Hey! Next chapter here, as you can probably see. It was a splash late, so sorry about that.

Once again, please feel free to point out any typo's and give constructive criticism. I can't improve unless people tell me what I'm doing wrong.


Jaune wanted nothing more than to slam her head on the table. And to keep doing it until the table gave way. But she restrained herself, instead trying to ignore what was going on around. Although she wasn't really sure that was the right phrasing. It was more what wasn't going on.

Jaune glanced up, and noticed that it was still going on, and once again had to resist the urge to acquaint her face with the table. She sighed audibly.

"Ruby…" Jaune said after a short pause. "Stay here. Or go and run around outside. Basically anything that will place you somewhere that isn't nearby me. Weiss, you're coming with me. We need to have a… talk."

Weiss opened her mouth to protest, but Jaune reached out and clamped a hand over the Heiress's mouth, picking her up with the other hand. Weiss immediately started struggling and yelling into her hand, and Jaune assumed she was demanding to be released. But for all Jaune could care, Weiss could be saying how adorable a puppy was, and even when Weiss's blows actually started to hurt, Jaune ignored them.

Jaune walked down a few hallways, ignoring the looks she got from passing students, and immediately being grateful that the cafeteria had been empty apart from her, Ruby and Weiss. To be fair, though, it was five A.M, and they only passed two students in the hallways. Even so, that was far more than Jaune had expected.

Jaune continued her way outside, the struggling Heiress slung across her shoulder, still kicking and screaming and punching, continuing up to the Beacon Cliffs, where the first years had undergone initiation. This way, she was sure that no one would be around to overhear what was going to be said, even if they were to yell.

Jaune looked down at Weiss. "Keep still, and I'll release you." Reluctantly, the girl stopped struggling, and Jaune released her hold, Weiss landing on her feet and staring at Jaune with a mixture of rage and indignance.

Weiss opened her mouth to say something, but Jaune cut her off. "Shut up," She said firmly and loudly. The Heiress thankfully stopped talking. "Right," Jaune continued. "Sit down."

When the Heiress made no move to do so, Jaune kicked her feet from under her, aiming just high enough that when Weiss instinctively went to jump the blow would connect anyway. Weiss well onto the ground, and quickly began to rise, only for Jaune to stop her by resting a hand on her shoulder, and forcefully keeping it from moving.

"I'll…" Weiss began.

"Nope. Shut up," Jaune replied. Weiss tried to continue speaking, and Jaune clamped her free hand over the girl's mouth again, effectively muffling her. Weiss continued to struggle and glare angrily, but quickly realised how futile her struggles were when Jaune didn't budge in the slightest. Luckily, Weiss wasn't very strong.

"Now. We are going to have a little chat about your recent behaviour," Jaune said, uncovering the girl's mouth and letting go of her. Weiss immediately pulled out Myrtenaster from her side, but Jaune swatted it out of her hands.

"You won't be leaving here until we've had it, even if it means I have to literally chain you to the ground, so I wouldn't advise trying to run. Got it?" Jaune asked impatiently. Weiss shrugged and turned away, facing one side. Thankfully, she seemed to realise Jaune's semblance would let her catch up to pretty much anyone in any circumstance.

"Right. Now. Ever since the term began, you've been treating Ruby very poorly, effectively bullying her."

Weiss opened her mouth, turning to Jaune and starting to say something that was probably protesting the point, only for Jaune to knee her in the stomach, cutting the words off with a surprised gasp.

"Yes, you have been. Now shut up and listen. The faster I finish saying this, the faster I'll let you go."

Weiss sat up from the ground and glared at Jaune, gasping to regain her breath, and Jaune stepped forward, picking her up off the ground with one hand.

"All term, you have been spouting the same nonsense over and over again. Ruby, in your eyes, is unfit to lead the team, and you believe you deserve better. Despite a Professor actively disagreeing with you, your opinion is so stubbornly set that you didn't budge."

Weiss looked away, slightly ashamed.

"And I'm fine with that," Jaune said, causing Weiss's gaze to snap up in surprise. "You are completely entitled to your own opinion. Who knows, maybe your opinion is even right. That doesn't matter. Ever since you decided on that opinion, you have done nothing but try to tear Ruby down, acting all the child you claim her to be, and you wonder why you weren't put in charge.

"A good leader is not always the person who is best at leading. The most important trait for a leader, above all others, is selflessness and empathy. If you cannot be a part of the team you are trying to lead, then all you will do is cause the team to fall apart. Since the beginning of term, you have refused to allow your team to properly bond, all because you have refused to let go of a grudge.

"You've let all your anger and hatred out on Ruby, feeling justified in doing so, and even while you do so have been oblivious to her attempts to rectify that even still. You snapped at her for her work ethic, she began working tirelessly, and I would argue she is one of the best scholars in class. You were infuriated by her reckless, head on assault in battle placing your team at risk of friendly fire, and so she developed and shared strategies to incorporate it.

"But still, all you feel is entitlement. You believe you should have been leader, because how could a child be put in charge of a team? So I'll give you a bit of a hint behind the thought process of those who assign that kind of thing. Imagine, for a moment, that you were team leader. How would you act if one of your teammates fighting style clashed with your own? Why, you would tell them to change theirs.

