Chapter 9: No Pressure

Neo sat with her back against the wall outside of Ozpin's office. She'd arrived nearly thirty minutes earlier, but was told to wait, as the headmaster was in the middle of a very important conference. She considered leaving a few times as the wait drug on since it wasn't Ozpin she was actually looking for. Her intention was to find General Ironwood, but seeing as she has no idea where he stayed when he visited, or if he were even still at the school right now, here seemed like a good place to start asking.

'I don't know why I'm even bothering,' she thought, feeling on the verge of falling asleep. 'Even if I find him there's nothing I can say that'll change his mind about letting me into the tournament. Why do I care in the first place? Sure, it's a pretty big event, but it's not like I'm not about to win, or even take a medal. I'll be lucky to make it past the first round judging by what I've seen of the competition from the other schools. No, I have to at least try. I can tell how much Weiss and the rest of the team want me to compete, I can't give up so easily. If I'd done that before, I wouldn't be here.'

She groaned and leant her head back against the wall, hoping that she'd be let in soon. It didn't help that she was still somewhat tired from last night, not that she minded, and soon that got the better of her. She tilted to the side and laid down on the floor, resting her head on her hands as a makeshift pillow, and nodded off. "Is there something I can help you with?" Professor Ozpin asked as he exited his office another ten minutes later, tapping her on the shoulder to rouse her.

"Wha...?" Neo asked groggilly, wiping a bit of drool off her chin. "Oh, good morning professor!"

He nodded, taking a drink from his mug, "Good morning to you. I take it you have something important to see me for, otherwise I can't imagine you having waited this long."

"Fairly important, I guess," she said as she returned to her feet. "I'm looking for General Ironwood."

As if on cue, the general walked through the office doors and stood beside Ozpin, "And why would you need to see me?"

Neo gulped nervously, not expecting their encounter to come so soon, "I uh... I wanted to ask you to please reconsider my entry in the tournament."

"I'm sorry, but my decision is final," he replied coldly.

"Please? I've been working so hard to stay ahead in my classes, I want to show what I'm capable of!"

Ozpin took the opportunity to interject and help her cause, "Come to think of it, your exam scores have been extraordinarily high for someone with no prior schooling."

"Thank you professor, it just takes a lot of time in the library," Neo smiled. "That and Weiss is a really good teacher."

"I believe it," Ozpin smiled back.

Ironwood, of course, didn't see any reason to smile, "Enough. This has nothing to do with grades. While I don't necessary believe you are a direct threat to the festival, your presence in the tournament could still result in chaos."

"I don't see how..." Neo trailed off before giving the general a quizzical look. "Wait, are you saying... you don't think I'm still with Cinder?"

"Correct, I don't," he replied with a slightly warmer tone than before. "While I know that Ozpin's watch on you ended weeks ago, mine continued until just last night. I've seen enough to believe that you are truly here for the reasons you say you are."

"Thank you sir. That means a lot from..." she began, but trailed off again. A question came to her mind that she already knew the answer to, but still had to ask. "Umm... Just out of curiosity, what made you stop your watch over me?"

"I think you know exactly why. To answer you next question, no, my informant did not stay to witness your... amorous activities. Anyway, returning to the original matter. I need you to understand that I don't want you to compete because I fear it will make you a target, even more than you likely already are. The safety of everyone is my highest concern, and I won't put you in danger if I believe I can avoid it."

Neo's face fell, and Ozpin decided to give it one more try, "James, let's be honest. If they already intend to harm her, then whether or not she participates is irrelevant. And if they don't, then her participation is highly unlikely to distract them from whatever it is they are already planning. What are you truly gaining by not letting her compete?"

"You would make the same decision were you in my position. I'd be risking too much, including both of our positions here."

"Then I have one final proposal: Should anything happen because of her participation, I will assume full responsibility for it. I have enough faith in her that I am willing to take that risk upon myself."

The room went quiet. Ironwood and Neo were both stunned by the headmaster's offer, and Neo spoke in almost a whisper, "You would do that for me?"

