Panic from every direction of the forest set an ominous atmosphere, as their descent was met with unpleasant collisions. It was unavoidable cause and effect, all side from one who stood unscathed that the foot of the forest with an unruly expression in her glare. Her golden hair seemed to glimmer upon coming in contact with the scarce amount of sunlight beaming from the treeline as she scoured her area with intensity. Yang had her own problems to search for and resolve and found that their initiation was the least of her concerns. "Ruby…"

Her concern and determination intermingled in her stare as she felt another groan pressing from her lips. She had no clue where to begin her search for her sister with her sense of direction in the overgrown forest being completely thrown off. There were far too many scents for her ability to handle unlike her counterpart sibling, who could have deciphered them with ease. There was something not normal about the forest but; she promised herself that she would protect her sister this time at all costs. Even in her most unfortunate moments.

Thoughts that crossed across her mind were all like broken records. It was painful to hear echos from the past with her mistakes replay through her ears without remorse. She did her best to ignore them and use them to her advantage as motivation to fix things though. Endlessly wondering how things managed to become so grim was something she couldn't bear though. "How does she expect me to try mending us if she will never even listen to me, let alone trust anyone. Just what happened to you over these years we were looking for you, Ruby?" Her question was met with no response as the forest felt as though it was bearing dagger deeper into her sense of hopelessness.

Memories from their youth relapsed through her mind as she felt the chill of the morning running along her spine. She couldn't nor wanted to face the truth of their relationship in current times when all she wanted was times to reverse. She felt like her entire purpose after her sister had left had disappeared alongside the brunette and here they were, years later acting like strangers with titles. "Did you ever care about how we felt with everything that happened? Did you care what I felt? The first time in years you see me and you would rather run off to someone who despised us for who we were? Why are you so stubborn! It's not like I've told you anything you didn't know!"

Yang wanted more than anything to scream and shout that to the world, to her sister to hear, and now that she was all alone in the middle of a godforsaken forest. It felt like she could have burned it all down until she found what she needed to see but; that was not the time. "I'm sorry! I wish I could tell you that." Yang could feel her throat becoming parch from the morning air before shutting her eyes in concentration as she thought about her actions until that moment. She had done nothing but thrown her tantrums so far throughout the forest while her younger sibling could have been dealing with others all alone. She could understand the reason why the brunette would detest the idea. She had to protect her now.

Her stomach churned from an uncomfortable amount of intensity from her aura as it became devoured by scalding warmth. It was an unusual sensation to experience for the first time out of her training with her father but she was quick in controlling her inferno semblance. Her scarlet irises opened in hesitation before she flinched under the blinding sun. She had forgotten how sensitive her unusual scarlet irises became when in contact with sunlight but preserved herself to push through it. "This won't be fun but, I'm done waiting for you to come back! I'll find you myself this time! Just wait and watch me!"

Her surroundings became more clear through her ears as she felt her sense of hopelessness being fueled by something entirely foreign to her. It was family love no matter the condition. No matter what they could have faced she had no choice but to fight on for her sister. Her pace forward through the foliage increased bit by bit until she felt the wind rushing past her hair as she ran as fast as she could with a destination in mind.

Caution was thrown to the wind as her determination compelled her once more through the thick thorny vines entangled along branches. Someone was nearby. Her heartfelt as though at any moment it would have popped out her chest at their scent intermingled through the air. Please be safe Ruby, I'm coming as fast as I can! Their sweet familiar scent felt as though it were driving her insane with each passing moment that she approached closer to it. Her legs were burning up from her sheer speed until she couldn't run anymore was the scent had become far too overwhelming. They were here.

Shadows from the ominous treeline concealed most of her presence as she wandered behind one of the trees in hesitation. Her breathing felt haggard but she forced herself to control her breathing as her crimson irises leered from the shadows into the clearing. Black tresses followed behind the familiar figure with ease as she thoughtfully dodged each oncoming attack. Her amber irises burned with an unyielding ferocity for the massive creature before her.

Ribbons from her weapon remained secured around her wrist as she charged gracefully towards the Ursa without mercy. It felt like watching someone dance through the stage as she carefully avoided each oncoming barrage of fist the creature threw. It was soon met with the mouth full of her sheathed Gambol Shroud as she had closed the distance enough to shove her weapon into its mouth. Her coy smile to the beast was one that left even the blonde to shudder. "Quiet down now, you're disturbing the other creatures here."

