//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7: on a different path 
// Story: R.O.S.E 
// by Madforce Entertainment 
//------------------------------//

Within Team R.O.S.E dorm room, Ruby Rose, Onyx Shinra, Sunset Shimmer, and Eclipse Khan were sleeping in their bunk beds having blissful dreams. The early morning sun crept in through the windows, and the moment the light hovered over Ruby’s face, she slowly opened her eyes.

“Hmm, morning already?” She mumbled with a tired tone, turning her head away from the morning light. “5 more minutes.” It took a second for Ruby to remember where she was, and her eyes snapped open in alarm, as she sat up with a start. “IT'S MORNING!” Ruby yelled at the top of her lungs, instantly waking the rest of her team from their slumber, before she zoomed out of bed, and whooshed around the room, stopping at each bed for a split second before moving on to the next. “Come on, up, up, up, it’s the first day!” She yelled ecstatically at her half-asleep teammates.

“Ruby, calm down, volume control,” Onyx said, rubbing his tired eyes.

“Ironically, I get told that,” Eclipse mumbled to himself.

“Why are you yelling so much?” Sunset asked Ruby as she sat up and rubbed her own eyes.

“It’s our first day at Beacon!” Ruby answered in excitement, as she grabbed Sunset by the shoulders and shook her like a rag doll.

“Okay, okay, stop shaking me!” Sunset told Ruby in annoyance.

“Yeah, Sorry, I’m just super excited!” Ruby said like a giddy schoolgirl.

“Come to think of it, we do need to get ready,” Onyx said, getting out of bed.

“He’s got a point, we still need to unpack,” Eclipse said as he used his telekinesis to float down from his bed.

“Okay, sure,” Sunset said, rolling out of bed.

“Alright, Team ROSE, let’s get ready!” Ruby said, jumping with more excitement. Ruby and her team got changed into their new school uniforms. After they got changed, the team unpacked their cases, placing their clothes into the closet and dressers.

Onyx took the case Garnet gave him and slid it under his bed. Ruby saw him doing this. “What’s that, Onyx?” She asked curiously. 

“Just something I brought from Midgar,” Onyx replied as he stood up. “Well, looks like we finished unpacking. So what’s next?”

“Now…” Ruby, sitting on her bed. “Classes,” She said with a sad tone. “First at 9 is-”

“Wait! Did you say 9?!” Eclipse interrupted.

“Umm, yeah…” Ruby said slowly.

“You guys know it's 8:55 right?” He asked his teammates.

The others just stared at him for a brief moment. “What!?” The three of them yelled.

“Come on, we’re going to be late on our first day!” Sunset yelled as she dashed out the door.

“Go, go, go!” Ruby shouted as she ran behind Sunset, with Onyx and Eclipse running right behind them.

As they ran to their first classes, Salem and Glynda were walking through the school halls. They paused as they saw Ruby’s Team sprinting to their classes. “Hmm, they are cutting it close,” Said Glynda disapprovingly as she pushed her glasses up her nose with her index finger.

“It is their first day, Glynda,” Salem said with a lighthearted smile, before taking a sip of her cup of tea.





Ruby’s team just managed to make it to their first class by a hair. After that, most of their first day was mostly uneventful.   

It was now the last class of the day. The teacher in charge of the lecture is Professor Port. His classroom looked like a generic classroom with some posters of sketches of Grimm and trophies of Grimm heads, and tusks. Professor Port was a robust man with grey hair and a very thick grey moustache. He stood in front of his desk and took a deep breath. “Demons, monsters, Grimm. Those are some names we use to call our natural enemies, but I just call them prey, and soon you too will see them as prey,” he said in his grand voice to start his class.

As the class continued, and Professor Port continued his lecture, Onyx, Sunset and Eclipse were taking notes. Ruby, however, was having trouble staying awake. Onyx noticed this and nudged her arm to get her attention. “Stay awake,” He whispered to her. Ruby nodded with a bored expression and tried to stay awake.

“Now, to tell you all a story about my younger days,” Professor Port rambled on, as he got sidetracked by telling his story rather than the subject he was supposed to be teaching. Ruby quickly grew even more bored and began to draw a picture of Professor Port as an old fat guy that smelled. She gave a childish smile as she showed it to Onyx, who smiled back, as Eclipse tried to hold in a laugh. Sunset, who was trying hard to concentrate on her work, looked up and saw her teammates' antics, and she gritted her teeth in annoyance and disgust. Then, Professor Port cleared his throat to get their attention. “So in conclusion, a Huntsman must have honour, respect, and above all else, must carry themselves with pride!” He finally finished his speech. 

Sunset looked over at Ruby with revulsion as the younger girl continued her childish shenanigans. As far as she was concerned, she couldn't see those qualities in her “leader” at all. “Why did Professor Salem make her our leader? Stupid privileged little child!” She thought in frustration as she clutched her hand into a tight fist.

“Now, who among you thinks they have all of these qualities?” Professor Port asked his class. 

Sunset immediately raised her hand. “I DO, PROFESSOR!” She declared to the whole room.

“AND SO DO I!” Everyone looked and saw Weiss Schnee, also with her hand up.

Sunset ground her teeth and glared at Weiss. “HEY! DON’T JUMP ON MY BANDWAGON PRINCESS!” She yelled at the young heiress.

“I did no such thing!” Weiss shot back defensively.

“Well now, two young Huntresses eager to show their vigour. However, unfortunately, I have only one Grimm, so who will fight this beast?” Port said to Weiss and Sunset.

“I will!” The two girls declared in unison. The two of them turned to stare daggers at each other.

“Hmm, well now this might be a problem,” Professor Port said.

“I have a way to sort this out,” Said Twilight with her team.

“Ohh, Ms Sparkle, what solution do you have to offer?” Professor Port asked.

“A simple solution, a coin toss,” Twilight replied.

“Ahh, a simple yet effective solution. What say you, ladies?” He asked the two girls.

“I am fine with this solution,” Said Weiss with a nod.

“Same here,” Sunset agreed, if reluctantly.

The two girls now stood facing each other on either side of Professor Port. He tossed the coin into the air. The coin came down and the Professor caught it. “Now ladies call it,” he said.

“Heads!” Weiss announced.

“Then I’ll have Tails then,” Sunset agreed, still staring daggers at Weiss. Professor Port removed his hand to reveal the Tails face of the coin. “Ha! In your face, Ice Queen!” Sunset yelled at Weiss in triumph.

Weiss simply raised an eyebrow. “There’s always next time,” She said with her nose in the air. She turned on her heel and walked back to her teammates.

Sunset quickly changed into her Huntress outfit. She then faced the cage with the captured Grimm, taking her fighting stance with Sunburn, which was in its Pudao mode. She spun the Spear from her left to her right and back again, before pointing the blade at the caged Grimm. 

“Ready?” Professor Port asked, ready to open the cage. 

“Ready!” 

“Alright!” Professor Port raised his axe. “BEGIN!” He called, swinging his axe down to cut the lock of the cage, and Boarbatusk charged towards Sunset, as she swung her weapon upwards to get under the Boarbatusk. But she failed and was rammed out of the way of the rampaging Grimm.

“SUNSET AIM FOR ITS UNDERBELLY! THERE’S NO ARMOUR THERE!” Ruby called out.

