Chapter Seven: Ambivalence

Blake hadn't interacted much with Nora before. Nora usually roped up Ruby and Yang into schemes, or went along with one of the sisters' own while Blake looked on from behind her books, shaking her head at their silly antics. Blake had never seen Nora be serious. She wasn't sure Nora had ever spoken to her specifically without Blake's teammates present.

Still, Blake could guess what was on Nora's mind. She wouldn't come all the way out to the edge of the waterfall alone because she wanted to invite Blake to participate in her latest series of hijinks. Ren hadn't mentioned telling Nora, but it honestly didn't surprise Blake Nora had found them out. "Do we?" was Blake's coy reply.

Nora narrowed her eyes. "What did you do?"

Blake knew where she was going now. There was only one reason Nora ever became angry. Blake didn't bother to conceal her hand any further. "I told him it was over."

She told him more than that. A lot more. But if Ren had told Nora every detail, Nora would probably have brought her hammer to the conversation. Undoubtedly she'd shown some restraint in not doing so as it was.

"And Ren went along with it," Nora replied, completing the picture for herself. Fortunately, it seemed Nora was only working off some of the information available. "Just let you up and walk away."

She didn't know. She didn't know how close he'd come to saying it. Blake had to keep it that way. "I told him I wasn't good for him. It took him a while, but he knew I was right." It was just true enough to sound plausible. It also put the onus of blame on Blake, which was exactly what Nora wanted to think. She very much wanted to accept that Blake wasn't good enough for him.

Nora pointed in the direction Sun had departed. "And I take it you're good for him?"

Blake wasn't sure how to describe her relationship with Sun. She was taking things slowly there, and so far she hadn't had reason to fear the Faunus boy was hiding away some other side. Blake also wasn't sure exactly how she felt about him and where she wanted things to go. She only knew that right now he was what she wanted, and right now he was good for her.

"I don't know if I am or not," Blake admitted. "I don't have the best track record. I'm just trying to see where things go, and taking things slow there."

Nora must've known that was true. Whatever she knew about Blake and Ren, Blake had never gone very far with Sun. The closest they'd ever been was during the dance, and given Nora had spent that same dance with Ren, Blake was sure she understood that not every physical act of affection was romantic.

Or maybe not. Blake had taken so long to express her interest in Ren because she'd been convinced he was involved with Nora, only to be proven wrong there. Maybe Nora simply had no sense of subtlety at all. Maybe she'd never needed to veil her thoughts. Blake was in the dark on Nora's past, save that she'd known Ren a long time. Even that didn't given her a lot of information to go on.

Nora was still staring at Blake, no doubt thinking on how to proceed with her interrogation. Blake tried to assure herself this had been inevitable, and that she could eventually convince Nora that breaking up with Ren wasn't some world-ending catastrophe.

But then, Blake also couldn't tell Nora the real reason, so… she had to rely on half-truth and hope Nora filled in the blanks herself. And hope Nora wouldn't conclude the best course of action was to break Blake's legs.

Apparently, she had reason to be hopeful. Nora scoffed and turned from her, walking away. It was the harshest Nora had ever been –outside of that food fight thing anyway- though Blake couldn't deny the disdain being shown had been merited. She was grateful she hadn't had need to explain further.

A gust of wind struck the side of Blake's face, followed by a flash of crimson and a flurry of rose petals as Ruby Rose seemed to materialize beside her. "Blake! Nora's about to-"

"I know, Ruby," Blake interjected, pointing to Nora's back as her friend(?) departed.

Ruby gave a soft 'oh' of comprehension at Blake's side, before abruptly shaking her head and refocusing her attention to Blake. "So… um… we uh… heard some things," Ruby began, choosing her words carefully and dancing around the issue while she clearly wanted to discuss in greater detail, expectantly waiting for Blake to confirm or deny.

Blake sighed. This had been inevitable, really… just as she'd revealed to them how things ended with Adam, now Blake had to tell them about Ren. And as she had with Nora, Blake would have to rely on half-truths and hope her friends weren't going to pry too deep.

"Let's head back," Blake suggested. "I'd rather just tell this story once."


With Team RWBY absent and Lie Ren alone, now seemed an ideal time for Emerald to approach him and put the plan in motion. But she didn't know Lie Ren, and it was never wise to approach a mark completely cold. Emerald would need a good reason to even engage him in conversation, but had no good starting point. The best she could hope for was to approach seeking forgiveness; it'd leave her with nothing to leverage over him, but it would set him in motion if he wanted to get his girlfriend back.

