Unexpected Incarnate (RWBY Ozpin Incarnate SI)

The following day, back in the Headquarters of the White Fang and on one of the medical beds after his fight with the mysterious woman and passing out, Zack groaned with his eyes blinking rapidly at the shining light in his eyes. And the first thing that flooded his mind was the fight that happened and how he was controlled like a puppet before passing out. The next was every single muscle aching and feeling incredibly sore and exhausted!

The fox Faunus could only wince, since moving any bit of his body put a tremendous amount of pain onto him, nor did the thirst and the dryness of his throat make it any better. But what was most surprising to him was that Ruby was there by his side the whole time! Ruby had her arms folded with her head resting gently at the edge of the bed, and soft snoring came from her. How long she had been by his side, he does not know.

But even with the slight movements of his limbs, it appeared to be enough because Ruby began to stir awake. Zack couldn't help but feel nervous while Ruby slowly raised her head before rubbing her eyes sharp. Seeing her reminded him that he attacked Ruby again. And not just Ruby but the others, too. Sure, it wasn't directly his fault since he wasn't in control thanks to that accursed Semblance, but…

The feeling of utter helplessness when that semblance controlled his body sent shivers up his spine.

Zack could only pray he never felt this helpless and weak again. And he hates it dearly. If, by chance, he meets that woman again, he fully intends on making her pay a hundred. No, a thousand times for putting him through that hell! Zack felt his blood pressure rise again before Ruby was fully awake, and she froze upon seeing him awake.

"Zack…" Her lips tremble, and emotion threatens to spill uncontrollably at the sight of her friend wide awake again after last night. And despite her efforts to keep them in check, tears began to drip from her eyes before she pounced on her friend into a hug and clutched tightly to the point her knuckles were turning white.

Zack could only growl in pain growing all over his body but chose to tolerate it as he slowly brought his arms around his friend and hugged her. Ruby then buried her face into his chest, much to his initial surprise.

"Zack! You're awake!" Ruby sobbed out loud, while the fox Faunus could only awkwardly glance around and pat her head gently. "I was scared that you'd never wake up!"

"Yeah. But I'm… better now, Ruby." Zack could only wince at his hoarse voice and severally aching body. "Gods, this sucks hard. Can I even leave the bed at all?" A thought ran through his head before Ruby broke off, exposing her puffy eyes and red cheeks.

"What happened yesterday? Who was that lady attacking you? Are you alright? What was that Semblance?" She then began sprouting question after question before Zack slowly brought his finger up, shook his head and shakily pointed at his throat as he rasped out.

"Water… please… then… talk…" Ruby confusingly blinks before her eyes widen in realisation.

"Oh, okay!" The little red rose then leapt off the bed and became a blur of red out of the room, leaving petal roses behind while Zack silently sighed. Slowly taking a breath, the Fox Faunus raised his hands slowly and found himself staring at them. All while the memory of how his body was forced to fight Ruby and his friends before passing out again.

"I know all types of Semblances exist, but… The nature of one's Semblance represents an aspect of one's character. So to have such a domineering Semblance to control one's will like a puppet would mean… Either messed up in the head or is incredibly assertive, I think…"

…

"Oz… Are you there?" Zack found himself asking meekly before getting a response.

"I am," Oz said firmly before adding in. "Never in my life have I seen such a dangerous Semblance. Nor will I want to experience it again, Arakan." Zack swore he felt a shiver running through his body, and for the first time, he felt Ozpin's uncomfortableness with what he had experienced. In addition, what caught his attention most was that he could feel Ozpin's horror. The horror of what he went through and the shame for not being there when his host needed him most.

"I am sorry I wasn't there to help you when you needed it most," Ozpin whispered while Zack closed his hands and eyes.

"Save it. There will be times when you happen to be sleeping, and I can't contact you. Besides, I doubt your help will make a difference. That woman caught me by surprise with that semblance of hers and… Even if you were to take charge, I honestly doubt you could break us free of that semblance since resisting it would cause it to tighten and crush me. I tried it and nearly felt my bones breaking from the retaliation."

Zack's private conversation with Ozpin was cut relatively short when the door into his room was slammed open, and every one of his friends flooded in, including Ghira and Ilia, who tailed behind everyone. "Zack!" Upon seeing their friend up and awake, everyone cried out at once, which gave the fox Faunus quite a startle as he let out an adorable squeak that rendered everyone silent.

…

…

However, it did not last long before Nora cracked first. "Pfft! Hahaha!" And that understandably made Zack red in the face before others also began to unravel. It's not so often that they hear their Fox Faunus friend let out an adorable fox-like squeak like that. And so, just like that, others like Ruby, Sun and others break out laughing. Even Blake joined in, though hers was more quiet.