“SHUT YOUR MOUTH!” Sunset snapped back at her. Needless to say, everyone was shocked that Sunset would show such disrespect to her team leader. Ruby, of course, was more shocked by this than anyone else, and more than a little hurt.

Onyx saw how sad this made Ruby, so he put his arm around her shoulders to comfort her. “Thanks, Onyx,” She whispered with a small smile. 

The fight between Sunset and the Boarbatusk continued, as the Boarbatusk rolled toward Sunset with full force, and knocked her off her feet. She tried to get up, but the Grimm crashed into her yet again, and Sunset lost her weapon. “Oh ho, now what will you do without your weapon?” Professor Port asked.

“I’ll show you!” Sunset answered with determination, igniting the fire Dust in her sweatbands, creating two fireballs in both hands. “Time to burn, little piggy!” Sunset shoots a jet of flames at the frightened Grimm. The Boarbatusk ran from Sunset’s flames. 

As this went on, Sunset was setting everything on fire. Weiss and Onyx quickly reacted and used their Glyphs to protect their classmates from Sunset’s flames. The frightened Boarbatusk ran from Sunset’s fire and got itself cornered. “Game over” She was abruptly interrupted as the Grimm was gunned down by Professor Port’s rifle. Sunset looked at him with anger. “WHAT THE HELL!?” She yelled at him, her flames getting stronger in the process.

Before the Professor could answer, the sprinklers came on, raining water down to put out Sunset’s flames. “Look around you Ms Shimmer, this is not the way of a Hunter,” Professor Port said sternly as the fire died out. Sunset looked around and saw the scorch marks she made as well as Onyx’s and Weiss’s Glyphs in front of the rest of the class. “Class dismissed!” Professor Port told the rest of the students. “And no homework either,” He added as the now wet and grumbling students left the room. “Not you, Ms Shimmer.” Sunset looked over at Professor Port. “A word please,” He said in a voice that left no room for argument.





Ruby, Onyx, and Eclipse were waiting for Sunset in the hallway. Eclipse was pacing backwards and forwards. Ruby was sitting on a chair with her hands on her knees, looking quite downtrodden, and Onyx was sitting next to her, as he bounced his knee up and down impatiently. Weiss then came walking down the hallway, stopping in front of the rest of team ROSE. 

Onyx looked up at her as she approached. “Weiss? Why are you here?” He asked.

“I was summoned by Professor Salem,” Weiss replied.

Just then, Sunset came out of the classroom. She didn’t look happy. “Sunset, are you ok?” Ruby asked, but Sunset didn’t answer, she just kept walking down the hallway, completely ignoring her leader. 

Professor Goodwitch then walked out of the classroom. “Ms Schnee, and Mr Shinra, Professor Salem would like to see you both.” She told Weiss and Onyx, and the two of them entered the classroom where Professor Salem and Professor Port were waiting for them. Once they had gone, Ruby and Eclipse chased after Sunset.





Ruby and Eclipse were still chasing after Sunset. “Sunset wait!” Ruby called after her.

Sunset stopped in her tracks, turned on her heel, and glared at Ruby with hatred and anger. “What do you want?!” She hissed at her.

Ruby was shocked by Sunset’s glare and words. “Sunset, why are you so angry with me?” She asked the angry Fox.

“You want to know why I’m angry? Ooh, I’ll tell you why I’m angry! I came to Beacon to become a Huntress, and it’s bad enough I’m here with a Schnee, and I’m on a team with a Shinra, but on top of all that, this joke of a team is led by an underaged, over-privileged brat like you!” Sunset raged on at Ruby. “Why don’t you just go home, you dumb little princess?! YOU DON’T BELONG HERE!” Tears started to form in Ruby’s eyes, and Sunset saw this. She smirked mockingly as she added, “What!? Are you going to cry? Why don't you run home to Mommy and Daddy?! I’m sure they-”

“YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME!” Ruby screamed at the top of her lungs, with tears falling from her eyes, before she turned and ran, leaving a trail of rose petals behind.

“Ruby, wait!” Eclipse called to the fleeing girl. He turned to look at Sunset, aghast at what had just happened. “What the hell is your problem?” He asked in disbelief.

“What do you think my problem is? That little underaged rich girl bribed her way in, and she’s put in charge of us two Faunus’. Professor Salem should have made one of us team leaders.” She told Eclipse with conviction.

“WHAT!?” Eclipse yelled in shock. “That’s what this is all about, you’re stupid pride?!” 

“No, it’s about what’s right! That spilt redhead has no place leading us!” Sunset shot back.

Eclipse just shook his head in disgust. “You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about!” He said irritably, before running off down the hallway to find Ruby.





(Meanwhile inside the damaged classroom.)

Onyx and Weiss approached Professor Salem. She was looking over the damages that Sunset had caused. “Professor Salem, Ms Schnee, and Mr Shinra are here to see you,” Professor Goodwitch informed her.

Salem turned to face Weiss and Onyx. “Ahh yes, Mr Shinra and Ms Schnee. I believe a thank you is in order,” She said to the two of them.

“Why are we being thanked?” Asked Onyx in confusion.

“For answering the call of Duty,” Professor Port answered with a proud tone.

“Indeed, when Ms Shimmer went out of control with her flames. The two of you protected your fellow Students with your Glyphs,” Professor Salem explained.

Weiss looked proud of herself, while Onyx just waited for what Salem had to say next.

“Yes, so thank you for saving your fellow students from the fire,” Salem said to the two of them with a smile. “Ms Schnee, you may leave, but Mr Shinra, can you stay for a moment?” She added.

“Yes, Professor Salem,” Onyx replied.

“Thank you, Professors,” Weiss said with a polite nod, before she turned around, and left the classroom.

Onyx was left alone with the three Professors. He stood like a statue, waiting for what they were going to say. “Mr Shinra, has Ms Shimmer acted out of character at any point before today?” Asked Salem.

“No, Professor Salem, this is the first time she has done this,” Onyx replied.

“I see. Mr Shinra, who taught you how to use your Glyphs?” She asked again.

“I was self-taught, Professor,” Onyx answered. “Why do you ask?” He asked in return.

“From the footage of the incident, we can see you were having trouble holding your Glyph,” Salem replied with a hint of concern.

“I’ve always had trouble with the big ones,” Onyx explained simply.

“Did you not ask for training from your Mother?” Asked Professor Goodwitch.

“My Mother was killed when I was 8, Professor Goodwitch,” Onyx replied a bit more sharply than he intended, causing Glynda to bite her bottom lip. 

“I see, and what about your cousin, Winter?” Salem asked.

“She had no time to train me,” Onyx replied with a shrug.

“Hmm, well since you have little training in regards to your Glyphs, I believe you will need some additional training, and Professor Goodwitch does use Glyphs herself. Glynda, would you please train Mr Shinra?” She asked Glynda.

“Yes, I will give Mr Shinra additional training with his Glyphs,” Glynda replied with a nod.

“Well, now that’s sorted, is there anything you need to ask of us?” Salem asked Onyx.

“Yes, Professor, what is going to happen to Sunset?” Onyx asked.

“She will have detention, and have to repaint the classroom,” Professor Port answered.

“Ok thank you for not kicking her out of Beacon,” Onyx said with relief.

Salem raised an eyebrow. “So tell me Mr Shinra, what are your views on Faunus’?” She asked.

