Shucks it has been a while! Like a whole two weeks! I got really sick with some post-viral Covid stuff, and it totally threw me off!

This chapter has been a bit of a rough barrier for me, but now that it's out and done, I should be back to writing more comfortably! My apologies for the wait!

Please, leave comments, especially if you have criticisms or feedback that can help me improve as a writer!

Stepping up to the stone slab resting near the end of the cliffside, Ruby took a deep breath, letting the breeze tussle her hair. Some part of her enjoyed the idea that it was her mother, playing with her hair, something Yang had told her several years ago, when she was a child. Looking down at the memorial before her, Ruby smiled softly, eyes gracing over the words etched in the stone. Summer Rose: Thus Kindly I Scatter.

"Hey mom!" There was a pep to her voice, however reserved it was, an excitement that she couldn't easily contain. "Sorry I haven't come by in a while; I know we spoke at Beacon's memorial, but that's just not the same, and since today's the anniversary of-" She stopped, breath becoming erratic for a moment as she started playing with the edge of her cloak. Ruby forced herself to smile a little wider, moving her thoughts from dark things and onto something brighter. "Things have been, well, they've been pretty busy! I've been making friends! You met Jaune, but there's Pyrrha as well! And the rest of their team, though I can't say I'm quite as close with Ren and Nora as I am with Jaune and Pyrrha."

"Oh, um, dad's here, too!" Her smile faltered a little, but quickly warmed. "He's, well, you know! He's dad." She gave a shrug, looking briefly back at her father, Taiyang Xiao Long, currently adjusting his boots while the family dog, Zwei, ran impatient circles around him. "I think he misses you a lot - adventuring, cooking - you know, whatever stuff you two did. No one ever tells me." She took a deep breath, right hand brushing against the silver scattering rose brooch on her belt, playing with the grooves. "I miss you too, mom."

"Haven't gotten kicked out of Beacon yet! So, you know, that's pretty cool." She chuckled a little, pulling her hand away from the memento her mother left her. "I think being on a team with Yang helps a lot, even if she spends a lot of time with her partner. Don't tell anyone, but I think Yang might have a crush! I've never seen her so intent on spending time with someone who enjoys being alone before." Pausing for a moment, Ruby let out a soft sigh. "You can tell that Yang's learned a lot from dad, she's a great fighter. Just like Weiss and Blake. They're the rest of our team- Team RWBY! Yes, it does get confusing."

"Blake is pretty cool, but she likes to keep an air of mystery around her. I guess that might be what Yang likes so much!" She shrugged, not really sure what made someone attractive to another person. "She likes to read, like me, but her books are weird. There's a lot less heroes saving the day and a lot more kissing and…stuff."

"Weiss is pretty cool, too, if you'll pardon the pun! That was a joke, because Weiss is from Atlas. Get it?" At the expected silence, Ruby gave a sheepish grin. "Right, I should probably leave the puns to Yang. She's a lot better at them. Anyways, Weiss is my partner! She's not as mean as she used to be, but she has a lot of expectations of me and it's hard to meet them! I had to skip two years ahead, and it wasn't because I was the top of my class."

"With them and Team JNPR - those were the friends I mentioned earlier - I'm friends with a lot more people than I was at Signal." Ruby smiled, though even she could tell it wouldn't reach her eyes. "Things are a lot better for me at Beacon than they were at Signal. Even if there's a few bullies who are attending, they've stopped now that I managed to best Cardin in combat class. The teachers are weird, though, outside of Professor Goodwitch. She's just serious. People think she's mean but she isn't, she's actually really cool! She just puts on this stoic air, but I could see she was proud of me when I beat Cardin!"

"Dad's talked a little about how proud Professor Port is, but it's a lot different actually having him as a teacher. He's so boring with all his stories, but there's a hint of some useful information hidden in them. I wonder why he doesn't teach normally, do you think he just likes the sound of his voice?" Ruby asked, before giggling at the thought. "Professor Oobleck isn't too bad, so long as I'm not too tired. He speaks really fast, but after all the times he's visited dad, I'm kind of used to it! I just wish he taught more interesting stuff, oh well."

