuckles, then goes back to chatting with Glynda's team. This is his brother's night. Perhaps one day, when it's Harrier's night, Jet will do the same thing and look away.

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You leap in front of the cafeteria. You're not hungry, per se, but you had nowhere else to really go. You're unsure where everyone is. After Glynda's class where Pyrrha handily defeated CRDL then had a hand at some other student from Haven. That fight was odd to you, however. You don't think he was going all out, but you may have been wrong. You meant to congratulate him after the victory, but he and his partner, a green haired woman, left before you could talk to them. Though you did attempt to give chase, Glynda stopped you for some practice with your semblance.

But maybe you can find someone to talk to, or do anything with. You're kind of bored at the moment, even if you JUST left Glynda. You throw your hands in your pocket and start walking through the grounds of Be-

"GOT YOU!" Yang shouts.

You look to the side right as you hear Yang's weapon go off.

"GAH!" You shout before stepping a few feet ahead of you.

Yang looks around for where you are and quickly finds you.

"Y-Yang, lets act like civilised people here," you propose, hands in front of you.

"I BROKE A BATHROOM!"

"And that's... your fault."

Yang's flames shoot higher than before. You fold in on yourself, regretting what you just said. Yang fires a concussive shot at you, which you easily step away from. However, when you reappear you notice that Yang's shot is going right for another student from Haven. Your face widens as you realize the implications of this, because no doubt you would be blamed some way or another. You run forward then step to their location. Keeping the momentum of your speed, you exit your step still running, wrap your hands around the Haven girl's waist, and then step away from the blast zone.

Beacon's floor erupts, sending shrapnel all over the place, but doesn't hurt any nearby students. Yang instantly calms down when she realizes she nearly hit a visiting student. You, on the other hand, are holding the woman still. You look over at Yang, shaking your head, then gaze into the woman's stunning amber eyes, well one since the other is somewhat covered by silky, raven black hair.

"He- oh... hey, you okay?" You ask, putting on a smile.

Cinder looks up at you. Her eyes widen when she realizes who she's staring at.

"(Y/N) Slater, pleasure to meet you," you greet as you pull her closer while you step back, allowing you both to stand up straight. "And you are?"

Cinder moves some of her hair out of the way.

"Oh, you can call me Cinder," she winks. "Thanks for the save, (Y/N). How did you do that, anyway?"

As Cinder speaks Emerald and Mercury take a few steps closer, but don't include themselves in your conversation.

"Oh, heh, it was nothing," you humbly smile, rubbing the back of your neck. "It's just my semblance, Shadow Transmission. I can go anywhere I want in an instant."

"So... you can teleport?" Cinder clarifies.

You let your shoulders fall and exhale.

"Why does everyone call it that," you whisper. "Yeah, I guess. But I like my name better."

"It does seem to fit you," she smiles. "And it got me out of some trouble. I guess I owe you one, (Y/N) Slater."

"Heh, nah, it's nothing. Can't have a visitor getting hurt because SOMEONE CAN'T CONTROL THEIR TEMPER!" You shout, leaning your head towards Yang.

Yang approaches you and Cinder.

"You're the..." Yang huffs. "Whatever. I'm sorry for almost hitting you because of this IDIOT'S acts," she says as she grabs your neck and puts you into a headlock.

"Hey, no! Let me go, Yang!" You shout, flailing your arms about.

Cinder giggles at the display.

"Well, seems you're busy. Maybe I'll see you around?" She says as she strolls towards her teammates.

"Yeah," Yang waves. "Sorry again!"

"It's quite alright," Cinder chuckles.

Cinder rejoins her group and they walk away from you and Yang.

"Cinder, what wa-"

"Quiet, Mercury," Cinder snaps, returning to her dominating persona. "Today is not a good day, and Adam is about to be my outlet."

Yang continues to strangle you, her eyes flaring back to red.

"And you, you snot nosed runt, are about to get the beat down of your life!"

"Come on, you weren't the only one! It's not my fault!"

Yang pauses for a moment.

"So I wasn't enough? You needed other people?" Yang questions, getting offended.

"Wa-what? Why does it matter?" You whine, struggling.

"Was my reaction not good enough for you? Who else did you do this to? Did they do something that was funnier than me?"

"Does that even MATTER?"

"YANG? What're you doing?" A young voice shouts.

You and Yang look to the source of the voice. Ruby has her hands on her hips as she speedily walks towards you both.

"Oh, hey Ruby," Yang chuckles. "Just giving (Y/N) the punishment he deserves."