Her warming threat and calm demeanor were far from only show as she used her leverage beneath the creature to force it to look up. It was her advantage now in the situation. Her knee forceful shot into the air until she felt a connection with the creature, leaving it to stumble back in disarray. It was not the brightest plan but for her disadvantage with the creature before her, it was sufficient enough.

Her forehead was becoming slick with sweat as she shook her weapon to her side, clearing traces of saliva from the creature that dribble from the casing. It was true that her mere amount of strength would have not sufficed in the battle against the creature. She had to carefully execute her plans with her stamina and wits. It was getting harder to hold her position of an advantage though as the creature before her roared in unfiltered anger.

Flocks of unidentified birds from the nearby treeline scampered off into the clear blue skies above the ominous forest. It was becoming more devoured by despair and hatred as the creature lowered onto all fours without consideration of the prior attack, charing mercilessly towards the Faunus before it once more. There was no distance for calculating plans and the only thing that could have occurred would have been the brutal impact of their bodies. This thought taunted Yang as she felt her senses and desire to escape this escalated mistake being overtaken by her own unfiltered anger. "Stop…"

Her semblance burned through the foliage around her as her murderous glare turned even colder when feeling her weapons activating. It would have been easier to ignore the situation and return to her original objective but her limbs felt as though they had their own mind. "I said stop! Leave her alone already and die quieter like she said!" Her desperation in tone shook the forest more than the creature could have ever as her arm retracted until she felt the collision of her fist against bark.

Her demolition upon the forest began to resume course as her oncoming barrage of punches sent the entire trunk darting their direction. It stunted the other female in the vicinity as the trunk made an unruly impact with the creature, the sound of bones crushing underneath the weight following in suit. Her anger began manifesting in physical form as she stood steaming before the snapped in half trunk of the tree, her blood-stained irises ruthless and unforgiving.

Yang was someone who embedded the sense of fear deep in the other Faunus. It was unheard of to witness such immeasurable amounts of emotions controlling her own abilities but in the end, Blake still felt grateful. There had been no way she could have handled such a creature on her own with her more stealth abilities. You would have been blessed by ignorance to be able to not notice the murderous aura from the sidelines from the blonde, she simply utilized the situation for her benefit.

This was not the time for celebration for Yang though. It was even rarer for her to display such hatred and self-consumption to anyone and there was now someone who knew. It left her throat feeling parched as her once burning red irises for the first time-shifted back to their original lilac color. She inspected the demolished trunk before her before she glanced in the other female's direction in fear. She truly had no original plan of intervening in their fight but under such horrendous changes of events. She couldn't do anything besides fall prey under her impulsive behaviors. "You?"

Her throat was raspy as she whispered underneath her breath. Memories of their faces in the past circled her mind relentlessly as she could only watch the other woman walk over towards the immobile creature. She feared she would have to face her past again, but nothing was said about her actions and terrifying appearance before. Her stare never left Yang though as she unsheathed her blade momentarily and beared it down into the creature's skull. It shattered without resistance, leaving black smoke to fill the air before dissipating, leaving her to finally smile towards the blonde. "Yes. Me. Blake Belladonna. You haven't forgotten that already have you? After all that big talk of learning my full name, you finally achieved it and you don't remember?"

Her sincerity behind her response made the world around Yang feel mystifying. It was true that she had rescued her from such an unfortunate demise but at the cost of something even more terrifying. Yang had not anticipated her to be so genuine with her expression of gratitude. Her arms faltered down to her sides as she knitted her brows together in slight frustration now. "No, I would never forget someone I've met. Not when they make such an unusual first impression on me."

Her response was thought out meticulously as she felt suspension gnawing at her from the inside out. In the heat of the moment, she had not even considered why the other Faunus had not even made an effort to avoid the coming attack from the creature. It would have been an insult to her after all the scenes she displayed so flawlessly during the initial. "So, uh, Miss Belladonna…" Her brain felt overwhelmed as she tried to piece together her thoughts, only to be interrupted by the sound of Blake clearing her throat.