Emerald took a moment to put on her face. She had to suppress any frustration and distaste and look apologetic. Her Semblance would help to hide her visible expressions, but she'd have to keep from ever scoffing or changing the tone of her voice. She wanted to appear apologetic and remorseful, but also had to keep herself from laughing.

When she finally knocked on his door, all Lie Ren saw was a girl looking distressed and repentant. "Um, hey, sorry to bother you, but I… I uh, kinda overheard you and that Blake girl in the library."

Emerald had to really struggle not to crack up, but Lie Ren betrayed no reaction to this surprising revelation. "And?"

He was a stoic one. Emerald couldn't get a read on him, but she pressed on. "And, well, um, I accidentally let it slip to Ruby and Yang across the hall. Just wanted to let you know so you heard it from me." It sounded genuine and apologetic. Emerald had managed to avoid letting sarcasm force its way through.

Lie Ren was silent for several seconds, but his expression never changed. "Thank you for telling me. Was there anything else?"

This wasn't going as Emerald had planned. She'd expected him to… care just a little bit about his secrets being out in the open, but it had yet to faze him. She changed tactics. "Anyway, um, I just… I wasn't sure if maybe I could help you somehow… it was all pretty rough."

Again Lie Ren betrayed no emotion. "Thank you for your concern."

This was getting Emerald nowhere, and she couldn't afford to push too hard. She just didn't want to return to Cinder and report she'd failed to push him. Not because of Cinder's disappointment; because Mercury would be right, and she'd never hear the end of it. Still… for the moment, she had to beg off. "Okay," was her awkward response as Emerald shuffled off, and Ren shut the door.

She'd have to refocus her attention on Team RWBY, but only moments earlier she'd tried to extricate herself from the conversation with them. But speaking to Ren was getting her nowhere and she had to come back to Cinder with something.

Emerald glanced around. Ren's teammates had been absent, and Pyrrha Nikos was another possible candidate being considered by Ozpin. Had Lie Ren's teammates gone unaware of his little romantic entanglement?

If so, she'd need to play a different part. Or Emerald's apparent repentance would eventually be exposed. She'd need to find some way to convey the information to them without exposing her own hand directly. She'd need to ensure they heard by proxy.

Word would spread quickly now that Emerald had let the truth slip, but she could always speed it along further. She just needed to find someone who might be inclined to help spread the gossip.


Ren's only thought upon hearing Emerald's revelation was how surprised he was to have never noticed an onlooker. He'd known all too well how distracted he became when his attention was on Blake, but to have never noticed he was being watched… that disappointment was the closest he'd felt to an emotion.

The rest of the time he'd been listening to Emerald, he'd just wanted her to get on with it. He just wanted her to finish her piece and he contributed as little as he possibly could to the conversation. He just wanted that to be over so he could return to his isolation.

Ren had never been the most sociable. Even with Nora, the person he'd known longest, he'd rarely gone on at length. But now he had less desire than ever to interact with others. He didn't want to let more people into his life. Things were complicated enough for him, even among his small circle of friends.

When he'd opened himself up, he'd unleashed something that scared away the woman he'd fallen in love with. Were that not punishment enough, it had also led to him being irresponsible and not contributing to his team as much as he should have.

He couldn't let himself feel. Nothing good came of it. He couldn't reach out and bring anyone else in; he had to tend to the responsibilities he had first and mend whatever relationships he'd damaged in his selfish romantic pursuit. He had to become whole again, so his teammates would never be endangered on his behalf again.

No more feelings. No more pain. No more want.

Just Ren, stoic and quiet, playing the role they needed him to play.


Cinder hated these face to face meetings. She didn't like Adam at all, appreciating him only for his battle prowess and the resources he provided. Still, she had something she held over him now, and needed to remind him of that fact. Doing that via texts over Scrolls wouldn't have the same impact. Showing Adam he merited the time to taunt personally would also send the message she at least took his attempts seriously.

Cinder found a location in Forever Fall that hadn't been marked as significantly dangerous by Beacon faculty and took a Bullhead out of the city. Adam may have been able to slip into Vale during the breach, but the White Fang couldn't just freely wander the streets now that order had been restored. And Cinder so detested interruptions during her business.

Adam arrived at the exact time Cinder had scheduled. He came alone, which always surprised Cinder to see. Even though he knew how powerful she was, Adam didn't fear her. He obeyed her for the sake of his subordinates, and not because he was ever concerned for his own life.

"The girl you wanted me to hand over," Cinder began, pulling up an image on her Scroll and holding it up. "You didn't mention you were so close."

Adam's Grimm mask concealed his eyes. He betrayed no emotion, no concern, no surprise at being found out, if indeed he cared at all. "I didn't think it would matter to you."

