Unknown Legends

by KTWizard

In a land he doesn't know, he is surrounded by things he can't understand. Rules, Government, Weapons, Schooling, even their Goals. They are all unknowns, but so is he to them. Link, and the memories of his friends. But there is one common rule between their world and his. The Unknown has the Advantage. So he will remain just that as long as he can. [Pre-Season 3, Min-Canon Change]

11. A Day or Two for Recompense

Chapter 10: A Day or Two for Recompense

Author's Note:

There were comments last chapter regarding the oddity of Link using Magic so openly after proclaiming the importance of the unknown, not to mention it felt very fillery. I'd like to quickly address that.

Yes, last chapter felt like filler, but there were several key factors involved. I didn't want to point them out because you tend NOT to notice what's important in real life until after it passes.

To give a point I did another reviewer, everyone who appeared in last chapter will appear again. That should emphasize the importance of the chapter going forward, for motivations, feelings, etc.

That should also play into the penalties. While I can't say Link's punishment is detrimental, though he is getting one shortly, the real consequences come later.

I'm trying to avoid having all the villains sit around a campfire and layout their plans, because the real shock of RWBY is seeing the plan go forward and having no idea where it's going. I'm attempting that here, and I'm laying out the pieces for it.

So, hopefully, in the next 2-3 chapters, you'll see something big happen, big enough to make you realize that this is no longer play time, and you'll be able to trace back through the other chapters just how the villains did it.

Knowledge, means, opportunity, it's all there. You're just ever watching the story from the perspective of a singular character, not an omniscient reader.

So please, do continue to comment and review, but be aware that, much like the rule of Chekov, anything introduced in a story must have purpose later.

I live by this rule.

---

Ozpin was rather used to having his way. Not for merely his title, of course, but for his way with logic and words. Perhaps a benefit to his age, maybe a natural talent, but whether long or short, Ozpin always did end up earning his way to what he desired.

But having his way agreed upon so quickly was a rarity, especially when it was a punishment being discussed.

"That was a rather quick agreement, Link." Ozpin spoke up as he stared at his newest and perhaps most interesting faculty member. The faunus across from him made, of course, not a sound he could hear. "It makes me believe you acted with the idea knowing you'd need forgiveness, foregoing asking for permission."

"Well, technically he did ask for permission," Tatl corrected, bobbing by Link's green hat as she spoke. "He just broke the rule you set. And like I said before, Link's a man of his word." She did say those words, and Link was demonstrating the honesty of the statement. Ozpin had no need to hide his grin behind his mug.

"And a swift agreement on all parties is always acceptable to me," Glynda spoke up, eyes on her pad and glancing up only to deliver a hard glare at Link. That was hardly necessary, given the agreement they had reached. "I only have to add the request that for any future… expeditions to Vale be done with another faculty member. Not students who have, stated in my records, to have been either shocked still or swept up, and I quote, into the jam, end quote."

"That was Nora, right?" Tatl asked, needlessly, but humorously. Ozpin hid his grin now with coffee. "Good thing one of them had a good time. Figures that couple of the team couldn't understand when it was time to just let loose." It was likely to Link's benefit that he hid his face at the fairy's words. Glynda likely would have burned him with her gaze, otherwise.

"Regardless of that, I am glad you agreed to this Link." Ozpin focused his attention on the faunus, turning Glynda's attention away from the fairy. Another argument was far from necessary. "I assure you that by day's end this small recompense will be settled and we can proceed as if little has happened."

"Nothin' to argue there," Tatl added, bobbing about Link as she spoke. "I'm just kinda surprised you guys didn't jump on Link for what Lana did. And yeah, Lana did it." Knowing the girl the fairy spoke of, it wasn't hard to see her reasoning.

"As a foreigner, you may not be aware, but Link truly did little that was against Vale's laws. Certainly nothing egregious," Glynda explained, as she so easily did a great many of things. Ozpin admitted to himself he would have made it a question. "Verbose, to be sure, but no ammunition was fired and permission was granted by the proctor of the stands before the… concert. At worst, she is guilty of excessive noise levels."

"In short, your only error is on you," Ozpin added. He saw Link quirk a brow. Ozpin hide his grin behind his mug. "Were you not the one teaching of the value of the Unknown?"