"Where was my trial?" You shout in anguish.

"You didn't get one," Yang says through her teeth.

"I call injustice!"

"Yang, let (Y/N) go! I need your help!"

Yang begrudgingly releases her grip, mumbling under her breath as she does so. You look to Ruby and nod your head, thanking her. In truth you could have escaped if you really wanted to, but there was no point in doing anything drastic in your previous situation.

"What do you need my help with?" Yang curiously asks, calm when speaking to her sister.

Ruby goes a shade of red since you're nearby. She doesn't want to say it in front of you.

"Um... I-I'll explain it in our dorm. We'll see you later (Y/N)! Ruby waves as she grabs her sister's hand and drags her away.

You wave back, then turn away from the girls to proceed with your day. Unfortunately you're bored... AGAIN!

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Ruby leads Yang to their dorm. Fortunately nobody's there, since Weiss is planning for the dance, which Yang should be helping with, and Blake is likely in the library as well working herself to death. These unfortunate situations brings a fortunate one for Ruby, since she needs alone time with her sister. Ruby closes the door behind her and makes sure it's locked.

"Alright Rubes, what's the big deal?" Yang asks, crossing her arms and leaning on her hip.

Ruby plays with her fingers as she tries to get it out.

"I... Well, you're good at the whole... fancy pancy... dancy thing." Yang slowly begins to smile when she assumes what Ruby's going to ask. "And... well I need help. I'm not good with my heels and I want to be able to walk and dance in them."

"AWWW, RUBY!" Yang cheers, bear hugging her little sister. "What's this for?" She continues, moving Ruby in front of her but keeping the little one in her grip. "For a boy?"

Ruby's cheeks light up.

"NO, NO, NO! I just... look, if you want to help then you can't ask why!"

Yang thinks on this proposal for a moment. She has no doubt that this is for you, but she'll let Ruby continue to think that she's being secretive about it.

"Fine. Alright, ooooh this'll be so much fun. Alright, take off your leggings and get in your heels. I don't want to see your dress until the dance."

"I... fine," Ruby pouts.

She grabs a small box from her drawer and heads to the bathroom. At the same time Yang grabs her own pair of heels and sets them on Blake's bed. Yang takes off her boots so she can slip into her heels. Yang has no problem in this attire, so she can walk around the room with no problem. From the bathroom she can hear Ruby complain, fall over, complain some more, and then finally the door opens. Ruby's pale legs are now showing, though her skirt is keeping any private areas hidden. She's wearing a pair of black heels that she's obviously having trouble walking in.

"Blegh, how can Weiss fight in these? I can barely stand," Ruby complains, disgusted by the feeling of these shoes.

Yang laughs.

"We'll make a woman of you yet, lil' sis. Alright, the best way to practice is to simply walk around. So follow me around the room."

Ruby nods. As much as she hates this, she wants to be able to walk properly so she doesn't make a fool of herself in front of you. Who knows, perhaps she'll even dance with you. Ruby's cheeks heat up at the thought of being so close to you, doing such an intimate act. Just thinking of what could possibly happen gives Ruby determination to learn this.

Ruby follows behind Yang as they walk around their dorm. Though nearly falls once or twice, through constant practice she manages to keep herself up, and even walk around at a decent pace. She's wobbling every so often, mostly due to her legs shaking from disgust and discomfort.

"Now you're getting it! It'll probably be easier since you won't have your hood and all that gear. You... aren't wearing your hood, are you?" Yang presses.

"Can't I?"

"No. I don't know what you're wearing, but I forbid you to wear your hood! You're going to be stunning out there. BUT! If any boy looks at you he's meeting my fists."

"Y-Yang! No boy is going to look at me! I don't even care about that," Ruby lies, looking away from her sister.

Yang humbly smiles while Ruby isn't looking. She knows a certain boy is all that's on her mind right now. Whether Yang agrees with it or not, Ruby's going through a lot for this certain boy. He better appreciate all the work her sister is going through.

"So," Yang begins, clapping her hands to regain Ruby's attention. "You're getting the hang of walking around. You still need practice with dancing. You want to dance, right?"

Ruby nods.

"So... who're you going to dance with?" Yang smirks.

Ruby blooms red right away.

"N-Nobody! I just... wanna know how..."

Yang nods condescendingly.

"Mhm, alright. Let's practice then. More walking, then dancing. Let's get started!" Yang cheers, excited for the teachings she'll bestow upon her sister.