"We've, uh, we've stopped some bad guys, too!" Ruby announced, her excitement matched only with nervousness. "Well, um, Blake and I did! I guess it's like they say: like mother, like daughter!" A sigh escaped her lips again as her smile faded. "I still don't know why Ozpin let me into Beacon Academy early. Was it really because I impressed him fighting Torchwick? I didn't even win! That weird fire lady made sure of that. I'm okay at fighting but I don't know that it's really enough to qualify. I hope he'll tell me, soon. I haven't gotten to talk much with him, but the more I do, the more he starts to sound like Uncle Qrow, isn't that weird?"

"Ruby!"

"Oh! That's dad, he must be ready. There's only a few days left before the start of the semester, so I have to head back to Beacon soon." Ruby explained, a warm smile on her face as she pulled up her red hood, taking in a relaxed breath with her nose. "I'm glad I got to speak with you again, mom. I hope I'm making you proud, wherever you are. I hope you aren't disappointed that I decided to become a Huntress, just like you." Stepping back, she turned around, blinking her eyes clear as tears threatened to come out. Looking back at the slab, her smile grew slightly. "Thank you mom, it was good to talk to you again."

Waving goodbye to Yang as she parted ways from her sister, Ruby gave a slightly relieved sigh. Ever since she took one hit from Torchwick when she found, wait, no, that didn't sound as positive as she'd like, when she was helping Blake, Yang had been a bit of a bullhead parent. Well, sister, but the sentiment was the same. Looking at her scroll, Ruby gave a cheerful smile as she sent a message to Pyrrha and Jaune, keen on meeting them as soon as she could. After a few seconds, she received a pleasant chime on her scroll, and found a reply from Jaune, suggesting they meet up near the gardens. It wasn't their usual hangout, but Ruby wasn't going to fuss about it, she just wanted to see her friends after a week away!

None of that mattered, though, as she made her way across the campus in a blur of red, only stopping as she collided with something sturdy and fell flat on her butt. "Miss Rose," oh dear that was not the kind of person she wanted to bump into while running with her semblance. Looking up, she met the ever sincere almond eyes of Professor Ozpin. "I would advise you not to rely on your semblance when traversing the campus, you never know when it'll be Glynda you bump into, and not me."

"I, um, yes sir!" Ruby squeaked, standing up and patting her skirt straight, looking anywhere but the headmaster's gaze. "I was, um, I was in a hurry. I'll be more careful."

"Now, now. There's no need to look so worried." She looked up to find him offering a polite smile, though there was still a look in his eyes that she just couldn't quite place, maybe like a grandparent looking after a grandchild? She wasn't sure, she'd never met her grandparents. "It was a simple mistake, just do your best to keep it in mind in future."

"I'll do my best, sir." Ruby did her best to sound less nervous than she felt, given the situation, shoulders sagging as she exhaled loudly after Professor Ozpin excused himself with a nod. Gosh he was intimidating, even if he was pretty affable, too. Careful not to set off immediately in a rush of petals, Ruby had a small smile on her face as she made her way towards the gardens, humming softly to herself as she entered the verdant expanse.

The gardens were, in a word, immaculate. Staff worked year round to tend to them, and it was undoubtedly worth it, in Ruby's opinion. At the center of it all was Professor Peach's classroom, held in a large, but cozy, greenhouse. That didn't matter today, though, as Ruby was far more interested in finding the duo from team JNPR that awaited her. Spotting Jaune and Pyrrha sitting at one of the many benches placed on the paths that ran throughout the garden, Ruby exploded into a blur of crimson petals. Appearing in front of the pair with a gleeful cackle as Jaune let out a startled shriek, she grinned as Pyrrha let out her usual warm chuckle.

"Good afternoon, Ruby." She greeted the excitable younger girl, inviting her to sit with them, patting the space between the pair. As Ruby squeezed into place between the two, Pyrrha looked down at her, offering a pleasant smile. "How was your trip to Patch?"