"Whoa! Kay, first of all, it was Lana that did all that. Lana, not Link," Tatl explained again. She seemed rather adamant to the point. Ozpin wasn't so sure. "Second, that's just how things roll sometimes, give a little to get a little."

"Quite," Ozpin returned. This train of thought was derailing the more important conversation. Fun as it was, there was at least some work to do. "But are there any questions regarding the reparations?"

"Aside from being watched by Triple B, ya mean?" Ozpin slightly nodded his head at the fairy's question. It was merely to specify the terms, nothing more. Certainly not an insult… likely unlike the name itself.

"W-We just have to talk, right?" Tael spoke up, rare as he was to. Ozpin gave the darker fairy his full attention. "We've been, um… the doctor has been talking to us. S-So it's alright. It's fun to talk. Easier…" Talking was easier in many situations. Hopefully he also understood the necessity of the words as well.

"Certainly, and yes," Ozpin clarified to Tael. "We can begin now if you wish. As I'm sure Link has class to proctor soon, do you not?" The Beacon Headmaster took another slow sip of his coffee to hid his grin, watching the faunus blink at the words. It was the advantage of living in a clock tower. Time rarely escaped him.

"We still have approximately four hours' time before lessons begin," Glynda spoke up, punctual as she always was. "It is ample time for Link to prepare for the one scheduled fight this evening, followed by the proctoring of lessons."

"Well that's good," Tatl spoke up. "Don't try and freak us out like that either! Seriously, what kind of guy says stuff like 'you're gonna be late' without actually meaning it?" The fairy rang and danced about with her words, in a manner many children's authors would love to imitate.

Ozpin turned his attention when Link stood, the two fairies moving to match his motion. They bobbed and rang, sprinkling their dust to match his height. His lips were moving, very lightly, the only way Ozpin had ever been able to tell the faunus was speaking.

Words were good, though they could only be heard by two members in the room, both winged and very small. He exchanged a slow glance with Glynda, who gave him only the bat of an eye before turning her own focus to her pad. Expected, but humorous still.

It was still the day after Link's adventure to Vale, enough time for plans to be made and any tensions to settle. It was useless to make decisions in the midst of high emotions. Even the most competent of leaders needed hours to cool before they took hard action.

Ozpin thought himself no different, and he knew well enough that Glynda would need the day before any punishment was handed out. The fairies as well, as their defensiveness about Link was likely just as heated.

But it had succeeded in the end. Not but a day's cycle after Link had left for Vale and now he was ready to return to class. A duel in the arena, suggested by another high-confident student from Atlas, and classes would begin again.

If Ozpin was correct in his timing, it was nearly time for Link to begin handling the classes himself.

It was doubtful Glynda would have forgotten such a detail, as careful with schedules as she was. Link, however, may need reminding. It would make for a pleasant surprise though, doubtlessly. Giving him a bit of leverage to show there truly was no ill will.

He had made a mistake, but it was neither heinous nor malicious. It was just that, a flaw in action. And he was paying for it for the day.

Tatl and Tael would share information with him, and that would be it.

He only had to be sure to ask questions Bartholomew would not think, or care, to ask of.

"Kay, guess you're all set then," Tatl spoke up. Ozpin was under no illusions it was the first time she had spoken to Link. He could hear their rings for words just as they could hear his breaths. Perhaps he should ask the young Ms. Scarlatina for aid next time they spoke. Ms. Belladonna would not appreciate being outed. "We'll keep Greenie here bored till you come back. Bet he'll beg to be left alone after we're done here."

Humorous as a well-timed joke.

"That will be an interesting point in time," Ozpin spoke, nodding towards the fairies. "Link, I believe we are all set then. I'll simply be borrowing your companions until the classes are finished. We'll be here when you are done." The faunus bowed at the words, rising again with his gentle smile.

It was simple to see why some of the young women were smitten with him. Strong and kind was a deadly combination. Youthful helped, at least in appearance. Dr. Oobleck had already confirmed from the fairies Link was well over the normal age of a student. Just another reason he deserved to be higher in the Academy.

Ozpin watched as the faunus walked to the elevator, entering it and pressing the necessary button in a single practiced motion. Odd, considering how unpracticed Ozpin knew it to be. But it was a benefit of his skill, doubtlessly. Regardless, Link was gone with a small whoosh of the metallic doors.

"You are not joining him, Glynda," Ozpin asked his colleague with a turn of his head. The fairies bobbed at the words, floating about the room. If they were speaking to one another, it was another conversation he could not hear. "I believe he still needs you to proctor the student duel."