Understandably annoyed, Zack simply pouts before Ren approaches him with water, and with a thankful nod, he down the whole cup slowly in one go so as not to aggravate his aching muscles. "Ah… Much better." He groaned out before wincing again when a throbbing pain came out of his arm.

"Are you alright?" Ruby asked again before going to his side.

"I am. But ugh… I don't think I can move for a while. My whole body hurts like there's no tomorrow." Zack lets out another pained groan before Sun adds with his tail scratching his neck.

"Yeah. From what everyone told me, you passed out from some crazy lady with a messed-up Semblance." That comment unfortunately made Zack visibly wince as if remembering it all again before Sun was bonked in the back of the head by Blake, who simply frowned at him while shaking her head.

"Something like that…" The fox Faunus sighs before adopting a more thoughtful look with his hand gently on his chin. "No doubt you all have questions, but what I do know and remember is that a woman came after me to test me under the orders of her Khan." Zack explains before Ghira perks up and asks.

"Khan? Do you mean Sienna Khan?"

"No." Zack instantly shook his head. "It's a different kind of Khan. She is most likely referring to the title of Khan Mr Belladonna." A frown then grew on the fox Faunus's face. "She mentioned that I had earned the Khan's attention, and he had sent her to test my strength. For what reason, I do not know." Zack finished off while everyone remained silent for a moment before Blake decided to speak.

"So, what do we do about this?"

Zack frowns before glancing at everyone. "Nothing. Clearly, whoever this group is, they have been on me for some time now, but I don't think we can do anything about that woman and whoever she serves. All that matters now is focusing on recovering my health. Every part of my body hurts right now." He groaned again.

"If that's the case, I recommend you return to Mistral. It is safer there from whoever is watching out for you here." Ilia suggested before Zack's neck snapped towards her. It was clear as day from his eyes that he did not want to go back to Mistral yet.

"Must I?" He asked while everyone looked at one another. Sure, it would be rather cruel to send him back after barely a single day, but from his words, he would be incapacitated for quite a while, and the fact that someone has their eyes on him makes the situation even more concerning. With reluctance in their eyes, most agree that their fox Faunus friend should return to Mistral so he can recover fully from his pain.

Of course, that means that they won't be able to explore more of the ruined city beneath them. But that is probably for the best right now.

"Yeah… I think it's best that you go back, Zack." Ruby nervously tapped her fingers together. "Sorry…"

"What Ruby said!" Nora popped in beside her friend. "You should go back! I don't think any of us want our cute little fluffy boy to hurt himself more!" Sun then began trying to stifle a giggle from coming out from his mouth, while Zack looked dismayed with his mouth open that Nora had just called him that nickname from about a month ago when he first met them.

For added hilarity, Ghira, Blake and Ilia simply blinked aimlessly at that nickname. At the same time, Zack began making the sound of a choked chicken, even more with Ruby giggling alongside Sun, who laughed at his reaction. "At this point, I might as well go back to save face from what you just said, Nora." Zack finally says something after recomposing himself.

"If so, I'll contact my wife to have a Bullhead come here to pick you up and take you back to Mistral." Ghira grunts before bringing his attention to everyone else. "As for the rest of you, meet me at the main building in an hour. It is time we catch the remnants of the Fang." Ghira says before leaving the local infirmary.

"I guess we should go now. We haven't had breakfast yet, and it's five in the morning." Ren points out before Nora happily joins in.

"Yeah! Do you think we will have pancakes, Ren?"

"Perhaps." And with that, everyone began to make their way outside the infirmary except for Ruby, who chose to remain behind. Silence overtook the room momentarily before the fox Faunus decided to speak.

"Ruby, if I may ask, why were you beside me the whole night?"

"After last night and when we brought you here, I volunteered to watch over you for the night. I was so scared about you." Unaware to Zack, the same feeling Ruby felt a while back was in full force now that they were alone. In addition, her eyes found the floor attractive while her voice became soft. "For a moment, when you passed out yesterday and I had you in my arms, I thought you were going to die. I thought I was going to lose another friend because I didn't make it in time. I thought I was going to fail again."

Ruby's body began to shiver before she felt her friend gently grabbing her arm and tugging her into a hug, which she reciprocated willingly and began softly sobbing. "I guess I unintentionally remind you of… what happened back then, huh?" Ruby could only nod her head slightly.

"I see… I'm so sorry I caused you so much pain..."

"I know…"

"But thank you. For saving me, Ruby, I won't forget this." The hug both shared broke off and Zack gave his friend an earnest smile. "But I shouldn't take any more of your time. Besides, a cold shower does sound nice about now." The fox Faunus says next, before wincing when he tries to get off the bed, only to feel every bit of his body aching badly.

And for a second, Zack thought he would fall face-first onto the floor when his legs gave out, only for Ruby to catch him before that happened. "Whoa! Thanks for the help, Ruby!" He gave a thankful nod to his friend before taking out Long Memory and using it to support his body. "I got it from here, I think."

