Chapter 1 – Home

Greetings, fellow RWBY fans, and welcome to my sequel to 'The Pain Within'. Being as it is a direct follow on, I would suggest you read that story first if you haven't already, as I have made some changes to canon that probably need explaining. However, if you're one of those people who always start assembling IKEA furniture without looking at the instructions, then just carry on.

I confess, having written in the world of Harry Potter so long, I found 'The Pain Within' a little awkward to write, but this time round I felt a lot more comfortable with the settings and characters. In particular, I don't think I got Pyrrha exactly right in the last story. This time, however, she's a bit more Pyrrha-ish.

Thanks to (ex-) Mrs Brennus for support, and to Arnel for her usual wonderful beta work. Thank you, ladies.

Breathing hard, Jaune ducked down as a beam of orange light shot past him, narrowly missing his shoulder. Not wanting to present himself as more of a target, he dived into a forward roll which brought him to the dubious cover afforded by a table. Knowing this fragile shelter wouldn't protect him for long, he quickly channelled some of his Aura into his legs, and sprinted away.

It was not a moment too soon. Behind him, he heard the table being blasted into a million splinters, reinforcing the need to keep moving. His opponent was just too good for him to offer her an easy target. Not unless he wanted to get hit, anyway.

As he ran, he caught sight of a flash out of the corner of his eye, and he just managed to get his shield up in time to deflect whatever it was. The impact nearly knocked him off his feet, but he was able to recover quickly and start moving again. Desperately, he sought a way to turn his frantic defence into some form of attack. He couldn't just keep fending her off like this, not if he hoped to survive. Try as he might, though, nothing came to mind.

Another beam of light streaked past him, far too close for comfort. As Jaune sprinted towards the next piece of cover, he knew that his current tactics were just not going to work. He'd hoped to be able to manoeuvre towards his opponent so he could at least get a few hits in, but clearly that wasn't going to happen. No, he knew there was only one thing he could do now, and that was just charge towards his foe and hope that he didn't run out of Aura before he got to her. It was a massive gamble, but it was his only chance.

Lengthening his stride, Jaune cleared a desk in one jump, before dropping his shoulder and lunging to his right. He hoped that his sudden change in direction might momentarily confuse his opponent, but a solid hit on his shield suggested otherwise. The blow knocked him out of his stride, but only for a second. Gritting his teeth, he charged at his foe, who was standing resolutely in place, aiming her weapon at him. He just needed a few more seconds…

"Oof!"

Before he knew what was happening, some great force hit him with the speed and power of an oncoming train. Despite his forward momentum, Jaune found himself flying backwards and he impacted on the hard, stone floor heavily. Coloured lights swam before his eyes and he had an urge to vomit. Desperately, he tried to climb to his feet, but his legs were like jelly.

"Stop!"

Despite his condition, Jaune knew well enough not to disobey THAT voice. He let himself slump down into a heap gratefully, just glad it was over. The sound of a pair of heels clicking on the hard floor made him look up.

"Interesting tactics, Mister Arc," Goodwitch noted as she approached. "What were you hoping to achieve by just recklessly charging at me?"

Jaune gulped. "I didn't think I had much choice. I mean, I wasn't getting anywhere near you otherwise, was I? All I was doing was running around, getting myself more and more tired, while you gradually reduced my Aura. I figured the only chance I had was to channel as much Aura into my shield as I could, and hope I could get to you before it ran out."

"And how did that work out for you?"

"Umm, pretty bad," he admitted. "Still, I don't see what else I could have done."

"Mister Arc… Jaune… you were doing pretty well up to the point you decided to mount a kamikaze attack on me," Goodwitch told him. "Surely it would have been better to keep moving, finding cover where you could, and then striking back using your Semblance? You've already proven that you can use it offensively, so why didn't you?"

"I… I can't really use it that way when I'm moving," he confessed. "I've tried, but I just don't have that level of control yet."

"I see," Goodwitch acknowledged. "Well, I guess I don't need to tell you what you need to practice during the break. I trust that when you return for the second semester you will have mastered at least some rudimentary control of your Semblance while on the move."