"I will join him after he has left the elevator," Glynda replied with an edge that matched the corner of a building. "Agreed as it is, I am still uneasy to accept Link's aloof attitude, or the lack of control he has amongst his friends."

"Careful, Triple B, I'm still here ya know." Ozpin had not forgotten the golden fairy. It was just as unlikely Glynda had. Tael, on the other hand, swooped down and hid behind Ozpin's coat. He gave the dark fairy a look of concern before he felt the small being perch on him. Likely comfort when conflict brewed. "Better watch what you say about my friends."

"I am more concerned for what I would do in Link's company than he in mine, Tatl." Ozpin took a slow sip of his coffee as Glynda fixed her usually icy stare at the golden fairy. His mug felt a degree colder by vicinity alone. The fairy, however, only rang at the challenge.

She rang, and the bell for the elevator did as well.

"Regardless, I will be leaving now. Ozpin." Glynda dismissed herself before the Headmaster could utter a word, folding up her scroll and marching towards the elevator, heels clicking the way there. He held his breath until she entered, timing perfect for the arrival for the elevator back to the top floor. Hers was a practiced entrance.

"Time," Tatl muttered as the elevator doors shut. Ozpin raised a brow at the word, used as if a curse of some kind. Likely a question he would have to ask about. "That woman really doesn't know when to let off, does she? It's like she's got the worst kind of superiority complex, and doesn't even have the gall to back it up!" Ozpin had a hundred counters to that statement.

"Sh-She did attack that general though, um, in the Badlands." But it appeared Tael had one himself. Ozpin gave a small grin, mug away from his lips, as the darker fairy flew up. "She's nice… when she's on our side."

"Yeah, and how often is that?" Tatl countered as she flew up to her brother. The usual soothing gray light followed their close vicinity. It was a wonder if siblings in fairies worked that way often or not. Their rules were different from humans, and likely faunus as well. "She's the one who's reporting every little thing like some golem in a temple, keeping an eye out for every detail."

"It is her occupation to notice the small details," Ozpin clarified, eyes no longer on the fairies. He had moved his attention to the screen on his desk, tapping out commands with his free hand. It was always easier to use when there were no pressing matters to attend. His actions were less obvious. "And believe me when I say she will fight to the death to help those who are on her side."

"I've gotta see it before I believe it." Ozpin had to chuckle at that comment, only due to the nature of who was speaking it. If Tatl noticed, which she doubtlessly did, she made no special note of it. "But what are you doin' with that desk, or screen, scroll, whatever you call it!" His chuckle was laughter then. Not fish out of water, but fairies out of the woods. Remnant was an alien land to them.

"Screen will work," Ozpin replied, composure quickly returning. "It is useful for many tasks, but at the moment, I only wish to see what Link does without his friends nearby." Ozpin knew the moment he opened the screen just how that would sound aloud. Thankfully, when the words were finished, he'd have his answer prepared.

"What!?" Tatl yelled, as expected. "You're spying on Link! After all the crap you said about respect and stuff, you just go off and start watching him literally behind his back!?" An understandably sour topic, but one he was truly prepared for.

"To watch the students, Tatl, not just him." He took a sip of his mug as the mini-drones loaded their feeds. Blips of screens began to light his table, images of students walking in their school attire. His academy's attire. "He is a new faculty member and I must ensure that even when he assumes no eyes are on him, he acts according to the policies set in place. To use a metaphor… I want to ensure he does not wear a mask for our meetings."

In honesty, Ozpin just wanted to see the fairies riled.

The greatest information came from heated conversations. It was the oxymoron that he loved to play with through his years. Never deal when high in emotion, but always attempt for discussion. Details were as loose as the boundaries that were drawn in those mind frames.

"Well I'll save ya the trouble. He doesn't, like ever. Look," Tatl spoke up as the specific screen of Link came into focus. She bobbed above it, sprinkling her golden dust over the image. It didn't stick as he suspected it would.

Ozpin blinked at the screen. Link looked unaware of his surroundings, giving neither wave nor nod to the many students that passed him by. Arms wrapped around the top of his head, as if to cover his massive ears, he appeared rather immune to the world. But there was something off. Something… difficult.