Still, Ruby did not budge as she stood by his side stubbornly. "No," Ruby said, shaking her head with a frown. "Not when you are in that state. Let me help you for now, at least." Her response made Zack give Ruby a dry look before shaking his head.

"You're not gonna let up until I say yes, am I right?"

"Yep!" Ruby quickly confirmed with a determined smile.

Knowing he couldn't fight his friend's stubbornness, Zack simply rolled his eyes and allowed Ruby to accompany him, unaware Blake was watching them behind the door curiously the whole time.

"Huh. What's going on with her? Is she…" Blake felt her cheeks redden as she glanced away and back. "Is it just me, or is she unusually close to him?" And so, the cat Faunus quickly scuttled away after witnessing the whole ordeal.

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It has been a day since Zack, alongside Ruby, Blake as well as Ren and Nora, left to join the White Fang to hunt down the remaining followers of Adam. And Weiss has been working her best to organise her partner's birthday party coming in the days alongside others, including Neo, who seemed more interested in pissing off Yang for entertainment. Still, she would have to work with the cards given to her.

Thankfully, some progress has been made, and she has made significant progress with it. Even more so, Ruby and Yang's uncle has been willing to assist in the matter with his apparent expertise in preparing birthday parties. It was something Weiss did not see coming from him of all people. In addition, the hotel managers have proven willing to offer some of their assistance by providing birthday decorations as well.

In short, things were proceeding smoothly, and they were on schedule despite the initial setbacks between Neo and Yang. Honestly, those two can't stop fighting for a minute.

At the moment, Weiss was sitting on the couch in her pyjamas in the morning, tapping on her scroll since she was checking up on Qrow, who said he would get some more birthday decorations from the markets while the others were still in bed. Her eyes soon wandered towards the numerous balloons attached all over the hall before they sank and closed for a second.

Seeing all these decorations reminds her of the good times back in Beacon before it fell, how she and team RWBY celebrated not only her birthday but Blake's and Yang's as well. She genuinely hoped to celebrate her partner's birthday, but that never came, even more so when she had to 'celebrate' her 19th birthday all alone back in Altas. It made a point of how much happier she was with her team than back home.

This was part of why she was willing to stay back while the others went and helped the White Fang. Besides, the main issue is that most Faunus don't trust her because she's a Schnee after what her father had done to their people, but mainly so she can help make Ruby's 17th birthday a memorable one for her partner.

And she will give it her all to make it the best birthday party ever!

Bringing herself back from her thoughts, Weiss was about to leave the hall, only for the sound of knocking coming from the main entrance. "Huh? Who could that be at this time?" Weiss wondered to herself before approaching and opening the door to see Zack, of all people. And he looked rather glum with Ozpin's cane out and a backpack. She could only give a baffled look before asking. "Zack? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be back on Ruby's birthday?"

"Yes." Her fox Faunus friend could only deadpan before letting out a frustrated sigh. "But I was heavily requested to return here after a… scuffle I encountered," Zack explains before pointing at the sofa couch with the headmaster's cane.

"Can we sit down? I can explain everything, including why I'm here, once I do."

Her friend said shortly after, Weiss picked up something notable from his movement. His whole body appears to be stiff and rigid for some reason. "Of course. Come in." Weiss nodded her head before hearing him softly groaning as he shuffled towards the comfy sofa. Once both sat comfortably on the couch, Zack began to explain everything that had transpired the previous day. Including his fight against a mysterious woman and her horrifying Semblance.

While Weiss was intrigued that they found an ancient city home to one of his ancestors and apparent treasures left behind, she was horrified that later on in the day, he went against someone whose semblance allows them to control someone else. She felt her worry crawling up her spine over her friend while he explained how he went through it helplessly and even passed out from exhaustion when that Semblance pushed him to the edge.

At the same time, she was furious that this dolt got himself into trouble again! It's only been a few days since the Battle of Haven, and this idiot nearly died again! Oh, trust her; she knows that he can handle himself at times, but he has a severe case of a reckless streak! Either that or this world won't give him a break!

Either one.

Besides that, his explanation now makes it clear why he is here and why his body is stiff and rigid.

"I see." Weiss hums before raising her hand and asking. "Then what happened afterwards?"

Zack let out a resigned groan while rubbing his head gently before asking. "Do you want the short version or the entire thing?" Weiss simply blinked before her eyes glanced aside while visibly fidgeting at the defining silence.

"Whichever you feel most comfortable with."

"I see." Zack noticeably calmed down. "Well, I think telling you the whole story is best." The Fox Faunus said before he began to explain. And so, he began to explain how he woke up with his entire body aching and how her partner was by his side the whole time. He then explained how everyone worried about him and decided that he should return here for the sake of his health.

Which he reluctantly agreed to.

