“Akelarre!” Ruby said as she saw her best friend laying down on Yang’s bed. She stepped over Blake, who for some reason decided to flop onto the ground right by the doorway, and used her semblance to shoot across the bedroom and into the air above Akelarre.

She saw Akelarre’s eyes widen a second before she crashed down on her with a glomping tackle. Akelarre’s breath left her in a cough, but she was quick to start laughing and poked Ruby in the ribs to get her off. “Hi Ruby!”

“What are you doing here?” Ruby asked as she rolled over to sit on her knees atop Yang’s pillows. It was then that she noticed the other girl in the room, a short redhead with bright green eyes who was staring at her and Akelarre while writing down something in a notepad. She was sitting at their desk the same way Weiss sat, with her back straight as a board and legs out just-so.

Akelarre sat up too and waved at the rest of team RWBY. Yang waved back, though she had a hard time since she was busy lifting Blake in a bridal carry to deposit her on Weiss’ bed. She huffed before turning a pouting glare on Akelarre “How’d you get in our rooms?”

Akelarre raised both hands in surrender, but her smile never wavered. “Peace. I just unlocked the door from inside. I didn’t want to be stuck waiting in the hallway for you guys to arrive. Also, are they okay?” She pointed at Blake, who was still napping, and then at Weiss who was rocking back and forth on her heels in the doorway.

Yang pressed a hand on each temple, then gave up on that and pulled Weiss into the dorm room and shut the door.

It was growing a little cramped, what with six girls in one small-ish room.

Ruby felt the weight of responsibility pressing down on her again, and just when she was starting to have fun. “Give me a minute, then you can present us to your new buddy,” she told Akelarre before hopping off the bed.

With a few steps she found herself between Weiss and the rest of the room, then she grabbed her friend by the shoulders and slowly turned her around so that Weiss was facing the door and away from all the others. “Weiss, are you okay?” Ruby asked.

“She’s real?” Weiss said.

“Yes Weiss, she’s real,” Ruby said. “She’s also super friendly and nice and she won’t eat anyone. Right Akelarre?”

“No eating nice people,” Akelarre said while giving them a thumbs up. “Don’t worry, Weiss, I love making new friends.”

The redhead at the desk took more notes, the scribble-scribble of her pen the only noise in the room for a while. “Okay,” Weiss finally said. “But I want a full accounting when this is done. Whatever this is.”

“Sure,” Ruby said easily. She turned back towards the others and saw that Blake was sitting back up with Yang’s hand holding up up and rubbing circles into her back. “Is Blake okay?”

“I’m fine,” Blake said.

“Is it because I touched your books?” Akelarre asked. She raised one of Blake’s books from off the bed. “I’m sorry about that. I was just curious about why they were hidden so well.” A touch of pink appeared on Akelarre’s cheeks. “I, I think I know why now, though.” She put the book back down.

“Just, just don’t hurt the books, okay?” Blake said.

“I would never,” Akelarre reassured her.

“Okay! We’re all friends again!” Ruby cheered.

Akelarre laughed along with her and the tension in the room bled out a little. Then Akelarre snapped her fingers as if remembering something and pointed to the quiet redhead. “I almost forgot! Everyone, this is Penny Polendina. I met her today. She’s a friend.”

Penny stood up in a flash, then bowed at the waist. “Salutations!”

“Hi!” Ruby said as she gave the girl a warm smile. Learning that Akelarre had a bunch of friends who weren’t Ruby didn’t hurt. Not at all. “Any friend of Akelarre is a friend of mine,” she said.

Penny stood back up and raised her hands, then lowered them. She looked for a moment like she was completely lost for words. “So many friends. So much hugging.”

Akelarre snorted and patted the bed next to her. Ruby started to move, but then Penny beat her to it and sat down primly next to Akelarre. “So, what’s going on with team RWBY this week?” Akelarre asked.

Ruby didn’t glare at Penny because Penny looked like a nice girl. Instead she walked over to Weiss’ bed and sat down next to Blake. “Not too much. Oh, well, Yang and Weiss were put in charge of the Beacon Dance.”

“You guys have dances?” Akelarre asked. “That’s neat. Did you all find dates yet? You shouldn’t have any trouble since you’re all very pretty.”

As one, every member of team RWBY found something interesting to stare at, like the floor, or the ceiling, or their own knees.

“Ah,” Akelarre said. “Sorry?”