It wasn't until Ozpin looked ahead of Link that he noticed it. A girl was waiting for him. She was wearing rather simple attire, not the academy's, but also appearing relaxed against the wall she was leaning on. A bow was tucked behind her back, obvious despite its collapsed state. Her red-neon hair blocked her view of Link's approach, but only from one side.

Ozpin, soon as he saw the bow, recognized the girl.

"That is Garnet," Ozpin spoke from his side of the desk. He slowly lowered his mug at the girl that approached Link. It was hard to forget the face of the girl that had, intentionally or not, set Link down the path to the Badlands. He reached for his scroll, ready to contact Glynda and inform her of Garnet's proximity to Link. If they met it would be catastrophic.

"Hey, calm down Greenie," Tatl spoke up from his side. He had enough time to flash her a look of concern. Perhaps she didn't see who Link was approaching. It was of little matter. He didn't need to justify his actions when safety was priority. "I said chill it. There's nothing goin' wrong. I see what you're freaking out about, but trust me. Nothing's gonna happen."

Ozpin spared the golden fairy a look now, watching as gold dust fell from her path, matched in tune with her ringing. He held his finger over Glynda's pad number, staring up at the screen as Link drew closer and closer to Garnet. It was obvious what would happen.

Link had nearly removed Garnet from the Academy, only the grace of the wound's location saving her. Nothing that couldn't be saved through quick care and Aura Replenishment. However, wounds to pride were usually much deeper.

The girl approached him, stance tight and head to the side. It was the look many high-confident students had. It was one they rarely wore in the presence of a clear superior, as Link had demonstrated before. It made it all the more disturbing to watch. Did she have ill intention? The chance was high. But Tatl was just as sure of the opposite. Curious, but disturbing.

Garnet reached her hand out, walking towards Link with the motion. She had no weapon the mini-drone's camera could show, no clear tool, but concealing weapons was an art as old as painting. Link appeared unaware, giving only a small gaze towards the girl he had nearly maimed.

That was until he raised his own hand and shook hers.

Without any sound, Ozpin watched as the girl on the screen grin at Link. The faunus returned the gesture, bowing his head lightly with the motion. It was followed, even more surprisingly, but the girl waving her free hand. That was… wholly unexpected.

"Surprised?" Tatl spoke up. Ozpin assumed his silence was evidence enough. He was careful with his mannerisms, even more so for his expressions. Tells in a position such as his would risk the lives of his students. "Yeah, not the first thing you expected to see, right?"

"Sis, what's going on?" Tael now. That was comforting, somewhat. It at least appeared whatever secret was between Link and Garnet had not extended past Tatl. Not even her own brother knew. "W-Why's Link… why's that girl so close to him? Didn't she try and… take you?" In the short time Ozpin had known the fairy, he was sure the dark life was not a liar. He sounded too pained to be one.

"Remember after Link went a little too far with Mikau and the swimming pool?" Tatl began ringing as she floated about Ozpin. He gave her a look, but little more. His eyes were still focused on Link and Garnet. It wasn't sure if he felt relief or betrayal at the she was smiling as she spoke to him. "Well, Link and I realized that we needed to do something to make sure it wasn't just a honey trap for us. Best way to do that was see how'd everyone would freak out if something went wrong. You know, like really wrong. Like squire to the healer bad."

"Are you about to tell me that Garnet agreed to this game of yours?"

The high ring from Tatl was all the answer Ozpin needed.

Despite himself, he felt a light grin pull at his lips.

"Clever, extremely clever. Well-crafted and well performed as well." It was truly something he would expect from actors on screens with more times spent in effects than on camera. It was marvelous job on their part, one that he would have to remember the steps for in the future. Perhaps to exercise himself.

"B-But how? Why?!" Tael actually raised his voice. Ozpin could hardly blame him. Still, he was thirsty. He took a sip of his coffee, drumming his fingers across the top of his cane. "Why'd Link do that? How did… H-How'd he even know Garnet would help? Why'd she help, she… she was hurt really bad." All good questions.

"First off, I talked to her." Tatl began. "Link was on lockdown and it's pretty easy to chat to the students when you're a fairy." Ozpin could see the truth in that statement. "The why? C'mon Tael, you're way smarter than I am. What do you think would have happened if Link just stayed put and did what Triple B said?" Ozpin knew that answer.

