A/N: Hey guys, another late-night update. I'm trying to push through this plot line, but not sacrifice the quality I'm trying to establish, so bear with me, if I don't continue the daily updates for too much longer. I'm starting to get tome feedback from you guys, which is VERY much appreciated. I love to hear what you guys think, so keep me posted. This is a pretty long chapter, sitting around 9k words. There is a lot covered in this chapter, so let me know what you think.

I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 4: Looking Forward

The Mistral Regional Tournament continued the next morning, with Ace facing a swordsman from northern Mistral.

Before the match started, a number of the remaining combatants, and those Ace faced yesterday tried to get Ace kicked out of the tournament. They claimed that his heinous acts of brutality were unbecoming of a Huntsman in training, but Ace seemed more annoyed with the accusations than anything else. He was about to pick a fight when Qrow talked him and the other competitors down.

In the end, Ace was given a warning, and told that if he stepped out of lie again, he would be forced to forfeit his match and escorted back to Vale.

Ozpin took note of how angry Ace seemed to be, but he was more worried about violent retaliation from the irritable teen. He told Qrow to keep a close eye on Ace. It only took one competitor blabbing about Ace's warning to turn most of the crowd against him. He was booed when he entered the arena, and it didn't help that he was facing someone with a homefield advantage.

His opponent, Zhuan Zhu, was by far the strongest Ace had faced so far. He wore no armor and wielded a flaming longsword named Yu Chang. The flames would've burned any other combatant, but Ace for some reason was always unscathed, even when the sword would pass within inches of his exposed skin.

Unfortunately for Ryo, Ace seemed to be one step ahead of him the entire fight. His sword met nothing but air for about 30 seconds before Ace landed a series of jabs to pressure points, knocking him out without even breaking the Aura shield around Zhuan.

Ace had to admit, Zhuan was talented. His swordsmanship was the real deal, but he caught Ace at a bad time. If it had been yesterday, Ace might've had a true sword fight with his opponent.

Once again, the mysterious Lone Contender won in a dominating fashion. Rumors began to whirl about Ace being seen with some white-haired woman the night before, but no one could confirm it.

Said white-haired woman took her spot next to her sister again today. She watched Ae with the utmost caution. She spoke to Ironwood the night before and got an earful from her superior. He told her that under no circumstance was she to combat Ace. He didn't explain why she should be so worried about Ace, but Winter had never heard the General so frantic before. He seemed genuinely terrified of the Vale boy for some reason.

Pyrrha heard about the woman Ace was seen with after leaving the arena and wondered who she was. Maybe she was a sister, or friend. The rumor left a bad taste in her mouth, but she didn't let it affect her fighting. She won her two matches in a landslide, perhaps going a bit too far in an attempt to dispel some frustration. Her fights were even more impressive than Ace's fight against Zhuan, much to her satisfaction. She hadn't gotten the chance the talk to Ace yet, but she knew that he had the last fight of the night, just like he did yesterday.

Since the fights would be over earlier tonight, Pyrrha hoped for a chance to see the Lone Contender once more.

Leonardo Lionheart watched as Ace made his way onto the stage for the last fight of the night. He was facing a girl from Vacuo named Missy Everest. She used two daggers that could shift into standard 9-mm pistols with 12-round clips. She had demonstrated great marksmanship yesterday, something Ace was truly atrocious at. The girl hadn't shown her Semblance yet either, which was at another thing she had going for her.

Leo felt a bead of sweat go down his forehead as he remembered the conversation he had the night before.

Flashback

Leonardo sat behind his desk, rubbing his head as he heard a very familiar voice call out to him.

"It would appear you could be useful to me sooner than we expected, Leonardo," The voice was silky-smooth, but cold as ice. A black orb floated before the headmaster with blackish-red tentacles flowing beneath it. The bottom of the orb was covered with shattered white grim armor and the orb seemed to glow orange as the voice resounded through the silent room.

"W-What would you have me do, M-My Lady?" Leo stuttered in fear as the orb approached him. He felt sweat bead on his brow and his heartrate hasten. She might not be with him in the room, but Leonardo could still feel the malice coming from the Seer in front of him.

A small laugh came through the orb as it began to grow brighter.

"All I need you to do is create an opening," Salem said through the orb, "Hazel and Tyrion will deal with the boy."

Leo nodded as the orb came to rest in front of him.

"Make sure you aren't discovered," The Seer stated with some annoyance, "Surely, even you can manage that…"

The orb began to float away, but Leonardo called out.

"M-My Lady," Leo stuttered, his curiosity getting the better of him, "Who is this boy? Why is he so valuable? S-Sure, he is strong, b-but he doesn't seem like anything special."

The orb sat in silence before it began to move away again.

"You're an even bigger fool than I thought, Leonardo..."

Flashback End

Leo looked at Ace as he stretched a bit down in the ring. He was lost in his thoughts, as was another group in the crowd.

"So, that's him?" A woman with crimson red hair asked a muscular man, with black hair to her right.

"It would appear so…" The man responded, "He has definitely made a name for himself so far. It's no wonder our Pyrrha has taken such an interest in him."

The redhead woman looked over at her daughter, who was standing at the front of the competitor's box, with the other six combatants that weren't fighting.

"Girls always do like bad-boys," The woman giggled as she saw the annoyed expression on her husband's face deepen, "Come now, Davos, this is nothing to be concerned about. It's normal for girls her age to take an interest in boys. Especially boys that look like that."