“I believe Humans and Faunus can stand as equals. If only those in power would give them a chance, but unfortunately they hold on to outdated ways of thinking,” Onyx replied, making it clear how he saw the world.

“Hmm, so you would give Sunset a chance?” Salem asked again.

“Yes, I would.”

“And what of those who were a part of the White Fang?” Salem asked once more.

“Everyone deserves a chance. The White Fang was created because Humanity kept suppressing them, and I truly believe they do have their kind’s best interests at heart. If the day came that I ever met their leaders I would listen to every word they have to say, and hopefully, I can help them make this world a better place for all of us,” Onyx carefully answered the difficult question.

“Well, that was a very interesting answer, Mr Shinra. It’s rare to see someone at your age who thinks the way you do,” She said, seeing Onyx not as a student, but as a man who might be able to help rebuild this broken world. “That will be all Mr Shinra. You're dismissed.”

Onyx nodded and turned to leave. “One last thing Mr Shinra,” Professor Goodwitch said to him. Onyx turned back to look at the teachers again. “On your form, you put down you had a personal teacher. But there is no given name, why is that?” Professor Goodwitch asked.

“My teacher didn’t want their name placed on my forms,” Onyx replied. Glynda scowled at Onyx. 

“Well if that’s the case you can leave now Mr Shinra,” Salem said, ending Glynda’s interrogation. Onyx nodded and left the room.

“So we’re not pursuing this any further?” Asked Glynda in annoyance at being cut off.

“No, everyone is entitled to their secrets,” Salem replied mysteriously. After all, she had more secrets than anyone else in the world.





Meanwhile, Eclipse was looking everywhere for Ruby. It seemed the trail of rose petals disappeared after some time. Eclipse couldn’t stop thinking about what happened in class, it was ironic that for the first time, he was on the receiving end of a rampaging Faunus attacking with fire. How many times did he use fire against humans, and how many times did just watch as the flames he caused destroyed homes, shops, and workplaces with people still inside? “Why am I thinking of this now, at this time? I need to find Ruby,” He thought to himself with determination and worry for his teammate.

As Eclipse searched for Ruby, he suddenly bumped into Yang, who was with her team, just as they were leaving the library. “Ohh, sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going,” Yang apologised to Eclipse.

“It’s fine,” Eclipse replied with an aggravated look.

“Is everything okay?” Asked Ember.

“I’m trying to find Ruby,” Eclipse said.

“Hmm?” This catches Yang's attention. “Why are you looking for Ruby?” She asked.

“Sunset yelled at her, and she ran away. I think I saw her crying,” Eclipse explained to Yang.

“What!?” Yang yelled, her eyes turning bright red. “Where is she?!” She asked Eclipse angrily.

“I don’t know where Ruby is,” Eclipse replied.

“No! Where’s Sunset Shimmer?!” She asked, gritting her teeth.

“I don’t know! I went after Ruby after she ran,” Eclipse replied. “Wait, why does this bother you so much?” He asked.

“Because Ruby’s my little sister, that’s why!” Yang growled, before she pushed Eclipse aside, and began her search for Sunset Shimmer.

“Yang, wait!” Called Lyra, as the rest of team YELO chased after their leader.





Onyx was walking back to Team ROSE's room when his Scroll buzzed. “Hmm?” He pulled out his Scroll and saw he had a message from Eclipse. He tapped on the message, and it opened. The message read, “I can’t find Ruby, and Yang’s hunting for Sunset. What should we do?” Onyx finished reading the message. 

“I’m not sure, we’ll try to find Sunset and Ruby. Where are you?” He typed back to Eclipse. 

“I’m by the Library,” Eclipse replied.

“Okay stay there, and I’ll make my way to you. Then we’ll look for Sunset and Ruby,” Onyx typed back to Eclipse. He ran towards the Library where Eclipse was waiting for him.





Sunset walked through the school grounds, thinking about what Salem and the other professors told her. “Ms Shimmer, this kind of vandalism will not be tolerated in this academy young lady!” Professor Goodwitch told her with a stern voice.

“Yes I agree with Professor Goodwitch. The walls will need repainting,” Professor Port said.

“Ms Shimmer, you will have detention with Professor Port for the next two weeks, and you will also repaint this classroom,” Salem told her.

 “As well, I suggest you learn some self-control in the future Ms Shimmer. We don’t want any more wildfires,” Professor Goodwitch told her. 

Sunset’s anger starts to rise from remembering what Professor Goodwitch said. “WHAT DOES SHE KNOW!?” She shouted, kicking over a trash can. “Stupid Blond!”

Yang heard Sunset yelling. “There she is,” Yang said, power-walking towards Sunset, her eyes red with anger. “HEY!” 

Sunset turned and saw Yang walking towards her. “What do you want?” She hissed at Yang.

“What’s your deal with my sister?” Yang said bluntly.

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “What? Who’s your sister?” She asked back cluelessly.

“Ruby! Ruby Rose!” Yang yelled in indignation. “Eclipse told me you yelled at Ruby, and you made her cry!” 

“Ohh, so that little spoiled brat’s your sister?” Sunset said with a snarky tone.

“WHAT DID YOU SAY!?” Yang exploded with rage towards Sunset, her blonde hair on fire.
Just then, the rest of team YELO found Yang as she confronted Sunset. “Call her that again, I dare you!” Yang growled fiercely at Sunset.

Seeing the enraged state of her team leader, Ember quickly ran to Yang's side. “Yang, come on, you have to calm down, or you could get in serious trouble,” she tried to reason.

“Stay out of this!” Yang snapped, as she clenched her hands into fists. “I'm going to give this little BITCH the beat down of a lifetime!”  

“Oh, you think you can take me, Blondy?” Sunset huffed as she ignited her fire Dust. “Bring it on!” She challenged Yang.

“Ohh, you're going to regret screwing with my sister,” Yang threatened, getting closer to Sunset, ready to give her the beating of a lifetime.

Octavia ran forward and stood between the two fire starters. “Yang, stop! This isn’t worth it!” She pleaded.

“Move it, Octavia! This will be so worth it!” Yang told Octavia, shoving her aside.

Lyra then stands in Yang's way, using her Semblance to create 6 arms, and using them to stop Yang and Sunset from getting closer to each other. “Come on guys, can’t we all just get along?” She asked, trying to calm the girls down.

“Really? Another of your girlfriends is getting in the way?!” Sunset yelled.

“Out of my way, Lyra! She’s asking for it!” Yang ordered Lyra.

Ember then grabbed Yang from behind. “Come on, Yang it’s not worth it, you don’t want to do this!” She said, trying to pall Yang back.

“Oh, it’s going to be worth it, after I’m finished with her!” Yang replied, trying to force Ember off her.

“Are we doing this or not?” Sunset asked impatiently. “I’m ready to go here!”

Yang pushed Ember and Lyra off her, and she sprinted towards Sunset.

Sunset and Yang were about to fight when a stern voice shouted, “Stop right there you two!” Everyone looked and saw Professor Salem walking across the courtyard towards them. “Ms Xiao Long, your team is right, this isn’t worth getting kicked out of Beacon over,” She told Yang in a voice that left no room for argument.

“But Professor, she made my sister-”

“Ms Xiao Long, I know you love your sister very much, but there will be times when Ms Rose will have to fight her own battles without you,” Salem told Yang firmly but wisely. It was hard for Yang to accept the truth, but deep down she knew that one day Ruby would no longer need her. She also knew Ruby would have to fight her own battles. She took a deep breath, and her eyes changed back from red to lilac. “I think you and your team have homework to do,” Salem said, placing her hand on Yang’s shoulder.