Yang snorted and waved it off. “Nah, it’s cool. Weiss and I are busy organizing, Blake is a Princess and that means she can’t just go out with anybody and Ruby is, uh, well, she’s my little Ruby.”

Ruby might have been reluctant to glare at Penny, but she had no such restraint against glaring at her silly big sister. “A-actually, Akelarre,” she said. “I, I was wondering if, maybe, if you’re around, and aren’t too busy, if you’d maybesortawannagowithme?”

“Sure!”

A bubble of giddy giddiness bust in Ruby’s tummy and she felt herself smiling until her cheeks--which were rather warm--started to strain. “Awesome!”

“Ruby!” Yang protested. She was really red. Redder than Ruby had ever seen Yang go. Even redder than that time Yang and dad had had a talk about hiding her toys so that Ruby couldn't find them. Which Yang must have listened to because she spent a long time looking and never found any toys in Yang’s room.

“What?” Ruby said, and she didn’t even sound petulant at all, not even when Blake and Weiss and even Penny gave her considering looks. “You’re just jealous that I get to go to the dance with a real life princess.”

“I’m not jealous,” Yang said. “I’m, I’m... very proud that you, uh, asked someone out, like that.” Yang seemed to be at a bit of a loss for words.

“You’re totally jealous,” Ruby said, her blush was fading, replaced by the routine of years of sisterly banter.

“No I’m not,” Yang said.

“Uh huh,” Ruby said right back. “You’re jealous cause I was brave enough to ask someone out and she’s a princess on top of that.”

Yang continued to go red until her ears were burning up too. Weiss winced in sympathy and even Blake patted her sister on the shoulder in a show of support.

Ruby One, Yang nil.

“I could totally ask someone out!” Yang shouted right back as she jumped to her feet, fists balled by her side.

Akelarre and Penny were watching the show with avid interest, like pedestrians looking up to see two bullheads ram into each other.

“So, ask someone then,” Ruby challenged. “I did, and she said yes. I bet we’re going to have tons of fun together, and we’ll dance, and, and we’ll...” Ruby started to feel lightheaded again.

“Will you engage in recreational hugging?” Penny asked.

“Yes. That.”

“Fascinating,” Penny said.

“Fine then!” Yang said, her voice just shy of a shout. She turned, finger pointing right at Blake who leaned back and away from the assauling index. “Blake, we’re going to the dance together.”

Blake blinked. “What.”

Ruby huffed and jumped to her feet. It was her turn to be indignant. “That’s not how you’re supposed to ask,” she said.

“Yes it is,” Yang said.

“Nu-huh.” Ruby shook her head for emphasis. For once she was the sister with more experience. Sorta. “You’re supposed to tell her that you really like her, and that she’s a good friend, and that you want to have a fun night together.”

“And engage in recreational hugging,” Penny added.

Ruby nodded. “And that.”

Yang sputtered for a moment. “You didn’t say anything like that to her!” she said, finger swinging around in a long arc to point at Akelarre.

“It was implied!”

Yang’s entire body shook. “Okay, fine.” Stomping her foot, she turned to face Blake head on.

“Please no,” Blake said.

“Blake, you’re my partner, and my best friend. An even better friend that my annoying brat of a little sister. Would you--would you do me the honours of going out to the dance with me?”

“No.”

“There!” Yang said as she turned to face Ruby, arms crossed over her chest and head held high. “I asked and she said yes. I get to go with a princess too.”

“I said no?” Blake added.

“Fine then,” Ruby said.

“Yeah,” Yang replied.

Penny raised a hand in the air like a little schoolgirl. It was a small motion, but somehow everyone in the room was focused on her within seconds. “What about myself and Potential-Friend Schnee?” Penny asked.

Akelarre hummed, looking between Penny and Weiss. It only took one look for Ruby to get the same idea. She turned to Yang, then gestured with a nod towards Penny, then towards Weiss and got an approving nod from Yang.

Blake just sighed. “Keep me out of this one,” she said.

“Keep you out of what?” Weiss asked. “Why are you all giving each other looks?” Ruby saw the moment she caught on, her head whipping around to stare at Penny, then at the rest of the girls. “No, no, I’m okay. It’s better that I go alone. After all it wouldn’t do for someone of my family to... wait, no, that’s rude. I mean, I think I’ll be too busy to properly enjoy the dance with someone.”

“What does she mean about someone from her family?” Penny asked Akelarre.