"In the end, I took a shower, had a slice of bread as my breakfast before Blake's mum picked me up in a Bullhead before dropping me off here." The Fox Faunus sighed, while Weiss remained silent for minutes straight. She will not admit it, but Weiss couldn't believe she felt something when he mentioned that Ruby was by his side while he was unconscious on his bed. This stupid dolt! Making everyone worried about him! Especially her partner! Her included!

"Idiot…" Weiss softly growled to herself, knowing that her Faunus friend could hear that. Nevertheless, her eyes met his. "Since you're here now, what do you plan to do while the others are busy?" She asked, while Zack gave a thoughtful look before removing a gilded chest more prominent than a medium-sized bowl from his backpack and opening it up. Weiss could only raise a curious eyebrow about where exactly he got that chest, only for the fox Faunus to pull out an exotic necklace she had never seen in her lifetime.

"I was thinking of passing this to Ruby as a birthday present," Zack spoke as Weiss gently took the necklace from his hands. For a while, she was fascinated by the looks of this necklace, and she could not deny that it would fit her well; however, that brought up a question.

"Where did you get this from? It's beautiful."

Zack slowly scratches his hair with a sheepish smile. "Technically, I did not find this. Nora did. But she needed me to open it up mainly because it was magically protected in this chest." He then lifted the chest and shook it in his hand. "And because of its protection, only I could unlock it. In addition, this marvellous necklace was called the Amulet of Protection. Zero guesses what that means." The fox Faunus chuckled.

"I see… Then how does this protect anyone?" Weiss then asks before she is rewarded with seeing her friend looking caught off guard. Clearly, to her, he never bothered to see how it works, it seems.

"Uh. Uhm… You just wear it?" Zack nervously mutters with his tail flickering around. Weiss could only respond with her eyes rolling and a facepalm.

"I stand corrected. You are a dolt that acts without thinking carefully about it."

"Hey!" Zack could only childishly protest with his arms folded and an adorable pout. Witnessing his reaction made the ex-heiress giggle while pouting even harder. "Fine, give me that! I'll wear it!" Zack opens his hands before Weiss smirks and gives him the necklace, which he quickly wears around his neck.

Once he did that, the ruby gemstone began to shimmer brightly, and before long, a red-like bubble glowed around him before fading away from view. "Curious." The fox Faunus hums before waving his hand at where the bubble is, which does absolutely nothing and makes it look like he was waving his hand. "Huh. Try throwing a punch at me, Weiss."

Yet, Weiss raised an eyebrow at his request. "Are you sure you want me to do that? In here, in all places? It's not helping your case." Weiss couldn't help herself but pointed out before her friend shrugs with no shame.

"Why not? I'm sure nothing worse could happen." His initial casual expression then became serious. "Also, have pity on me, okay? I don't want to walk all the way to the patio to test this amulet out. My body is still aching like hell after yesterday's scuffle." Zack gave his flimsy justification while Weiss sighed.

"Very well then."

With that, Weiss winds her hand up before sending a haymaker at him, and it works! The shield shimmered into existence and absorbed Weiss's blow! Even more fascinating was that it let out a magical clanking sound when her fist came into contact with it before quickly fading away.

"Wow. That works beyond my expectations." Zack blinked, as did Weiss as she glanced at her hand. To her, it felt as if she was punching a pillow, which was incredibly unnatural since it made a clanking sound when her fist came into contact with it.

"I concur…" Weiss could only say while Zack looked largely satisfied with the results before taking them off. "Now, with that out of the way, I think it is time for-"

*Growl*

"Not me this time." Zack chuckles when the growling comes from Weiss's stomach. Even more so were her cheeks in a shade of red.

"Shush you!" She hissed angrily, but that just made the fox Faunus giggle with a smug look on his face. "I haven't had breakfast, all right?!"

"Of course. Have you cooked breakfast before?" Zack grinned with his arms folded and tail flickering with enthusiasm.

"Yes, I have."

"Can I have a bite or two?"

Weiss paused before raising an eyebrow. "Didn't you have yours before coming here?"

"Yes, I wouldn't call a single slice of bread a filling breakfast since, at the time, I didn't feel hungry then, but now? I regretted that decision." Zack admits before getting a nod from Weiss.

"I see… Though, are you sure you want me to cook something for you? I doubt it will be up to the standard you keep making for everyone." She says while resting a hand on her chest. "Again, are you sure?"

Weiss asked again, while Zack simply brushed his hair aside. "Eh, I doubt yours could be that bad, right?" She visibly winces almost immediately, while the fox Faunuses smile starts to waver.

"Right?"

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Zack POV

Okay. I'll be blunt here.

Weiss sucks at cooking.

And I mean every word of it.

To be fair, I should have expected it from someone with servants doing all the hard work. I mean, how did she screw up so badly toasting toast?! TOAST! It is just putting it in the oven, setting a timer, and keeping an eye on it so it will be nice, brown, and crunchy! Don't get me started on her attempt at fried eggs because she somehow fucked that one up as well! Agh! What was I thinking when I asked for a piece of her cooking?