"Now think of what would happen if they actually did that. With their new style they would be a mediocre fighter at best, and your team would become a team of three. There would be weaknesses in their new fighting style they didn't expect, or they would make a slight slip up, and they get killed by a Grimm. The reason we can beat them is we have practiced the same moves enough times for them to be ingrained.

"Ruby, on the other hand, knows that change is hard when people have focused intently on something for a long time, and instead thinks of ways to fight that let both of you give it your all without being in the way. She encourages her teammates to improve, praising them when they do, whilst you expect them to already have improved, and when they do let them know they should've improved more.

"Want to know why the difference is so distinct? Ruby encourages people to improve, and you make them feel like they will never be good enough, making improvement seem futile. A team lead by you would improve quickly for a short time, before collapsing into a depression. More specifically, any team lead by you that has Ruby in it.

"Weiss… you could be a good leader. A great leader. I have no doubt that you can lead a team, and do very well. But before you can even think of doing that, you need to grow up and stop being petty. If you don't think Ruby can lead, don't take it out on her, go to someone who put her in charge and discuss it with them, get their reasoning. More often than not, you'll agree with it."

Jaune dropped Weiss to the ground, and she landed on her feet, still refusing to make eye contact.

"Now I don't care how you start accepting Ruby, but as long as you do, we're cool. Got that?"

With that, Jaune walked off, leaving the girl to stew in her thoughts, and more importantly, shower and prepare for the day. She was still in her pyjamas when Ruby had woken her, albeit unintentionally, by walking past. When Weiss had followed, Jaune had gotten up to see what was happening.

To think they would have such a silly argument was disheartening, but Jaune was just glad she had been there, the argument had ended very badly. When she'd walked in, both looked ready to draw their weapons and charge the other, and both of them were carrying them, so it might have actually happened.

Then again, Jaune knew that it hadn't really been the cause of the argument, it had just been building for a long time, but for all the things to trigger it… Ruby had a nightmare, and snuck out to get a glass of milk and a cookie from the cafeteria. Who knows how that set Weiss off, but apparently it had because she had been pretty furious and harsh to the younger girl.


Weiss was unusually quiet and withdrawn for the rest of the day, for which Jaune was grateful. For two reasons. One, it meant she had gotten her message across.

Two, and far more importantly, she was tired. Jaune wasn't sure what had caused it, but she'd never felt so tired in her life, and even as she sat through her classes, she felt herself drift of multiple times, each time thankfully snapping awake as her head fell.

In front of her, Ms Goodwitch was addressing the class, teaching them about some of the more finicky rules in tournaments, all the students already having learned most of the basics. What she was saying was interesting, but Jaune could already feel herself start drifting off, and shook her head to try and clear it.

She had no idea what was causing it; she usually woke up around the same time she had, it just didn't make any sense.

"Alright students," Came the voice of Ms Goodwitch, snapping Jaune awake, even if she knew it would only be very briefly. "We will now have our first match of the day. Miss Rose and Miss Schnee, please make your way to the stage."

That garnered a fair bit more attention. Jaune briefly considered it being a coincidence, but realised it was more likely Weiss had requested it beforehand. Good to know that Weiss was giving change her all, Jaune knew from experience how much easier people found it to stay stuck in their own ways, afraid to change.

Weiss had never struck her as the type who would run from this kind of thing, but she often… had trouble being honest with herself, and truly accepting her feelings.

Weiss walked past Jaune silently, already in her combat uniform, and stood opposite Ruby, who was similarly prepared. Jaune immediately noticed something off in Ruby… she seemed kind of… malicious, and it was obvious from her stance that she was planning to make a headlong dash at Weiss as soon as the match started.

Weiss seemed to recognise this, but was completely unfazed, and stood in her usual offensive stance.

"Let the match – Begin!" Glynda said calmly, stepping back out of the way of the two contestants.

Immediately, There was a loud clang and a gunshot, Ruby covering the distance between the two in the time it would take most to blink. She started swinging a gunshot-propelled swipe at Weiss's head, but Weiss blocked it with a Glyph and lunged at Ruby's chest.

Ruby flipped back, impaling her weapon into the ground and bringing her entire body to balance on her scythe, spinning out off the way of the attack and using her momentum to begin her riposte mid-air. It was an amazing display of speed and mobility, even by Ruby's standards.

Weiss spun, holding her sword parallel to the ground and catching the attack on the blade, knocking it up just enough to slide over her head and miss. A clever strategy, as remarkably few had the strength to stop one of Ruby's blows. Far safer, then, to redirect it.

Ruby planted the Scythe in the ground, remaining in the air and kicking out at Weiss, who tried to lean out of the way but was caught nonetheless and went sliding back. Ruby used the momentum to flip backwards, landing smoothly, while chambering another bullet in her gun.

Weiss spun and planted her sword in the ground, and a bright flash of white erupted, covering the ground in an unnatural ice that would make moving quickly, as Ruby tended to do, quite a lot harder.