"Yes, ma'am," he agreed doubtfully.

"It's all a matter of concentration and control," she said, not unkindly. "Are you still undertaking those meditation exercises with your teammate?"

"Oh, yes," he confirmed. "Ren makes the whole team meditate each morning before breakfast. He says that it will put us all in a positive frame of mind for the coming day. Personally, I think we should do it after breakfast. It's hard to clear your mind when all you can think about is waffles."

Goodwitch sighed.

"You're like every other young man I've ever met," she said disapprovingly, "either thinking about food or sex. There are other things in life, you know."

"Who mentioned sex?" he gasped, feeling his face redden. "I never mention that! I never said anything about that!"

"Really? So I don't suppose that you've noticed that you're surrounded by attractive young Huntresses, then? You've never noticed how radiantly beautiful Miss Weiss is, or Miss Nikos's athletic physique?"

"I… err…. that is… why are we even talking about this?" Jaune spluttered.

Goodwitch actually laughed. "You clearly don't take after your father, do you? When he attended Beacon he chased everything in a skirt, no matter whether they were interested in him or not. You, at least, seem to have your priorities right, Mister Arc. Then again, your father never showed the level of talent and power that you demonstrate, either."

"What?" Jaune gasped. "Dad's an amazing Hunter. I'm nowhere near his level."

"Your father was absolutely hopeless during his first year," Goodwitch revealed. "It was only in his second year that he began to display any ability whatsoever. I seriously thought he was going to get kicked out at one point. I assume the threat of expulsion was what convinced him to stop messing around with his friends all the time and knuckle down."

"Wow," Jaune gasped, before a wide grin crept onto his face. "Oh, I am so looking forward to seeing my old man again!"

"Just remember, you didn't hear that from me," Goodwitch told him, her eyes glittering with amusement. "Are you planning on heading home for the term break, then?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "I haven't arranged anything, although I'm sure Mom will want me to come home. I'll have to see what the others in my team are doing. I wouldn't want to be stuck here by myself, after all."

"I'm sure your family would want you to visit," Goodwitch agreed. "You know, I'm actually looking forward to graduation day, assuming your family attend your passing out ceremony, that is. I think I would like to meet the woman who actually managed to tame the wild Luc Arc."

"You two would probably get on well," Jaune admitted. "You remind me of my mom in many ways."

"Really?"

There was something in the way Goodwitch said that word that alerted Jaune to the fact that he was walking on thin ice.

"Ugh… yeah. I mean, you're both really smart and determined. You both kinda look the same, too, with that blonde hair and being quite tall, and all. You're both really pretty, too."

"Pretty? Mister Arc, are you coming onto me?" Goodwitch asked in a dangerous tone.

"What? No!" he squeaked. "I just said you were pretty just like my mom! That's not coming onto you, is it?"

Goodwitch just stared at him impassively.

"Umm… can I go now, ma'am? I've… err… still got a lot to do before we break up and… umm…err… can I just go? Please?"

"You're dismissed, Mister Arc," she confirmed with a nod of her head. "I hope you have a pleasant break."

"Thank you. You, too!" he blurted, before practically sprinting towards the door. Before he reached it, however, his teacher's voice halted him briefly.

"Oh, and Mister Arc? When you return I think I should measure your Aura levels again. We need to establish what progress you are making, after all."

Jaune turned and looked at her with his eyes wide. Last time she'd tested him it had involved her kissing him. Surely she didn't mean she would be doing that again, did she?

"Have a very pleasant break, Mister Arc," Goodwitch told him in a completely neutral tone. "I'll see you again on your return."

Only managing a brief nod, Jaune turned and fled the room. Once outside, he slumped down with his back against the door, his heart pounding. Why was his mouth suddenly so dry?

"Okay, she has got to be messing with me, right?" he asked out loud. Unsurprisingly, there was no reply.

It was several minutes before he was calm enough to start making his way back to his room.

"Are you okay, Jaune? You're looking a little peaky."