Leda Nikos looked down at Ace and smiled. She could see just how Ace had caught her eye, and if what her daughter said was true, he was more than just a pretty face.

The parents felt guilty for not attending the tournament yesterday, but Pyrrha reassured them that it was fine many times on the way here this morning. Leda was a successful business woman and ex-huntress, while Davos was an active duty huntsman and part-time teacher at Sanctum.

"I still can't believe that she wants to invite him over for dinner," Davos growled, "He is her enemy. She should be focusing defeating him, not befriending him."

"Don't be like that, Davos," Leda teased, "If what we hear is true, Pyrrha could really use a friend."

Davos nodded grimly. He had heard the rumors about his daughter. She was the most gifted fighter in a generation, but she always had difficulty interacting with others her age. They never saw her as a friend, or even a normal person for that matter. Many were jealous of her and even more felt like she should be worshiped.

Pyrrha never let the praise get to her head, but the loneliness did take its toll on her. She had become so desperate for friends, she was willing to invite Ace to her house, just because in the one conversation they had, yet, Ace did seem different from everyone else.

"I suppose…" Davos relented, "Though she couldn't have chosen a girl, or a nerdy boy? This one is… odd."

Leda nodded.

"I know what you mean," Leda confirmed, "But I think it is for the better if we just let the chips fall as they may. Just be ready in case he isn't how she expected…"

Davos nodded as he watched Ace stare down Missy as the ref restated the rules.

Ace felt his head throb as he hid his pain. The match was about to begin, but that was the least of his concerns at the moment. He thought back to the conversation he had with Qrow in the dressing room before this match.

Flashback

Qrow came rushing into the room and spotted Ace sitting on the same chair he had the night before, when Pyrrha came to introduce herself. He made his way over to the hunched over boy and knelt down in front of him.

"What's wrong, kid?" Qrow asked, seeing Ace's statuesque stillness.

Ace looked up and made eye contact with Qrow, making Ace's eyes widen as Ace's left eye was black as night with his usual golden irises.

"You said you had it under control!" Qrow chastised as Ace looked back down. Qrow stood up and rubbed his chin, "You can't go out there like this. You have to get it under control now!"

Ace nodded as he grunted in pain. He released his hold on the malice within him and Qrow felt lightheaded for a second. He regained his bearings and felt the smothering darkness flood the air, before retreating back within Ace, leaving the boy panting and covering his bleeding left eye.

"I don't have much time left, Qrow," Ace muttered, "Sooner or later, I will need to let him out…"

Qrow sighed and pulled out his flask, taking a long sip, before extending it to Ace. The boy took it and sipped slowly, feeling the cheap liquor burn his throat on the way down. He closed the flask and tossed it back to Qrow.

"I thought you said we had more time?" Qrow questioned, "What did Summer do when this happened the first time?"

Ace just shook his head.

"She never explained it to me," Ace muttered as he wiped the sweat from his face and got up, "The two of us are trying to become one again. He isn't even forcing it like he tried to the first time."

Ace heard a scoff inside his head.

"I still don't know why you insist I'm the evil one here," The voice called out to him, "It was Summer that separated us with that damn power of hers. You know we are two parts of the same whole. It is natural for us to reconnect after all these years."

Ace sighed as he tilted his head back and pushed his head back.

"Can you keep him on check for the remainder of the tournament?" Qrow asked, knowing that if he couldn't then they would have more problems than just a pissed off Ozpin. He still questioned why he let Ace talk him into keeping this from Ozpin, but they could really use some of that eternal wisdom Ozpin loves to spout out.

Ace nodded.

"He seems to be working with me for the time being," Ace answered, "I've just been trying to keep him happy, so I don't have to fight a war on two fronts."

Qrow sat down in the seat Ace vacated and sighed. Ace took a deep breath and felt his heartrate return to a normal pace.

"That's why you have been so irritable lately," Qrow surmised, getting a brief nod from Ace, "Why are you letting him reconnect with you so easily? Summer separated the two of you for a reason."

Ace grinned sadly for a second, looking up at the roof. He couldn't help but feel like he was betraying Summer by reconnecting with the part of his psyche she sealed away.

"I need his power," Ace muttered as he took a deep breath and looked back at Qrow, "I need him on my side. If I have to crack a few skulls, then so be it. I can't go into the fight against Salem when I haven't even accepted my true nature."

Qrow shook his head and looked up at Ace.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Ace," Qrow grumbled, "I'm not sure how much longer I can cover for you if things keep going this way…"

Ace just nodded and down the hall towards the stage, sparing a quick glance back at Qrow before exiting the dressing room.

End Flashback

Ace stared at Missy, feeling more at ease right now than he had all night. He felt a surge of excitement flood his system as the beginning of the fight drew near, knowing that this was something he would have to get used to.

Signal

The same crowd from the night before was gathered to watch today's final match.

Yang and Ruby were in the center of the crowd once again, being bombarded with questions about Ace and what he is capable of. He had made quite a name for himself with his rather… efficient methods of ending fights, and a few of the students that didn't like him, said that his true nature was coming out of him.

Yang and Ruby rushed to their brother's defense but didn't really have an explanation as to why Ace was acting this way. Sure, at times he was a bit of a dick, but it was mostly to annoy them, and not really his true nature.