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Dylan casually walks along the grounds of Beacon Academy. Normally he would be with Blake, but... well, she's been distant as of late, even to him. It's unfortunate and calls for attention, but he's unsure where she is at the moment, so confronting her isn't an option until she's found. Instead of spotting Blake, he sees you sauntering around with your hands resting on the back of your head.

Dylan huffs at the fact that you're the only one he can find, but it's better than nothing. Dylan diverts his course towards you. You notice him once he's a few feet away.

"Oh, hey Dylan," you smile. "Are you doing... well?"

"I suppose so, yes," Dylan nods.

Your face drops.

"I meant well, like, well, like a well with water," you explain.

"Oh... well that's a stupid joke, then," Dylan dismisses.

You shrug, keeping your hands behind your head.

"Anything going on? Everyone seems to be preparing for the dance this weekend. Are you going?"

Dylan nods.

"I am. I have a suit and everything. Have you gotten one yet?"

"Mhm. I'm actually prepared!"

"That's a first," Dylan whispers. "So, any special plans? Going with someone in particular?"

You laugh.

"Dylan, who would want to go with me?" You wave off, but all Dylan can do is sigh in disappointment. "But what about you and Blake, huh? You've been spending a lot of time together."

"Blake's going?" A voice asks from behind you.

Dylan looks over your shoulder and rolls his eyes at who's approaching. You turn around and see two men walking towards you. You recognize them from earlier: Sun and Neptune.

"I would assume so. Why?" You ask.

"Blake said the dance was stupid," Sun half-heartedly chuckles, evidently disappointed. "If she won't go with me, I doubt she'll go with anyone.

"That remains to be seen," Dylan remarks, rolling his eyes.

"What did you say?" Sun challenges.

"I'm wondering why Blake would ever go to a dance with someone like yourself," Dylan clarifies.

"Oh and you're so perfect! I bet you-"

You and Neptune watch as Dylan and Sun argue about Blake.

"Think they like Blake?" You whisper, leaning to Neptune.

"It crossed my mind," Neptune nods. "Are you going with someone?"

You shake your head.

"No, you?"

"Hm... no, I don't think so. Might end badly," Neptune covers to avoid speaking on a certain subject.

"Ah, fair. Welp, I'll leave you with these two. I'm gonna go find my uncle," you say before leaping away.

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You appear in one of the dormitories, but not the one you're familiar with. You know that Harrier has taken residence in the dorms where the visiting students are, thus you decide to check their before anything else. You begin walking, hands in your pockets and your eyes sharp for details. You turn the corner and stop dead in your tracks when you see the woman from earlier; her amber eyes and smoky hair a dead giveaway. She's accompanied by her teammates, well, two of them. You stop right infront of the man, Mercury. However your sudden presence draws all their attention.

"(Y/N)?" Cinder calmly questions. "What're you doing here?"

"Oh, heh, looking for my uncle. Sorry, I didn't expect to actually bump into you again."

Cinder steps in front of Mercury, taking the lead.

"It's quite alright. We were just returning to our dorms. Hm... you're going to the dance this weekend, right? Not planning on skipping it?" She giggles.

"No way, I plan to tear up the dancefloor!" You confidently nod.

"I can't wait to see that. But we have homework to do. I hope to see you soon," Cinder says.

"Yeah, definitely. Oh, and, Mercury, right?" You say, looking towards the grey haired man.

"Hm? Yeah, that's me," he responds.

"You wouldn't mind having a little one-on-one sometime soon, huh? I watched your match with Pyrrha and I really want to see your fighting style for myself."

"I..." Cinder looks back at Mercury, giving a nearly unnoticeable approving nod. "I look forward to it," he finally responds.

"Great! Well, let's hope we actually part ways this time. I'll see you all around!"

With a wave and a stroll you leave the team, opposite to how it happened last time. You throw your hands back into your pockets and look out for Harrier's dorm.

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"How did Aza fail?" Cinder questions with venom in her voice. She's furious, but she won't lose her temper. "She blew up an entire forest – miles upon miles has been reduced to ash."

"No need for this argument, Cinder," Adam calmly responds. "I've discussed with that... with your hooded accomplice. He can provide an opportunity to finish Slater off for good."

"And how will his death be guaranteed? Your forced seem to be no match for him," Cinder insults.

Adam snickers.

"Because I'll take care of him personally."

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Dylan, after finally walking away from Sun and realize you left him high and dry, enters the library. He calmly walks through, ignoring any other students who glance at him or any in general. His main idea is to look for Blake. Even if Sun is an ignorant, childish Faunus, he still gives a damn about Blake just like Dylan does. If Sun, along with the rest of her team, think that Blake is acting odd, then there's no doubt they're right.