And I think I still had the burned taste of toast and eggs in my mouth even after I washed them out.

Besides that blunder of mine, later on in the day, when Jaune, Yang and Neo were awake, they were surprised that I was back this early. And like before, as I did with Weiss, I explained everything to them, including why I was here and what happened while they were here. Understandably, the gang (Including Neo which was quite surprising for the rest of us) were horrified about what I went through.

After that, Neo then asked me what I planned to do should I meet this woman again.

And it's simple: I plan to make her suffer as I did for putting me through that!

Then I moved on to the other part, and… Yang began acting like a protective sister when I mentioned that Ruby was sleeping near me while I was unconscious this morning. And by protective sister mode, I mean by threatening to cut my balls off should I try anything on her sister, but please, I get it!

But strangely enough, Yang then began teasing me about Ruby's concern over me, which was strange given she had threatened me to cut my marbles off just a moment ago.

And Yang being Yang. States that she wanted another 'spar' once I was better now. I believe it is something about beating the shit out of me for getting a bit too cosy with Ruby. And just my luck, Qrow barged into the living room. Slightly drunk, if I were to guess from the smell of alcohol from him. "Who's getting a little too cosy to Pipsqueak?" Qrow asks with bags in his arms.

Did he go shopping and just get back? "Him." Yang casually stuck her thumb at me while folding her arms. Even more so was the mischievous grin on her face.

Are you trying to get me killed, Yang?! Taking a gulp, I watched as Qrow's eyes began panning over me, and I could see all sorts of emotions. Shock, confusion, suspicion, protectiveness, anger. And a bunch of others.

Taking a brief moment to glare at Yang for what she had just done, Qrow finally spoke to me. "Kiddo? What the hell are you doing here?" He asked, and I could feel the room's tension growing with his eyes digging into mine.

Ah. I'm going to die. Again. Uh, Oz? A little help here?

"I cannot help you at this moment. You must learn how to deal with situations on your own." That was all I heard from Ozpin before I felt him locking himself away in my mind! Oh, how HELPFUL you are, old man! Clearly that I am to handle this situation alone, I raise a finger.

"Now, before you murder me, Qrow. I am physically unwell at the moment. Save the beating until I fully recover. And get behind the queue. Yang has already booked the first." I deadpan before glancing at Jaune, who nervously got up and walked into the kitchen, while Neo simply vanished into shattered pink glass. Weiss, who was still beside me, proceeded to stare at Yang, who gave the 'what did I do wrong pose'.

I couldn't help but let out a sigh while feeling Qrow's eyes dig into me further before he sighed. "Alright. But we'll be having a long talk, kid. And don't think I have forgotten about that other conversion we had before the battle. That still needs to be addressed."

"Sure." I shrugged before slowly getting back to my feet. "Meet me back in our room, and then you can do your interrogation."

"Good. You better. I'll drop these off first before meeting ya." And with that, Qrow walked off to the kitchen while Weiss, Yang, and I did our own thing. Well… for both of them, at least. As for me, I think Qrow is going to drill me hard for all the information.

And as promised. A few minutes later, Qrow met me back in our room. It was both awkward and tense since he began his 'talk' about my intentions with Ruby before I pointed out that Ruby was just worried about me after my fight with that woman. However, it was clear that Qrow was still suspicious about the both of us, since his response to me was pure silence while staring at me.

"What do you want me to say, Qrow?" I tilted my head while I was in bed. "Like I said, I have no intentions with your niece and there's nothing between us. You can ask her point of view when she comes back. Hell, you can technically call or visit her and ask for the details if you don't trust my words." I suggest.

Qrow continued to stare at me seconds longer before he pulled out his canteen and took a gulp. "I'm simply watching out for her, okay, kid? I know she is growing up fast and stuff." Qrow droned out towards the end before continuing. "But frankly, I'm also worried about you, kiddo."

He is worried about me?

"In what way?" I could only silently question with a tilt of my head as I watched him slightly lean back in his bed.

"I know you're doing literally everything you can to help everyone, but I think you have to take it back for a bit. You're pushing yourself too hard." Qrow bluntly states, while I blink in response. I don't think I'm pushing myself that hard, am I?

"Don't act dumb with me, kid. I see how you pretend you're okay many times after the battle. Everyone can see that, you know? You need to take a break. You're worrying everyone, and eventually, you'll break. If you don't do it for yourself, then do it for everyone's sake. Rest, kid." Qrow brought his hand up, but I sputtered.

"But Qrow! I can't-"

"Just let yourself recover." Qrow interrupted me with a roll of his eyes. "We can worry about what happens next at a later date. There is no point, you keep pushing' till you break. I'm sure that Oz will agree with me."