Normally, that'd be true, but Cinder had plans for this girl now. "You're right, it doesn't," Cinder tried to play it off, keeping up the façade. "But I'm averse to trying to extradite a Beacon student at the moment. Ozpin is more alert than ever, and the Atlesian military is patrolling the campus. You understand why it might be… difficult."

"I don't care about the price," Adam tersely replied. "I know where she is. The only reason I haven't forced my way in to take her back is out of respect for completing your plan. Surely one first year student is worth maintaining our alliance?"

He was calling Cinder's bluff. Either she agreed to his request or she admitted Blake Belladonna was worth something to her. Either way she'd lose some control over the events to come, and her grip was already tenuous. Things could still proceed if Belladonna wasn't selected by Ozpin, but Cinder would have to deal with a more dangerous adversary, based on the other potential candidates. Indulging Adam now would make her mission more difficult.

"I think this is reckless," Cinder finally answered. "What's to stop you from simply claiming her when we launch the attack in earnest?"

It was a plausible lie. Zealot though he was, Adam understood the importance of logistics and proper planning. He understood the need to compromise when working with allies who didn't share his ideology. He understood the need to bow to Cinder's will.

But not today. "I don't care what I have to give up. I don't care what the White Fang has to give up. She belongs to me, and I will have her."

Cinder underestimated the strength of Adam's obsession. This wasn't something as simple as mere lust. He wanted to possess the poor girl, and Cinder could only begin to comprehend his intentions. He was willing to sacrifice for Blake Belladonna, and that gave Cinder power over him.

Controlling the White Fang so completely would have its advantages… which made it all the more imperative Cinder not give Adam the girl. Holding her over his head would be so much more effective.

"I can move up the timetable," Cinder offered. "But it's still crucial I wait until the final rounds of the tournament. We need to implicate Atlas or all this will be for nothing."

Again she withheld the truth from him. She focused on the politics, trying to appeal to the small part of him that retained its sanity in the face of his overpowering obsession. If there was one thing that might convince Adam Taurus to stay his hand it was causing pain to his political enemy.

Slowly, deliberately, Adam nodded. "Very well. Just remember that she is mine. Nothing will keep me from her."

How wrong he was. It was unfortunate that such a beneficial alliance would be ending, but it would serve Cinder's goals all the better if both Blake Belladonna and her extremist lover were dead by the end of this mission. "Who am I to stand in the way of love?" Cinder whimsically replied.


Three quarters of Team RWBY waited for Weiss to get back. Nora had returned at some point while they waited, joining Ren in their dorm without so much as a glance across the hall to her friends on the sister team. This was quite unusual, as Team RWBY generally had more trouble keeping Nora out than letting her in. They ultimately concluded it was best not to leave Nora and Blake in an enclosed space, especially not one they planned to continue inhabiting.

Weiss eventually responded to Ruby's thirty-second text message and returned to the dorm, at which time her partner in red hastily dragged her inside. Weiss scolded Ruby for her grabby nature, until Ruby burst out: "Umwellit'sbecauseBlakewasgoingoutwithRenthiswholetimeandnoneofusknew." After she managed to process the rapid fire delivery, Weiss became quite interested in what Blake had to say.

Yang generously offered Blake the top bunk so she could better address her three teammates. Blake took a long breath and closed her eyes as she recounted it all.

"Ren invited me to join him for tea, and for weeks that was all we did," Blake began.

Her desire for peace and quiet motivated her to accept an offer from a man she hadn't yet gotten any read on. She thought it had to be a reprieve from the initial difficulty she had trying to keep up with her more extroverted teammates.

"Until I found out that he knew I was a Faunus," Blake continued. "He'd known for a long time and never told anyone. He knew before I told any of you. He knew before we'd even been assigned to our teams."

Blake never expected anyone to keep a secret on her behalf without some form of compensation. She'd entered the academy expecting to be unable to trust anyone, to just quietly endure her four years and then move on without ever forming any lasting bonds of trust and support. She'd been pleasantly surprised by her teammates, and then surprised again when Lie Ren showed her kindness without thought of reward.

"I began to look forward to spending time with him," Blake added. "I started to like him. I mean, I always liked Ren, but… I started to like him."

How different her life would be now if she'd never reached over and held his hand. Or if she'd stopped there.

She wasn't sure how to continue. Her friends were hungry for every detail, but Blake had to start getting selective in how she told the story. She didn't want them to think any differently of Ren… or at least mitigate how much their perception of him had already changed. She didn't want them to know why she kept going back.