Pyrrha's voice made Jaune jump. He'd just made it back to his dorm room and gratefully closed the door behind him. He'd been so intent returning to the comparative sanctuary of the room that he hadn't noticed his partner standing right in front of him. She was looking at him with a worried expression on her face.

"No, I'm fine!" he said, a little too loud. "It's just that… err… Goodwitch had me working extra hard today. Yeah, that's all."

"Well, if you're sure," she said doubtfully.

"I bet the professor's been teaching you some really neat stuff, huh?" Nora asked from her position, sprawled out on her bed.

"Yeah, although I didn't do very well today," he admitted. "Still, my dad always says you learn more from your mistakes than you do from your successes."

"That's very true," Ren agreed. He was also sitting on his bed, polishing his weapons with loving care. "The path of progress is never a straight one."

"Tell me about it," Jaune muttered, before a thought came to him. "Say, what are you guys going to be up to during term break? Are you going home?"

"Well… no," Nora replied, uncharacteristically subdued. "I mean, Ren and I don't actually really even have a home."

"Oh, gosh, I'm sorry, Nora," Jaune said, feeling embarrassed. "I just didn't think."

"It's alright, Jaune," Ren assured him. "This is our home now, and we consider you and Pyrrha to be our family."

"Oh, Ren, that's so sweet. I'm honoured that you think that way," Pyrrha said, clasping her hands together in obvious delight.

"It's true. You're like the sister I never had," Nora told her happily, "and Jaune is like a big brother. I hope we're together forever!"

"Me, too," Jaune agreed, feeling a lump forming in his throat. "What about you, Pyrrha? Are you heading home to visit with your mom?"

"Oh, well, I suppose I might. I really haven't made any plans, actually. Perhaps if Ren and Nora are staying here I should too, just to keep them company."

"Aww, you don't have to. If you want to head home to see your mom, Ren and I will be perfectly fine on our own. We're used to it, after all," Nora insisted.

Suddenly, an idea of unparalleled brilliance hit Jaune.

"Guys, I've got a great idea!" he said enthusiastically. "Why don't the three of you come and stay with me and my folks for a few days. Just in the last letter from my mom she was saying how much she wanted to meet all of you, and my dad would love it, too!"

"I don't know. Wouldn't that be an awful imposition?" Ren asked.

"Ooh, we'd get to meet your family? That would be great!" Nora bellowed, nearly bouncing off her bed in excitement.

"Yeah, it will be great! I can show you around the village where I grew up, maybe a few of my sisters will be back so you can meet them, too. Oh, and my dad does the best barbeque, ever! He's got this secret glaze he uses on pork ribs that is just to die for," Jaune informed them, really getting into the idea.

"Are you sure you shouldn't run this past your parents first?" Pyrrha asked. "I would hate to turn up announced and cause a bother."

"I'll call them now, but I guarantee they will love the idea! Honestly, hospitality is an Arc watchword," he assured them.

Pyrrha and Nora exchanged a hopeful look between them. Clearly, both girls seemed to really like the suggestion.

"Well, as long as your family are happy with us coming," Pyrrha agreed, her eyes shining with happiness.

"I'll call them now," Jaune said, pulling out his Scroll and quickly selecting his home number. It started ringing and he pressed it to his ear. "Hi, Dad? Yeah, it's me, Jaune. Yeah, I'm good. Say, how do you feel about the idea of me bringing the rest of my team over to visit for a few days? Yeah, all three of them. You would? That's great!"

Jaune gave his friends the thumbs up, which caused Nora to leap off of her bed, grab Pyrrha, and start a manic little dance of celebration. Even Ren put down his weapons and smiled.

This was definitely going to be the best break, ever!

As the bus pulled up at the small depot, Jaune felt his excitement mount. Ever since he and his team had disembarked from the airship they had taken from Vale and boarded the shuttle bus that would take them the rest of the way, he had practically been bouncing in his seat. Every road and signpost was familiar to him now, and he couldn't wait to be home. Strange, as he'd only been away a few months, but so much had happened that it had seemed much, much longer.