Ozpin nodded and turned back to his colleague, "It's your decision, James. I won't push any further should you still say no."

With a heavy sigh, the general shook his head, and looked at Neo with a faint grin, "Very well. But, I will hold you to your word, Ozpin. Neo, I'll see that you are entered in the tournament by the end of the day. Good luck."

Neo was speechless, but only for a brief moment before sprinting forward and wrapping Ironwood in a hug, "Thank you thank you thank you! I promise nothing will happen, and I haven't broken a promise yet!"

He smiled as she broke the embrace, "Let's just hope that streak holds." With that, he turned and walked down the stairs.

Neo looked up at Ozpin, almost unable to contain herself, "Thank you so much professor. I still can't believe you'd do that for me."

"I stand by all of my students," he said, and started back into his office. "Now then, I expect your teammates will be wanting to hear the good news. I'll see you Friday at the tournament."

Neo nodded and rushed off to inform the team. It was a brilliant day outside. Bright sun, light clouds, and a it was much much, much warmer than the night before. Neo felt as if the breeze were carrying her along as she ran, like nothing could ruin how happy she was. She arrived at their dorm panting slightly, but still full of energy. She burst through the doors with a massive smile. "Hey guys, guess what? Ironwood changed his-" she stopped when she saw Weiss sitting on her bed, sobbing uncontrollably, with Yang and Weiss on either side trying to calm her down. Ruby sat beside Yang, and gave Neo a sad look. "What's going on?"

Yang shook her head and handed Neo Weiss' scroll, "Just read this."

She took the device and read the message it had been opened to in her head, 'Weiss, I was informed by a client of mine, who attended the same restaurant as you yesterday evening, that you are in an apparent relationship with another girl at the academy. I am incredibly disappointed, and I want to speak with both of you immediately. I will be awaiting you call. Father.'

Neo's eyes widened, "No... You don't think he...?"

Weiss nodded, still crying, "I-I can't th-think of w-why else he'd want us to c-call." She suddenly jumped up from the bed and pulled Neo in a tight embrace. "I-I don't want to lose you..."

"Shh, shh, it'll be okay," Neo tried to say reassuringly, but her voice cracked from trying not to cry herself. Ruby quickly ran over to join in and add her support, and soon the whole team was wrapped in a group hug.

Blake was the first the step back, "Do you think you should call him?"

"It's not like we have much of a choice" the heiress replied, wiping her eyes. "He's my father, I can't just ignore him."

"We'd better not keep him waiting then," Neo said, taking Weiss by the hand. "Should we go to the library and make a call?" Weiss nodded weakly, and the two left the room, being sure to take their time as they walked. Neither girl spoke until they exited the dorms, because frankly neither one knew what to say.

Weiss broke the silence as they started on the path toward the library, "This can't be happening... It just can't..."

"I wish it weren't," Neo replied solemnly. "I mean, he can't really keep us from seeing each other, can he?"

"Honesty, he'd probably transfer me to another academy if that's what it would take."

Neo smiled faintly, "I don't know about you, but it'll take a lot more than that to keep me from seeing you."

"I know," Weiss replied, giving Neo a peck on the lips. "That's why I love you, and always will, no matter what he says."

They arrived after a short detour through the gardens to collect their thoughts and enjoy the weather. Normally the library was like a second home to Weiss, but now it carried a much more foreboding atmosphere. They asked the librarians at the front desk for a private room to make a call, and were directed to a section in the back right of the building with several such rooms. The couple sat slab in front of the monitor, already wanting to leave. Neo closed the door, and the two took a deep breath together as Weiss plugged in her scroll to make the call.

"Hello, Schnee World Headquarters, how may I help you?" a cheerful woman asked on the screen. "Oh, Miss Schnee! How may I be of assistance?"

"Can you patch me through to my father, please?" the heiress shakily replied.

"Of course, just one moment."

The picture turned to a hold screen, and the couple shared a nervous glance. Neo sighed, "Here we go."

The screen went to static for a moment before a white-haired man appeared, bearing a strong resemblance to Weiss. "Hello, Father," she greeted him.