"I kissed him for the first time last semester, I think like the sixth or seventh week…" Blake deliberately obfuscated the date, so the timeline would muddy a bit. She knew they were already retracing the events, and Blake didn't want them to look too closely. If they thought Blake's own account was imperfect, that would make it seem more authentic.

And she didn't want to tell them how vividly she remembered it. How happy she'd been when, after a few moments of hesitation, Ren had kissed her back. How for an instant she'd been able to forget the past and live in the moment. How she hadn't let him go, and held the embrace until they were both short of breath.

"Every week we'd just get together for a few hours," Blake explained. "We weren't sure whether or not to tell you guys, because we didn't know how long it'd go on, or how serious it'd be."

"Wait, didn't you stop going to join him for a while?" Ruby curiously inquired.

"Around the time Sun showed up," Yang pointedly observed.

Blake cursed them their recollection of her personal life, but played it off. "Like I said, we didn't know what we had. And you remember how that week went."

Weiss sternly nodded. She had the most reason to recall it, after she and Blake had nearly come to blows before they patched things up. It didn't stop her from inquiring further. "And then?"

"And then we were… I don't know, we were off, or we took a break, or whatever you want to call it," Blake explained. "We knew we'd stay friends whatever happened, and Ren was cool about it."

Ren had been a wreck after Blake left him. Then Blake went and made things worse when she sought him out on a particularly bad day. Blake didn't want to lie to her friends, but she didn't want to reveal either of those facts to them. It wasn't how she wanted them to think of Ren… or of her.

"Anyway, after the breach, I went to join him for tea again, just to make up for lost time," Blake explained. And totally not because of that look he had in his eyes.

It didn't reflect well on Ren to reveal that there was a monster within him. It reflected worse on Blake to say she'd willingly coaxed it out.

"We…" Blake had to suppress a blush as she recalled that day. Her friends were no doubt hungry to hear every last torrid detail, but Blake sanitized her thoughts and carefully composed the rest of her line. "… we gave it another try. I didn't ever stop liking him, I was just so worried about Torchwick and the White Fang I couldn't focus."

Yang gave a knowing nod from the bunk below her. But Ruby hadn't been privy to that particular conversation, so her thoughts shifted elsewhere. "But you and Sun went to the dance. I thought you and him were… I dunno, a thing."

Blake had known that was coming. She didn't have a good answer for that, so she deflected. "And we all thought Ren and Nora were a thing, but they really were just good friends."

That successfully diverted their attention, as each of her friends glanced at the door to the hallway, and the JNPR dorm across from them, one after another. No doubt they were still struggling to comprehend how Blake had wooed Ren when Nora constantly flitted around him. They were probably even more baffled considering Nora had given Blake a very stern talking to just prior.

Blake took advantage of their quiet confusion and pressed on. "We gave it another try, but we realized we weren't right for each other."

That was the biggest lie of all. Ren had been ready to take the plunge, and Blake refused to let him. When he finally took initiative and tried to move forward, Blake cut him off at the knees.

"Who ended it?" Yang asked from below her. She asked in a voice far too timid to sound like Yang. She sounded almost as meek as Ruby was capable of being.

I did. He did. It was mutual.

Blake shook her head. "It doesn't matter. All it did was remind us of what we already knew."

It probably wasn't a completely satisfying answer, but it gave her friends just enough of a picture. Blake was sure they'd be pressing her for details on some of the specifics and elaborate on just how far things had gone, but Blake was confident those juicier details meant they wouldn't delve too deep on the reasons. There was meatier fare to sate their curiosity.

"So, now, this thing with Sun…?" Ruby just kind of let the words hang.

"We're friends," Blake clarified. "Maybe that'll change someday. Maybe."

She knew that was what Sun wanted. She was grateful he hadn't pushed the matter too hard. She appreciated both his restraint and his blunt manner. His patience might very well be rewarded, because he hadn't revealed any hidden part of himself that uncomfortably reminded Blake of a past she'd rather forget.

Her friends murmured amongst themselves as they plotted how to proceed. Blake had expected a relentless interrogation, but based on the tinges of red in their cheeks, they weren't about to ask her any more about Ren's personality or the exact time frame of their relationship. As Blake anticipated, they chased the juicy gossip instead.

It'd be embarrassing to talk about, but it put her mind at ease. It looked as though she'd obtained the best possible result, and kept the truth carefully buried away.


Across the hall, Nora had sat quietly with Ren for several minutes, hearing the occasional word across the hall whenever Blake's teammates asked her questions. Blake herself had been far too soft for Nora to overhear, which left just her and Ren and silence.