The two sisters didn't know much, and their father didn't fill in the blanks either, much to their annoyance. He obviously knew Ace's Semblance, fighting styles, and maybe even why he was acting this way, but he refused to reveal it.

"Stop with the questions," Yang instructed as she pointed to the screen, "The match is about to being."

The students redirected their attention forward and saw that the countdown had already started.

Ace was getting booed by the crowd, while Missy seemed to zone out everything but her opponent. He long black hair blew in the wind, along with her baggy beige pants, and loose black shirt. He weapons were holstered on her

"Yang," Ruby said softly, tugging on her sister's sleeve to get her attention, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Yang looked at her sister, a bit confused at first, before she pulled her sister into a one arm hug, rather roughly.

"Don't worry about it, Sis," Yang reassured, "He'll be fine, just like always."

Mistral

(OST: Cynthia no Hikari [Nightcore] - Aoi Eir)

Pyrrha watched anxiously as the countdown clock reached zero.

Immediately, Missy slammed her bare, right foot into the ground, and a dome of three-foot thick concrete surrounded her, removing her from everyone's sightline.

Everyone looked at the dome in confusion, but a select few understood what was happening.

"She can control rock," Winter muttered. She could tell that Ace came to the same conclusion but was interested as to why Missy used her trump card so early in this fight.

"Oh fuck," Ace muttered as he felt a rumbling in the ground and launched into the air instinctually, just as massive, stone jaws came out of the stage and clamped down on the air where Ace was just moments ago.

"That is terrifying," Ace chuckled as he drifted in the air. He was over 30 feet in the air, much to everyone's disbelief. He had instinctually flooded his muscles with Aura to speed up his movement, truly being put on the defensive for the first time in this tournament. He fell back down to the stage, and felt the same rumbling, though this time, the ground beneath him began to crumble and fall. He began to flip backwards in a series of handsprings and backflips to beat the growing crevice that chased him.

Ace eventually sidestepped feeling Aura gather behind him. He narrowly dodged spikes that formed in his path, keen on turning him into a pin cushion. He spun and evaded the spikes with the grace of a dancer, before jumping over another crevice that appeared to his right, only to duck under another beartrap-like set of jaws that would've turned his destroyed his torso.

As he looked down, Ace saw three tentacles of earth floating around the dome Missy was buried under.

"She obviously can sense where I am somehow…" Ace thought as he felt the ground beneath him turn to mud, "Shit!"

Ace looked up to see the three tentacles of earth slam into him and knock up a dust cloud that covered the stage.

Weiss and Winter leaned forward. This was the first time anyone had Ace on the run. Missy obviously had this match planned out, and it seemed like Ace was scrambling to figure out a way to counter her ability.

"That's an amazing Semblance," Weiss muttered in awe. Winter nodded as she saw a few more tentacles of earth rise from the ground and shoot into the dust cloud.

"She seems to have near perfect control over her attacks as well," Winter looked up to see that even though Missy hadn't taken any hits, her aura was nearly a fourth depleted, "Though it is also a double-edged sword."

Weiss followed Winter's eyes but saw that Ace's meter hadn't dipped at all.

"He somehow dodged that attack…" Weiss muttered as she looked back to the dust cloud that was not clearing. She saw a long black staff with gold detailing spin around a pair of tanned hands.

"Or he blocked it…" Winter countered when she saw Ace holding a two-meter staff in his right hand and tons of rubble surrounding him. He was now out of the mud and seemed to be standing on two larger pieces of rubble, in case Missy turned the ground into mud again, "No matter, he's starting to come up with a plan of attack."

Ace glanced up at the screen with his and Missy's Aura Meters and saw that his opponent was sacrificing her defensive capabilities for an all-out offensive assault.

"I could just out last her," Ace thought as he saw a few more tentacles of rock rise from the ground, "if she seems too smart to fall for such simple tactics. I have to end this myself."

In Signal, Ruby watched as Ace slipped into a familiar stance.

"He's about to charge!" Ruby yelled, making everyone's eyes widen.

Yang looked over at Ruby for a second and noticed that Ace had copied Ruby's stance from when she would spar against him with Crescent Rose.

"How is he going to get through?" A boy behind the sisters asked, "She is shielded by a bunch of rocks, and can just keep him away with those tentacles!"

Ace suddenly blurred forward, shattering the ground around him as he took off.

Immediately, the tentacles shot forward to intercept him, but Ace's reactions were faster. He slid under the first one that would've smashed into his chest, then rolled on top of second one that was aimed a bit lower that the first.

Ace took five steps to build up his power, then jumped into the air, getting nearly fifty feet above Missy's dome of rock. A dozen spikes formed around Missy's dome, then fired out blindly, trying to keep Ace away.

"She can feel vibrations through the ground," Ace concluded as a he saw most of the spikes fly away from him.

Ace spun to avoid the lone spike that would've hit him, then cocked back his staff, pointing the bottom speared tip towards the dome.

"Right now, you have no idea where I am," Ace's eyes narrowed as he saw a few more tentacles rise out of the ground and covered the dome protectively.

Ace channeled aura into his right arm and the staff, then launched his weapon forward in a blur of black.

The staff busted through one of the tentacles that was protecting the dome, the went through the dome like it was an eggshell. The staff punched through and a sick SQUELCH was heard as the arena went silent.