"Please. It's Blake. I might have told you my last name but I didn't mean to suggest you should call me by that. I would still prefer to be called by my actual first name. You did save me after all." Her alluring smile was enough to make Yang feel even more flustered by her own actions as Blake chuckled underneath her breath. She without another thought, sheathed her blade back into the case before wandering over towards the stuttering mess of the blonde.

"Blake, right. I'm sorry about what happened now and then. My thoughts are all over the place but I still don't understand why you…" Her second attempt bore no successful fruit as the first one as she herself found herself at another dead end. It was even unclear to her for what she even wanted to ask anymore. She had no time to spare when dust knows where or what her sister was struggling within the forest, alone. Her thoughts and actions though were on different pages though as she couldn't find any strength in her body anymore as the Faunus approached closer.

Her throat was feeling more parch by the moment as those mischievous amber irises stared right through her being. Something was not the same as the time they had first met. Had she been this bewitching from before too? She could feel the back of her heels pressing against the trunk of another tree as she was cornered helplessly by the other Faunus. "Why did I do what now?" Her suggestive tone felt as though it were tickling her ears as she felt her neck becoming uncomfortably warm from the sight. Blake had innocently crossed her palms behind her back as she leaned in closer against the blonde, her coy smile in full display.

Yang couldn't handle this amount of intimacy as she could almost feel the warm breath from the other Faunus against her chin. Her stare shifted elsewhere in desperation from being further entangled in this mystifying atmosphere. "You know what I mean, Blake. You're not someone who doesn't look like they wouldn't be able to avoid that attack. If I had to rate what I saw thought towards the end I'd have to give some bad reviews on your fan page most likely."

Yang without touching the other female, crossed her arms on her chest as she feigned another low whine. She couldn't help but trying to make light of the situation but she still felt a small smile creeping on her lips as she glanced back at Blake. From her height, the smaller Faunus seemed so fragile but she, of course, was something worthy of admiration. "Would you truly go as far as to give me a bad review for some minor slip-ups? I would only be able to defend myself by admitting that with such a murderous glare in the sidelines, I had gotten distracted. Plus, you don't seem like someone who would watch others struggle and turn a blind eye so I finished the fight faster with you around."

Yang couldn't suppress her expression of bafflement as she could only watch as the other Faunus move aside and walk past her. It was only until a couple of steps in that the lack of footsteps caught her attention again as she turned around to face Blake. "Are you coming now? We both have more important matters we have to handle other than bickering over facts. From how frantic you were running It's more clear to assume you're looking for something too. Could hear you from a mile."

Her mention of her prior mission brought Yang back to their reality as her expression darkened for a moment. She paced herself beside the other Faunus with determination back on her side. She would find her sister this time for sure with her help. "You're right sadly. Just guess this means we're partners in missions and this Academy. Let's help each other find the things we need and right now I need to find my sister. Are you willing to help if I help you?"

Blake feigned ignorance as she thought about the offer. It was clear to understand what her answer was but she felt like toying with the blonde. Her serious expression made things tenser then they had to be. Her facade only went on for a couple of minutes until she felt she had worried the blonde enough before she smiled. She extended out her hand to the blonde. "You make such tempting offers, Yang. Who am I to reject them? Let's celebrate our partnership after we finish the initiation.

Her remark earned an earnest smile from Yang as she nodded and reached out to firmly grip Blake's hand in agreement. "Celebrating progress and success is something I'll look forward to then, partner."

Ruby POV

Gunfire from nearby earned an unanticipated cry of surprise from the brunette as her hands shot to her head to cover her ears. It hadn't been as though she were afraid of the noise but her keen sense of hearing could never handle surprise noises. Her thoughts were scrambled the moment the sound went off before silence once more return to the forest as she groaned. "You're afraid of gunfire? Are you sure you'll be ready to head out after whatever you're doing over there?"

Her original endeavor at mind for conveying her concern for her partner was still obscured with insincerity. It seemed as though no matter how many times she tried her best to be genuine she couldn't express it normally. It, in turn, earn another grumble from the brunette behind her as she continued fumbling with her cloak without acknowledging her comment. Whilst it was true her comment had come out more belittling than she had intended, it still upset the heiress to be ignored under their already ridiculous predicament.