It was nothing new for Ren to sit quietly while events took place around him, but he'd become even less talkative. Even alone with Nora he'd yet to say anything, and usually Nora could provoke him into saying something. It was very unsettling to Nora for her to say a dozen words without Ren returning with at least one of his own.

Still, she was patient with him. He'd had a rough few days; suffering probably the first real hardship and difficulty he'd had since he started attending Beacon. Even the Grimm breach hadn't deterred him in the slightest. This girl had done what a massive horde of monsters couldn't and actually broken Ren's eternal calm.

Nora suspected he wasn't really in the mood to talk, but there were a couple important matters to address. "It sounds like Team RWBY knows. Are you going to tell Jaune and Pyrrha?"

Ren stared up at the ceiling. "If they ask."

He had no desire to explain his actions. He had no wish to elaborate on things. He didn't want to think on it. He didn't want to care. He didn't want to feel.

"I could tell them if you like," Nora offered.

"If that's what you want," was Ren's non-committal reply, rolling onto his side and staring at the wall, his head turned away from Nora.

It wasn't fair that he took out his frustrations like this. Nora had been supportive of him the whole time, and once again he was being short with her and keeping her in the dark.

He didn't care. He didn't want to deal with it. He just wanted to lie there, to find peace and quiet and put it all behind him.

Ren raised a hand to his chest and counted his heartbeats. Still he couldn't regain balance, but at least there was no beast deliberately interrupting his pace and trying to unseal its bindings. At least it was only his own thoughts distorting the process and not Blake.

The memories were still too vivid; too fresh in his mind. He just needed a little more time. He just needed quiet.


Emerald dreaded reporting back to Cinder. Mercury had laughed for a solid twenty seconds when he heard Emerald hadn't made any progress in provoking Lie Ren. Then he laughed harder upon hearing that everything had more or less been resolved and Emerald no longer had any leverage to work with in manipulating either team. Only Mercury could see the humor in botching a mission undertaken on Cinder's behalf. Apparently he'd never failed their mistress, or had a short memory. Either way, he'd likely see her less patient side today.

But when Cinder returned from her meeting with Adam, she addressed them both before Emerald could even try to explain her failure. "Our friend in the White Fang is insistent we hand Belladonna over to him. Emerald, whatever you've put in motion, put a stop to it. I don't want to risk the girl compromising things because of her new boyfriend."

Emerald chose not to question her good fortune and accepted her orders. "Yes, ma'am." She faintly heard Mercury suppress a snicker behind her, but was relieved he decided not to sell her out and reveal what a failure her attempt had been.

Cinder pulled up her Scroll again, showing them a picture of a girl with black hair and bright green eyes. "In the meantime, I'd like to introduce you to our new teammate. I've already seen to the trouble of getting her registered for the tournament…"

Emerald must've still been overwhelmed with gratitude, because Mercury saw it before she did. "I know her."

Cinder nodded. "Her name is Neo. At least for the first round, we're going to have to get used to having her with us. She's on her way from Vale and will be joining us tomorrow."

Emerald finally recognized Torchwick's little lackey. "And what does she get for going along with all this?"

"A detour," Cinder explained. "We free Roman from the Atlas flagship, she plays her part. I'm honestly impressed Roman was able to inspire such loyalty…"

"That's gonna add a lot more moving parts," Mercury observed. "This plan was complex already."

"It means we have to act while Ironwood is on the ground," Cinder explained. "We're adjusting the timetable –ever so slightly- and making our move before we finish the tournament." Cinder turned her attention to Mercury. "I need to embarrass both Ozpin and Ironwood. That means I need you to do what you do best."

"Oh?" Mercury raised an eyebrow. "Who am I fighting?"

Cinder turned her attention to Emerald. "That's your priority now. Find out who your friends on Team RWBY are sending ahead."

Coco Adel. Pyrrha Nikos. Blake Belladonna.

Team RWBY had a strange knack for throwing a wrench into Cinder's plans. If they sent Belladonna ahead, so much the better. Seeing her publicly shamed would make Ozpin's decision that much more questionable, and no one would shed any tears when she fell. Cinder's actions could seem heroic, if the right context were provided.

But then if Blake wasn't sent ahead, all that meant was Cinder would adjust her plans and let Adam overplay his hand instead.

One way or another, her ally would serve his purpose, and the Maiden's powers would be exposed for Cinder to snatch. The only question was which particular body she'd step over on the way to victory.