Yang took another deep breath. “She’s right, come on guys, let’s go,” She said, walking away, and her team followed her. 

Sunset just huffed in annoyance, turned her fire off, and turned to walk away.

“Hold on, Ms Shimmer, I believe we need to have another chat,” Salem said before she could leave.

“What now?” Sunset said in a snarky tone.

Salem raised an eyebrow at Sunset’s attitude. “Ms Shimmer, why are you so angry with Ruby Rose?” She asked, wanting to know what was wrong with her student.

“I don’t think that Ruby Rose is leader material of any kind, and I know for a fact you made the wrong choice,” Sunset told Salem firmly. 

Salem looked at Sunset with judging eyes. “Hmm, I suppose you may have a point Ms Shimmer. Perhaps Mr Shinra might be a suitable leader. Or maybe Mr Khan could make a good leader,” She told the Fox girl.

“What? What about me?” Sunset protested.

“What about you, Ms Shimmer? What have you done to prove to me you are worthy of leadership?” Salem asked Sunset.

Sunset had no answer to the question. “Well…” she said hesitantly. 

“Exactly, Ms Shimmer, you have done nothing to prove your worth as a leader,” Salem said, “Do you know what Mr Shinra and Mr Khan are doing right now?” She asked.

“Umm, not really,” Sunset replied.

“They are both looking for you and Ms Rose,” Salem told Sunset. 

“Wait, they are?” Sunset said in surprise. 

“Yes they are, and Ms Rose has disappeared,” Salem went on.

“Wait, Ruby’s gone?” Sunset asked in sudden concern for the missing younger girl.

“Why do you sound so concerned?” Salem asked Sunset.

“I didn't mean to scare her away. I just got so angry and…”

“And you took out your anger on Ms Rose. Ms Shimmer, I know you have not been in a School in a long time, and I also know you were bullied at your last school. I am wagering that you subconsciously enter a form of a defence mechanism, and instead of confronting it, you allow it to take control. As a result, you almost ruined your team, and your studentship here,” Salem told Sunset.

Sunset knew Salem was right. She was in the wrong, and she needed to make things right with Ruby. “I…I need to find Ruby,” She said to Salem with regret in her voice.

“Well, may I suggest you look in a high place,” Salem said.

“Yes, thank you, Professor Salem,” Sunset said, and ran to find Ruby and apologise to her.

“Now let's see what this first step will lead to,” Salem thought to herself, walking back the way she came.





Sunset ran to the rooftop of her team’s dorm. She looked over the edge to try to find any sign of Ruby. “Come on! How can a red hooded girl be this hard to…” her train of thought stopped when she heard what sounded like someone sniffing. “Ruby?” Sunset approached where the noise was coming from, and she saw Ruby, down on her knees, and looking at a picture on her Scroll. The picture was of a group of girls from Signal Academy holding a sign saying “Good luck at Beacon!”

“Coming here was a mistake,” Ruby whimpered, continuing to cry. She didn’t notice Sunset was behind her.
 
“Ruby?” Sunset said softly as she got closer.

Ruby looked up at Sunset with bloodshot eyes. “Go away, Sunset,” She said miserably.

The guilt, along with the broken tone of Ruby’s voice stung Sunset like a knife as she sat down next to Ruby. “Are those your friends from Signal Academy?” She asked.

“Why do you care?!” Ruby snapped without looking at her.

“I…I don’t know what to say, Ruby,” Sunset said, trying as hard as she could to find the right words.

“You're right, I don’t belong here. I’m going to see Professor Salem and tell her I’m leaving Beacon,” Ruby said, wiping more tears from her eyes.

“No Ruby I… I was wrong. I let my anger get the best of me, and I had no right to yell at you the way I did,” Sunset said in a guilty voice.

“It doesn't matter, Sunset, I’m leaving Beacon,” Ruby said, looking away from Sunset again.

“Ruby… the truth is I was bullied a lot in my old school, and I’ve not been in an Academy in a long time. Without knowing, I did to you what they did to me, and I said some hurtful things to you. I’m sorry Ruby, I truly am,” Sunset explained, trying to make amends with the stricken girl.

Ruby didn't say anything to Sunset for a moment, before staging firmly, “I made up my mind Sunset.” She then made to stand up.

Sunset took a deep breath. “OK, I can see what I need to do here,” She said, before inching closer to Ruby, moving her long bushy tail in front of her, and then flopping it across Ruby’s lap.

“Huh?” Ruby said in confusion. “Your tail?”

“I’ve noticed you’ve been staring at it all day. You like it. So, go ahead, cuddle it,” She said as she blushed a little.

Ruby stared at Sunset in stunned silence for a moment, before she looked down at the very soft and fluffy-looking appendage in her lap. She gently took hold of it with both hands, feeling how warm and soft Sunset’s tail was. She lifted the tip to her face and nuzzled it with her cheek as she started to cuddle it. “Wow, your tail is so soft,” She said with a sweet smile, rubbing her face in the soft tail.

“Yeah I take really good care of it,” Sunset said with a bit of pride in her voice, before saying warningly, “But this is a one-off deal, and if you tell anyone I did this I’m roasting you.” Instead of answering, Ruby just continued to hug and snuggle Sunset’s tail. “Feeling any better?” Sunset asked.

“Yeah, much better, thanks,” Ruby said with a smile, and then the two girls stood up, and the two of them hugged each other.

“I am sorry, Ruby,” Sunset apologised once more.

“I forgive you, Sunset,” Ruby said, smiling happily.

“Come on, we have homework to do, and we should tell the boys they don’t need to keep looking for you and that we’ve made up,” Sunset said.

Ruby and Sunset made their way back to their Dorm room, where Ruby called Onyx and Eclipse and told them that everything was now OK between her and Sunset.





At the end of the next day, Sunset went down to Professor Port’s classroom to carry out her punishment of repainting the walls. She was now ready to get started repainting the walls. “Well, better get started,” She said to herself.

“Yeah we better get started,” Ruby said as she walked up to her with Onyx and Eclipse. Each of them was holding paintbrushes.

“Why are you guys here?” Sunset asked.

“Ruby suggested that we should help you with repainting the classroom,” Eclipse said.

“And the four of us can get this done a lot faster than you doing this on your own,” Onyx added.

“So shall we get started?” Ruby asked.

“Well, I was told to get this done, but they didn’t say you guys couldn't help,” Sunset said, rubbing the back of her head.

Then Team ROSE started to repaint the classroom together as a team. Salem, who was standing outside the classroom, smiled upon seeing her students working together. “Looks like this was a well-placed step,” She thought to herself, before walking back to her office.





Hidden within the Kingdom of Mistral, The White Fang’s high leader, Sienna Khan, a Tiger Faunus, was sitting on her throne. She gripped the arms of the throne tightly and had a frustrated, angry look on her face. A woman then ran inside the throne room and kneeled in Sienna Khan’s presence. She wore the uniform of a White Fang Grunt. On the top of her head was a small set of antlers, showing that she was a Deer Faunus. “High leader, I have news on the search for Eclipse,” The female grunt reported.

“And?” 

“We haven’t found him yet. We searched most of Mistral, and we can’t find him anywhere.” The Deer Faunas explained.