"It was great!" Ruby exclaimed, finding it hard to keep from bouncing in her seat as she made herself comfortable. "Getting to see my dad was really nice… I didn't realize how much I'd missed him until I saw him again."

"Yeah, I can… I can imagine." The disheartened tone in Jaune's voice wasn't something Ruby liked to hear, but she understood: he still felt guilty about leaving home. Putting a hand on his leg, she offered him a supportive smile, which seemed to help as his expression softened. "So, uh, anyways! What did you and Yang do on Patch?"

"Huh? Oh! Well, we had dad's birthday celebration! I can't believe he's 41." Ruby chuckled sheepishly, shrugging her shoulders. "I was hoping my uncle would turn up, but I guess he's a bit busy, still."

"He's the one who taught you how to use your scythe, right?" Pyrrha jumped into the conversation, while giving Jaune a sympathetic smile, hoping he'd appreciate the continued attempt to redirect the conversation.

"Yeah! I always really looked up to him, he was there a lot when I was younger and, well, my dad wasn't." Ruby gave a somewhat sad smile, but it soon brightened. "I knew I wanted to use a scythe since I was six years old, and he helped me a whole lot in learning how. First he had me start out with just a quarterstaff, he wanted me to have an appreciation for the finesse needed using a polearm."

"Sounds like a lot of work," Jaune noted, giving Pyrrha a grateful smile in return. "It certainly helped, though, you're like a master now!"

"Ah, well, I wouldn't say I'm a master!" Ruby scoffed, ducking her head in embarrassment. "I'm like, at most maybe an expert! My Uncle Qrow is way better than me! I only hope I can get anywhere near as great as him someday."

"Hey, you'll get there!" Jaune insisted, ruffling her hair much to Ruby's chagrin, her cheeks flushing at the attention. "You're way ahead of me, Ruby. I hope I can follow in your and Pyrrha's example."

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Jaune, you've progressed greatly in these past couple months since we started training." Pyrrha frowned a little at Jaune's lack of confidence, before shaking her head, deciding to change the subject again, after all, that's why she asked that they both come to the gardens! "So, um, anyways, I was wondering. Would the two of you like to accompany me to Vale today? I know you just got back from Patch, Ruby, but I was just curious if maybe we could spend a day out in the city?"

"A day out in the city?" Jaune looked a bit perplexed as he accepted, his brow raised in curiosity. "Sure, but why didn't you ask me before we came here, Pyrrha?"

"Ah, well, I was just…" Ruby was a bit confused why Pyrrha was so flustered by Jaune's question, offering the older girl a reassuring smile to her friend. "Well, I wanted to invite you and Ruby. I enjoy spending time with the both of you."

That was a weird thing to be embarrassed by, in Ruby's opinion, but the invitation made her face light up with joy. "Oh! Um, I'd be happy to come along, Pyrrha! It's still pretty early so we should have time, right?"

"Ah, yes. Well, I had one place I wanted to go in particular, a bookstore Blake recommended me over the break." At the curious look Ruby gave her, Pyrrha chuckled, before elaborating. "It's called Tukson's Book Trade. Blake had a rather rare book the other day, and when I asked her where she got it, that's where she directed me."

"I'm uh, happy to go, but I don't really read a lot like either of you." Jaune chuckled, but there was a hit of shame Ruby could recognize in his tone. Frowning at the idea of her friend being unhappy, she hopped up from the bench in a flurry of petals, one hand around Jaune's, the other around Pyrrha's.

"Let's go to the arcade after we visit the bookstore!" She exclaimed, a determined look in her eyes as she met Jaune and Pyrrha's. "I-If you want to that is, I get it if you don't." Wow, she deflated quickly. It was hard to be super assertive about this kind of stuff. "I just figured that Jaune might enjoy it and I know you've probably not gotten to go to one, at least not in a while, Pyrrha."