"Good afternoon, Weiss," he replied flatly. "I believe you have some explaining to do."

She shook her head, "There's really not much to explain. This is Neo, she's my girlfriend. I love her. That's all there is to it."

Her father's expression remained blank, "I see. How long has this been going on for?"

"Just over three weeks," Weiss said, her voice sounding incredibly small. Neo could see another wave of tears forming behind her eyes, but didn't want to interrupt, fearing what could happen if she did.

"And why," he continued, "Did I come to hear of this the way I did, and not from you?"

Weiss couldn't hold it together any longer, "Because I knew you'd forbid me from seeing her if I did." She began to sob again, and Neo pulled her in close so she could cry into her shoulder. She patted the heiress' back and stroked her hair, trying her best to calm her down, while also trying not to break down as well.

"Weiss," her father sternly interrupted. The heiress snapped back to attention, a few stray tears rolling down her cheeks. "I want to speak to you now, Neo."

She gulped, "Y-Yes sir?"

"Tell me," he said, folding his hands on top of his desk. "What kind of family do you come from?"

"I..." Neo started, looking down at the floor. "I don't know anything about my family. Not my real family at least."

"I see. Which combat school did you attend before enrolling at Beacon?"

"I didn't..." she answered, sinking down into her chair. "It's a long story. I don't have a very clean past, but I'm working to make a better future for myself. Ozpin let me enroll so I would have the chance redeem myself."

His expression didn't waver, "Yes, I'm quite aware of your past. We have you on the company record here from your... previous affiliation. All of our warehouses and train cars are equipped with surveillance cameras. You've caused us a considerable amount trouble."

"Oh..." Neo said quietly. At that moment, she wanted a trapdoor to open beneath her chair, and she didn't care where it would take her. "I'm sorry sir, I swear I've changed." The room was silent for a few moments, neither girl knowing what to say.

Weiss' father sighed and turned back to his daughter, "Weiss, princess, this isn't easy for me to say, believe me, but I can't allow this relationship continue."

"No! You can't do that!" she shrieked. "I don't care if you don't like that I'm a lesbian! I am, and nothing will change that!"

Her father's expression was still the same as when the call started; very neutral, not showing any emotion. He looked at Weiss for a moment before turning to Neo, then back to Weiss. "That's not my concern here," he said calmly. Weiss cocked her head at the statement, unsure of what he meant. "I've had a lot of time to think about this after you came out to me. You're my daughter, and I'll always support you, no matter what."

The heiress' tears now turned to ones of joy, overwhelmed by her father's words, "R-Really? Thank you, you don't know how happy I am to hear you say that! But wait, why are you saying we can't be together then?"

Now his face fell somewhat, for the first time showing any emotion towards the conversation. He shook his head, "My objection comes from her past, specifically because of how much it involves our company. The two of you being together would seriously damage our credibility once word gets out of who she is. I'm sorry, but it's too much of a risk."

Weiss looked heartbroken, and rightly so, but Neo wasn't giving up so easily, "Sir, please at least give me a chance to show you who I am now. As much as I don't want it to, my past will always follow me, and there's nothing I can do to change that. But that's not who I am anymore. I'm not a criminal, I'm training to be a Huntress like everyone else here, because I want to right the wrongs I've done. I can't hide my past, but there has to be something I can do show how far I've come."

"I wish it were that simple," he replied. "The media is quick to use anything they can find against you, and you would need something very significant to overshadow your history. Short of national recognition for something truly outstanding, I don't see what could be done to redeem you in the public eye enough for this to continue."

Neo's eyes widened, "The tournament... Ironwood changed his mind earlier and said he'll enter me. It's the Vytal Festival Tournament, would earning a high standing be enough?"

"Wait, he changed his mind?" Weiss asked in disbelief before hugging Neo. "That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you!" She turned back to her father, looking very hopeful. "Would that be enough? It has to be, it just has to!"