"This place looks pretty nice," Nora ventured as she stared out of the window. She seemed almost as excited as Jaune was to arrive.

"Jiayuan is a pretty good place to live," Jaune confirmed. "Funny, I aways used to think it was deathly-dull, but after a few months at Beacon I'm actually looking forward to some peace and quiet."

"Indeed, some downtime will do us all good," Pyrrha agreed cheerfully from the seat next to him.

"That is definitely something I can agree with," Ren added from the seat behind.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll find lots to do!" Nora disagreed. "You'd spend the whole break in bed if you could, lazybones."

"I'm just conserving energy for when I might actually need it," Ren protested.

"Really? Round here we call that sleeping," Jaune noted, grinning at his friend.

"Whatever gets the job done," Ren said with a shrug.

By now the bus had pulled up to its stop, and the driver had turned off the engine. With a hiss, the doors at the front opened and the other passengers began to file out. The four Beacons students let them go first, thus allowing themselves more space to manhandle their bags down from the storage racks about their heads.

Eventually, they retrieved their belongings and disembarked themselves. Jaune looked around at the familiar sights around him, delighted to be back in his hometown.

"My family's place is right on the edge of the village," he started to explain to his friends. "It's only a mile or so from here, so we might as well…"

"Jaune!" a voice cried out from nearby.

He turned to see his father, waving at him from the other side of the street. The man was grinning broadly as he walked towards them.

"Dad!" Jaune exclaimed as his father approached. "You didn't need to come and meet us."

"Nonsense. Hospitality is a trademark of the Arc family, and I couldn't let you all have to walk to our place, now, could I? I've brought the truck."

"Truck?" Nora asked hesitantly.

"Well? Aren't you going to introduce me?" Luc asked his son pointedly.

"Oh, of course. Guys, this is my dad, Luc Arc. Dad, may I introduce Nora, Ren and Pyrrha, my teammates. I'm pretty sure you can work out who is who."

"Of course I can! Please to meet you Nora," Luc said, slapping Ren on the back.

"You'll have to forgive my father. He has a peculiar sense of humour," Jaune noted dryly.

"Ha! Well, I thought it was funny," Nora said, offering her hand to the man. "Pleased to meet you, sir."

"Sir? By the Gods, I swear I haven't been called 'sir' for twenty odd year. You can just call me Luc, sweetie. We really don't stand on ceremony around here."

"Nevertheless, can I offer you my thanks for inviting us to stay with you," Ren said solemnly, offering his own hand to shake.

"No problem. In fact, we're delighted to have you all here. A fella's teammates are like just like family, so I consider you all now honorary members of the Arc clan. Anything you need while you're here, just let us know."

"That really is very kind of you, Mr Arc," Pyrrha said, smiling warmly.

"Oh, now! Aren't you just the loveliest young thing. You must be Pyrrha, right? I hope my dunderheaded son isn't causing you too many problems."

"Absolutely not!" Pyrrha said quickly. "Jaune is a wonderful partner, and an able team leader, too. I'm constantly thanking my lucky stars that I became partnered with him."

"Are you blackmailing her to say this stuff?" Luc Arc demanded of his son.

"No! Trust me, no one would ever be stupid enough to try and make Pyrrha do anything she didn't want to do, and if they tried they'd end up regretting it pretty fast," Jaune informed his father.

"Ah, it must be bribery, then," Luc noted. "I hope he's paying you well for this, Pyrrha."

"Dad!" Jaune exclaimed.

"Anyway, we should be going. My good lady wife is dying to meet you all, and a couple of Jaune's sisters even made it back. They're really keen to meet you all, too."

"Oh, who's here?" Jaune asked.

"Rose and Adele."

"Really, that's great!" Jaune said, genuinely pleased. "Couldn't the others get time off?"

"Nah, Violette and Mae are up to their necks in it, but they send their best. I couldn't even get hold of Harmony. She's out in the field, somewhere."

"Shame, I haven't seen Harms for ages," Jaune said sadly. "Still, it's great the other two managed to come."

