Vytal Festival Approaching

The lively hum of chatter, laughter, and music filled the grand hall as Crimson stepped through the doors. His eyes scanned the bustling crowd, his expression unreadable as always. It wasn't long before someone intercepted him—a girl with short, stylishly cut brown hair, wearing sunglasses even in the dimly lit room.

"There you are," she said sharply, her tone laced with irritation. "Do you know how long I've been looking for you since your performance ended?"

Crimson arched an eyebrow, confused. "Do I know you?"

The girl placed a hand on her hip and tilted her head, her annoyance clear. "Coco. Coco Adel. I'm the one you made a deal with earlier."

Crimson blinked. "Deal? I think you've got the wrong person."

Coco lowered her sunglasses, revealing sharp hazel eyes that studied his face intently. A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. "Yang didn't tell you, did she?"

Crimson sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Of course, it's Yang." He glanced around the hall. "Let's find her and clear this up."

Soon after, they found Yang near the punch table, cheerfully chatting with Blake. When she spotted Crimson and Coco approaching, her face lit up with a grin.

"Hey, bro! Finally decided to join the fun?" Yang quipped, sipping her drink.

"Yang," Crimson said flatly, "what did you do this time?"

Yang shrugged, feigning innocence. "What? I just got a favor in exchange for a picture of you. No biggie."

Crimson stared at her, unimpressed. "A picture of me? Really?"

"Yep!" Yang said brightly, completely unbothered by his tone. "You are pretty popular, you know. Velvet wanted one, and Coco here made a deal with me for it. Totally harmless."

Coco chuckled. "See? Nothing shady. A deal's a deal."

As Yang expected, Crimson just sighed clearly exasperated and said "Fine. Let's get this over with."

As if on cue, a shy rabbit Faunus girl hesitantly approached. Her long ears twitched slightly as she clutched a camera to her chest, looking up at Crimson with wide, nervous eyes.

"This is Velvet," Yang said, gesturing to the girl. "Go ahead, Velvet. Take your shot."

Velvet fidgeted before lifting her camera, her voice barely above a whisper. "Um, thank you... for letting me take this."

Crimson simply nodded, standing still as she snapped the photo. Velvet quickly lowered her camera, a small, satisfied smile on her face.

"Send me a copy, Velvet," Yang called out. "It's for the scrapbook!"

Velvet nodded before disappearing into the crowd, and Crimson turned back to Yang and Coco. "If that's everything, I'm leaving now"

Crimson turned around and cut through the crowd, heading toward the exit. The noise and energy of the party didn't suit him. As he neared the door, a strange sensation washed over him—the distinct feeling of being watched.

He turned his head in the direction he got that feeling. His eyes locked on a woman dancing with a silver haired young man. She had a striking appearance, with silky black hair just past her shoulder and an aura of confidence that contrasted the surprised expression on her face. Her eyes were fixed directly on him, wide as though caught off guard by his awareness.

Crimson narrowed his eyes briefly but chose to ignore her entirely, continuing his path out of the hall. Whoever she was, she didn't seem like someone worth his time. Meanwhile, back in the hall Cinder recovered from her surprise and said to Mercury.

"He might be more dangerous than what I assumed…."

________________________

Few hours later, they couldn't find the woman, so Ozpin and General James Ironwood headed back to Ozpin's office, the general had a contemplative look on his face as he asked. "Who is that boy, Ozpin? Crimson, was it?"

Ozpin raised an eyebrow but gave a small, knowing smile. "Crimson Rose. Ruby's twin brother."

Ironwood folded his arms, the frown deepening on his face. "He left quite an impression. He stood there composed, challenging me without a hint of fear or nervousness. He's confident, direct, and… uncompromising. I have a feeling that, if it came down to it, he wouldn't hesitate to fight me."

Ozpin's smile faltered slightly. "Crimson is… unique. A young man with a complicated and steadfast personality."

"Tell me more about him," Ironwood pressed.