A bullet spat out and hit Weiss on the shoulder, dropping her aura by almost an eighth, and Ruby chambered another bullet, dashing forward with her semblance. She appeared in front of Weiss, letting her movement skid her across the ground and swinging diagonally downwards at Weiss, who this time used the tip of her blade to raise the scythe.

Ruby was expecting that, however, using the extra movement to spin and strike twice more in quick succession at Weiss's stomach. Weiss leapt up and over the first attack, but the second caught her foot and caused her to tumble unceremoniously to the ground.

There was a loud scraping as Ruby once again impaled Crescent Rose into the ground, which brought Ruby's skid to a halt almost immediately, and Ruby used her tremendous strength to fling her entire body back at Weiss, who was at that stage behind her. That kind of strength was to be expected, really, of someone who could carry a weapon that heavy.

Bringing her scythe above her, Ruby impaled it into the ground where Weiss had lain, the Heiress having rolled out of the way, before using it to pivot in the direction Weiss had rolled, kicking down at the girl.

Weiss formed a Glyph above her, stabbing at Ruby's stomach, only for the girl to once again fling herself to the side using Crescent Rose. Ruby spun in a full circle, yanking her Scythe out of the ground and slicing across at Weiss, who bent backwards as far as she could, the scythe whistling harmlessly overhead, only to strike again before Weiss could even start to riposte.

Another well timed Glyph stopped Ruby's momentum, only for the girl to spin it back the other way, continuing to lash out from every direction even as Weiss struggled to dodge. One blow connected, causing Weiss to be flung to the ground. A quick flash of a Glyph on the floor beneath her, and Ruby vanished in a flicker of her semblance and six beams of light shot upwards where she had been standing.

A quick glance at the aura displays told Jaune all he needed to know about how this match was going: Ruby's was still mostly full, while Weiss's had been chipped down by just under a quarter. She simply couldn't seem to keep up with Ruby's speed, and her Glyphs were costly, to say nothing of how much a single solid hit from Ruby's colossal scythe could hurt.

Ruby stood on the far side of the stage, waiting patiently for Weiss to make the next move, all the while intently focused. Weiss flipped herself up off the ground, huffing and slightly winded. She'd never had much stamina. Still, she steadily began advancing towards Ruby at a light jog, forming Glyphs around her, before using a Glyph behind her as a springboard to send her flying forward.

Ruby parried the blow with the shaft of her weapon, as Weiss landed on a Glyph behind the girl and used them as springboards to lunge at her partner over and over, two of the lunges glancing Ruby, but the rest once again being knocked aside by the Sniper Rifle part of Ruby's weapon.

Weiss tried another lunge, from the last Glyph, only for Ruby to step forward at the blow unexpectedly, taking the hit and using the Heiress's momentum to hook her scythe against Weiss's neck, before firing a single shot from her rifle.

The recoil sent Weiss onto the floor, the blade of the scythe impaling itself in the ground next to her head. A faint line of blood started to trickle down to the ground from the Heiress, even as Ruby yanked the Scythe out of the ground and raised it overhead, ready to swing down.

Weiss spun to her feet, narrowly dodging Ruby's follow up strike, landing a glancing blow to Ruby's torso before dancing back with the quick use of a Glyph. Ruby vanished in a flash of rose petals, appearing behind the girl, already most of the way through a slice across at Weiss's hip. Weiss managed to slide under it at the last second, using the icy floor to her advantage.

Rolling back to standing with barely time to blink, Weiss began to go on the offensive, slicing and slashing quickly at Ruby, easily half a dozen times in a second. Each of her blows were met with a parry, however, as Ruby spun her scythe in front of her, and even as Weiss tried to switch tactics, Ruby kneed Weiss in the gut and hit her with the blunt end of her weapon, sending her flying.

Weiss regained her footing mid-air, sliding on her feet but still being too preoccupied to block Ruby's dash, which sent her tumbling across the ground. She made no move to begin standing up, but managed to lift herself slightly off the ground.

"And that's the match," Glynda called out.

Ruby stopped her blow, quickly folding away her weapon. She stepped over to Weiss and offered her a hand up, which Weiss reluctantly took. Ruby pulled her partner up to her feet, and let her lean on her for balance.

"As you can see, Miss Schnee's aura has fallen dangerously low."

Sure enough, when Jaune checked, Weiss's aura was almost entirely gone, just a small sliver remaining. She was well past the red zone.

"Once a competitor's aura hits the red zone, the official may then call the match," Glynda continued. Whatever followed that sentence, however, was lost on Jaune as she felt herself once again begin drifting off to sleep. Without the excitement of the match, there wasn't really much reason for her to keep listening. She'd heard this all before, and she was still… so… tired…

She heard the teacher continue to drone on for the remainder of the lesson, and was snapped from her stupor by Pyrrha, who shook her shoulders.

"The lesson is over, Jeanne. Are you sure you're okay? I've never seen you this tired."

Jaune sat up sharply, looking at the girl. "Sorry about that. I'm not entirely sure why, but I keep falling asleep."

"Well, that was our last class for the day; maybe you should have a nap back in our dorm?"

Jaune smiled. "Thanks, Pyrrha. I might just do that."