"Mr Branwen is correct. You still need time to recover from the traumatic experience you underwent."

Ozpin whispered in my head before my eyes narrowed before they closed shut. "Oz, you know as well as I that it is impossible. I have to keep going despite everything I went through! You can see in my memories how that woman held me off in my memory. You were there when I fought against Cinder, and how I nearly died there! I survived both only because Ruby and you saved me in those fights!"

I felt my body shiver. "I want to move on! Move on from reliving that pain over and over again! We have bigger things to worry about, and everything I have been doing is for everyone's sake!"

To my surprise, Ozpin suddenly starts screaming in my head. "What you are doing is not moving on but ignoring the pain, Arakan!" He argues, while I could only wince when he starts yelling. "I understand your desire to move on and focus on the bigger picture, but if you are to recover from it, you need to give yourself time to accept that it has happened and then move on. Ignoring it with distractions or pretending it does not exist will NOT help your recovery. Only worsens your mental state."

…

…

"I need time to think about this, Oz."

"That is all I am asking."

Feeling a sigh escaping from my lips, I nod at Qrow. "Okay. I'll rest for today. But I still have plans I want to see done, but take it easy, and I'll work on them tomorrow. And help prepare for Ruby's birthday. I might as well do that since I'm here."

"That is all I'm asking. Get some rest. I'll be sure to bring your food here."

"Thanks."

And so, I did what I promised.

For the rest of the day, I spent time in bed sleeping, and it was only in the next few days that I started working on other things, like my own emblem, for example.

To be honest, the original designs I had planned radically differed from the current choice, mainly because Ozpin wished for me to retain his emblem, but I wanted to add my own spin to it. I will admit it took way longer than it should have taken to develop a satisfactory draft for both of us, and we spent much time bickering with one another over it.

Eventually, we agreed on a compromise to keep it simple.

The new design will keep Ozpin's gear emblem, but I'll add a simplistic fox curled up inside the gears and as for the emblem's colours, instead of a shade of green which is normally Ozpin's colour, we agreed to make it purple instead! Of course, this is just the initial draft, so Oz and I expect this will change later.

So yeah… Now, all I need to do is figure out how I am supposed to include it in my Huntsman outfit. Should I make it an armband or a legband? Hmm… Eh, I'm sure I can finalise it before we leave for Argus.

Moving on, on the second day, I was feeling much better after a day's worth of sleep, so I began helping out Weiss and the others in preparation for Ruby's birthday, which was also technically Halloween or Hallow's End in Remnant terms. The entire day wasn't so bad, except for Neo's pranks on us because it was funny to her. It seemed to become a regular occurrence for Yang to chase her all over the house while Jaune tried to stop them, leaving me and Weiss to finalise the preparation for Ruby's birthday party.

And as it is said, time flies when you're busy as in the blink of an eye, the third day is close to its end and that means that Ruby and the others will be home in the evening! Oh man, I hope this works because every one of us put our effort into this! And yes, that includes Neo as well, which was a surprise since, well…

She's Neo.

Anyway, we've prepared a banquet of all sorts of tasty meals and some of Ruby's personal favourites, like a pile of cookies, strawberries with chocolate dipping sauce and even cake which I bought and left in the fridge until it is time to bring it out. In addition, the living and dining rooms were decorated with balloons and streamers in the colours of orange, black, purple, lime green and other compatible colours. We even have carved pumpkins placed all over certain parts of the house!

"Alright, is everything in place?" Weiss asks me while dressed in a white witch's costume with a checklist in her hand, while I am just about done wrapping Ruby's birthday present and in what is basically a Mistral school uniform with a purple haori with elegant patterns over my shoulders. I was also wearing white socks with traditional sandals, which are just a flat wooden base with two teeth and held by cloth straps. Lastly, I have a fox white mask secured tightly on the side of my head and covering my left ear.

Why am I wearing this? Well… I lost a game against Qrow and was forced to wear something for Ruby's birthday party at his insistence. As you see, I had originally intended just to wear my huntsman uniform instead, but it was apparently a tradition in the Xiao Long Rose family to dress up for Ruby's Hallow's End birthday. Weiss even supported Qrow's insistence because she wanted this birthday party to be the best it would ever be for Ruby. And I can't say no when she raises a good point.

And yes, the outfit is purposely made, so I look like a demon slayer. Though I doubt anyone here would know about it.

…

Or is it technically Grimm Slayer if I were to change it to Remnant terms?

Well, except Ozpin. He decided that now was the time to read my memories of the series, while commenting on how beautiful the art style was and how the plot was unexpectedly humorous and serious at the same time. Which I wholly agree. Ahh… Ufotable never lets up with their animations.

And now I'm slightly upset that I can never see their work again.

"Yup. We got everything in place." I said before looking at her with my present in my hands. "I assume the others are dressed up?" I then asked, while Weiss simply nodded at me before checking her checklist.

