Those Of A Lifetime

Chapter Three: A New Friend

Blake and Ruby had become friends rather quickly after their brief meeting in the ballroom. They shared all their classes together except for one. Ruby had music class as an elective while Blake took a mysteries class. After class ended the two would meet up together in the library to study with Yang joining them.

"Hey guys!" Yang cheered carrying a stack of books. "Ugh.... This paper is going to be the death of me!"

"Yang, don't let the paper kill you. You kill the paper." Blake smiled at her as she pulled out a chair so that she could sit besides her.

"Ruby, watcha workin' on?" Yang asked curiously.

"I'm writing some lyrics for music class. Our professor wanted us to create a piece and perform it next class... Kind of nervous about it honestly. And it needs to be done by next class..." Ruby sighed.

Yang looked at her sister with concern. "Might I ask what you wrote about?"

"Her..." Ruby slouched in her seat and slowly her face hit the table. "I can't seem to forget about her as much as I try to."

"There's no such thing as forgetting the past Ruby." Blake placed her hand on Ruby's in comfort. "I too had a pretty rough history. Could you two keep something only between us?"

"Of course." Ruby smiled feeling a sudden warmth she hadn't felt in a long time.

"I'm a faunus." Blake whispered.

"What's wrong with that?" Yang inquired.

"Yeah, there's nothing wrong with being, you know..." Ruby added.

"No, growing up there was no equality between us and human... We formed an organization called the White Fang to fight for the same civil rights... Slowly we were gaining respects by working under humans, they gained our trust... until one day our organization was run by a human, Roman Torchwick. After working under his command for some time, I saw his evil intentions. But I'm here to change things. But, anyways, what I was trying to say is that you can't forget about the past. Where is the present without the past?"

"Blake, you're right. Thank you for reminding me why I am here at Beacon today. And Yang, I'll do what I can to move forward. I can't be crying the whole time over one girl..." Ruby's mouth twitched.

"Ruby, it's going to take some time. No one changes in one day, but we'll be here for you." Ruby looked up to face Blake directly into the warm golden eyes.

"Exactly! And Blake, no one could have said it better! And there are plenty of fishies in the sea!" Yang looked over her shoulder and saw Pyrrha Nikos. "Like Pyrrha, who doesn't love Pyrrha? Smart, talented, and--"

"What are you trying to say about us?" Blake asked as Ruby starred blankly at Pyrrha feeling a little uninterested at the moment.

"Th--that's not what I meant!" Yang scratched the back of her head. "I mean you guys are definitely smart and talented judging by all of your advanced classes and sharing them all with Pyrrha!"

"Hello!" Pyrrha called out when she over heard the conversation.

Ruby, Blake, and Yang all waved and grinned at her.

"I hope she didn't hear everything you said." Ruby mumbled.

"I'm pretty sure she didn't. She would need to have ears like mine." Blake joked in a whisper.

Ruby was really starting to like Blake. She was sort of dull at times, but she at least had a sense of humour. They shared some similarities like reading books or spending their time doing things on their own for a little sense of clarity.

"Blake, you think we can train together sometime?"

"Of course we can."

"Great, well I think I'm gonna head on home first to finish my project."

"You have to play it for us once you're done."

"Ha. You might not want to hear it, but okay."

Ruby packed up her notebook and pens waved her farewells leaving Blake and Yang together.

"Blake, I'm really glad that you could Ruby smile like that. And for giving her more insight. I try to tell her things, but sometimes you just have to hear it from someone else."

"Yang, what worries me is that how would she feel about me when she finds out that the group I was in attacked the Schnee Dust Company?"

"Blake, you already told you're story. Ruby isn't one to judge anyone solely based on their past. It's about how you come off, sometimes all it takes is the first impression and she's open arms."

"But what about Weiss? I have no doubt in my mind that they will eventually meet up again and what will Weiss think of me?"

"Are you trying to change your ways or not?"

"I am changed. I'm not that ignorant girl that I was back then."

"Then there you go. I'm not sure how Weiss will be if we ever see her, but right now, let's just live in the moment."

"You're a good sister, Yang."

"I do what I can for my baby sis!" Yang then leaned over the Blake and whispered, "So, do you like her?"

"Of course I do." Blake casually replied unsure of why Yang was whispering.

"Then that's it! You two need to go on a date together!" Yang squealed. "Oh man I can see this already, this will be awesome!"

"Oh... that's what you meant... um, I don't know if I like her like that... maybe time will tell, but right now... it's a no."

Yang's heart sank. "Oooh..." was all Yang could manage to say. "And I never even got to know you enough to know of your interest..."

"Now that you mentioned it, I never really thought about having a significant other. I never really cared enough."

"I see... So not right now then, huh?"

"Well, it wouldn't hurt for me to try, but I'm not so sure with Ruby..."

"Time will tell."

"Agreed." Blake smiled as she gathered her books together.

"Ready to leave?"

"Yep, I'm going to rest up for the night."

"How do you get home? Or do you dorm?"

"I usually just walk home. It's nice and peaceful and I don't live too far from here."

"Maybe you and I can ride on my motorcycle sometime?"

"Sure, I'd like that idea."

[Weiss' POV]

"I refuse to stay here any longer! You can't see what's going on around you because all you care about is making money!"

"I am doing this to keep the family together!"

"And that's exactly it! You can't see that the family is falling apart!"

"Maybe if you just accept the life I've bestowed upon, you wouldn't be so angry you ungrateful child!"

"I never asked for this!"

"I give you the world, yet it's not enough. What do you want from me?"

"I want to leave." Weiss said firmly.

"Leave? And live where? On the streets and become a beggar!?"

"I'm going to go to school in Beacon and that's final."

"What?! That's absurd! Why Beacon!? That's too far! What's wrong with the school here?"

"Everything. And it's because it is so far that I want to go there. To get away from here."

Her father didn't even say another word. He just looked at her dull eyes.