"I suppose it could work..." her father said, getting lost in his thoughts. "That is the most prestigious combat tournament in all of Remnant. Placing in the tournament would surely give me the ability to defend you to the public, should your past come into question... Very well. Should you place in the tournament, the two of you will have my approval. Until then, I want you to keep your relationship quiet. Should you not place, I suppose we can look into other options, but I wouldn't have high hopes for that."

Neo wore a confident smile, "Then the tournament it is. Thank you sir, I promise I'll earn your approval."

"We won't let you down," Weiss added, finally able to smile again.

Her father smiled back, "I know you won't. Now then, I have business to return to, and I believe you should get to training. I wish the both of you good luck in the tournament. Goodbye."

He hung up the call, leaving Neo and Weiss smiling from ear to ear at each other. They were both at a loss for words, and so they came together for long, passionate kiss to convey their emotions instead. Neo's body felt numb. Having gone from the crippling fear of knowing she could lose Weiss to now knowing that she could actually earn the approval of the heiress' father, her mind was working overtime to process everything she was feeling. The embrace ended nearly a minute later, and Neo couldn't stop smiling.

She ran her hands through her hair, "I can't believe it... He's not making us break up. Not yet at least. Of everything he could've said, I never thought that would happen."

"Believe it, it really happened," Weiss replied, spinning in her chair out of sheer happiness. "Do you think you can do it? Place in the tournament I mean?" She looked at Neo hopefully, but was met with an uneasy stare. While she looked confident during the call, inside her head, Neo was just shy of panicking.

"I really don't know. I'm a pretty good fighter, but have you seen some of these kids? I don't stand a chance against more than half of them. How well do I have to do to place?"

Weiss' expression now matched her girlfriend's, "You have to take first, second or third place to receive a medal."

"Oh... Shit..." Neo said, feeling the same hopelessness now as when the two arrived to make the call. "I thought it was based on scores from matches like training class is. I didn't know I had to practically win the tournament! There's no way!"

"Don't say that! Come on, let's head to the practice fields and have a few sparring matches. We'll keep doing a few a day until the tournament starts a so we can have you in as best shape as possible."

Neo smiled, "Sounds like a plan. We should probably go back to the room first and tell everyone what happened, they'll be eager to know after the way we left." Weiss nodded and they got up to leave. Neo chuckled to herself as they walked out the door, and Weiss shot her a confused look. "It looks like Beo is finally gonna get her wish. The two of you will be spending a lot of quality time together over the next few days."

Weiss rolled her eyes, and the pair rushed back to their dorm to deliver the good and bad news to the rest of the team. They arrived to find their teammates sitting quietly on their beds, waiting to hear the expected result from the call. The smiles on Neo and Weiss' faces, however, instantly turned the mood in the room around, and now the three jumped down and ran over to the couple, eager to hear what'd happened. Weiss explained everything that was said, and what Neo had to do now for their relationship to continue.

"Wow..." was all they could say say as the heiress finished speaking.

Ruby looked at Neo with concern, "Do you really think you can win the tournament?"

"Not at all," Neo replied, shaking her head. "But, that doesn't mean I'm not gonna try."

"You'll be fine," Yang said casually, bringing up the tournament bracket on her scroll. "It looks like you'll have to win eight matches to get to the finals, which would guarantee you a medal. That's not too bad."

"No pressure," Blake added sarcastically.

Neo's eyes nearly popped out of her head at the statement, "Eight matches? Well... Weiss, it was fun while it lasted."

"Neo, be serious," the heiress scolded. "Come on, let's get out to the training grounds before it gets dark."

"Why don't we all come with you?" Blake offered as the couple moved to the door. "I'd be good for you to mix up who you're sparring with. Maybe we could see if Pyrrha can come too, she's easily the best fighter out of all of us."

Weiss nodded and the team departed, heading off toward JNPR's room. Nora answered the door and informed them that Jaune and Pyrrha were already out training, and to go to the practice fields to find them. Neo thanked her and the team now ran out to the fields to find them and get start Neo sparring as fast as possible. They reached the fields and were able to easily locate Jaune and Pyrrha, who happily agreed to help after hearing what happened.