Many fans held their breaths as the rock tentacles froze I place, then began to crumble. The dome protecting Missy started to crumble around the hole like ruins, revealing the black-haired girl and her clothes, stained red with fresh blood.

"She's lucky," Winter muttered to Weiss, "She moved out of the way, so the staff only pierced her shoulder. Had she been even a second slower, that staff would've buried itself in her chest and this match would be over. He's too good. Is he trying to kill somebody?!"

Ace landed about 20 feet to Missy's right and looked up to see that the girl still had about 40-percent of her Aura.

"You're even stronger than I expected," Missy muttered as she held her right shoulder. Her Aura was hard at work healing the wound, but the staff was nearly a foot into the girl's shoulder and she hadn't pulled it out yet, "I should've committed to a full offensive assault from the start…"

Missy reached her left hand up and pulled out Ace's staff, gasping in pain as many in the crowd grimaced. Blood covered her slim frame as she grit her teeth to keep from screaming. Once the staff was finally out, Missy dropped it at her feet, so she could keep it far away from Ace, and the hole in her shoulder began to heal. She looked up to see that Ace still had full Aura, while she was down below a third.

"Except now you only have your knife," Missy muttered, drawing attention to the fact that Ace's swords in their staff form, now laid at her feet, "I won't lose!"

Missy slammed her hands into the ground and a dozen stone tentacles launched at Ace, along with a slew of spikes.

Ace's eyes widened for a second, before he shifted his stance into something Qrow and Tai never expected to see again, and a few others had only heard of.

"Th-That stance…" Winter muttered as she could believe her eyes. She had seen this once before, when Summer Rose saved her and her team from a horde of Grimm in their first year.

"What?" Weiss asked desperately, "What is he doing?"

Winter couldn't answer as she was fully focused on Ace. He stood perfectly still with his left hand extended just a bit and his right hand pulled back over his chest. He turned sideways to shrink the target area, and Missy nearly felt his feet disappear from the ground, like he was becoming one with the air. Ace began to dodge the spikes that arrived first.

Ace spun around the first two spikes, ducked under the third, jumped over the fourth, fifth, and sixth, then caught the seventh and eighth. He was forced to flip back to avoid the first tentacle of rock that slammed into the ground he previously occupied.

Immediately, Ace flipped forward again to dodge the second and third tentacle, which slammed into each other, erupting into a cloud of dust to block Ace's vision.

"Oh shit!" Yang yelled as she saw Ace disappear in another dust cloud, just this time, he didn't have his swords.

The remaining nine tentacles barreled into the dust cloud and slammed into the ground, as Ace came shooting forward out of the dust, having dodged or blocked all the attacks.

Missy's eyes widened before three large spikes rose from the ground like stakes, keen on stopping Ace's advance.

Ace cocked back his right hand just before he reached the spikes, covering it in a golden Aura, dense enough to sink in Mercury, and slammed his fist into the center spike.

Stray rock flew towards Missy like shrapnel from a bomb, dazing her and forcing her to cover her face. Less than a second later, Missy felt a cold metal on her neck and looked down to see Ace's knife at her throat and heard the referee.

"Missy Ernest's Aura is depleted," The referee pointed his hand to the right, "Ace, of Vale is the winner."

Ace pulled his knife back and smiled at Missy.

(OST END)

"Good fight," Ace smiled at Missy as he sheathed his knife, then reached down and picked up his staff, "That's a hell of a Semblance."

Missy stared at Ace for a few moments, then saw that his Aura was not full anymore. He had a few bruises each his arms, and a cut on his right arm. She had cut him…

Ace turned and smiled at Missy, then looking at the destruction she caused. Thank Oum the crews would have until tomorrow morning to patch up the floor.

"You're one tough bastard," Ace complemented with a genuine smile as he wiped off the blood from his staff, "Remind me not to get on your bad side."

Missy just nodded dumbly. She was angry that she lost, but still, she was the first to wound him. She watched as the bruises on his arms dispersed and the cut closed. She proved that he wasn't unbeatable.

Ace turned to the crowd and waved to the stunned audience. He looked up and saw Winter staring down at him with a stern expression. He grinned before he turned to see a smiling Pyrrha gazing down at him as he made his way to the prep room like he did the night before.

Winter shook her head and sighed as she sat down in a chair next to Weiss.

"How the hell did he make it through all of that without revealing his Semblance?" Winter muttered in annoyance. She was pretty sure that his Semblance was teleportation, but it was hard to confirm with her limited exposure to it.

"He's strong," Weiss muttered as she watched Ace walk back into the tunnel.

"Very," Jacques added with narrow eyes, speaking for the first time in hours.

In Signal

Yang, Ruby, and the rest of the students were celebrating yet another one of Ace's victories. This one might have been the most impressive yet. His opponent seemed to have the absolute advantage for a majority of the fight, but Ace still managed to pull out a win.

Yang took a break from her celebrating to spare her father a look.

Tai looked rattled. He was muttering something to himself as he stared at the replay of the fight on the screen. Yang made her way out of the crowd and to her father, who was leaning on the wall next to the exit.

"Dad," Yang pulled her father out of his stupor, "What's wrong?"

Tai nodded towards the screen, just in time for Yang to see Ace slip into his unarmed stance before dodging the barrage of attacks Missy launched in her last-ditch effort to defeat Ace.