"He is the son of Taiyang Xiao Long and Summer Rose. After Summer's death he grew up along with Ruby and Yang, Tai took care of the three of them and had the occasional help of Qrow" Ozpin said

"I see…I thought the girl looked familiar and that also explains his demeanor. Qrow's influence would certainly foster such boldness." The general replied his expression shifted to one of understanding.

"It certainly plays a part," Ozpin agreed. "However, Crimson's uniqueness goes beyond his family or boldness. Here, let me show you something."

Ozpin pulled up a video recording of the match between Crimson and Pyrrha Nikos. The footage displayed Crimson's composed fighting style, his precise movements, and the calculated way he overwhelmed the famous champion of Misteral.

Ironwood watched intently, his eyes narrowing. "Impressive. Even huntsmen on active duty with years of experience might not be able to match him. And to defeat Pyrrha Nikos, no less... But wait! I saw him with the orchestra playing earlier. Isn't he training to be a huntsman? A young man of his caliber—coming from a family of huntsmen—should be aspiring to be one."

Ozpin sighed, his tone growing somber. "That's where things become complicated. Crimson harbors a deep disdain for huntsmen and huntresses."

Ironwood looked surprised. "Disdain? Why?"

"His mother's death," Ozpin explained. "From what I have gathered in my conversations with him, Crimson believes that Summer chose her duty as a huntress over her family. He sees her sacrifice not as heroic but as abandonment. Because of that, he refuses to even entertain the thought of following in her footsteps."

Ironwood leaned back, his expression unreadable. "That's... unfortunate. With his potential, he could become one of the best."

Ozpin nodded. "It is a pity. However, I will say this—he seems open-minded enough to support his sisters in their pursuit of becoming huntresses. Otherwise, with his influence over them, I wouldn't be surprised if he had discouraged them from attending Beacon entirely."

Ironwood's gaze lingered on the flickering screen for a moment before he straightened. "Let's hope his support continues. Young people like Ruby and Yang will need all the encouragement they can get."

________________________

Three days later, Crimson's scroll buzzed with an incoming call. When he answered, Taiyang's familiar voice greeted him.

"Hey, Crimson. I've got an errand to run, and I was wondering if you could take care of Zwei for a while?"

Crimson sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm busy, Dad. Just send him to Beacon. He'll be fine here."

Taiyang chuckled lightly at his son's immediate refusal. "Alright, I will arrange it to send him there. Take care!"

True to his word, Zwei arrived at Beacon later that day, his small tail wagging furiously as he bounded toward Ruby and Yang.

________________________

For the next two days, Crimson immersed himself in perfecting the sound of his newly created biwa. The instrument's tunes completely captured the traditional biwa he knew, he even introduced it in the art school, but it drew mixed reactions from those who heard it.

Some praised its unique, haunting tones, while others found its sound unfamiliar and difficult to appreciate. But Crimson was undeterred. To him, the biwa offered a refreshing change, a new means of expression that resonated deeply with him.

In the evening, Crimson was interrupted by urgent news. A Grimm invasion had erupted in the middle of Vale, forcing Beacon students to work alongside Atlas forces to repel the attack.

Details emerged throughout the night: the invasion had been orchestrated by Roman Torchwick in alliance with White Fang members. The battle had been fierce, but in the end, Torchwick was apprehended and imprisoned. The White Fang operatives involved, however, had been wiped out.

Crimson learned the next day that Ruby's team had been at the forefront of the chaos from the very beginning. They encountered Torchwick in Mountain Glenn and rode a train with him back to vale with a tale of grimm behind them. They are safe and there were no casualties except for Jaune, he apparently fought Ursa on his own and was nearly killed if not for Pyrrha's timely save.

[How do they keep getting involved in these situations? criminals, Terrorists, invasions…] Crimson wondered himself.

________________________

As the Vytal Festival drew near, Crimson's entire school buzzed with excitement. Classes paused for the duration of the event, giving students a chance to relax and enjoy the festival.

Crimson wondered what he should do during the vacation.