"Excellent. Everything's in place. Now all we need is to prepare. Mr Branwen should be back by now…" And as Weiss explains, a crow swooped in before it became Qrow in a vampire outfit. I still wonder where he gets it and now that I think about it, there is probably a chance that one of my ancestors is a vampire Faunus.

It wouldn't be out of place since the discovery of a fairy or fae Faunus from that memory crystal I found days back.

"Alright. Pipsqueak and the others will be here around 5 minutes." Qrow says while the both of us nod at him. "Is everything in place?" He then asks before I spot Jaune and Yang walking in, with Neo not far behind. In addition, Jaune's dressing up as a knight which I suppose makes sense, Yang had a zombie-like look with ragged clothes and everything. She even and even pained her prosthetic arm green for this event.

And lastly, Neo's in a nurse outfit by using her Semblance to change her looks.

Cheater…

"I would say yes, Qrow." I quickly answered, and I could see the enthusiasm on everyone's faces. Okay, not everyone's faces, since Neo was just here for a ride and looks pretty dismissive. At least she didn't make it difficult and just went along for the ride. "Alright. Time to get into position and give Ruby the best birthday celebration ever!" I cheer out before everyone joins me,

"Yeah!"

Alright.

It's showtime!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not too far away, Ruby, alongside everyone else, shuffled through the streets with exhaustion on their back as they back into the house. The past three days have been a constant manhunt from one to another. This was the case because it appears that many of them were willing to lay down their arms and were captured and subdued with ease. There are others that are much more slippery and require constant chasing before they could be subdued before they could harm others.

And to their horror, another small portion of Adam's White Fang went even further with Adam's Faunus supremacist ideas but made it even more radical than before. Now, instead of just enslaving humanity, they are evocative of the wholesale slaughter of humanity and a brutal ideological purity. There were even captured plans of them with the full intention to force their own kind to accept this new thinking or be executed for 'treason'.

Understandably, Ghira didn't hesitate to hunt them down first before they could bring their plans into motion and good thing they were stopped too. They were about to raid on a village for supplies and forcefully bring the local Faunus under their rule through violent means. But there's one thing Ruby and the others know. This is exhausting and all of them were glad when it was over.

"I'm exhausted." Nora moans before leaning her arm onto Ren who simply takes it as they slowly shuffle towards where the others are. "I wonder how Zacky's been doing, you know? Do you think he has plans for us?"

"What do you mean by that?" Blake asks before Nora grins.

"Zacky's planning something, I just know it!"

"What do you think he is planning?" Ruby asked as she turned to face her friend.

"I have no idea! But I know that Zacky's planning something!" Nora simply grinned.

"Then let's move!" Ruby chirped before she zipped ahead of everyone.

"Ruby!"

And once they reach the house, the first thing they notice is that the lights are off and no one is coming out to greet them. "Huh… they must be sleeping already…" Ren hums while Ruby pouts before she knocks on the door. But no one came to open it.

"Should we go in?" Ruby asks while Blake is by the window staring into the darkness. And thanks to night vision, she could see Zack with his golden eyes staring back before he began signalling her to ask them to come in.

"Yeah. I don't see anyone inside. I think they went to bed early." The cat Faunus lies through her teeth while Ruby looks down.

"Did everyone forget about my birthday today?" She wondered for a moment before shaking her head. "No, I don't think so!" And with determination on her face, Ruby pulled open the door and walked in. And once she did, the lights went on, revealing everyone in their costumes cheering out with glee as Yang and Zack sent bursts of confetti into the air.

"Surprise!"

Stumped by the sudden lights, Ruby stood still only for a brief seconds before she squealed at the sight before her. Zack, Weiss, Yang, and Jaune were all dressed up in costumes before the fox Faunus announced. "Happy birthday Ruby!" He walked forward in his costume and pushed the door open. "Come on in! We've spent days working on this, so it better be worth it!"

"You planned for this, didn't you?" Blake lightly accused her fellow Faunus with a smile, while he smirked without shame.

"Yup! In fact, I've been working closely with Weiss and Yang on this. And me tagging along with you guys was a way to give them time to come up with this." Zack explained before Nora zipped passed everyone towards the banquet with Ren chasing after her to not eat first without everyone else.

"Wait, you planned all this? For me?" Ruby asks while barely able to keep her excitement in check while he nods his head.

"Yup! I was the one to suggest that we should celebrate your birthday, and Ghira needing help with the Fang proved to be a good way to keep you out until we're done here. And from the looks of it, you've been busy." The fox Faunus observed before pointing his finger at the dining table, which was now a banquet. "Now, how about we all enjoy this night, huh? We still haven't made it to the party, the games and present giveaways!" Zack walked off as Weiss approached her partner.

"Well… Happy Birthday, Ruby." The ex-heiress offered a smile to her partner. "He has been quite insistent on making this the best birthday for you." She explains before the fox Faunus yells across the room.