Her eyebrows knitted together in agitation before she raised her palms to rub at her upper arms in response to the chilly morning. It felt ridiculous having to turn her back from the brunette whilst she properly adjusted her clothing. She felt ridiculous. From the moment the brunette began her descent down the tree with her scythe in hand, she innocently requested she turned away and didn't look at her. What on earth did she even have to hide? They were both well-grown females for crying out loud! But despite that, at the moment she heard her embarrassed tone, she couldn't deny her the privacy.

Her heart had another thought in mind though as it pounded against her chest. It made no sense for her to feel so uncomfortable with knowing the brunette behind her could have vulnerable moments such as these. From each moment that passed by her ground beneath her feet felt as though it would collapse any minute from how hard her heart was beating. It only seemed to intensify when she felt the presence of the brunette closer behind her. "For the record, I wasn't scared. It's safety precautions like stop dropping and rolling. You're the one holding us back from holding me in the air so long!"

Ruby exaggerated her remark with another low whimper before her hands finished knotting together her cloak around her neck. Once certain nothing could have been seen from her cloak her arms raised out as she did small twirls close behind the heiress. It left Weiss feeling exhausted though from all the emotions she had been through though. "Would you have rathered me drop you? If you're going to act like my kind deed affected our progress then next time don't hold your breath for me to save you. But are you really okay to head out now?

Her endeavors to appear more genuine for the first time bore fruit as she used her index finger to tuck loose strands of hair behind her ears. It was only until her face was clear from any hair that she glanced behind herself to lock eyes with the brunette. Their moment of silence left the brunette feeling flustered as she licked her chap lips before shaking her head. "That's not what I meant. I meant to thank you for that… I mean for saving me and your concern. I'm all ready to head out for real now though. I've been wanting to leave this godforsaken forest since I've gotten launched into it."

Underneath her impeccable stare, the brunette felt uncomfortable. Her stomach churned from her overwhelming insecurities and anxieties before she forced herself to smile once more. She some reason felt as though each conversation with the heiress it was as though she were digging for Intel. She couldn't slip up and give her anything for her own sake. "We should head out." Ruby raised her palms to the back of her head before she strode ahead of the heiress with beads of sweat forming in the corner of her forehead. Of course, Weiss wasn't very happy with her response but couldn't push it more and simply decided to follow after her.

Neither said another word from the moment they set out in the direction of the gunshot as their minds where both occupied with their thoughts. Things were only going to turn out harder from that moment on but the heiress couldn't help but feel unhappy with their relationship as it were. It impossible for her to understand anything about the brunette as one minute she was happy and the next her anger for her own choices would bare fangs. It reminded her too much of herself. "Ruby?"

Ruby understood that their silence was unnatural, but she had no desire to continue conversing with the heiress when she knew she was looking for something. It wasn't clear what she was aiming for but it wasn't as though she could nor would have completely ignored the heiress. "Yeah?"

Her unenthusiastic response upon hearing her name brought on another frown from the other female as her stare bore into the back of her skull. It was hard to handle how intense the heiress could become during moments she didn't approve of but after another moment of silence she spoke up. "Could you enlighten me on your reason for attending Beacon Academy if half the time you act like you had no desire in being here? From apart of following me around you don't even listen to anyone here."

Her complex became pale from the moment her question had been out in the open, as her curiosity for her partner somehow without fail got the better of her. It was clear to see that Ruby had no desire to let her or anyone earn any detail about herself and yet, there she was, trying once more. Neither was sure where her persistence came from but Ruby thought about her question seriously. It was something she had been wondering herself after all. The thought of did she have any real reason for being there struggling out in the open, exposed to the world after many years alone. She didn't know herself in conclusion and expressed it lamely.

"You want the honest truth? Sometimes I wonder the same thing. I don't know why I'm here doing the things I've done so far or even this stupid initiation. I guess even though I'll complain here and in the future, it was me who made this choice… What about you miss great heiress of an entire company that is doing well in the economy? Why are you here when you had probably better options?"