"A slow increase in progressively more dangerous and demanding matches that would lead to Link's eventual imprisonment by the Military, no matter my powers or stance at Beacon." It was the likely outcome. It was why he had been working on his own plans to free Link from the contract. Still, it appeared that Link enacted his plan quicker. It was hardly more effective, given the degree of damage and danger it imposed.

"Exactly," Tatl agreed. "So Link and I figured that if we hurt one of the kids, not killed obviously, we'd get one of you big guys to start something. Depending on what happened would've meant if we jumped ship or not. Good thing you were in our corner or else we'd have been on one of those fancy airships of yours."

Ozpin had no doubt to the fairy's words. Ludicrous, without doubt. A plan that hinged on Link being able to escape both the eye, reach, and might of the Military and Council combined. Ozpin, admittedly, would have been hard pressed to defend Link had he truthfully killed one of his students in such a way, no matter the pretense.

It all made him chuckle, a reaction he couldn't help as Garnet playfully punched Link's shoulder on the screen. He had been duped, completely and honestly.

"How did you convince the young Ms. Ether to agree to your plan?" Ozpin asked again. "I find it difficult to believe anyone, novice to master, would agree to such pain without reason." She had been stabbed through her abdomen, a blow that could be as lethal as it was painful.

"Pretty sure you're about to see that." Ah, so it was a trade. Ozpin had suspected it, but hearing it was a confirmation that still brought a light pull to his lips. Now he wondered what it was. He watched Link reach into his belts, searching for an object Ozpin had little idea of.

He wasn't sure what to think when Link produced an arrow as well as a paper scroll.

"Remember those arrows Link used against the Bellumgera?" Ozpin needed a moment to think of what the Bellumgera was. When he recounted the only time he had heard of Link using a bow, against the Grammite in the Badlands, he knew what Tatl was speaking of. "That arrow is an Ice Arrow. Think an arrow that makes a glacier as it lands on something. Scroll just tells ya how to make them."

Ah, so it was a trade of weaponry. For Garnet, a bowman by training and skilled at that, learning how to craft specialty arrows would be invaluable to her. If her observations of Link in the Arena were not enough, she would doubtlessly enjoy the use of new tools for her weapon. An invaluable addition without the risk of removing or damaging what she already possessed. It was the benefit to a bowman to be able to do that.

"Very clever, Tatl," Ozpin admitted. He truly had underestimated the fairy. His mistake for assuming her aptitude by her language. "Garnet Ether is a student visiting form Vacou. I am sure she will appreciate a tool as strong as that. It will likely make the temperatures of her home much more bearable. Ignoring the benefits of creating walls of safety." Ice was a versatile tool, especially when produced in quick measure.

Ozpin heard Tatl ring as he watched Garnet accept the arrow, pocketing it with extreme care onto her back. She must have been aware of its power. She did take time to look over the scroll, mostly with a screwed expression. It wasn't until she started to twist it left and right that Ozpin realized what was wrong.

"She can't read what is written." It wasn't a guess. This time the answer was obvious. Any doubts he may have had were confirmed when the girl turned the parchment back at Link, pointing at it with a truly exasperated expression. No… angry was the correct term. "The product of poor communication, and I fear it will lead to a nasty outcome."

"Kay, didn't expect that," Tatl admitted. He heard Tael ring at her words. The two did have a difference in their pitch, slight as it was. "But Link's not the kind of guy to back out of deal just cause. So neither are we." Ozpin was already assured of that fact, unspoken as it was before. But verbal confirmation was always nice.

It helped further to see Link on the screen indicating from the scroll to himself, signing something through his actions. Garnet was no faunus, so her hearing him was highly unlikely. But her expressions were softening, enough to show she was attempting to decipher his words. It took much less time for Ozpin to know what Link was saying.

"He is going to teach her how to make them." Ozpin noted again as he took a slow slip of his coffee. "A good way to ensure a deal is kept. A fine means to also further positive relations."

"I know Triple B and the Ice Princess think I'm a drone of some kind, but you're the one who sounds like a golem without a personality." Ozpin chuckled at Tatl's harsh words. It wasn't often others would so easily tell him off for his mannerisms. As long as it was non-confrontational, it was nothing to spite. "Sides, what are we gonna do now?"

"We?" Ozpin began carefully. "I believe that Doctor Oobleck is doing more than any information mining from the two of you to satisfy any inquiries I may have." He turned away from the scroll to approach his desk, sitting down as he set his mug in front of him. The fairies flew about in front of him, dancing as they flew. "I am more interested in what you have to offer Tael. Stories."