"Th-That was Summer's style…" Tai muttered, making Yang's eyes widen, "No one was ever able to learn it. No one could predict attacks well enough to use it…"

The film slowed down to show how narrowly Ace dodged most of the spikes and tentacles. Even when he was looking away, Ace knew where the attacks were coming from, and moved just enough to dodge them.

"Th-That was mom's style?" Yang asked in disbelief as she turned to her father. She got a slow nod as they stood there in silence, "Did she teach him that?"

Tai took a deep breath.

"She would've told me…" Tai muttered, "No, he had to have taught himself. It looks like he still has room to perfect it. Summer wouldn't have been touched by any of those attacks."

The pair looked at the screen to see the camera focus on the blood running down Ace's arm and the few bruises that peppered the exposed skin.

Tai and Yang stood there is stunned silence as the rest of the crowd celebrated.

Mistral

Ace relaxed in the same chair he sat in yesterday and let out a deep sigh. Qrow was gone, like Ace expected, probably leaving as soon as the fight was over. He hated crowds even more than Ace.

"That was close," Ace thought as he replayed the match in his head, "Her power would go nicely with my other two…"

Ace was pulled from his thoughts when he heard a familiar clicking coming down the hall.

"That was quite impressive," Ace heard a familiar voice call out to him as he grinned, "You should've heard the other contestants. You might as well be the monster under their beds."

Ace opened his eyes to see Pyrrha Nikos, standing in front of him confidently with a hand on her hip and a beautiful smile gracing her features.

"They wouldn't be entirely wrong," Ace joked, getting a giggle from Pyrrha, "Maybe I am a monster."

Ace got up from his seat and took a few steps towards Pyrrha.

"You seem tense, even though you are hiding it," Ace said as he eyed Pyrrha, "Is there something you need?"

Ace noticed Pyrrha's confidence shatter like glass as he called her out. She started to mumble a bit and her face turned red.

Ace grinned at the bumbling Spartan and took a few steps towards her, invading her personal space. He was unsure why he was acting this way. He wanted to blame it on his reconnection to his other persona, but he couldn't help but enjoy what he was doing.

"I'm sorry," Ace muttered, "I'm gonna need you to speak up."

Pyrrha didn't dare meet Ace's eyes. She knew he had on a cocky smirk she had seen before, but she needed to invite him over. She was committed. She knew that if she backed down now, her mother would tease her relentlessly.

"Ace!" Pyrrha said a little too loudly, "Would you please come over tonight and meet my family!"

Ace started at Pyrrha for a few seconds, the girl's cheeks were about as red as her hair at this point, just adding to her overall cuteness. He flushed a bit as well, before he chuckled to himself as he stepped back from the Untouchable Girl.

"Wow, Pyrrha," Ace muttered jokingly, "I didn't know we were already at that level in our relationship…"

Pyrrha's blush deepened somehow as Ace grinned at the embarrassed Spartan. She stared at her feet as she tried to mutter something, but the words got caught in her throat.

"I'm just joking Pyrrha," Ace offered as he put a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder, making the girl jump slightly, "It would be my pleasure."

Pyrrha looked up with a smile. This was the first time that she would have a friend over for dinner and she was more than a little excited.

Before she realized what she was doing, Pyrrha hugged Ace without warning. She felt the boy's steel-like physique, but grinned as she was overwhelmed with happiness at the moment.

"Oh, thank you!" Pyrrha said as she pulled away and looked up at Ace with a delighted smile, "Just follow me!"

Pyrrha took Ace's hand, making Ace flush again. She pulled him down a maze of hallways before they reached the combatant's entrance/exit.

It was then that Ace, pulled his hand from Pyrrha's and the Spartan realized what she was doing. Her faced burned crimson as Ace offered an awkward chuckle.

"How about you tell me your address, and I meet you there?" Ace said as he heard the horde of paparazzi outside waiting for the two of them, "If we leave together, who knows what everyone will say."

Pyrrha nodded awkwardly before taking out her scroll and handing it to Ace.

"Please put your number in here," Pyrrha said as calmly as she could, "I will send you my address."

Ace nodded and filled out the contact information. He handed Pyrrha her scroll, before smiling at the still blushing Spartan.

"Alright," Ace said happily, "I will let you know when I leave. I'll see you later."

Ace gave Pyrrha one last smile before he walked out the door and was bombarded with flashes of cameras and scrolls. His ears filled with questions, but he forced a smile and waved to the collected crowd before he walked down the path his designated vehicle.

Ace plopped down into his seat and noticed the drunk huntsman sitting next to him.

"They sure do make a big deal out of a few brats," Qrow grumbled as he looked at the paparazzi outside, "Don't let it get to your head, kid."

Ace chuckled as he told the driver to go back to their hotel.

"You okay being on your own tonight?" Ace asked, getting a confused look from Qrow.

"Where the hell do you plan on going?" Qrow responded, staring down Ace. It was obvious that Qrow was worried about Ace going anywhere following the episode he had earlier.

Ace let out a sigh.

"I got invited to go over to someone's house tonight for dinner," Ace answered, "I will likely be there for a few hours."

Qrow nodded before he took another sip.

"Who's the lucky lady?" Qrow asked as Ace's scroll went off showing he had an unread message. The huntsman saw a picture of Pyrrha Nikos show up next to an address, making him spit out the whiskey in his mouth, "The Untouchable Girl?!"