Her question was full of sincerity and interest as whilst she wondered the same things the heiress did, unlike her, she would have never pursued the topic until it arose from another. It did manage to catch the heiress off guard though as she had not expected the brunette to show such unanticipated interest in her. She had not once shown the brunette barely and bit of kindness and here she was, trying to understand her even when she often tried not to show her own interest. It was all some kind of front from the brunette, the same as her.

She did feel uncomfortable answering the question though as she cleared her throat. She had no reason to deny revealing her own choices when she was the first one to push the subject. It would have been hypocritical of her, to say the least. "You're not wrong. There were and will always be better options for me. Better yet. There will always be better options for those with the title as a Schnee. It doesn't mean…I earned them myself." Her expression became dull after openly admitting the last bit as she felt a bit ashamed. She wanted to be prideful, but it was hard when everything was a given.

It was becoming clear to understand why the brunette before her chose silence over their conversations. Some reason they felt as though things neither wanted to talk about somehow would bubble to the surface. It was as though the girl before her was the spitting image of her own concerns. Her concerns though for the first time caught the brunette's attention though as she spared a small glance in her direction. "What on earth do you mean? If you have all these choices, regardless if they were given to you, out of anyone, you seem the most capable of handling it with your own strength."

Underneath even the scarce amounts of sunlight pouring through the treeline, the determination and sincerity behind those concealing gray eyes appeared enchanting. It was almost as though her words could shake the world if she wanted them to sometimes. This must have been what someone who was born to lead great things appeared to be. She had so much still to learn about that, but what felt had must have been admiration right? She wanted to say something on her chest for the past couple of hours when from the corner of her vision, tar from the ground steeped up and bubbled in the clearing ahead.

Dread consumed the atmosphere around the duo as from out the substance on the ground outreached the paws of the creature within. Upon making contact with the grass beneath its paws, the ground began rotting from the soil up. It was clear to understand what was happening but the question that rose to mind was why was it happening. Their breath felt as though it was caught in their throats as the massive white skull and body began crawling from out beneath the rotten substance. "That's not. It shouldn't be. Why would the headmaster allow Alpha Beowulfs here, Ruby?"

For their initiation process, Alpha Beowulves were far too out of their range in current skills. It was without doubt embedding fear deep into their hearts as the creature shook itself free from blobs of tar until it made eye contact with the brunette first. She was the first target it determined to be killed from the odd scent she emitted unknowingly. It remained motionless though as it inspected her as her hand bit by bit shift to her back where her latch for Crescent Rose was until it sprung to life once more. "I don't know and I don't care right now! I want to know if he is really trying to kill off his students though so just stay out my way now! I'm really upset now!"

Her anger for another horrific predicament to arise left all her thoughts thrown into disarray as the creature roared to life and set in motion for her. She wasn't going to let him off the hook, nor would she allow any creature to stand in her way of survival still she saw him cowering before her. "You all should learn to trust better people!" Her semblance flared to life as peddled were left in her wake as she took off in the direction of the beast with scythe in hand, leaving the heiress dumbfounded.

Upon their forces making contact, the earth beneath the creature sunk from it deflecting the direct attack from the brunette in front. Her battered palms trembled when the sensation of her metal blade came in contact with unyielding bone from its arm from the deflect. She had been in no stable condition to fight head-on like this but she felt her anger consumed her thoughts. It was only until she felt the creature using their forceful collision to sent her entire body flying until her back impacted against a tree. Her weapon had also been sent flying until it slid to a halt underneath some shrubbery, leaving her completely vulnerable.

Wounds from her prior entanglement felt as though they were being torn even more apart. She felt completely pitiful leaned against the tree whilst tears threatened to over-spill at any moment from the sheer amount of pain. It was beginning to become harder and harder for her to maintain her consciousness as her lungs heaved from the heavy impact. She wouldn't give in though. "You think because you can throw me across some field I'll let you get in my way? You're wrong, I was warming up you stupid mutt!" Her semblance flared once more with the intention of another fighting momentum despite the pain it brought on, when out the corner of her vision. She caught a glimpse of the familiar black glyphs forming along the ground towards them.