Ozpin could see the dark fairy visibly brighten.

"R-Really? You are! You want to hear stories." The Headmaster of Beacon made no move to hid his smile. A fairy as the fairy was, he sounded as much a child as any new freshman to the Academy. "I have a lot stories I can tell. One's I've made up, or legends I've heard, some myths, story books, lots of them!"

"But first, why'd you want to hear those?" Tatl asked as she flew in front of her brother. It was an expected question. "Not like you're out of stories to hear around here. Sides, why'd you want fiction if you can have fact?" And an even more expected worry.

"I think," Ozpin began. "That there is as much to be learned in a story as there is history. Stories are made from those who lived through history, to teach lessons or guide curious minds. How better am I to understand Link and your world than to hear the stories that came from it?" The ringing from Tael told Ozpin he understood the reference. That was good enough.

There was work to be done… and conversations to be had.

---

Link waved away the eager girl, her still clutching the fabric of paper that made no sense to her. It was a secret worth keeping, and one many in the Gerudo valued enough to keep hidden beneath traps and monsters, but it was being traded for something of equal value.

He felt confident in any sense. Tatl had pointed out that the words he used didn't match theirs. It meant gibberish to her on paper, and likely would to anyone else. It was fortunate then that she accepted him teaching her how to make. And he would do just that.

Garnet, the young archer from a land called Vacou, prided her archery without worshipping her pride. A rare, and invaluable, quality. It meant she would accept lessons from others, so long as they proved they were better than her.

The wounds he had inflicted previously were evidence enough of that.

And the secret of crafting the ice arrows was now her payment for it.

She disappeared into a non-descript building, one he had not been in and had no business trying to enter. She'd likely tell her friends about the secret he had shared, but it mattered only a little. He was sure the Headmaster would share if the Military used weapons that froze people solid suddenly.

Besides, it was a secret he was allowed to share, one he had been told he could share. It was similar to another secret, one that Link was open to share.

It was a secret that any who knew him could easily tell, and those that had met him could quickly surmise. It wasn't a weakness, hardly a strength, but it was something that was currently bothering him to a degree he loathed to admit.

Link hated being alone.

His every step in all of journeys had always been with another by his side. Fairies from the forest, family in the desert, allies in the castle, friends from all plains of Hyrule, he was rarely ever alone. Even the few times he was separate from them, he still had friends to speak to.

Even now his hands played with the edges of Mikau's mask, the Zora musician always one to entertain. He was the one who the kindest to him, whose memories will filled with love and peace. Those ones he wished to see.

But his friends, or the act of wearing them, had caused so much confusion and trouble for the Headmaster of the Knight's Academy. More than thrice now, his actions had to be explained away as the instincts of his friends.

Not untrue, but far from kind. Link sighed, pocketing Mikau away.

Perhaps now would be the time to let the peace of the land wash over him. They were not in a war and only trained for the defense of coming dangers. There were no people to save, no kingdoms in ruin, nothing that he could do, but wait.

Waiting as the hero did, till the heiress spoke of the crimes abroad.

Link tilted his head back, letting the warmth of the sun wash over his features. His knees voluntarily buckled, letting him fall to rest against a nearby tree. It was strong, though small. Most things that grew apart from its kin were.

A slow deep breath was taken in again, letting the far of sounds of the students fade away. He listened now for what he did as a child in the forest, the way Saria had taught him in the dark nights in the Lost Woods.

He listened for the wind whistling through the leaves, for the small creak of the tree behind him. He listened to the water wash across the shore, to the sound of grass dancing with the sway of the breeze.

Link listened for the wind. For as Saria taught him, you heard before you saw all change.

And the wind brought peace in this place, this Beacon of the far-off kingdom. A kingdom he now recognized to be far grander than Hyrule ever stood. Perhaps that was the testament he know found himself standing next to.

In a place that had numbers grander than Hyrule, with buildings that rivaled mountains and ships of steel that floated on water, they still had children looking to save others. They had youths that invited strangers to a place of safety, to nodes of information.

They had instructors that were patient and kind, diligent and strict, wise and knowledgeable. Those were not qualities Link saw often beyond Hyrule Castle's walls. So often reserved for those meant to lead, it was almost odd to see them present among those destined to fight.

He let out another slow breath, enjoying the peace in the air as he let the same fill his thoughts.