Sienna Khan shot to her feet, her face scrunched up in fury. “Double your efforts! I want my son found! NOW!” She ordered, and the Deer Faunus sprang to her feet in fright and ran out of the Throne Room as fast as she could. Once the Deer Faunus was gone, Sienna Khan slouched back down onto her Throne, took a deep breath to calm herself, before she reached into her coat, and pulled out a picture of her son. “Eclipse, where are you?” She asked herself, looking longingly at her son in his childhood. “Come home, Eclipse, come back to me,” She whispered to herself sadly, a single tear running down her cheek. Sienna’s face then changed from sadness to anger. “This is her doing,” She hissed in a venomous tone. “Once she left, you disappeared along with her. She’s the one who led you astray. Blake Belladonna! I will have your head on a silver platter for stealing my son from me!” She shouted in hatred. “COTTON!” she yelled.

A female Bunny Faunus with a cottontail entered the Throne Room. She approached the throne and knelt at Sienna Khan’s feet. “Yes High Leader?” The bunny woman asked.

“Find Blake Belladonna and bring her to me,” Sienna Khan ordered Cotton.

“It will be done, High Leader,” Cotton said before leaving the room.

“I swear, I will make you suffer for what you have done, Blake Belladonna.” Sienna hissed with even more hatred, her eyes narrowed dangerously, and gripped the arms of the throne even tighter, making grooves in them with her claws. 

To Be Continued…It was midday at Beacon. Eclipse the Tiger Faunus was on his way to meet Blake, the hiding Cat Faunus in the library. He found Blake on the second floor, sitting at a corner table. He walked towards his surrogate sister. “Blake!” He called.

“SHHH!” A random student hissed at him from another table.

“Sorry,” He said, approaching Blake’s table. Eclipse sat down next to Blake. “So, how are things with team Blight?” He asked.

“Everything is going fine, and how about Team Rose?” Blake asked, “I heard that fox girl caused a fire.”

“Yeah, Sunset went on a rampage with her fire in Professor Port’s class. Then she yelled at Ruby, which sent her running,” Eclipse explained.

“I see.”

“Then I and Onyx searched for her, and after a while, we got a message saying they had made up. So for the moment, everything seems to be going alright,” Eclipse finished.

“Hmm, sounds like you guys are off to a rough start,” Blake said, closing her book. “So what’s your next class?” She asked.

“Planetology.”

“Hmm, well fair warning, Professor Lilium can be rather passionate about plants,” Blake said, passing a book on plants to him.

“Ohh thanks, did you have Plantology?” Eclipse asked.

“Yes, and we learned a lot about plants. I know about many types of medicinal herbs,” Blake told Eclipse.

Eclipse smiled. “You know, when we came here, I was hoping to be on the same team as you,” He said with a sigh.

“Yes, I too was hoping to be on your team as well,” Blake said with a frown.

Eclipse took a breath. “You know after we left…(the White Fang.)” he whispered the last part, “I was hoping we would still be together.”

“Yeah, I know, and to be honest, I thought we were going to be on the same team,” Blake said, agreeing with Eclipse.

“Yeah, well, I guess I’d better get started memorizing this book on plants,” Eclipse said, looking at the cover.

“Yes well…” Blake stopped talking when she saw Lemon Zest walking towards them.

“Hey, Blake! It’s time for your appointment,” She informed Blake.

“Alright, I’ll be right there,” Blake said as she stood up, with Lemon Zest stepping in to help. This caught Eclipse’s attention. “I’ll see you later, Eclipse,” She said.

“Hey, wait, are you okay, Blake?” Eclipse asked in concern.

“I got hurt in the Emerald Forest,” Blake explained.

“WHAT?!” Eclipse yelled in shock.

“KEEP IT DOWN!” the Librarian yelled.

“Sorry,” Eclipse apologized quietly. “Are you okay, Blake? Is there…”

“Calm down, I’m fine, Eclipse. I’ve got Lemon Zest and the rest of Team Blight now. You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll see you later,” Blake told Eclipse, stopping him from freaking out over Her injury.

Eclipse didn’t like hearing this, but he understood regardless. “Okay, I’ll see you later,” He said reluctantly.

“We'd better get going,” Lemon Zest said to Blake.

“Okay, you’d better get started with your studying, Eclipse,” Blake said as both she and Lemon Zest left the Library.

“Yeah, see you, Blake,” He said, waving goodbye to Blake.





During Professor Lilium’s Class, Eclipse’s mind was on Blake. He couldn't stop thinking about her injury.

“I should have been there with her.” He thought to himself. “I know she has her team now, and they can help her, but I just can’t help but worry. After all this time, I thought Blake would be more willing to accept my help. She’s always been there for me, why can't I be for her?”

“Mr Khan?”

“I could have helped her,” He thought again.

“Mr Khan.”

“I need to help-”

“ECLIPSE KHAN!” Professor Lilium shouted impatiently. Eclipse snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at Professor Lilium as she stared sternly at him. She was a woman in her mi-40s. She wore a traditional gardener’s outfit. Her hair was grassy green, and her eyes were Hazel. “Mr Khan, I know plantology isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but you'll know what plants are safe, and what plants are not!” She snapped at him in a Greek accent. “Now, I will repeat my question. What plant oil should you use for burns?” She asked.

Eclipse didn’t have an answer. “I don’t know, Professor Lilium,” he said, looking down at the desk in embarrassment.

“Hmm, I suggest you spend more time paying attention, and less time daydreaming,” Professor Lilium told Eclipse in a very stern voice. “Can anyone else answer my question?” She asked the rest of the classroom. Applejack raised her hand. “Ahh, Ms Smith. What is the answer?” She asked Applejack.

“The answer is Lavender Oil,” Applejack replied.

“Correct Ms Smith!” Professor Lillium said with a smile. “I would also accept Aloe Vera as an answer, both Lavender and Aloe vera are used for treating burns. You would use Aloe Vera for Second Degree Burns, and Lavender Oil as a speedohealer, mostly used for cuts and scrapes. So remember, you can use both Aloe Vera and Lavender Oil for treating burns. Aloe Vera plants are traditionally found in semi-tropical climates, and Lavender are found in most places like the Emerald Forest for example.” Just then, the bell rang to signal the end of class. “And that’s all the time we have. Please review everything we’ve talked about, and that goes double for you Mr Khan!” Professor Lilium said to her class.

This caused some of the students to laugh at Eclipse’s expense, making him feel a bit humiliated. He then followed the others as they left the classroom. He was still thinking about Blake, he just couldn’t take his mind off her. “What should I do? What can I do?” He thought with worry. 

“Hey, Eclipse!” Onyx called as he walked up to him, breaking him from his thoughts. “Are you okay? You keep spacing out,” Onyx with concern for his teammate.

“Yeah, I’m fine, Onyx,” Eclipse replied, not meeting the other boy’s eyes.

“Look man, I can see there’s something on your mind. So what’s up?” Onyx asked.

“It’s nothing,” Eclipse said, not wanting to burden his new friends with his problems.

“Well if you say so. If you need to talk to someone, I’m here,” Onyx offered.

“Thanks,” Eclipse said with a slight smile. He was grateful for his new friend.

Just then, Ruby came running towards Onyx and Eclipse. “Hey guys, come on, it’s lunchtime!” She said, thrusting her arms in the air in glee.