The next couple of hours were very productive, with several sparring matches and group battles to expose Neo to some scenarios she hasn't faced before. Of course, it was Beo whom they were with during this time, and it was very strange for them to actually be conversing with her. The dramatic difference between the girl's personalities showed even more with the way Beo spoke and acted. At times, it truly scared the group, but they got past it eventually.

The session ended as the sun dipped behind the horizon, and Neo returned to control of herself, extremely exhausted from how physical the last few hours had been. The group went back to pick up Nora and Ren from the dorms, and then moved on to go eat in the dining hall. Neo's appetite closely resembled that of the day she arrived, which made Nora very happy. Another food bet was offered, but Neo declined, still wanting revenge after the last bet the two had had. After dinner, they all went back to team JNPR's room to play cards and wind down after the long day. Neo stayed for a while, seeming to have a knack for Remnant: The Gameā„¢, but around nine o'clock she decided to turn in a little early, wanting to have as much strength as possible for tomorrow, which would undoubtedly be even more strenuous than this afternoon had been. After showering and putting on pajamas, she flopped onto her bed with the intention of falling asleep as soon as possible.

"Hey Neo," an elegant voice greeted her from the doorway, and she turned with a smile to see Weiss, who walked over and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "How're you feeling?"

Neo yawned, stretching her arms as she did, "Tired."

"I can tell," Weiss laughed, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "I just wanted to tell you, I'm really proud of the way you've handled everything today. I know you could've easily given up at any point, and no one would blame you if you did, but you're not, and it means so much to me that you're willing to do this so that we can stay together."

"I haven't backed down so far, I'm not about to start now," Neo smiled. She pulled Weiss in for a hug, giving her a kiss on the lips once the embrace ended. "I love you."

"I love you too," the heiress said, blushing slightly. The two were quiet for a moment before Weiss stood up and grabbed her nightwear off the dresser. "I'm going to get changed and call it a night as well," she said, moving toward the bathroom.

Neo giggled, "You know, you don't have to go in the bathroom to change anymore. I've already seen you naked, it's not like you have to hide anything."

Weiss was a little reluctant, but decided Neo was right. She stripped off her normal clothes in exchange for her pajamas, and walked back over to Neo.

"Good night," she said sweetly, pecking her girlfriend on the lips.

"G'night!" Neo replied. Weiss turned to go to her own bed, but Neo grabbed her arm to stop her. "And just where do you think you're going?" she asked playfully.

The heiress smiled and happily climbed under the covers with Neo, snuggling up and letting the rhythm of her partner's breathing help her to sleep.

'Why can't anything I have to do here be simple?' Neo thought. 'I don't doubt I'll do well in the tournament, but winning? Even getting to the finals at all would be a miracle. I guess I've gotten this far though, let's just hope whatever I've been doing right keeps working for me.' With that, she smiled and settled in against Weiss, who by now was already asleep, and it didn't take Neo long to follow her. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to sleep for very long.

"Neo! Neo, wake up!" an urgent voice suddenly whispered, pulling her of her dreams. She opened her eyes and strained in the dark to see Yang, who looked extremely worried.

"Yang? What the hell?" Neo asked with a yawn. "Why are you-?"

"You need to come with me to Ozpin's office right," the blonde interrupted, her voice getting louder as she went on. "General Ironwood called the whole team in, he said he needs to talk to you right away."

At this point, Weiss had also awoken to hear the end of Yang's sentence, "Why would he need to see her?"

Yang shrugged, "I dunno, but I don't wanna keep him waiting. Come on!"

She grabbed Neo and Weiss by the wrist and yanked them from bed and out of the room. Weiss was very annoyed she wasn't able to change into more decent clothes, but she wasn't about to break out of the brawler's iron grip. Meanwhile, Neo was racking her brain as to why Ironwood would want to see her so urgently. She never reached an answer as the three ascended the stairs to the headmaster's office and came running through the doors. Inside, the rest of team RWBY, along with Ozpin, Glynda and Ironwood stood waiting for them.

"Good evening," Ozpin greeted, still holding his coffee mug. "Please, come join the rest of your team."