Peace, the illusive thing all wished but rarely kept. It was not prevalent, but it was present. He saw no better time to relax than in times of peace. For he would have none, he knew, when war came again.

"Heya Link!"

The Hylian fell sideways at the sudden shout, ear ringing.

His finger twisted in his hear, other hand pushing himself off the grass as he did so. His head swung even as he adjusted his long ear, alleviating the pain. The first thing he saw upon sitting back up was a familiar orange haired girl, smile bright and leaning over him.

"Did I scare you?" Nora Valkryie asked in a sing-song voice. She was far too old to possibly misunderstand her actions. "Hehe, sorry about that. I just thought it woulda been fun to make you jump up and scream!"

Link felt his features fall flat at the suggestion. Nora's grin, for what it was worth, lost a bit of its sure nature. Her head twisting in kind.

"Well… it works on Jaune a lot. And you look enough like him. So… I thought it could work." Link had heard all forms of logic in Hyrule. From Kokiri to Zora and even the reclusive Gerudo. But never had heard such a thing. "Guess I was wrong though."

Link nodded towards her, all the answer she needed.

"Yeah, I'm sorry then. Didn't mean to hurt you 'er anything." Her hands clasped together as if to form a prayer, eyes peeking around her flattened palms.

He leaned back on his hand, considering the excitable girl. Perhaps a bit like Lana, or the many children who frequented the market of Hyrule Town, she did not have the maleficent grin or appearance in her gaze. Rather, it seemed she simply was a child, one who wanted to make a game out of the small things in life.

Link sighed, waving his hand at her. He made sure his grin was bright and forward, a clear sign in any culture he had no malice towards her. Her own grin recovered upon seeing his own.

"Thank you!" She seemed to sing in response, hands sliding apart and nearly skipping in jump. "Really great to know you're still the same awesome guy we first met!"

To that, Link tilted his head. It had not been long since they first met, let alone last. Even then, he could not say he had a conversation with Nora at any extent. Her train of thought was derailing. Perhaps Lana would understand her…

"Well, you know, it has been a while since we saw you," Nora spoke up again, hand reaching out and poking at his shoulder. He watched her hand silently, confused. "We've seen some Elrora, some Lana, a whole lotta Impa, Mikau a few times, buuuuuuuut I can't think of the last time we've all talked to just you."

Ah, now her words made since. Link could not fault her, for she was right. It had been sometime since he had spoken to Nora and her teammates, who he could assume were the 'we' in her words. Then again, it was hard to speak to them when only one of their group could hear his voice.

Three was a crowd, so eight was a mob. He could not communicate well to those kinds of groups.

"Hee, you look a lot like Jaune." Link was familiar with comparison, but the timing of it now was very odd, to him at least. "When you're being asked something you don't know, you tilt your mouth like Jaune-Jaune does." Looking over him, she proceeded to demonstrate.

Link could only hope, looking at the girl twisting her mouth hard enough force her opposite eye shut. Did he really look like that? A part of him doubted it, as Tatl would have made him aware of it years ago.

"Do you not want to talk to us?" Link blinked up at the girl. "It's alright if you don't. I mean, I got my best buddy Renny to talk to. He's amazing like that." Link found it difficult to believe the soft-spoken boy was a grand companion for conversation.

Then again, this was a girl who appeared to value someone listening over someone speaking. And the boy was likely the opposite. It made for good companions.

"I didn't always have Renny though, not when I was mini-Nora." Link listened to Nora, watching as she stood up to her tallest, only to twirl a half a circle and fall straight down. She stopped when she was leaning against the same tree Link was. "I didn't have anyone to talk to then. No one wanted to listen to me."

Link blinked, unsure of where this was coming from. Nora didn't look at him, even as he stared at her. She had her eyes to her feet, kicking them lightly up and down on the grass. Her smile, small as it was, was still there.

"Renny helped me out just because I didn't have anyone. He's kind of super like that." She giggled, clearly relieving a memory Link knew nothing about. "Someone who'll help you, even if you're all alone. The kind of guy that doesn't want to see a little girl crying."

Her legs stopped kicking on the grass, leaving Link with only the wind to listen to. Nora slowly drew her legs up to her chest, stopping when her knees were close enough or her chin to rest against. She wrapped her arms about her legs, staring into the distance shore of Vale. Link said nothing.