Ace just chuckled as he mapped out the path to Pyrrha's house.

"Yeah," Ace answered with a smile.

Qrow looked over at Ace before he sighed.

"You got some balls, kid," Qrow grumbled as took another sip, "You sure you're okay to go out right now?

Ace nodded before he looked over at Qrow, looking to shift the topic of conversation.

"How are you doing?" Ace asked, getting the silent treatment from Qrow, "How many times do I have to tell you it's not your fault?"

Qrow just looked out the window and took another sip. Ace sighed.

"How many years has it been?" Ace asked as he closed his eyes.

"Six," Qrow grumbled softly, "It should have been me…"

Ace shook his head.

"Everything happens for a reason," Ace muttered as he looked over at the drunk huntsman, "You just have to make the most out of your time here."

Qrow looked over at Ace and saw that his eyes were sad, remembering the woman that singlehandedly changed his life.

"You still have a beautiful daughter, Qrow," Ace muttered, making Qrow shrink as he thought about the last real member of his family, "I understand why you did it, but one day, you really should tell her."

Qrow just shook his head.

"I have no right to…" Qrow muttered as a few tears ran down his cheeks, "I'm just the guy that couldn't save her mother…"

Ace sighed as he took the flask out of Qrow's hand.

"It's better that she hears it from you," Ace offered, "I know you do what you can, but she idolizes you, Qrow. When she finds out, it's gonna devastate her. It has to be you that she hears it from."

Qrow just sighed as he looked over at Ace. He had this wonderful way of moving his lips but having Summer's voice come out.

"I hate how perceptive you are," Qrow grumbled as he leaned back in his seat, remembering when Ace approached him and Summer to ask if Ruby was really Tai's daughter.

"I hate it too sometimes," Ace agreed, "After all, ignorance is bliss…"

"But we can never really go back, can we?" Ace thought, "No, we can't…"

A few hours later, Ace knocked on the door of a rather opulent-looking house. The pillars in the front of the mansion reminded Ace of religious temples from ancient stories. The yard, walkway, and painting in the front of the house were all perfect.

Ace was dressed in a plain, white dress shirt with a black tie, and black pants. He heard some shuffling behind the door, and heard the locks unlock before the large mahogany door opened up.

"Hello, Master Ace," An old man in a nice suit greeted with a deep bow, "We have been expecting you. Please, come in."

The man stepped aside, revealing a very regal interior design, with marble floors, fancy artwork, dozens of portraits, and elegant carpets in the hallway.

"My name is Sebas," The butler offered (Sebas from Overlord), "I have served the Nikos Family for ten years. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Ace smiled at Sebas before offering a hand to the old man.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sebas," Sebas shook Ace's hand before he smiled at the young man.

"I hear a certain young lady has taken quite a liking to you," Sebas smiled as he saw Ace fluster a bit, "I must say, she could definitely do worse."

Ace chuckled with the butler, though it was obvious that he was a bit nervous about the situation.

"That's reassuring," Ace muttered, "I guess."

Sebas laughed again before taking a step forward.

"Please, follow me," Sebas instructed, "The dining room is just this way."

Ace nodded as he followed Sebas through another extravagantly-decorated hallway.

"I'm sure glad I dressed up a bit," Ace thought as he approached the dining hall. He saw a tall man with a rather muscular build sitting at the head of the table. He had black hair, and a beard-mustache combination that screamed 'manly-man'. He wore very similar clothes to Ace, but instead, he had on a red tie, and khaki pants.

Next to the man was a woman in a stunning black dress that hugged her figure. She was slender, but bountiful in the desired areas, and had the same beautiful crimson hair as Pyrrha. She had her hair down in a simple braid and looked up with a smile.

"Master Davos, Lady Leda," Sebas bowed, "Allow me to introduce you to Master Ace."

Sebas stepped aside and Ace stepped forward taking in the sight of the room and bowing his head slightly.

"It's an honor to meet you two," Ace bowed his head respectfully. Leda smiled at the handsome man her daughter brought home, and Davos just eyed the boy.

"The honor is all ours," Leda offered, "Please, sit with us. Pyrrha should be joining us soon."

Ace nodded and took the seat opposite from Davos. The parents watched his every move, leading Ace to hide his nerves under a grin.

"I must say," Ace started, turning to Leda, "I definitely see where Pyrrha gets her beauty from."

Leda smiled at Ace's flattery, but Davos didn't seem as amused. Ace turned his focus to the father that was currently trying to kill him with a gaze.

"And I can tell that you must have given her your combat prowess," Ace stated as he seemed to be analyzing Davos, "Your Aura feels just like hers. The presence the two of you have is powerful, almost overwhelmingly so."

Davos' eyebrow raised slightly at the boy's comment. He had heard similar statements from sensors in the past but didn't expect Ace to have that particular talent.

"You can sense the specifics of someone's Aura?" Davos' interest was well hidden, but his curiosity got the better of him.

"Yes sir," Ace responded, "You and Pyrrha seem to resemble a majestic beast. There is a commanding power, yet elegance to it. Mrs. Nikos on the other hand seems almost invisible to me. It took a 'second look' so to speak for me to finally notice her aura signature. You must be quite skilled in stealth to be able to hide your Aura so well."