"Yeah, I don't see my girls nearly enough," Luc agreed. "Anyway, come on, you guys. The white pickup truck is ours. I hope some of you don't mind riding in the back."

"Oh, a pickup truck!" Nora exclaimed, spotting the parked vehicle up ahead. "Hey, riding in the back of that will be fun."

"It certainly will be an experience," Pyrrha added, a little doubtfully.

"If you ladies prefer you can sit up in the cab with me," Luc Arc offered.

"Nah, the back will be fine," Nora said with a wide grin. "Don't be afraid to put the pedal to the metal, either!"

"Ha, I should have known you gals would like to walk on the wild side. Well, get aboard, guys. The rest of the family are just dying to meet you."

The four of them clambered into the back of the pickup, which had at least been cleaned, Jaune was pleased to see. As soon as the vehicle started moving, Nora clambered to her knees so she could see over the cab. Ren casually positioned himself right behind her so he would be able to steady her if they went over any large bumps. Jaune and Pyrrha just sat with their backs up against the side.

"This is a… novel vehicle, Jaune," Pyrrha commented as they started to pick up speed.

"I don't know why Dad brought it. As I said, it's only a mile or so on foot to our place, but by road you have to go right round so it's about three times as far," he grumbled.

"Your father obviously thought it would be nicer for us to ride rather than walk," Pyrrha replied, "although after the airship and the bus, I would have rather welcomed a short walk to iron out the kinks."

"Tell me about it. Still, it gives my Dad a chance to show off his cross-country driving skills."

"Really? But we're driving on the road," Pyrrha said, peering over the side.

"Not for much longer," Jaune explained with a grin.

No sooner had he spoken than the pickup took a sharp left and veered off the road onto what looked like a logging track. The engine of the vehicle revved several times as the wheels moved from solid tarmac onto compacted dirt, but Luc Arc controlled the vehicle with only the smallest twitch of the backend. Nora practically screamed with delight as they bombed down the track, creating a dust cloud in their wake.

"Woohoo!" she yelled happily. "Ren, when we get proper jobs we have to buy one of these!"

"Yay, the perfect way to travel in comfort and style," her life-long friend grumbled, his voice wobbling from the vibrations.

"Oh, come on, Ren. You must admit this is fun," Pyrrha coaxed her friend, apparently also enjoying the bumpy ride.

"I suppose it's better than walking," he grudgingly conceded. "Assuming we don't plough into a tree, of course."

"Nah, my dad is an expert in this thing," Jaune assured him. "I've seen him skid this truck down a mud-soaked, one-in-three hill, dodging trees as he went. He had several crates of milk in the back here, and he never spilt a drop."

"Good to know," Ren acknowledged, gripping the side of the vehicle tightly.

Fortunately for Ren, the trip didn't take particularly long and they soon felt the vehicle slowing. Jaune felt an odd sense of excitement as they rounded the last bend and his home came into sight.

"Is that where you live?" Nora demanded, pointing at the collection of white-painted buildings up ahead.

"Yeah, home sweet home," he confirmed. "It used to be a farmstead, but when the old owner died a neighbour bought all the surrounding land, but didn't want the farmhouse or any of the other buildings. With my family growing rapidly, my dad bought them up and converted them all into living accommodation. It took a hell of a lot of work, though, as they weren't in very good repair."

"It's brilliant!" Nora exclaimed. "Look at all that space, and is that a pond in the middle of the courtyard?"

"That's right. We used to keep ducks there, and chickens round the back. Dad gave up keeping livestock once most of my sisters moved out, though."

"It's quite charming," Pyrrha commented, for some reason looking a little misty-eyed. "It looks like a splendid place to grow up."

"It wasn't bad, I guess," Jaune agreed. "Ah, we're here. Come on, guys, let's get our stuff and I'll find out where everyone's sleeping."

The pickup came to a complete halt just outside the wooden, five-bar gate that marked the entrance to the property. Luc Arc spilled out of the driver's cab the second the engine ceased and began to grab their bags.

