Just as Onyx and Ruby were basking in the warmth of their confession, the moment was interrupted by a sudden rustling in the bushes nearby.
Both turned their heads toward the noise, Onyx's eyes immediately narrowing in suspicion.
Then—
"AHHHHHHHH—!!"
A blur of bodies tumbled out of the foliage, collapsing in a tangled heap on the ground.
Team JNPR and the rest of Team RWBY.
All of them.
Nora was on top of Jaune, Ren was somehow upside down, Weiss was muttering something about dignity, Blake was rubbing her temples, Pyrrha was apologizing to everyone, and Yang was just grinning like she had won the lottery.
Onyx stared. "…You've got to be kidding me."
Ruby, face completely red, sputtered. "W-WHAT THE HECK?! WERE YOU GUYS SPYING ON US?!"
Jaune held up his hands defensively. "N-No! Well—kinda?"
Nora grinned. "We had to see how this would turn out! You guys have been dancing around each other for ages!"
Weiss sighed dramatically. "I was against it, for the record."
Yang, still grinning, waggled her eyebrows. "So, sis… You and Onyx, huh? That was a long and emotional confession. And that kiss? Whew! Five minutes wasn't enough for you, was it?"
Ruby groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Yaaaaang!!"
But before the teasing could continue—
A small, excited voice cut through the chaos.
"Wait… that means… I can call you Mama now, right?"
Silence.
Everyone turned toward Hemera.
She stood there, clutching her plush Beowolf, looking up at Ruby with wide, hopeful silver eyes.
Ruby froze.
Her heart skipped.
This tiny girl—who had been raised by Onyx, who had clung to him like he was her whole world—was looking at her with the same kind of love and trust.
Hemera's hands tightened around her plushie. "C-Can I?"
Ruby felt her eyes burn.
She bent down to Hemera's level, smiling through the sudden wave of emotion.
"Of course you can."
Hemera's face lit up.
Without hesitation, she threw herself into Ruby's arms, hugging her tight.
"Yay! I have a Mama now!!" she cheered.
Ruby laughed, holding her close, running her fingers through Hemera's hair. "Yeah, you do, Little Light."
Onyx, watching the scene unfold, felt his chest tighten.
For so long, it had just been him and Hemera.
But now…
Now, they had Ruby.
A new light in both their lives.
Yang sniffled dramatically. "Okay, that was adorable."
Pyrrha smiled warmly. "I think we just witnessed something really special."
Nora wiped away fake tears. "Our little Ruby is growing up so fast!"
Jaune grinned. "Guess this means you're officially part of the family, huh, Ruby?"
Ruby beamed.
She glanced at Onyx, reaching out to hold his hand.
"Yeah," she said softly, squeezing his fingers.
"I guess I am."
After the heartfelt moment between Onyx, Ruby, and Hemera, the group decided to continue exploring the festival.
But then—
"Hey, Onyx!" Yang suddenly spoke up, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "I've been meaning to ask… Where's that sick motorcycle of yours? The one I keep hearing about?"
At that, Onyx smirked. "You mean the Shadow Phantom?"
Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Shadow Phantom? That sounds… ominous."
Nora gasped. "Wait, wait, wait—you have a MOTORCYCLE?! WHY HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING THIS FROM ME?!"
Pyrrha chuckled. "I didn't know you had one either, Onyx."
Jaune rubbed his chin. "Now that I think about it, I don't think we've ever seen you ride anything."
Onyx's smirk widened. "Well, I wasn't exactly hiding it. You just never asked."
Yang crossed her arms. "Oh-ho, well now we're asking. Where is it?"
Onyx simply turned toward Hemera. "You wanna show them, Little Light?"
Hemera grinned and nodded eagerly. "Mhm! I wanna see their faces!"
With that, Onyx reached into his coat and pulled out a small metallic device—a remote of sorts.
He pressed a button.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
A low, rumbling growl echoed from the distance.
The ground beneath their feet faintly vibrated.
Then the roar came.
A deep, bone-rattling mechanical snarl—like a beast awakening from slumber.
The sound alone sent a shiver down everyone's spines.
Blake's ears twitched. "What… was that?"
Weiss blinked. "Please tell me that was the bike and not some horrific Grimm approaching."
Before anyone could respond—
Something moved in the shadows.
From the nearby alleyway, a pair of sinister purple lights flickered to life.
A massive black shape emerged, its sleek form predatory yet elegant.
The Shadow Phantom.
Its matte-black frame was reinforced with Grimm-like plating, sleek yet intimidating. The glowing amethyst markings pulsated like a heartbeat, adding an eerie, almost living presence to the machine.