Davos' eyes widened as he listened to Ace's explanation. His wife was known among her peers for her absurd Aura control. She could mask it completely to even the strongest of sensors. He knew that it was second nature for his wife to hide her presence after all these years, but for Ace to catch into that was shocking nonetheless.

Ace rose from his seat and got a questioning look from Davos.

"It would be offensive to not greet your daughter on my feet," Ace offered, impressing Davos with his manners.

Just like Ace predicted, Pyrrha walked out of the same hallway Ace did, in a jaw-dropping red, sleeve-less dress with a high cut on her right leg.

Ace's eyes widened, and his heartrate quickened.

Davos was too busy staring at his daughter in shock. He never expected Pyrrha to pull out this dress. She had been saving it for a formal dance, or her prom should she get asked by a suitable young man.

It was Leda who noticed Ace's reaction. Though it was gone in a second, Leda couldn't help but smile as she knew the intended impression had been made.

Ace approached Pyrrha with a smile and was graced with one in return. She still wore her headpiece from her battle uniform, but it just pulled everything together. With her heals, and Ace's lack of combat boots, she was just an inch shorter than her guest.

"Thank you for coming, Ace," Pyrrha said with a small smile as Ace took her hand and kissed her knuckles. Pyrrha did her best to hide her blush, but her mother saw the initial reaction, just like she did with Ace.

"Thank you for inviting me," Ace countered as he stood back up and walked with Pyrrha to the table. He pulled out her chair for her and helped her push it back in before sitting back down across from the reluctantly impressed father.

Davos didn't show it, but Ace's first impression was definitely positive. Ace was a strong fighter and gentleman. Rather than ogling his daughter like so many others did, Ace reacted appropriately and did everything that a man should. Sure, there were those out there that were frightened by his "brutal" tactics during his fights, but Davos respected it. He had personally fought in the Great War, and knew that Ace might not be your typical Huntsman, but he would make a great warrior.

"Now that we are all here," Davos started, "How about we get our meal started?"

Leda nodded, as did Pyrrha as a few more servants came out of the kitchen with the first course of their meal. A soup that was steaming in front of each of them, and a small roll of bread to accompany it.

Davos led a prayer but noticed that Ace said another short prayer after his was compete. He decided to hold that question for later and broke the ice.

"So," Davos looked up at Ace, seeing the boy take a sip from his glass of water, "I must admit, I am very impressed with your combat prowess. Who had the privilege of teaching you?"

Ace smiled grimly as he set down his glass.

"I trained with a woman named Summer, and her husband, Taiyang for a year," Ace looked down at the steaming soup, "But after Summer passed away, I began to train on my own."

Davos nodded and chastised himself internally for asking that question now that he knew the outcome.

"That is rather impressive," Leda jumped in, "For you to be so skilled even though you taught yourself. Pyrrha has trained with some of the best teachers Mistral has to offer…"

Ace smiled as he looked over at Pyrrha.

"And I think the results more than speak for themselves," Ace grinned as he saw Pyrrha flush a bit at the compliment, "I look forward to facing her in the Finals."

Davos raised an eyebrow at Ace once again.

"You seem rather confident in your chances of getting there," Davos pointed out calmly, getting a grin from Ace.

"I have faith in my abilities," Ace offered confidently, "After all, one of the reasons I came here was to face Pyrrha. She is widely regarded as the strongest fighter in our generation. Forgive me, but my curiosity did get the better of me…"

Pyrrha looked over at Ace, noticing that he was being honest. She looked down at her food in thought. There was a very real possibility that the two of them could be facing each other at this time tomorrow.

"Well," Davos said, "I hope we get to see it."

Ace smiled as he raised the still steaming soup to his mouth, not even flinching as the piping hot liquid entered his mouth.

Davos noticed this but didn't say anything.

"Is his Semblance fire related?" Davos thought, unable to shut off the analytical side of his brain.

"Well, Ace," Leda spoke up with a smile, "What about your family? Pyrrha told us that you are living on Patch."

Ace nodded.

"I actually live with Taiyang and his two daughters," Ace said nonchalantly, Pyrrha's ears perked up at that. Ace was living with two girls he wasn't related to, "I can never truly repay what their family did for me."

Leda and Davos immediately could tell that Ace's life before he met Summer and Taiyang must have been rough. They didn't want to invade his privacy, but they made a mental note to bring it up with Pyrrha, see if she knew anything about it. Maybe his past had something to do with the initial unease they felt when they first saw Ace.

"What are the two daughters like?" Davos caught onto his daughter's curiosity, though she lacked the confidence to ask the question herself.

"That's a rather loaded question," Ace started with a smile, "Yang is the older of the two. She is my age. She is always talking about how she wants to be a Huntress and go on adventures around the world. She loves to fight and train, but she is rather hot headed. Sometimes it's harder to keep her out of a fight than to settle the dispute itself."

Ace grinned as he thought about all the scraps him and Yang had gotten in over the years. They had gotten in trouble at Signal on a number of occasions for fighting when they weren't permitted to, even being suspended once, when Yang and Ace beat up a few guys that tried to peep on her.

Ace rarely started the conflicts, but Yang had a habit of dragging him into it, for better or for worse.