“Calm down Ruby! It’s only lunchtime,” Sunset said as she approached them, shaking her head at her young leader’s over enthusiasm. 

“Yeah I know,” Ruby said with a bright cheery smile. “So, what are you guys getting?” She asked the boys.

“I’ll see what’s on the menu first then decide,” Onyx said.

Eclipse didn’t answer, he was yet again deep in thought and he didn’t hear the question. “Hey, Eclipse! Are you even listening?” Sunset asked, poking him in the head.

Eclipse snapped out of his thoughts again. “Umm yeah I’m fine,” He quickly replied.
“Look, guys, sorry, but I’ve got to go,” he stuttered as he quickly walked away from his teammates.

“So what’s going on with him?” Asked Sunset.

“I don’t know, I’ve asked him but he’s not saying anything,” Onyx replied. “Come on, we better get going before we lose our table,” he suggested to his teammates.

The three of them nodded and walked towards the dining hall.





Eclipse was now wandering through the halls of Beacon, his mind still on Blake. “I can’t stop thinking about Blake.” He came to a sudden stop as a determined look crossed his face. “I can’t just leave her alone. Me and Blake need each other. Sorry, Ruby, but I need to leave team Rose and I need to join team Blight.” Eclipse thought to himself, making his decision to be with Blake. He then made his way to the library to see how he could leave Rose to join Blight.





Meanwhile, the rest of Team Rose were on their way to Professor Cross’s class for medical training. When they got there, Eclipse was nowhere to be found.

“Uh, where’s Eclipse?” Asked Ruby.

“I don’t know, it’s like he’s completely disappeared,” Sunset said, looking up and down the hall for Eclipse.

“What should we do?” Ruby asked, feeling worried. “We can’t have class without him.”

“Nothing, if Eclipse didn’t show up then that’s his problem, not ours, and if Professor Cross asks about Eclipse…” Onyx paused as he tried to think of a solution. “We’ll think of something,” He said to Ruby.

The school bell then rang. “Come on, Ruby, we got to get to class,” Sunset said, putting her hand on Ruby’s shoulder. Ruby nodded reluctantly, and the rest of team Rose entered the classroom to take part in Professor Cross’s medical training, but Ruby couldn't help feeling concerned for their wayward teammate.  





Eclipse was in the library, looking at a holo screen as he searched through the academy's rules. “Come on, there's got to be something here,” He muttered to himself in agitation, still looking for his answer. He stopped scrolling when he saw something that caught his eye. “Team transfer? Yes, this is it,” He said, clicking the tab to get a closer look.

The page read, If there’s an issue with a team member, or if a team member wishes to change teams, first, the individual must have just cause for leaving his/her team, and also the other team must have a member willing to leave. Second, both team leaders must agree to trade members of their teams, also they must approve the exchange. The Headmaster must be present for the exchange. The individuals involved can only be exchanged once.

Eclipse read this paragraph through several times to fully understand how the process was done. “OK, first, I need just cause for leaving Team Rose, and find someone willing to leave Team Blight,” He said to himself, thinking hard about how to make the exchange happen.





By now, the rest of Team Rose had finished with Professor Cross’s medical training. “Well, I can say I now know how to use butterfly stitches,” Said Onyx with a smile.

“Yeah, and knowing all this medical stuff can be handy in the future,” Sunset agreed. But Ruby was silent and Sunset noticed this. “Are you okay Ruby?” She asked.

“I’m fine, but I’m worried about Eclipse,” Ruby explained with a frown. “He never showed up for class, and he’s been acting strange all morning.”

“Hey, don’t worry Ruby, we'll find him later,” Onyx said, picking up his stuff.

“Onyx’s right, so don’t worry about Eclipse,” Sunset added.

Ruby smiled. “Thanks, guys,” She said, “but I just don’t know what is going on with him, and it’s worrying me.”

Onyx saw how the thing with Eclipse made Ruby feel. “Okay, how about I bake you some cookies later?” He offered.

Instantly, Ruby snapped her head around to look at Onyx, and her mouth was now drooling a little. “You bake cookies?” She asked hungrily. 

“Yeah, I know a recipe that’s out of this world,” Onyx replied with a smirk, boosting his ego a little.

Ruby just stared at Onyx, still drooling, as if in a trance. Sunset waved her hand in front of Ruby’s face but received no reaction. “I think you broke her,” She said slowly, still waving her hand in Ruby’s face.

“Should I get Yang?” Onyx asked, a little concerned.

“My ears are burning,” Yang said as she stood right behind Onyx, making him jump in surprise. She then looked and scowled at the foxFaunus. Sunset just raised an eyebrow at her, before Yang looked away. “So, what’s up?” she asked.

Sunset stood aside to show Ruby to Yang. “I think she’s broken,” She said.

Yang just stared at Ruby for a moment, before she started to laugh. “OK, who told her they make cookies?” She asked with amusement.

“Umm me,” Onyx replied awkwardly.

Yang looked at Onyx with a smirk and laughed even more. “Whoa, big mistake, buddy,” she said with a snigger. “Sorry to tell you this, but Ruby has stupidly high standards when it comes to Cookies.” She then turned to leave. “Well, good luck pal, you’re gonna need it,” She said, before throwing one last scowl at Sunset as she left.

Once Yang had left to return to her team, Sunset spoke up. “Is it me or does she still have hostility towards me?” She asked.

“You did make her sister cry the other day,” Onyx said.

“Hmm, fair point,” Sunset said as she looked at the time. “Well, I’ve got detention with Professor Port, see you guys later,” She said before leaving.

“Yeah see ya,” Onyx said, before looking at Ruby, who was still in the same state as before. “Hey, Ruby, are you okay?” He asked, poking Ruby’s forehead with his glove-covered hands.

After being poked, Ruby snapped back to reality. “Oh sorry!” She then stood up and looked expectantly at him. “So, Onyx, where are those Cookies?” She asked.

“I’ll make them later for you,” Onyx promised. “Come on, we’ve got some studying to do,” He said, and the two of them left Professor Cross’s classroom.





Meanwhile, Eclipse was still in the library. He was currently filling out a team transfer form. “Okay, almost done now, I just need a good reason for leaving team Rose,” He said, thinking hard to find the perfect excuse. 

Just then, Onyx and Ruby were walking past the library, when Onyx stopped. “Oh hey, I need to grab a book. I’ll meet you in the dorm room,” He said to Ruby.

“OK, don’t be too long,” Ruby replied as she continued walking towards their dorm room.

As she walked away, Onyx entered the library. “OK, I just need a book on plants for Professor Lilium’s next class,” He said as he walked between the bookshelves, looking for the book he needed. He then paused as he saw Eclipse on one of the library computers. “Hmm, Eclipse? Has he been here all day?” Eclipse then got up and left the computer, and Onyx, being curious, walked over to see what he was doing. “It better not be porn.” He looked at the Holo screen, and his eyes widened with shock.

“Onyx?”

Onyx turned to look at Eclipse. “Care to explain what this is all about?” Onyx said, scowling as he pointed an accusing finger at him.

“It’s none of your business,” Eclipse said forcefully, pushing Onyx aside and sitting back down at the computer.

“I believe it is my business when your actions affect our whole team,” Onyx said in a furious tone. “Why are you filling out a team transfer form?”

“It’s none of your business,” Eclipse repeated firmly.