Minutes passed by in what felt like forever as the figure of the other female shot from one point to in front of them. Her stance when summoning another barrage of glyphs in front of them left her breathless. Her world felt focused on the heiress in front of her deflecting the oncoming attacks from the creature that closed distance while she hadn't been focused. It wasn't until she heard the anger in the heiress's tone that was she brought back to their reality. "Just what has been going through that half-empty brain of yours?! Jumping headfirst into a battle you know you can't win by yourself? Do you want to die?! Did you really not even take into consideration anything the headmaster told you this morning?"

Her unfiltered anger continued to boil with each glyph that shattered from the mere strength of the creature. "You know what Ruby? I don't care, I don't care about your reasons for being here if you won't tell me but, as much as this fact might not be to our liking. We're partners now, and that means we think together so both of us don't die!" Her sharp and cold glare momentarily shot in the direction of the brunette sitting in silence with wide eyes before she scoffed. Admiration might have been the wrong word earlier. Her rapier shot to her side, sending her next coming barrage of glyphs to send the creature stumbling back from the duo while dust particles scattered the ground.

Her unanticipated display of dust power appeared to stun the creature for a couple of minutes before it roared once more, reveling in more anger and despair in the air. It this time lowered to all fours and made another dash for the heiress whilst her stance shifted into another defensive form, attempting to form an impenetrable wall of ice crystals. It was too slow in process management though and the sheer strength of the creature smashed through the barricade, taking down the heiress with it to the ground. Unimaginable pain sept through her torso as the creature dug knife-like claws into her side before without hesitation, leaning down and baring its teeth into her shoulder.

Tears were accumulating faster than she could control them under the pressures from every part of her body as she felt her blood running cold. It was more than enough of a reality check though for the brunette as she felt her body shoot up, anger replacing her sense of despair as she called out in desperation. "Weiss! If this is so unbearable to be by my side then why didn't you run! I don't understand the meaning of partners, or this place let alone! Why did you jump in here without thinking either! For me let alone! I thought you hated me or something! This morning I… I was sure!"

Her breathing was becoming irregular when her thoughts were beginning to spiral endless amounts of questions she couldn't answer. She desperately clung to her chest as she made use of the tree behind her to drag her body off the ground. It was becoming suffocating when trying to understand the reason anyone would do anything for someone who was only good for running away. What does she want from me? What does she expect from me? I've only ever caused you troubles like everyone else! Her anxieties were beginning to become too much, she wanted more than anything to run away like normal but, she couldn't move an inch from her position.

It must have been easier than she thought to hear her breathing because, in the next moment, her thoughts were interrupted by that warm and yet unyielding voice. "Breath Ruby! I'm the one who should be closer to passing out than you! Just! Ugh! You really want to know the most obvious reason why I'd do this!? You act like nobody in this world can help you handle anything. You have more people than I could ever have had who openly show they care and you push them all away! I'm sick of hearing it and seeing it from you because I hate seeing that part of myself in others!"

Her words were strained out as she clenched her teeth together to hold the creature at bay from completely devouring her. It was both clear to understand the brunette was undergoing intensive anxieties problems from the animalistic stare in her eyes and breathing. She couldn't let her lose herself in their undesirable predicament. She had to come clean and bring her back to her usual self. "I didn't mean to yell at you this morning or call you those things, because you're not! I just! I don't understand you or myself sometimes but at the same time, I do understand! We're partners now though! How could I possibly explain how I feel about any of this in words!"

Tears that were once held at bay from everything that had happened for the first time became uncontrollable and trailed down her porcelain cheeks. It was one thing to feel such excruciating pain but to admit her feelings were something foreign. She couldn't handle all this on her own anymore. She felt hopeless since if the headmaster couldn't make her understand, why did she think she could. Her feelings never mattered to anyone, not even her own faster. Nothing felt fair. "You understand loneliness, don't you! I thought you would but, maybe you don't care as I do!"

Hiccups from the feeble heiress beneath the creature shook the brunette to the core. The once painful bile in the back of her throat was becoming smaller until she felt as though she could breathe again. Her sensation to the word was returning bit by bit was the wind blew through the trees, being the last bit of force to her hood barely clinging to her head to fall down. Nobody had yelled at her like this but. She was right. They were all right from the beginning. She couldn't deny it in the situation where the heiress would risk her safety over the simple word called partners.

Do I want to trust others over something so… Simple? I don't even understand you or I either but… I know I have wanted a change in my life, otherwise, why would I have accepted the gamble of life in the Academy? Maybe just for now, I want to believe in your words and I want to… Change things.