"That sounds lovely, Ruby." Wait, it did? Thank the Brothers for Pyrrha's kind attitude! "You're certainly right, though. My agent never really let me do that kind of stuff, so it's been… five, maybe six years since I last visited an arcade." Oh, that was kind of sad. Having an agent who controlled so much of her life must've been really difficult, not that Ruby thought Pyrrha would ever actually complain about it.

"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Jaune affirms, giving Ruby a kind smile. "I do have to warn you though, I won't go easy on either of you when we get there!" The confident smirk he gave her and Pyrrha made Ruby chuckle a little, but she was happy to see him a little more positive. Hopefully that attitude would keep up for the upcoming semester!

It was crowded in Vale today, though that wasn't a big surprise to Ruby. The Vytal festival was later that year, so of course the hustle and bustle of people continuing to work on preparations for the soon to be arriving tourists. She had been maybe a little too eager to get to the bookstore, and now Pyrrha and Ruby were waiting for Jaune as he… got past his poor adaptation to her semblance's rush. Pyrrha was looking a little green, too, but she definitely handled the rush of speed and loss of sensation that Ruby's semblance brought.

"So, Ruby!" She looked up at the sound of Pyrrha's voice, still feeling a bit flustered herself after using her semblance on the duo without them being prepared. "That's what it feels like to experience your semblance? Maybe I was wrong just assuming it was speed."

"Um, y-yeah! I hope you didn't mind it." As if to reassure her, Pyrrha placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder and gave her a warm smile. "I always just thought it was speed, but do you really think it's not just that?"

"Maybe a part of it, but certainly not all of it. We were, well, almost immaterial when you sped up." Pyrrha explained, leading Ruby to a bench while they chatted, easily in view of where Jaune would return. "I had to study a lot of different kinds of semblances as part of my training in Argus, and while unique to each person, for the most part, they also share many familiar traits. I've never heard of a speed semblance that makes the user become a completely different thing while moving like yours has."

"Really? Well, I-I don't really know. I didn't have semblance classes at Signal since I've had mine since before starting there." Ruby ducks her head a little shamefully, but her expression lightens at Pyrrha's smile. "I guess I kind of turn into rose petals when I use my semblance, but I figured that was just a side effect, like with my mom."

"Your mom had a semblance like yours?"

"I'm not really sure, to be honest. I only have vague memories of her." Ruby refused to frown at the thought of her mother, though her hand went to the inherited emblem, brushing her thumb against it. "I know that she used to make rose petals, too. I remember that much."

Ruby let out a startled squeak as Pyrrha suddenly brought her into a sideways embrace, an arm wrapped around her, holding the smaller girl against Pyrrha, before the older girl let go with an awkward "I'm sorry!" Ruby looked up at Pyrrha, curious why her friend was blushing so much. "I'm sorry, Ruby. I just… it's a shame that you don't have many memories of her. Even though I never knew my father, I have memories of who he was: videos, pictures, the stories my mother would tell. After she met my stepmother, she still made an effort to make sure I knew who he was."

"I understand why my dad won't, it's… it's too hard on him. He was, um, broken, after my mom died." Ruby said softly, causing Pyrrha to jump slightly as she leaned against the older girl, who responded by hesitantly returning to the hug she'd given moments before. "He still doesn't go on missions, at all. It's been just over twelve years since... since mom died, and he's not once been on a mission. He's more there now than he used to be, but… it's like he's missing a part of himself."

"Sometimes, we can't imagine a world without the people we love, Ruby." Pyrrha's words were soft, but lacking some of her usual dulcet tone as she hugged Ruby a little closer. "And when we're forced to confront it, it can be too much. Some people, like your father, might never fully recover."

"I hope he can, one day." Ruby sighed, not really content, but at least satisfied as she rested against Pyrrha. A few minutes passed, and Jaune finally returned to view, Ruby hopping up from the bench cheerfully and pulling him and Pyrrha into an impromptu embrace, smiling widely. As she released them, Jaune whimpering about his back, she smiled brightly. "Okay, no more using my semblance. Pyrrha! Lead the way!"

Today was going to be a great day.