Onyx scowled even deeper at Eclipse and looked over his shoulder to take a closer look at the form. It was a request to leave Team Rose to join Blight. “Alright, fine, I’ll leave you alone,” He said begrudgingly, before leaving Eclipse and exiting the library. “Team Blight.” He pulled out his Scroll and looked up who Team Blight was, quickly finding the information he was looking for. “Team Blight, led by Blake Belladonna. Dorm room 230,” He read. “OK, so who does Eclipse know from this team?” He thought for a moment before he remembered what Sunset said to Eclipse in the dorm room on their first night. “So, let’s see if Blake Belladonna knows anything,” he said to himself, heading off to find Team Blight’s room.





Within Team Blight’s dorm room, Blake was sitting at one of the desks, busy studying. Twilight was sitting at another desk, working on a new gadget. Indigo was playing a game on her Scroll, and Lemon Zest was sorting through her medical supplies.

Lemon Zest looked over at Blake. “Hey Blake, you never told us what the doctor said about your back,” She said.

Blake sighed as she closed her book and turned to look at Lemon. “Good news,'' she said,'' My back will be fully healed by tomorrow. So I can start being independent again, but I can’t push my luck.”

“Well that’s good, I was afraid I might have to build you an EXO Suit,” Twilight said as she continued tinkering away with her gadgets.

This got Indigo's attention. “You can build an EXO Suit?” She asked curiously as she looked up from her game.

“Well, technically, I could if I had all the necessary funds and equipment,” Twilight replied, not once taking her eyes off her gadgets.

“Well, anyway, that’s good to hear your back’s better now,” Lemon said, smiling at Blake.

Before any more could be said, there was a knock at the door. “Huh, who’s that?” Indigo asked, looking at the door.

“Don’t think we're expecting anybody,” Lemon said as she walked towards the door and opened it. 

Onyx was standing outside. “Hi, is this Team Blight’s room?” He asked.

“Um, yeah, it is,” Lemon said before her eyes widened in recognition. “Wait, you’re Onyx Shinra!” She said excitedly, getting the attention of the other girls. Even Twilight looked away from her project at Lemon’s announcement.

Onyx looked oddly back at Lemon who was staring at him with a huge grin. “Yes, I’m Onyx Shinra, is Blake here?” he asked.

“Blake? Yeah, she’s here,” Lemon Zest said standing aside so Onyx could see into the room.

Blake looked over at Onyx with a raised eyebrow. “Can I help you?” She asked.

“Can we talk in private?” Onyx asked. The rest of team Blight looked at Blake and then back at Onyx.

Blake stood up from her desk. “May I ask why?” She asked.

“I’ll explain once we’re alone,” Onyx replied.

“I’ll be right back, girls,” Blake said, as she left the room with Onyx and closed the door behind her. 

“Alright, so who wants to bet that Onyx’s a smitten kitten?” Lemon Zest asked with a huge grin.

“Haha, I’ll take that bet,” Indigo said with a laugh, putting down her Scroll.

“How about you, Twilight?” Lemon asked the tech-savvy girl.

“I’m not a fan of gambling, but if it’s a friendly wager, I’ll take it,” Twilight replied, having returned her attention to her gadgets.

“10 Lien?” Lemon asked them eagerly.

“I’ll take that bet,” Indigo said with a smirk.

“As will I,” Twilight agreed.

“Stupid question, how are we going to find out what the Shinra boy wanted?” Indigo asked.

“Huh, I’m not sure,” Lemon replied with a frown.

“I’ll tell you how, with this,” Twilight said, activating a small drone, which hovered into the air.

“Oh, that will work,” Indigo said with a smile.

“Open the window please, Lemon?” Twilight asked her teammate.

Lemon nodded before walking to the window and opening it. Twilight’s little drone flew out of the room and sped off to find Onyx and Blake.





After Blake followed Onyx out of the dorm, he led her towards the statue in front of the academy, which consisted of a Huntsman and Huntress standing on a cliff top, with a Grimm lurking beneath them. “Mr Shinra, why did you bring me here?” Blake asked.

“Onyx will do,” Onyx said, turning to look at the bow-wearing girl. “Would you prefer Blake or Ms Belladonna?” He asked.

“Call me Blake,” She replied. “Can you tell me what you wanted to talk to me about?” she asked again. It was at this moment, Twilight’s drone found Blake and Onyx standing by the statue.

Back in Team Blight’s room, Twilight, Indigo, and Lemon were watching a live feed from the Drone. “OK, now let’s see if he confesses his undying love to Blake,” Lemon said with a grin.

“Shh, he’s going to say something,” Indigo said, placing her hand over Lemon’s mouth to keep her quiet. She then looked intently back at the feed. “Come on, take that shirt off and show us that si-pack!” She added eagerly.

Lemon yanked Indigo’s hand away from her mouth. “You seriously think he has a si-pack?” she said curiously.

“I know he must have something yummy on his tummy,” Indigo replied with narrowed eyes and a hungry smirk, displaying all of her pointed and razor-sharp shark teeth. 

“Will you 2 be quiet,” Twilight said, “I am trying to concentrate on what they are both saying to each other.” 

Onyx stared into Blake’s Amber eyes, and Blake stared into his Silver eyes. “Blake, are you happy with your team?” Onyx asked.

Blake was both surprised and confused by Onyx’s question. “Yes, I am. Why are you asking?” She asked in return.

“I found Eclipse Khan filling out a team transfer form. He wants to leave his team and join yours,” Blake was surprised to hear that Eclipse was doing this. “Do you know why Eclipse wants to leave Team ROSE?” Onyx asked Blake.

“I told him I was hurt in The Emerald Forest. So he probably wants to join my team because of that,” Blake told Onyx.

“I see, so you and Eclipse know each other. Blake, do you want Eclipse on your team?” Onyx asked.

“When we came here together we thought we would be on the same team,” Blake explained, taking a moment to think. “But I’m happy with my team,” She told Onyx.

“Can you help me talk to him? I want to keep this under the radar as much as possible,” Onyx asked.

“Yes, don’t worry, I will talk to Eclipse and get this straightened out,” Blake agreed.

“Thank you, Blake, I just don’t want this team to have any more problems. It’s only been a couple of days since the incident with Sunset,” Onyx said with a slight frown.

“I understand,” Blake said with a nod. “Do you know where Eclipse is?”

“I think he’s still in the library,” Onyx said.

“Alright, let’s go,” She said, and the two of them headed off to the library.

Unbeknownst to them, Twilight’s drone had picked up everything that Onyx and Blake had talked about. This wasn’t what the girls were expecting to see. “So, he just wanted her to help with his teammate?” Lemon asked in disappointment.

“That certainly seems to be the case,” Twilight declared.

“Well, looks like you lost the bet, Lemon,” Indigo said, chuckling at Lemon’s defeat.

“And I’m 20 Lien short!” Lemon moaned with her face in her hands.

Indigo’s face then fell in disappointment. “Yeah, and he didn’t take his shirt off, either,” She moaned.

“Why did you want him to take his shirt off so bad?” Lemon asked.

“I told you, I wanted to see if he had a six-pack,” Indigo replied.

“Yeah, I get that, but why?” Lemon said with a frown. 

“Six packs are hot,” Indigo replied like it was obvious. “Plus, I’m developing my si-pack,” she added, lifting her shirt to show off her toned and chiselled stomach. “See?”   

