Amplify (A RWBY Story)

Within the Kingdom of Atlas, things are not looking good. There are whispers about an embargo and the closure of Atlas' borders. Ever since Beacon Fell, much has changed for the worse. Weiss isn't liking any of it. She's back home and under the watchful eye of her father once more. Something she loathes but hides it. She's tried to keep up with her training but to no avail. Right now, she's sitting in her room in silence. She misses her friends. Since coming back to Atlas, she hasn't heard of or seen her friends.

She looked at a nightstand beside her bed and on it was a picture of Team RWBY alongside Ryder. This picture was originally supposed to just be Team RWBY, but Ryder got involved after Yang dragged him into it. Weiss grabs the framed picture and holds it on her lap. She looks at her friends and her previously somber expression is replaced by a smile as she remembered what they did during their days in Beacon. 

She thought back to all the things they got into. Helping Blake confront Roman Torchwick and the White Fang, going to Mount Glenn, the Breach, the Dance, the Vytal Festival and lastly the Fall of Beacon. The others she was fond of but the Fall of Beacon not so much. So, she mostly focused on the other memories. She remembered how she was before she met Ruby and the others and even remembers how she acted towards Ruby when they first met. But once she got talked to by Ryder, things changed.

That's when her mind wondered. Her eyes shifted from the form of her teammates in the picture to Ryder. He certainly wasn't what she expected when they first met. Someone with a level of wisdom despite being a year older than her. The more she thinks about him the more she remembers a fond memory she has of him. 

The dance. During it they danced together after he managed to somewhat cheer her up over not being able to go with Neptune. Now that she thinks about it, Neptune probably wasn't the best. She then thinks about the time they danced together that night, she enjoyed herself. She was happy. Genuine happiness, something she rarely got growing up thanks to how her father treated her.

There were some moments where she was happy, but nothing matched that night. A part of her wishes she could experience it again. Then it dawns on her as her eyes widen. Does she have a crush on Ryder? At first that's what she thought but she shook off the thought as just her mind messing with her. She's most likely just holding onto fond memories of Beacon. 

[Rose Xiao Long House] 

It's been about a day since Ryder returned to Vale. He's been spending his time taking a break so he can recharge and eventually go back out to look for the Dragon Balls. But a part of him thinks he should stay around longer so he could train to further his magic abilities. Without Ozpin, training in magic will be more difficult but he should be able to get stronger without him. He now has a basic understanding of magic unlike before where he had no idea what he was doing.

So, with that groundwork, he's hoping he can create new ways to use his magic like how he recreated the Final Flash from Dragon Ball. He's curious about what other Dragon Ball techniques he could recreate, or better yet, create entirely new techniques unique to him. The possibilities make him excited. But as he brainstormed some new magic techniques to try and make, his mind drifts elsewhere. 

He begins to think about his friends and is worried about Ruby, Jaune, Nora, Ren, Blake and Weiss. He hasn't seen them in a while he doesn't know where most of them are. But the one he worries about the most is Weiss. He doesn't know why but he then remembers the question Yang asked him. Does he have someone special in mind.

He never got to answer Yang but the more he thinks about it, could he have a crush on Weiss? He tries to think back to the days he spent at Beacon to figure out what could've triggered these thoughts. As he did, he heard someone enter the living room as he heard the footsteps. He is taken out of his thoughts as he looked towards the door and sees Tai coming inside. 

"Hey, Tai." Ryder greets. 

"Oh, hey Ryder." Tai said, greeting him back. 

Tai walks over and sits on the chair in the living room. He then let out an exhale. 

"So, what's your next move?" Tai asked. 

"Well, I think I should train my Magic a little more before moving on to locate the other Dragon Balls." Ryder replied. 

"Your mind is still fixated on them huh?" Tai asked, a small ounce of concern lacing his tone. 

"Yeah." Ryder admits. "If I can find them all, we can stop Salem and prevent further casualties." 

Tai could hear the determination in his voice but while he would respect it, he's more concerned than anything else. He's concerned that Ryder will push himself too far and push away his friends in pursuit of his goal. So, he despites to change the subject. 

"So, every think about your home?" Tai asked. 

"Yeah, I do. I really do want to go home, but I can't just leave Remnant like this when I know I can do something about it." Ryder explains. 

"Well, wanna share any memories of your home?" Tai said. "I'm curious what Earth is like." 

Ryder smiles slightly. He might as well, won't hurt nobody. 

"Back on Earth, we have all kinds of unique shows and films. Some are good, some are awesome, some are straight master pieces and some kinda suck." Ryder explains. 

"Oh yeah?" Tai asked, sounding interested. "What's your favorite film?" 

"Oh, that's easy, Jurassic Park." Ryder answers. 

"Jurassic Park? What's that about?" Tai asked. 

The two continue to talk about things show and film based. Ryder even breaks down Jurassic Park to Tai, both the book and the movie. Tai seemed interested in it before he shared some of his favorite films and even suggested a few to Ryder. While they talked, Ryder liked it. It was a nice bonding experience.