The Vytal Festival Tournament

Emerald laid the praise on thick for Team RWBY. She had to work very hard not to reveal her contempt, nearly losing focus when they offered to share a meal. But eventually, after choking out each compliment of their combat performance in the first round, Emerald eventually managed to ask who Team RWBY planned on sending ahead after their first win. She started awkwardly, but once she managed to force some eye contact she managed to seem genuinely curious. "So, yeah… looks like Merc and I are gonna be moving on to the doubles round. What about you guys?"

"Well as the leader of this team, I've thought long and hard about this decision," Ruby began, only to be cut off by Weiss leaning in.

"We put it to a vote," Weiss explained. Ruby looked stunned by this interjection.

"Uh, yes, but I decided we should put it to a vote!" Ruby assured, regaining some confidence in between garbled wording.

"We voted for Weiss and Yang," Blake explained.

"I will happily represent Team RWBY," Weiss confirmed, showing a bit of grace and humility.

"Yeah, we're gonna kick some butt!" Yang helpfully added.

Emerald put on the best laugh she could manage. "Well, if Mercury and I see you down the line, don't think we'll go easy on ya."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Yang assured, casting a confident smile.

Emerald promised she'd wipe that smile from the blonde's face. Even if she wouldn't get to face her in battle, Emerald would have the satisfaction of witnessing Yang's downfall.

But it wasn't Belladonna moving ahead, which changed Cinder's plans somewhat. Emerald would have to let her know right away.

But she did hesitate, only briefly, as Emerald found Mercury inspecting shoes at a nearby vendor and ushered him out of earshot. "I hate them."

"Orders are orders," Mercury reminded her with a shrug.

"I just… how can they be so happy all the time?"

They wouldn't be happy too much longer. Emerald surmised they could have their fun while it lasted… as long as they did it way out of earshot of her.

Once she finished filling in Mercury, Emerald hastened to inform Cinder so they could adjust the schedule.


"What? How could my card be declined?!" Weiss gasped, looking on in horror at the message on the cash register. "I was barely into my monthly allowance…"

Blake's order had taken extra time and effort and she was really hungry for fish. She started slowly edging the bowl closer, until the ramen stand proprietor (who bore an uncanny resemblance to the coffee shop owner in Vale) took notice and seized the bowl from her, leaving Blake to collapse against the counter and whimper over her lost meal.

"Maybe I can help?"

Team RWBY's attention was diverted from Weiss's embarrassing credit problems and took notice of Team JNPR, Nora standing out most as she bounded merrily along. Though Ruby correctly identified the speaker with a big, multi-armed wave and a happy shout of: "Pyrrha!"

"Aw, you don't have to," Yang assured her.

"She could," Blake hastily suggested, sidling closer, so close she nearly pushed Weiss out of her seat. Blake's attention was all for Pyrrha. She barely noticed Jaune on Pyrrha's right or Nora on her left or the greenish blob standing furthest from her.

Once Pyrrha assured her that Team RWBY had earned the reward, Team JNPR joined them, and Blake had her precious fish back. She paid no heed to what the others ordered. She didn't even hear the fourth member of Team JNPR speak, he was so quiet.

Only Nora matched Blake's ferocity. Weiss and Pyrrha didn't even finish their meals. Jaune and Ruby looked sick. Yang seemed content. The fourth guy on Team JNPR quietly inquired: "Do you think it's wise to eat before a fight?"

Good question. Pyrrha didn't seem concerned at all. Nora's deafening belch seemed to answer in the affirmative. Jaune looked like he was about to vomit, but that was nothing new. Nora suggested he aim it at the enemy, which the guy in green seemed to think would be disgusting.

Blake wasn't listening as she savored her full belly. Nora was exuberantly extolling their team's many virtues (and Jaune) and remarked how Glynda barely ever felt the need to yell at them anymore. Then she went off on a tangent about a hypothetical series of events that might follow them losing the tournament, making herself depressed and then falling forward to sob.

"So, yeah," the guy in green finished for her. "We're feeling pretty good."

He always did have an understated sense of humor. Now that Blake thought about it, he was actually really funny, and could be funny without ever saying a word. Blake cast a glance his way, inclining her head over Weiss's shoulder. She thought she was just staring at Nora while she sobbed against the counter, but that wasn't where Blake's eyes ultimately ended up.

Pyrrha rested a comforting hand on the shoulders of both Nora and the still-ill Jaune. "Don't fret. If anything we should be looking forward to a fight with actual guidelines and not… well, murderers."

"Yeah, don't sweat it," Yang agreed, before casting a glance over at Blake. "We've all faced way worse before."

Blake overcame any food-induced torpor and quickly turned her eyes away from the guy in green, briefly looking down at her hand as she composed her response. "Let's see… Grimm invasions, violent extremists, a destructive sociopath…"

She didn't know if the guy in green was looking at her. She wasn't going to pay him any more heed.