Even Ruby covered her face with her hand.

Akelarre hummed. “It’s because she’s from a very rich family. I think it would reflect poorly on them if she went to the dance with just anyone.”

“Ah,” Penny said. She turned towards Weiss. “My uncle is James Ironwood. General of Atlas. Does that make me eligible for hugging and dancing?”

“Your... your uncle is Ironwood,” Weiss said. She sounded a little faint.

“He is. He said so himself,” Penny confirmed. “We are very close.”

“And if I say no, you’ll be reporting it to him, of course,” she added.

“I tell the general everything, yes,” Penny said.

Weiss bent forwards, face falling into her open palms as she muttered to herself. None of the words Ruby caught were very nice. “Fine. I suppose I shall be going to the dance with you. But don’t get any ideas.”

“Spectacular!” Penny enthused.

“So, we all have dates?” Akelarre asked. “That’s great! Ah, but it’s getting a little late.” She nodded toward their window where the setting sun was starting to dip behind the trees of the Emerald forest. “I kind of have to go.”

“Already?” Ruby asked.

Akelarre shrugged one shoulder in a ‘what can you do’ sort of way. “Sorry. But I didn’t come here just to see you guys. I do have some things to take care of. But I’ll see you guys soon, yeah? If not, well, there’s always the dance!”

***

Akelarre felt like humming as she left team RWBY’s rooms, so she did. A happy little toneless song that went well with her skipping steps. Penny followed after her, staring and taking notes on her little notepad as she kept pace with her.

“That was very amusing,” Penny said as Akelarre lead them out of the dorms and towards the front offices.

“It was! Are you happy you made new friends?” Akelarre asked.

“I am,” Penny said. “I cannot wait to tell uncle Ironwood and dad about new friends Ruby, Yang, and Blake.”

“What about Weiss?” Akelarre asked. She couldn’t help but indulge in a little gossip gathering. Penny and Weiss looked like they would make a cute couple. Penny was very down to earth, or was that Remnant, and Weiss had a whole lot of drive. Plus they were both short and that somehow pleased Akelarre’s sense of aesthetics.

“Girlfriend Weiss seems very nice. I will research her properly before our date at the Beacon Dance. I will be sure to pleasure her thoroughly.”

Akelarre felt some warmth climbing to her cheeks but dismissed it as they reached the main lobby and followed a sign into an elevator that lead to the headmaster’s office. “You can take your time, Penny. You wouldn’t want to push her too quickly. That would be... Rude.”

“I will acquire her consent,” Penny said.

“That’s... wonderful.”

The elevator doors dinged as they opened and both girls found themselves in an opulent office space. It was long and wide, with a huge window taking up the entire outside wall and revealing a picturesque view of Beacon, the cliffs over the Emerald forest and a large part of Vale proper in the distance.

A majestic wooden desk covered in papers took up the far end of the room, behind which a man in a green jacket sat with a cup of something halfway to his lips. His eyes widened behind round spectacles as Akelarre walked into the office and crossed it until she was standing over his desk.

She reached up and pulled back her hood to reveal her widest, most happy smile. “Hi! You’re Ozpin, right?” she asked.

The man didn’t answer for a few long seconds, but fortunately Penny was there to help her. “His biometrics match that of Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon,” she said.

“Brilliant!” Akelarre reached into her cool new jacket and pulled out the letter Salem had entrusted her with. She placed it on the desk next to an unfolded blueprint. “This is from my mom, Salem, the Queen of the Grimm, ruler of Remnant, and all those other titles that I can’t remember.”

“What?”

She nodded, her job done and was about to turn away when she noticed the name on the top corner of the blueprint. “Oh, hey, that’s the hotel I rented for tomorrow’s meeting.” She eyed the other papers, schedules for employees, the names of some of the people she had invited, what looked like the rough outlines for infiltration and extraction plans. “I’m sorry, Mister Ozma, but you do know that you’re not invited, right?” She looked him in the eyes, smile still firmly in place. “It would be a real shame to have something I worked so hard to plan interrupted. No one likes surprises.” She smiled grew a little toothier. “On that note. I’ll be seeing you.”

She walked back into the elevator and pressed the button to go back to the first floor.

Ozpin was still holding his mug up in the same position he had when she entered the room as the elevator doors shut. “So, Penny, did you want me to drop you off at your place, or would you rather have a sleepover at The Club?”