Her emotions felt unfamiliar to her for once as she felt her limbs beginning to move on their own. It hurt but it was true that she had been through worse through her years alone. She had to prevail for the sake of change though. For her partner. Her legs carried her briskly across the ground as she ran and grabbed her scythe before her semblance activated in full force. "Weiss don't move, I think I want to believe in your words so could you please, believe in mine one more time?" Her footing off the ground was released and launched her above the duo beneath as she trained her scythe down, increasing her speed until she felt her own semblance eating away at her aura until she made contact with the creature.

Resistance from both fur and hardened skin from the creature bruised her palms even more so as she used all her strength down on the creature. She had to kill it this one shot she had in her condition. She had to change herself with her own motivation. Tears were forming in her eyes as she bit on her lip and her ears pinned against her head, her semblance seeping out in energy as it grew brighter crimson rays. "What if you don't like what you learn Weiss?! What would others think about trusting someone like me? In this world, I'm the most hated person right now!"

Her scythe bit by bit was forcing through the resistance of flesh until it completely slid through, embedding deep into the ground beneath with an impact. From the moment her weapon pierced through the creature's neck it gave one familiar gurgled cry before dissipating through the air. It left both the females in silence as her blade was shy from her throat as she stared up at the brunette, covered in her own blood and tar from the creature. Her cerulean eyes though seemed even more enchanting in the moment though as she peered at the black and red tuffs of fur sticking from Ruby's hair.

Both had tear-stained cheeks as the evaluated each other in surprise of the other before the brunette used her free palm to clean her face. She afterward for the first time since being exposed could choke out her worries as she felt like crying more. "I don't understand anyone Weiss. I don't even understand why things turned out this way. I'm always so scared to believe in others so where do I begin now?" Her expression was lost and confused as she remained close above the heiress who couldn't believe in all her years alive, she'd met someone like this.

She knew only minor details regarding the Faunus heritage, but she understood old folk lord regarding them from her interest as a child. Vicious, unrelenting kings that ruled over the kingdom to be overthrown in fear for their lack of evolution. How did that story make any sense when before her was someone who was more scared of her own shadow than death? She bit her lip as she began feeling uncomfortable from being pinned to the ground still the brunette was sniffling above her.

She cleared her parch throat once more before smiling softly up at the brunette, raising her palm to calmly pat between the soft tuffs of fur. They would need to discuss their new information shared together but it would have to wait for another time. "You're already learning more than I've learned in my lifetime, Ruby."

Welcome everyone, to another chapter of TRAS. I must admit that it has been smoother to write but I'm still not at the level I once was anymore. This was not my only novel/fiction I've been working on for countless years now so when I read my relatively latest writing. It has been easy to see where I've slacked off from being on an unclaimed hiatus. Fear not though for I'm bit by bit making great strives to better that once more. This has been my personal favorite chapter to write so far for the heart warming whiterose and decent bumblebee. I've been claimed once before for my habit of mixing things with anguish and I've got to admit this will be a more serious series compared to the original. I want realistic fears, worries, and growth from my personal TRAS crew. Regardless that is the plan and I hope you guys continue to stick with me so we can raise this higher than the original.

Quote time!

The journey is never ending. There's always gonna be growth, improvement, adversity; you just gotta take it all in and do what's right, continue to grow, continue to live in the moment. - Antonio Brown

Growth is the great separator between those who succeed and those who do not. When I see a person beginning to separate themselves from the pack, it's almost always due to personal growth. - John C. Maxwell

"It's so hard to forget pain, but it's even harder to remember sweetness. We have no scar to show for happiness. We learn so little from peace."
― Chuck Palahniuk,

"If pain must come, may it come quickly. Because I have a life to live, and I need to live it in the best way possible. If he has to make a choice, may he make it now. Then I will either wait for him or forget him."― Paulo Coelho

This bring another chapter from yours truly to an end til next time. I'm looking forward to seeing you all next chapter so please do the same and wonder what caused all these fears and worries for our two poor siblings. Will love and time heal? It's a secret! Enjoy the rest of your morning, evening, or nights everyone.

-Pure out