But when Team JNPR were called back to the stadium by a very impatient sounding Port and Oobleck from the commentary desk, Blake found her eyes shifting back to the guy in green. Fortunately, this seemingly went unnoticed by her teammates, and Blake had shifted her eyes away by the time their glances shifted her way.

When they suggested Team RWBY cheer on Team JNPR from the stands, Blake raised no objection. She'd already forgotten her brief lapse and returned to the pleasant haze of a full stomach and a fresh victory.


Ren had thought for a moment Blake had cast a glance his way, in a look that lasted a little too long.

He put the thought out of his mind. He'd seen what he wanted to see. For the moment, he was focused on his scheduled matchup with Team BRNZ. He couldn't allow himself to be distracted.

But he was. Again.

Even now, even when all hope was gone, when she was on his mind, she was the only thing on his mind. So much so he didn't properly respond to Jaune's cry of "RETREAT!" As a result, Ren was sloppy in dodging the shots of an enemy sniper. And even sloppier in trying to dodge the attacks of another opponent, who outperformed Ren at every turn, landing hits and dodging all of Ren's own, leaving Nora to intercede on his behalf.

Fortunately, the enemy had used an electrical weapon, which supercharged Nora's Semblance, allowing her to easily fend him off and buy Ren the time he needed to join his teammates behind cover. His blunders hadn't cost them the match yet.

He had to concentrate. He had to forget.

Those eyes. Every time he saw them, he remembered how they would change and sharpen, how the sclera would tighten up into thin slits as her true self emerged…

Ren shook his head and composed himself. He had to get through the fight. He had to help his teammates. He couldn't let himself be a burden.

He had to stop thinking about her. Had to stop caring.

"Ren, distract the sniper!" Jaune called. A quick scan of the battlefield informed Ren he was buying time for Nora to gain a more advantageous position.

He had to step up now. "Sure. Why not?"

It came across as much drier than he'd intended. He was being short with Jaune, and he hadn't deserved such a display of disrespect. One of his dearest friends, the man who called him 'brother'… he didn't deserve to be treated with such ambivalence.

Ren held off on that concern. He needed to perform his role competently and help his team advance. That was his only priority.

Pyrrha was taking on two enemies to compensate for Nora's absence. She could easily be flanked by the enemy sniper. Ren dashed in, focusing on getting to his teammate, to helping her, to protecting her.

Thought of Blake sleeping beside him, thinking that he'd keep her safe, even if she didn't need his help…

Ren narrowed his eyes and slid under Pyrrha when she jumped to attack one of their opponents. At least his reflexes were still on-task. At least Pyrrha hadn't suffered from his distraction.

Ren found the same opponent who'd so handily outperformed him before. Ren wanted to make a point of repaying the favor.

She was watching, somewhere in the stands after all.

But when Ren found his foe, he remembered his mission. Nora needed to be covered. Ren couldn't show off, at least not for long. His adversary, Nolan Porfirio, tried to strike Ren with his cattle prod, but Ren caught it between the blades of Storm Flower, swinging the steel around and holding the boy in the blue vest hostage, daring the sniper to fire again while he held her comrade pinned.

Unfortunately, the sniper opted not to help her teammate and focused her attention to the mountain as Nora ascended. Ren cursed his showboating and called to her: "Nora!"

He'd never get there in time. He couldn't compensate for his error. Nora would be hit, and it'd be Ren's fault…

"Pyrrha!" Jaune called. Pyrrha broke ranks, abandoning her fight and rushing to her team leader, who used his shield as a springboard for her to leap off. Pyrrha intercepted the sniper's shot, absorbing the impact with her shield but still suffering a hard landing. Ren breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Nora find a source of electricity to further power her Semblance, but cursed himself for showing off and forgetting the mission.

Fortunately, his incompetence seemed to go unnoticed. And no one remembered it when Team JNPR regrouped and Jaune instructed them to employ "Flower Power!"

Apparently he thought it was a team attack name for Ren and Nora to utilize. Despite them having never employed such a tactic previously. Then he suggested a different attack name for Pyrrha and himself, and Ren was relieved that she was as lost as he was. If Pyhrra hadn't been paying attention to Jaune, his oversight was that much more forgivable.

Then Nora whacked their enemies with her hammer and all was well. Team JNPR waved to the crowd and celebrated their victory, Ren doing his best to look content, though to audiences watching around Remnant he probably just looked bored.