"That's a lie, and you know it, Weiss! You told me that you wanted to make this birthday party the best, and I agreed!"

Weiss began to sputter in denial, with her cheeks a shade of red, before Ruby wrapped her up in a tight hug. "Aww! Thank you, Weiss! You're the best!" And so, the little rose sped off in a blur of red towards the table, while Weiss had a small smile.

And with that, the next few hours passed by like a breeze. The food was great and everyone clearly enjoyed such tasty food, and there was even cake that Nora nearly stuffed her face on if it wasn't for Ren stopping her. Then there were board games which were fun to play with everyone! Then Ruby learned that her uncle Qrow was the one who brought them in, where he got them; however, he refused to say.

And then it was time to give out presents. As it turns out, Ren, Nora and Blake all had their presents for Ruby written down before they left and left it to Jaune to buy them. Even her sister and her partner also have their own presence of their own. While Weiss got her wireless headset, Yang chose to get Ruby a new component for Crescent Rose! And as for Zack…

"Uhm… I'm not sure if this is suitable since I didn't find it first but…" The fox Faunus took out his present and presented it to Ruby, as she accepted it and began unwrapping it to show the very same necklace she saw days back.

Ruby could only gasp with surprise. "Is this-?"

"Yeah." Zack softly interrupts her. "I figured that this should be a suitable present for you for many reasons, but mainly. It protects you from any harm. You are more important than you think you are to me. But to everyone as well. Weiss and I have tested it to see how it works, and it's effective. That and…" Zack suddenly appears uncertain of himself.

"I honestly think this necklace fits with your rose theme, don't you think?" The fox Faunus then gave a shy glance, while Ruby felt her heart pounding for some reason with her eyes staring at the necklace in her hands.

"Should I wear it now?"

"I think you should." Zack says with his eyes closed. But his genuine smile was what convinced Ruby to do it. Feeling convinced enough, Ruby slowly brought the necklace up around her neck before clasping the ends together and then, a red-like bubble glowed around her before fading away from view.

"Whoa…" Nora utters in the background before Zack opens his eyes to Ruby as she starts to feel self-conscious when the fox Faunus's eyes land on her.

"So… What do you think?" She asks before receiving a nod.

"I think it fits you well, Ruby, and you look wonderful with it."

"Really?" Ruby could only bring her eyes onto the amulet that now lies on her neck.

"Yeah… I meant it."

Little did the both of them know, they had lost themselves in their talk and were unaware that some of their friends were watching them at the moment. Ren watched the two talk in silence while Nora, who was beside him, had a hand on her chin while squinting at them before leaning over to him.

"You think they are-"

"Perhaps."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"But what about Weiss?"

Nora asks before both turn their heads at the resident Schnee who is unnerving still with her arms folded and eyes aimed at the back of the fox Faunus's head. And while she was good at hiding her emotions, the others could tell that she was miffed about him. What exactly is not revealed yet.

"Could it be a lovey-dovey triangle?" Nora suggests before Ren shrugs.

"Maybe." And there was when Jaune walks in.

"What are you guys talking about?" He asks as the both of them tell their suspicions to their team leader. At the same time, both Blake and Yang beside Weiss could tell that something was bothering her. And leaning over to her friend's ears, Blake whispers. "You alright there, Weiss? You've been staring at him for some time now." Yet, Weiss simply blurts out.

"I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine, Weissy." Yang adds in before a smirk grew on Yang's when she pieced together what was going on. "And here I thought only Rubs has the hots for him. Who would have thought that Ice Queen here also shares that same feeling? Oh, man! This is gonna be fun, teasing them both!"

"Right. Sounds like you got a crush on little foxy here."

And the reaction was instant from Weiss while sounding offended. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, nothing." Yang proceeds to wave Weiss's concern aside with her hand with a smirk still on her face. "I think you're jealous that Zack is giving all the attention to Ruby instead of you."

The ex-heiress could only give a scandalised look with her mouth wide open before recomposing and letting out an exasperated huff. "I do not. You're simply overthinking it. Besides, he is too young for me."

"He is only three, probably two years younger than you." Blake deadpanned.

…

"Let us not speak of this again." Weiss mutters with her cheeks slightly red, while Yang giggles.

"Sure, sure. We'll talk about this later."

"How about never."

With Yang and Weiss bantering against one another, Blake was left thinking before realising that this was a developing love triangle scenario, just like one of her books she read. Though… It appears that her fellow Faunus doesn't seem to notice the growing attention he's receiving. Nor can she believe that it would be her friends undergoing this development. Though, the cat Faunus cannot deny that it will be interesting how this goes out in the end.

"Assuming we managed to beat Salem." Blake thought to herself before her eyes were on her team leader hugging her fellow Faunus rather tightly while whispering a thank you for preparing this party for her.