The girls did so, and Ironwood cleared his throat before addressing them, "Thank you for coming so quickly. I have a few questions I need to ask you, specifically targeted toward Neo. First, where did you go after leaving here this morning after our discussion?"

"I went right back to the room," Neo said, looking fearful. The general nodded for her to continue. "When I got back, I found out Weiss had gotten a message from her dad about our relationship, and we went to the library to call him."

"I see. Ozpin, can you verify the time of the call?" Ironwood asked.

"I already have," he replied with an exasperated sigh. "The call was placed not twenty minutes after I last saw her."

"Where did you go after that?" Glynda asked, sounding much more soothing than the general.

Neo was still confused as to why they wanted to know all of this, but didn't argue, "We all went out to the training fields for the afternoon. Jaune and Pyrrha joined us as well. After that we went to dinner with the rest of team JNPR, played cards for a while, then Weiss and I went to bed."

Ironwood looked suspicious, "What time did you two turn in?"

Neo shrugged, "I don't know exactly, around quarter after nine I think. What time is it now?"

"Just past midnight," Ozpin replied, turning back to his colleague. "Satisfied, James?"

"Not quite," was his response, narrowing his eyes at Neo. "I find it very suspicious that this would happen the day after my watch over her ended."

"What are you talking about?" Ruby asked innocently. "What happened?"

Glynda sighed, "It seems Roman escaped from prison, possibly with some outside help. And James here seems to think-"

"That it was me..." Neo completed, turning to the general with a hurt expression. "You think I did it?"

He sighed, "I can't rule out the possibility. And it seems we have nearly three hours where you're unaccounted for."

"Impossible," Weiss interjected, folding her arms and acting like her usual self. "She was in bed with me that entire time. If she had gotten up to leave, I would've been woken up as well."

"I'm afraid that's not good enough to prove whether or not she-" Ironwood said before Ozpin interrupted.

"Enough!" he yelled, slamming his cup down on his desk. It was incredibly rare to see the headmaster lose his temper, but Ironwood had succeeded in pushing him past his level of tolerance. "I've had enough of this, James. You have no reason at all to suspect she was involved in any way. Until you can produce any evidence that goes against what she's said, this matter is closed. I will not have you harassing my students like this without any justification for your actions, am I clear? You may have been appointed head of security, but I am still headmaster here, and the festival has yet to even begin. I've put up with this until now, but I've reached my limit. Team RWBY, you're dismissed. I need to speak to the general alone."

The girls wasted no time in leaving the room as fast as possible, shutting the doors behind them and exiting the building before Ironwood had the chance to object. They ran back to their dorm and stopped to catch their breath once their all were inside. "I've never seen Ozpin that angry before," Blake said quietly after they'd all had a moment to think about what had happened.

Yang crossed her arms, "Well yeah, I've never seen Ironwood be that much a prick before. What the fuck is his problem?"

"Like I said," Neo sighed, returning to her bed. "He won't trust me until I kill Cinder right in front of him."

She got back under the covers, and Weiss eagerly joined her. The heiress smiled, "Just ignore him, we've got bigger things to worry about right now. For instance, getting back to sleep so you'll be ready to get back to training tomorrow."

Neo smiled and gave her kiss, "You're right. Let's just hope we don't get woken up again."

The two fell asleep in each other's arms before the rest of the team had even finished changing into their nightwear. Neo smiled as she dreamt about what it would be like if she were to win the tournament, and what the future has in store for her and Weiss. In the back of her mind though, Roman's escape deeply worried her, especially being this close to the festival. Whatever they were planning had to be big, and knowing that she had a target painted on her back, most likely at least, didn't make her feel any better. For now, all she could do was wait and try to prepare for whatever lay ahead. Ready or not though, her greatest trails were only just beginning.

Hello hello, hope you enjoyed the chapter! As always, leave a review if you've got something you'd like to share, and follow to get updates when they come out! The tournament is approaching fast, do you think Neo will win? What could Cinder be planning? How the fuck do magnets work? I'll see you all next time for the answers! Well, not necessarily next chapter, but soon.