On their way out, he suggested Nora join Pyrrha in the doubles round, in recognition of her performance. Nora beamed at the pride he'd shown in her.

Anything to deflect attention away from himself and his distracted mind. It seemed he didn't need a beast to distract him; a lonely boy with a broken heart was no better off.


Blake had barely watched the JNPR/BRNZ battle, but she was quite invested in the SSSN/NDGO matchup, to the point she filled Yang in on Neptune's crippling fear of water. But she most enjoyed the end of the fight, when she spotted Sun and Neptune engaged in a victory dance.

"Looks like the dorks made it to the next round," Yang observed.

Sun noticed Blake in the stands and pointed up to acknowledge her. She felt some warmth come to her cheeks at the unexpected gesture. "Emphasis on 'dork.'"

"That concludes the matches for today," Oobleck informed them over the loudspeaker. "Please leave the coliseum IN A CALM AND ORDERLY FASHION!"

"Come on, let's go congratulate them," Yang suggested. There was no way she'd missed the red in Blake's cheeks. No doubt she wanted to encourage that sort of response, or provoke another one.

But something caught the attention of Weiss, who stopped abruptly behind Blake. Blake paid it no mind: she was in too good a mood.

At least until she had descended to the lower levels of the Amity Coliseum, and saw she'd received a text message on her Scroll from Professor Ozpin.

She had kept him waiting. Blake knew he wouldn't like the answer she'd give, but she was ready. She'd just found some peace in her life; she didn't need to compromise that by chasing this strange ambition of the headmaster.


Cinder examined the list of teams that had advanced and registered for the doubles round. Emerald's report was correct: RWBY was sending Yang Xiao Long and Weiss Schnee ahead. That was disappointing, but it gave Cinder something to work with. She found a team from Atlas for them to fight against, to further drive tensions by having the Schnee Dust Company heiress fight against her countrymen. They wouldn't be too challenging –RWBY had to advance to the finals, after all- but they should divert attention well enough.

JNPR would be matched up against some talentless hacks from Mistral who lucked their way to victory. No need to show them off, only need for them to win.

Coco Adel… it was best Cinder eliminated that variable immediately. Mercury and Emerald could use a little competition, but Cinder was confident her handpicked acolytes would remove the second-year from Ozpin's consideration.

Now all that remained was for Blake Belladonna to respond to Ozpin… and for Cinder to know whom her target would be.


Ozpin waited in his office, weighing his options. If his plan were to succeed, he'd need Blake Belladonna to agree to his proposal. Because while there were many promising candidates in his student body, he didn't want the circle to grow too wide. At best, he could choose two, and Ironwood would choose the third.

It was almost certain he'd choose the robot girl. The chamber that would transfer Amber's Aura had been derived from the same technology that birthed this P.E.N.N.Y. and Ironwood was en route to introduce the girl to Ozpin, after he met with a subordinate due to arrive with reinforcements for the security staff. She would carry a portion of Amber's soul, and Atlas would be satisfied with the arrangement by keeping their hand in it.

It was dangerous to divide a soul so, but Ozpin was certain it was preferable to trying to place the whole of the other half into a single host. He had faith in his students, but he doubted anyone was suited to trying to house so much energy (and so many unfamiliar thoughts) and he thought by carefully dividing the soul further he could minimize the mental strain on those chosen to carry the burden of becoming a Maiden.

If Blake Belladonna refused him, he'd have no choice but to rely on Coco Adel and Pyrrha Nikos. And he hadn't informed either of them yet, because he'd decided to appease Ironwood and make sure his peers were present for each introduction. Time was running out, and if they didn't speed things along, they'd have no choice but to try the process with a single host. And that could… change the poor girls in unexpected ways.

The elevator chimed and Blake stepped into his office. He waved her to the seat before his desk and sat down.

Blake was silent for several seconds. Ozpin suspected she was trying to find the most polite and respectful way to decline his offer.

He couldn't blame her. No one ever deserved to have such a burden forced upon them. And he wouldn't press her. Desperate as their need was, this had to be the girl's choice, or they were no better than those who'd stolen half of Amber's soul in the first place.

But when Blake finally met his eye and spoke, she said: "I'll do it."

They were both silent for several seconds afterward. They were both surprised.

Ozpin was happy to hear it. His hunch had been correct, and his faith had been rewarded. Now he could explain the details to her, and invite her into the confidence of his peers.

Blake had intended to decline from the start, but when faced with the question now, she couldn't find a reason to say no. She was in a good place in her life, and the enemies she'd fought had fallen silent. Now, presented with the opportunity to do some good, she found the burden was not so heavy.

There was nothing for her to fear.