"Come on, Jaune, lend a hand. We're putting the ladies in the pink rooms as Violette isn't here. Ren can share with you," he informed his son.

"No problem," Jaune confirmed. "Pyrrha, Nora – you two will be sleeping in that low building over on the right. Normally that's where my sisters Violette and Harmony stay, but I guess as they're not coming back for the holidays that will be your accommodation. Ren, you're with me. My room is over the converted barn up front. There'll be plenty of space, don't worry."

"Indeed, your home looks very spacious and well-kept," Pyrrha agreed. "Jaune was saying you converted this all from farm buildings, Mr Arc?"

"Hey, what did I say about this 'Mr' nonsense? I'm Luc to you, my girl. But yes, I did pretty much do all the work as Sy was pregnant with Mae at the time, so she couldn't help much, other than work on soft furnishings and such like. Of course, the work was spread over several years. It seemed like I'd just finish work on one building before Sy would announce we were expecting another child and I'd have to start work on another. Still, this place is pretty special to us, I must say."

"It's awesome," Nora insisted. "I love all the flower beds planted everywhere. Oh, and look at all the honeysuckle bushes! This place must smell amazing in the evening."

"Yeah, it does," Jaune confirmed. "I think that's the strongest memory I have of my younger years, laying in my bed on a hot, summer night and the smell of the honeysuckle drifting in through the window."

"Umm, I'm sorry, but I don't think I've got all your family's names straight in my head yet," Pyrrha said. "Sy is your mother, Jaune?"

"That would be me, actually," said a voice from behind them.

They turned and saw a tall woman with short, blonde hair emerging from the main farmhouse. Her figure was on the voluptuous side, although no one would have ever guessed the woman had given birth to eight children in total. She wore jeans and a simple, checked shirt, and had a welcoming smile on her face.

"Hi, Mom," Jaune greeted her, hurrying over to offer her a hug.

"Ah, there's my little knight," she said, accepting his hug enthusiastically, before coming over to greet the new arrivals. "Hello, everyone. I'm Symphony Arc, although everyone just calls me Sy for short. I've been dying to meet you all."

"Symphony, what a wonderful name," Pyrrha exclaimed. "Oh, but one of Jaune's sisters is called Harmony, isn't she? Is that a family tradition?"

"It's a source of bitter disagreement every time we have to name a child, that's what it is," Luc Arc informed her. "Sy's family follow the tradition of naming their kids in memory of the Great War. You know, colours, music, art; everything that was supressed at the time by those morons in Mantle. I've never been too keen on raking up the past, so when I get a say, which isn't very often, the kids got normal names, like Mae and Adele…"

"Which is me," announced another voice.

The group turned to see another female had emerged from the house. While the family relationship with Jaune was obvious, the girl's appearance was very different from her other family members. This girl wore her long, blonde hair in dreadlocks, and her clothes were colourful, to say the least. Numerous necklaces and bangles added to the overall look.

"Guys, this is my sister Adele," Jaune told them, giving his sister a hug and a quick peck on the cheek.

"I'm glad to meet you all," Adele proclaimed. "From Jaune's letters, I can tell who you all are immediately. You described them really well, little brother."

"Little? I'm a good foot taller than you," Jaune grumbled.

Adele ignored him and offered Nora her hand. "So, you must be Ren…"

"We've done that joke," her father informed her.

"Blast, well, that's what I get for not coming to meet you at the bus depot. I'm only kidding, you must be Nora."

"I am indeed," Nora declared, vigorously shaking the girl's hand. "Nice ta meet you, Adele! I'll be expecting lots of interesting stories about Jaune from you while we're here."

"Oh, I think I can arrange that," Adele confirmed with a giggle.

"Whatever she says, it's not true," Jaune insisted. "Adele is actually studying art in Mistral. She's pretty good, I have to say."

"Really? Are you studying at the main academy there?" Pyrrha asked with interest.

"Yeah, I'm doing an art history course, but that's only because I couldn't get into the contemporary art class. Still, I like to think I'm perverting all the stuffy, old stuff. I'm not much for the classics, I'm afraid."