"Ruby is the younger sister," Ace explained, "She is fourteen, and a total weapons-nut. She has a weapon, Crescent Rose, that she treats like a baby. She does seem like the odd man out at times, because Yang and I are a bit older, but she is very talented for her age. I've seen her hold her own against Yang, who is the second ranked fighter in our school. Though, her hyperactive nature is second to none…"

Ace deadpanned as he thought about all the times he and Tai had to physically block Ruby from getting to the cookies in the house, which might as well be one of Heracles Twelve Labors.

Pyrrha tried to look for any sort of interest Ace might have had in the sisters, but he seemed to be hiding it very well, if there was any at all.

"They sound like quite the bunch," Leda smiled at Ace, making the boy light up.

"To say the least," Ace looked up at Leda, "What about the two of you? What do you two do for a living?"

The conversation progressed nicely, as did dinner. Ace found out the family moved up to Mistral so Pyrrha could attend Sanctum. They used to live on the southern edge of the Kingdom, explaining their names and attire. The four sat at that table for well over three hours before Ace finally noticed the time.

"I'm sorry, but I have to be going," Ace said apologetically as he looked down at his watch. It was already 10:30 p.m. and he wanted to be back by ten, "Thank you for the meal and taking time out of your day to sit down with me."

Ace bowed his head slightly as he rose from the table. Pyrrha and her parents rose as well.

"No need to apologize," Davos said with a smile. In the last few hours, he had come to respect Ace. The boy was very intelligent. He was able to have advanced economic conversations with Leda as well as talk about the history of Remnant with the part-time professor. It was obvious by the end of the dinner that Ace was much more than a handsome face and strong fighter, "You have a big day tomorrow. We should do this again some time."

Ace nodded as he extended a hand to Davos, who took it immediately. Leda then hugged Ace, much to his surprise. He returned the embrace before Davos spoke up.

"Pyrrha, will you please walk Ace out?" Pyrrha nodded at her father's request and linked her arm in Ace's and led him to the door.

Leda and Davos watched the two walk down the hallway, having a conversation about a show a Pyrrha watches.

"Well, he was even better than I expected," Leda whispered to her husband. Davos just grinned and shook his head as he let out a sigh.

"I'm supposed to hate the boys my daughter brings home," Davos started to cry comically, getting a sweat drop from his wife, who then giggled at her husband's antics.

Once the pair was certain the two kids were out of earshot, Leda looked over at Davos with a serious expression.

"Were you able to figure out what that initial feeling was?" Leda asked. Davos stopped his waterworks and was completely serious within a few seconds.

"No," Davos mumbled, "He seems like a nice boy, but there is something more to him."

Leda nodded.

"I have some friends in Vale," Leda muttered, "I'll see if they know anything about him…"

Ace and Pyrrha stood on the manor's front porch for a few seconds in silence, neither wanting the night to be over just yet. It was the perfect escape Ace needed. His head had been feeling better since his fight with Missy, but it also helped that he hadn't really had a chance to slow down and relax.

Ace sighed as he looked up at the clear sky. The shattered moon was on full display, illuminating the area beautifully, and giving Pyrrha a mystical aura as her hair dazzled in the pale moonlight.

"So," Ace muttered softly as he offered Pyrrha a small smile, "We're back to being enemies when I leave, huh?"

Pyrrha shook her head.

"No. You are the first real friend I've ever had," Pyrrha countered, "Even if we do face each other tomorrow, let it be a friendly bout between rivals, not a clash between enemies."

Ace smiled at Pyrrha before he bent over and kissed the side of her head. The girl blushed slightly but was able to keep her emotions in check, at least for the moment.

"Thank you for having me over," Ace unlinked his arm from Pyrrha's and took a few steps away, "Get a good night's sleep, and good luck tomorrow."

Ace turned towards Pyrrha, his burning gold eyes were seemed to glow in the low visibility.

"I won't go easy on you," Ace smiled as he winked at Pyrrha and departed, quietly hopping over the gate and walking down the street.

Pyrrha smiled to herself as she replayed the night in her head. She had gotten to know Ace and couldn't be happier with the way things went. She was able to confirm the feelings she might've had for Ace, though she knew her mother was going to enjoy teasing her when she got back inside.

"Baby steps…" Pyrrha thought with a content smile as she made her way back inside.

By 11 p.m., Ace was back at his and Qrow's hotel room. He could smell the alcohol from the hallway and sighed.

Ace opened the door and saw empty liquor bottles littering the room, and an unconscious Qrow in the bathtub, holding his stomach.

"Damnit Qrow," Ace thought as he started to pick up the empty minibar contents and half-spilt liquor containers. He put them all in a bag from under the bathroom sink and put the bag outside the door.

Ace sprayed some air freshener in the room, which did little to mask the smell, but made enough of a difference for him.

Ace grabbed a blanket from the bed Qrow had claimed upon their arrival and draped it over the unconscious man. He set aside a bucket he grabbed preemptively from downstairs and set it next to the tub, along with two bottles of water and half a loaf of bread.

Ace smiled sadly at the unconscious Huntsman before closing the door. He laid down in bed, thinking about how the night played out. He calmed down and felt the second presence in his mind return to prominence, but rather than the pain he felt the night before, it almost felt welcoming. Like he was being reunited with a long-lost friend, but he knew better than that. He made a mental note to bring up the feeling to Qrow in the morning, then tried to get some rest.

No matter how much Ace tried to focus on the night he had with Pyrrha and her parents, his most basic instincts were telling him that something bad was going to happen.