Dylan keeps his eyes out for Blake. She's not in her room, he walked by and heard Yang and Ruby talking. Its doubtful Blake would be there considering what they were talking about. The only other place Dylan can imagine her being is the library. It's where they used to do research and discuss the White Fang.

Though he does find Weiss, he completely ignores her when he spots Blake sitting at the back of the library. Dylan approaches her, but she's so distracted that she doesn't hear him. He takes a seat beside her, yet he still doesn't even notice him.

"Blake."

Blake shakes her head then looks at Dylan.

"Oh, good, you're here. I got something on the White Fang. You kno-"

"Blake," he cuts her off, placing his hand on her shoulder. "You need to calm down."

"What?"

"Blake, look at yourself! You look tired, you're brushing off your friends, and you're losing yourself. You need to take a break, relax-"

"You want me to go to the dance with you, is that it?" Blake assumes.

Dylan's eyes widen for a split second, then he returns to his normal, stoic face.

"I want you to relax. I don't care if you go to the dance or not, but I want you to leave this alone for now. Not forever, but for now."

Blake shakes her head in disgust as she stands.

"I can't believe it. You know how dangerous the White Fang are, and even you won't take this seriously. Just leave me alone, Dylan," Blake scolds as she walks away, leaving Dylan by his lonesome.

Dylan shakes his head, disappointed at the state Blake's in, and the fact he couldn't help her. He slams his fist on the table.

"Damnit."

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In the end, you didn't find Harrier. Mostly because dorms aren't labelled and you really should have thought your whole plan through. Either way, you gave up and simply laid in a tree until sundown. You're surprised that nobody bothered you as you rested on the branch. Usually someone bothers you, be it Ruby, Weiss, Ozpin, Glynda, or nearly anyone. Though you nearly overslept and missed practice with Glynda. It's nearly time, so you decide to leave your blade in your room.

Remembering that Glynda doesn't want you to leap to her room, so you decide to take a walk the entire way. As you pass the hallway you hear Jaune whining in front of RWBY's dorm. This instantly catches your attention. You stop mid walk, your leg in the air, then you spin on your heel and make your way towards the dorm. You stop a foot away from Jaune, about to speak to him until the door seems to open.

"I lied!" Jaune sings, strumming the guitar.

Oh my god, he's actually doing it.

"Weiss Schnee... will you accompany me... to the daaaance oooooon," Jaune suddenly pauses, his face panicked.

"Sunday?" You whisper.

"Suuunday," Jaune finishes with a smirk.

You eagerly await Weiss' response.

...

...

...

"No."

The door shuts, and Jaune's left disappointed. You pat his back, giving him a friendly smile.

"You tried, man. That's all that matters," you sensually whisper.

"Yeah... I think I'm going back to my dorm now."

Jaune looks utterly defeated, which does make you feel bad for him. You almost want to scold Weiss, but it's not your business as to whom she can like or not. The heart wants what the heart wants, and Weiss' heart doesn't want Jaune. Either way, you're curious as to whether or not the girls are going.

You approach the door and knock. Weiss opens it.

"I sai- Oh, (Y/N). What do you want?" Weiss asks.

Ruby and Yang poke their heads out to see you. You wave at them.

"Hiya, just saying hi. You girls going to the dance this weekend?"

"Of course, you think I'm going to pass up an opportunity to turn some heads," Yang confidently answers.

You chuckle at her response.

"I'm curious as to what you'd look like in a dress. Weiss I can guess, but you'll be interesting. Though I have to admit," you begin, strolling past Weiss with your hand on your chin. "I'm curious what Little Red will look like with a dress?"

Ruby blushes.

"Well I don't know its nothing fancy but..."

"Don't sell yourself short, sis," Yang chimes in.

"Yeah, you'll look stunning, no doubt. You all will," you nod.

Ruby blushes even harder at your words.

"I'm guessing you're going, then?" Yang asks, changing subjects to save her sister.

You nod.

"Yeah, I'm actually about to- gaah" You randomly spew, not willing to admit you're about to go to dance practice with Ms. Goodwitch. "About to... um... buy a... flower?"

"A flower?"

"Yeah... to... give to someone... or, no, to have in my mouth! A rose! It'll look suave."

Yang laughs.

"Oh, you better have one now!"

Well, that was genius of me.

"Heh, yeah. Anyway, I gotta skedaddle. Got somewhere to be. I'll see you three tomorrow?"