“Ooh, sweet,” Lemon said, sounding quite impressed. 

While Indigo and Lemon talked to each other, Twilight secretly sent her drone to find Sunset Shimmer.

The drone found the Fox Faunus sitting in detention with Professor Port. The drone's camera zoomed in closer to get a better view of her face. “Hmm, so it is you, Sunset Shimmer,” Twilight thought to herself. She called the drone back to her, and the drone flew back towards team Blight’s room.





Onyx and Blake walked towards the library, but just before they entered, Onyx’s Scroll rang. He looked at his Scroll and saw the caller was Ruby.

“I need to take this,” He told Blake.

“If she needs you, go to her. I can talk to Eclipse myself. I know he’ll listen to me,” Blake replied in understanding.

“OK, thanks, Blake,” Onyx answered his Scroll, and Blake walked into the library to find Eclipse.

Eclipse was still at the computer, trying to think of a good reason to leave Team Rose so could he join Team Blight. “Come on, Eclipse, it's not rocket science,” He said to himself in a frustrated tone.

Blake then slowly approached him. “Eclipse,” She said to him softly. Eclipse looked up at her with a look of slight shock. “Come with me, We need to talk.”

Blake was the one person Eclipse could never refuse. He nodded as he turned the computer off, got up, and left the library with her.





Blake took Eclipse to the same statue that she and Onyx stood in front of not too long ago. She then turned to look at her surrogate brother. “Eclipse, why do you want to leave Team Rose?” She asked in a worried tone.

“Why?! You got hurt in the Emerald Forest, Blake!” Eclipse accidentally yelled at her.

Blake covered her hidden ears under her bow. “Volume control, Eclipse,” she muttered. 

“Sorry!" Eclipse exclaimed quickly. “Sorry, Blake, it’s just that you got hurt in the Emerald Forest because I wasn’t there to watch your back. You know, like back in the old days.” 

Blake sighed heavily. “Eclipse, this isn’t the old days anymore,” She said wearily. “I got hurt in the Emerald Forest because I was careless, and I can’t abandon my teammates. The three of them saved my life.” She then took a step closer to Eclipse. “We both knew we may be separated, and we were both okay with that. Eclipse, I know we said we would stay together after we left the…old team, but we can’t change the past. We can only learn to live with it. So you should stay with Rose, and I’m staying with Blight. This is for the best, Eclipse, and deep down you know it, as well as I do.”

It wasn’t easy to hear this, but he understood what his surrogate sister was saying. “You're right, Blake, and I was acting silly for attempting to leave Rose without actually talking to anyone,” Eclipse said in understanding, before he took a deep breath, as tears began to form in the corners of his eyes.

“You’ll be fine, Eclipse, I know it,” Blake said with a gentle smile as she pulled him into a comforting hug.

“Yeah, and I know you’ll be fine too,” Eclipse said softly as he returned the hug. The surrogate siblings finished their hug and looked at each other with their matching Amber eyes. If they were the same species of Faunus, you could easily assume they were siblings.

“I love you, Blake. You're the sister I always needed,” Eclipse said affectionately to his beloved sister.

“I love you too, you the little brother I always wanted, You better get back to your team,” Blake said with a warm smile of her own.

“Yeah, you too,” Eclipse agreed…

Blake and Eclipse said their goodbyes and made their way back to their respective teams.





Eclipse made his way back to Team Rose’s room but paused before going in. As he stood outside the door, he thought to himself. Both he and Blake had come to Beacon to turn over a new leaf, and he almost abandoned his new team to be with Blake, his Sister that he loved so much. But Blake was right, this was for the best for the two of them. He took a deep breath, and as he reached for the dooknob, he was interrupted as Sunset came walking down the hallway towards him, grumbling bitterly to herself.

“Oh god, that was torture!” She said in a whining tone. She then saw Eclipse at the Dorm room door. “Eclipse? There you are. We haven’t seen you all morning. Where were you?” She asked as she crossed her arms.

Eclipse didn’t know how to answer her. “Er, well, you see I was doing something and I lost track of time,” He replied, not telling the whole truth.

“Hmm,” Sunsets looked at Eclipse Skeptically, before she sighed and slumped her shoulders. “You know what, I’m too tired to care about this right now,” She said, feeling exhausted from Professor Port’s detention.

Sunset opened the door and was immediately blocked by Ruby as she ran to her side and hung off her left arm. “SUNSEEEET! Onyx is mean, he promised me cookies and he forgot to bake them!” The younger girl whined as she pointed at Onyx.

“I said I was sorry,” Onyx said back.

“It doesn't matter how sorry you are, and I won’t be your friend until you give me those cookies you promised me!” Ruby said as she made a pouty face.

“Ahhh, I see,” Sunset yawned.

“Wow, you look tired,” Onyx added.

“Yeah, detention with Professor Port was exhausting,” Sunset said, kicking off her shoes. “I’m going straight to bed.”

“Oh, OK, Sunset,” Ruby nodded before she noticed Eclipse standing outside the room. “Eclipse! Where were you?! We were worried about you!” she exclaimed with wide eyes.

“Sorry, Ruby, I was just sidetracked by something else,” Eclipse said apologetically.

“Well, as long as everything is alright,” Ruby said with relief.

“Look, it’s late, so how about we head to bed,” Onyx suggested.

“Onyx is right, we should get some sleep,” Eclipse agreed, relieved for the distraction from himself.

“Yeah, sure. Well, nice to see you still with us, Eclipse.” Ruby smiled up at him, before going to the bathroom to change into her nightwear, along with Sunset so she could also change into her nightwear.

Eclipse was now left alone with Onyx. “So, are you staying?” Onyx asked.

“Yes, Blake and I talked, and she convinced me to stay with this team,” Eclipse explained with a small smile.

“Hmm, good, I’m glad you’re staying,” Onyx said with a smile. “Now come on, get in here.”

Eclipse finally entered the room of Team Rose, knowing that this was where he belonged.





In an alleyway, Cotton, who had been sent by Sienna Khan to find Blake, just finished beating down two random young Humans, a man and a woman. She stalked her way over to them and placed her foot on the young woman’s throat. “I’ll ask once more, where did this girl go?” She demanded, showing her a picture of Blake.

The woman struggled to breathe from the pressure on her throat. “V… V…V-Vale,” She finally managed to choke out an answer.

“And was she alone?” Cotton asked again.

“She… was with a guy… he had… a huge pair of… scissors,” She managed to say, her eyes wide with terror.

“Was he a Faunus?” Cotton asked.

“Yes!” The woman cried.

“Was he a tiger?”

“YES!” The woman screamed desperately. 

“See, wasn't that easy?” Cotton said in an overly sweet voice, before she pressed her foot down hard, snapping the woman’s neck and killing her instantly. The male human then jumped to his feet and tried to escape, but Cotton pulled out a blowpipe, put it to her lips, and shot him with a toxic dart. He fell back to the ground instantly. 

“Deathstalker venom is expensive, but it is worth the price,” Cotton said to herself. She then pulled out a map and examined it. “So, Vale is where you two are hiding?” She used a red marker to circle Vale. Her ears then twitched as she heard shouting as well as footsteps coming towards her. 

Using her Semblance, she leapt up from the ground, and jumped in a zig-zag between the walls, heading for the rooftops. She then ran across the rooftops to find transport to reach Vale.

To Be Continued…