"What sort of work do you produce?" Pyrrha enquired.

"Strength, anger, colour, rage, angst, power, despair! That's what I produce," Adele confirmed with passion.

"Oh, umm, watercolours?" Pyrrha suggested.

Adele gave her a dark look.

"Oh, don't worry about Adele, dear," Sy Arc insisted. "She's quite the avant garde artist, you know. To be honest, none of us really understand what she's talking about most of the time."

"Mom!" Adele protested.

"Well, I'm sorry, but we don't, dear. We're a family of warriors, and fighting is all we really understand. Don't get me wrong, I'm immensely proud of what you do, but most of it goes right over my head, I'm afraid."

"I'd very much like to see some of your work, though," Pyrrha added quickly, possibly wanting to make amends.

"Good luck with that," Jaune whispered to his partner. He'd seen some of Adele's paintings and it mystified him how anyone could call it art. "So, Dad said Rose was here too. Isn't she coming to greet us?"

"Oh, Rose had to pop into the village for something, but she should be back any minute," Sy confirmed.

"Meaning, you asked her to do something around the place and she suddenly remembered she's allergic to doing chores," Luc grumbled.

"That sounds like Rose," Jaune admitted.

"I'm sure she'll be back soon," Sy said firmly. "Now, Jaune, why don't you take your friend Ren and show him where he'll be sleeping. Nora and Pyrrha, you girls come with me and we'll get you settled in."

"See you in a few," Jaune told his friends. "Come on, Ren, my room's this way."

The two young Hunters picked up their bags and headed towards the converted barn Jaune had pointed out earlier. In truth, only the shape of the building gave any clue as to its original use, as it had been smartly converted with framed windows and a large, glass front. A set of steps leading to a walkway were mounted on the side of the building, and it was up these steps that Jaune guided his friend. A solid, immaculately-painted white door led into what was Jaune's childhood bedroom.

"Here we are," Jaune announced as soon as they had entered.

"It's exactly as I imagined it," Ren said with a smile on his face.

Jaune looked around, trying to establish why the place was what Ren had been expecting. On second glance, perhaps it did reflect his personality, Jaune decided. While generally tidy, it was somewhat cluttered with items that revealed his tastes. Piles of comic books were stacked on numerous shelves, and the walls were decorated with posters of mythical knights and rock bands. A guitar and a small amp were proudly displayed in one corner, next to a stereo and his precious music collection. Against the far wall rested a set of weights and a training mat. Within these four walls were displayed everything that made him Jaune Arc.

"I guess I am pretty predictable," Jaune admitted.

"There's something to be said for consistency," Ren pointed out. "I envy you having a true home, my friend. Sadly, that is something that has been denied Nora and myself for a long time."

"Oh, shit, man, I'm sorry," Jaune exclaimed, suddenly remembering his teammates' upbringing as orphans. "Seriously, if you two ever need a place to stay I hope you'll think of this place. My parents were both Hunters and they're both of the opinion that you never turn your back on a comrade. Besides, I think of you and Nora like siblings, anyway."

"I'm truly honoured," Ren announced, bowing his head slightly, before a mischievous grin appeared on his face. "I notice that you don't seem to think of Pyrrha as being like a sister."

"Oh, um, I mean… what I meant to say is…"

"Never mind, Jaune," Ren said kindly. "I think she would have been extremely disappointed if you did think of her in that way."

"Smartass," Jaune grumbled.

"I take it this will be my bed?" Ren asked, pointing to a foldaway cot stacked to one side. The mirth in his eyes was obvious, however.

"Yeah, we might as well get it set up now to save us the hassle later. Besides, my Mom is probably interrogating the girls even as we speak. I expect they'll be some time."

"Undoubtedly. Well, this all looks very comfortable, and you have a wonderful home, Jaune. I am very much looking forward to my time here."

Jaune smiled and nodded. Undoubtedly, his short time away had changed him as a person and thrust new responsibilities on his shoulders, but standing here in his old room he started to feel like a small boy again. Despite it being an old cliché, it was really was true – there really is no place like home.