With a quick wave you leap to Glynda.

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You arrive in Glynda's room, which is spik and span, just as you expected it. You've never actually been inside her room before; the closest you've ever been is at the door. You can hear a sink running, meaning she's likely in the bathroom. As you look towards the bathroom your mind just happens to remember Glynda's request to NOT leap into her room. Your face contorts in fear, and you quickly step outside her room, in front of the door. Your heart is beating like never before. If she wasn't in the bathroom you might have been thrown out or something.

You exhale, letting all your fear out and replacing it with relief, then knock on her door. Glynda answers the door, but she looks a little different than normal. She's not wearing her glasses, allowing a clear view into her shining green eyes, and her hair isn't tied in her usual bun. You blink twice, unsure how to respond in this situation. You've never seen your strict – and caring – teacher like this before. She's somewhat... casual.

"Ah, you're here. I'm glad, I genuinely thought you'd teleport into my room."

"L... Leap, ma'am," you correct.

"Yes, yes. Well, come in. Let's not waste any time." You walk into her room, closing the door behind you. "Lucky for you that it's Friday, so we have more time to practice."

"That is my genius planning in action," you nod.

"You mean... timing?" Glynda corrects, hiding a smile.

"You could say that," you huff in disappointment. "But I like my reasoning better."

"Of course you do." Glynda moves a table and chair out of the way with her riding crop. "So," she turns to you. "What exactly do you need my help with?"

"Well," you rub the back of your neck. "Just the slow dancing crap. I can dance like an idiot, nooot a problem. But the actual, intimate dancing I'm just not good at."

"Well, I suppose we'll simply have to practice. Come here," Glynda says, waving for her to approach. "I assume since you asked for my help you're comfortable dancing with me?"

You nod.

"Yeah, as long as it doesn't break any rules or anything. Don't want you to get in trouble for helping me."

"Hm... seems he actually does think of consequences for both parties. Seems when he's not the only one who could be negatively affected he takes more care," Glynda thinks. She smiles at the thought. "Just like his father."

"It'll be fine, I'm sure. Now come here, let's check your posture."

You nod as you make your way to Glynda. She wraps her arms around you, and you do the same for her. Once completing a dancing position, Glynda sizes you up.

"Posture is good, footing looks fine for now. Perfect. Now, let's start moving. You lead."

"Wha- me? I just told you I'm not good at this!"

"And you'll never learn unless you try. You said you know how to dance normally, so you obviously have rhythm. Just do what you think is best. Lead me."

You audibly gulp, then nod. You pulls Glynda so close that you can feel her breath hitting your skin. You take a deep breath and begin to move slowly around. Instantly Glynda can feel Jet's presence, completely and utterly. It's almost like she's dancing with him again. You continue leading Glynda around the room the best you can. She's doing everything she can not to be enticed by nostalgia, thus she judges your form. You haven't stepped on her toes, you haven't moved wrong, and you've been leading her around gently and properly. It makes her wonder why you even needed her help.

You lead her to the middle of the room and stop. You release her from your grip and step away.

"So... did I do well?"

"Y-Yes. I'd say you did well. Are you confident in yourself yet?" Glynda asks, professional once more.

"Uh... hehe, I'm not sure. I feel like I'm not doing well. Any major pointers?"

Glynda sighs.

"Alright, let's dance again and I'll point things out.

Aaaaaand that's it! I hope you enjoyed and are eager for the next chapter, since it's obvious what it will be about. I really don't have much to say this time around. I thank you all very much for the support over this time. I've been writing this story for nearly a year now, and I didn't think it'd get to the point it is now. So thank you all, and I hope you're excited for the next chapter. I know I am.

Also, if you have it, why not check out my twitter? I do polls and such there that can determine what content I put out for you guys. Currently the poll is whether you want a Crimson Shadow chapter for October, or have a Halloween special for the Crimson Shadow-verse. You can help make that decision by participating in that poll!

FACT: Originally OC character names were different. Jet, Harrier, and Clementine were actually going to be named Ken, Gen, and Katherine. However, since Slater is a play on Slate, which is a shade of black, I went all the way and changed Ken to Jet, which made him Jet Black. Harrier I changed to play off of Jet, as they're both aircrafts (which you smart readers already knew). Katherine was changed to Clementine for colour purposes, even though the colour thing was said to happen after the great war, so this generation. I didn't have to follow it, but I decided to. In fact, Clementine used to have brown hair and different features, but I changed her appearance to suit her name.

Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan

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