And then—
It roared again.
Not like a normal engine.
Not like any bike they had ever heard before.
It was a deep, monstrous growl, as if the machine itself was alive, exuding raw, untamed power.
Everyone froze.
Even Yang, the motorcycle expert, was left speechless.
"Holy crap."
Ruby's eyes sparkled. "That. Is. SO COOL!!"
Nora squealed. "IT'S A MOTORCYCLE FROM THE VOID! A BIKE OF DARKNESS! A DEMON STEED!!"
Jaune took a step back. "It actually sounds alive… That's kinda terrifying."
Ren simply nodded. "Impressive craftsmanship."
Pyrrha stared. "Onyx… you built this?"
Onyx nodded. "From scratch. Took me about two years to perfect it."
Weiss rubbed her temples. "Of course. Of course, you built a borderline Grimm motorcycle that roars like a monster. Why am I not surprised?"
Yang, finally snapping out of her shock, grinned wildly. "Alright, I have to take this thing for a spin."
Onyx smirked. "You can try, but she only listens to me."
Yang raised an eyebrow. "She?"
Hemera giggled. "Shadow Phantom is Papa's partner! She only listens to him."
Blake, arms crossed, inspected the machine closely. "…It really does feel like it's alive."
Onyx ran a hand along the bike's sleek frame, his Semblance faintly pulsing through it.
"She is."
The Shadow Phantom growled softly, its engine humming like a wolf's low snarl—as if acknowledging Onyx's touch.
Everyone just stared.
They had seen a lot of crazy things since meeting Onyx.
But this?
This was something else.
The Next Day
Beacon Academy was buzzing with gossip.
Whispers filled the halls, students gathered in groups, and more than a few heads turned whenever Onyx or Ruby walked by.
The source of all this attention?
Their new relationship.
Apparently, someone had let it slip.
And by someone, it was Nora.
Beacon Cafeteria
Onyx and Ruby had just walked into the cafeteria when—
"THERE THEY ARE!"
A loud cheer erupted, and suddenly, all eyes were on them.
Onyx blinked. Ruby froze.
And before either of them could react—
Nora Valkyrie appeared out of nowhere.
The hyperactive redhead leaped onto a table, pointing dramatically at them.
"BEHOLD, EVERYONE! THE POWER COUPLE OF BEACON! OUR DARK KNIGHT AND HIS PRECIOUS ROSE!!"
Cheers. Whistles. Laughter.
Ruby's face exploded into red.
Onyx just sighed.
Yang, grinning like the devil, sauntered up to them. "Welp, you two are officially Beacon's hottest topic. Congrats."
Jaune, munching on a pancake, grinned. "Man, I knew you two had chemistry, but that confession? Whew, even the bushes felt the heat."
Ren, calmly sipping his tea, simply nodded. "It was a rather heartfelt moment."
Blake, rolling her eyes, looked at Onyx. "How are you not phased by this?"
Onyx took a sip of his coffee. "I've been through worse."
Ruby, still flustered, groaned. "Nora! Why did you TELL everyone?!"
Nora gasped dramatically. "How could I NOT?! IT WAS SO ROMANTIC! The world needed to know!!"
Pyrrha giggled. "It's really sweet, though. You two suit each other perfectly."
Weiss huffed. "As long as this doesn't become some public spectacle—"
"ONYX! RUBY!"
A group of random students suddenly appeared.
"IS IT TRUE YOU GUYS ARE DATING?!"
"WHO CONFESSED FIRST?!"
"HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD FEELINGS?!"
"ONYX, WHAT'S YOUR SECRET TO ATTRACTING WOMEN?!"
Yang laughed. "Oh man, this is great."
Ruby, overwhelmed, hid her face behind her hands. "Oh my Dust, someone make it STOP!"
Onyx, remaining as calm as ever, simply exhaled.
Then, with a single cold glance, his Amethyst Eyes glowed faintly.
The crowd?
They backed away immediately.
No one wanted to mess with Onyx when he gave them that look.
Weiss, arms crossed, smirked. "Well, that's one way to handle it."
Onyx turned to Ruby. "You okay?"
Ruby, still recovering, nodded weakly. "Y-Yeah… just… wow."
Hemera suddenly popped up beside her, holding her hand. "Don't worry, Mama! I'll protect you from all the nosey people!"
Ruby melted on the spot. "Awww!" She scooped Hemera up and hugged her.
The crowd collectively died from cuteness.
Yang, grinning, clapped a hand on Onyx's shoulder. "Welp, bro-in-law, welcome to the chaos. You're officially one of us now."
Onyx glanced at her. "…I regret everything."
The whole table laughed.