"He's the kind of guy that'll ask how you're doing even if you're trying to look bright and cheery," she continued speak, thought a voice far more in common with a whisper than a shout. Link listened on. "The kind of the guy who's always thinking of you even when you don't want others to see you."

There were many words for such a man, and all of them were worthy of praise.

"I don't like being alone."

Link turned to face her better, hearing words he was intimately familiar with. Nora did not do the same to him. Her eyes were looking somewhere else, but her gaze was on something he couldn't see.

"Being alone reminds me of back then, not having anyone to help out, anyone to give you a hug when you're feeling blue or food when you're hungry or advice when you're confused. I don't like it." Link took a quick look around them, ensuring that no one else was present.

He didn't need experience or the blessing of Time to know this was not something for the ears of strangers. Nora spoke on, without checking herself.

"That's why I'm super happy that we got into Beacon." Her voice returned with more jubilance than the preceding melancholy. "Cause we met awesome people like Pyrrha and Jaune. Their like a mom and dad I never had."

She giggled again, likely towards another memory Link could not say he knew. But he did know he far preferred the innocent laughter of the girl than her sad recollections.

"And it's super awesome that we get to hang out with team RWBY, cause Yang is like the older sis I wish I had. Weiss is… an older sis I'm kinda glad I didn't have." Link snorted a light breath at the words. "But Ruby and Blake are awesome to."

One of her legs unfolded, stretching again across the grass. Nora rolled it left and right, an action that seemed to be made more out of habit than need. Link scratched at his chin, knowing that well enough as well.

"Link, do you like being alone?" Nora's sudden question caught the Hylian off guard. "Cause you don't hang out with us anymore and you're always doing things by yourself. Ren saw you fly off to the Emerald forest, and Blake said she heard you playing by the shore. But we weren't ever there, at least not with you."

He'd have to do a better job at finding solitude in this Academy. It was far easier in Hyrule and the Gerudo Valley, when everyone was asleep from work or hiding in deep caverns for protection. Here, it appeared that even yards away from the housings wasn't far enough to avoid detection.

"Jaune already told me you're with your mask friends cause we can understand them better than you." Link was more focused on the terminology than her point. Mask friends? "And it's really cool, like super cool, to see Impa swing around that giant sword, I already miss that lunch we had. The one where you ate enough of the chicken to make a vegetarian cry." He was hungry, and the Cuccos were not to be ignored, alive or dead.

Now she looked at him, wide eyes studying him. Link kept his expression neutral, with his own gaze on this child so much deeper than first impressions lead on.

"Ren keeps telling me that I have to remember not to ask rude questions, but… I don't want to lose friends while I'm here." She didn't look away. "I love my friends cause they are my friends, so losing one of them is a bad thing. Don't you think so?"

Link had no words to answer. He already knew she was right.

He knew because he had the memories of friends he had lost concealed within his tunic. He knew because he carried their aspects like weights upon his soul. He knew because letting them go would be far harder then ever losing them in the first place.

And this girl, this squire, Nora, verbally or not, understood that as well. She knew it well enough to seek him out, and to speak with him of her past. Those were not easy memories to share. He would not willingly surrender his own memories in such a way.

Link hated to be alone. He had admitted such to himself only minutes ago. And Nora was here saying she despised the same thing. Link smiled softly. He knew better than to look a gift-horse in the mouth.

Bending his legs, Link rose from the grass, brushing off the stray blades that stuck to his tunic and tights. He turned around, offering his hand towards the young girl. She looked at it, eyes quickly moving from it to him, back and forth. It reminded him of the squirrels in the Lost Woods, memorizing details.

"Wait, so… you want to hang out?" She asked curiously. He nodded his head. "As in, like, with everyone?" He nodded again. "Like Jaune-Jaune and Pyrrha and Ren and Yang and Ruby and-" Link chuckled lightly nodding his head once more.

Nora's face beamed with excitement.

"That's awesome!" She shouted as she leaped from the ground tow a few feet in the air. Link leaned back to avoid their head smashing against each other. It did little good.

Because Nora, wherever her mind was, decided to latch onto Link as she quickly came back down to the ground, rocking his stance and making him lean over to prevent the two from slamming back into the earth.

And the girl only continued to giggle.

"Hee hee, you're just like Jaune!" she spoke up, even as she continued to climb on him as if he were a giant in the Kokiri Forest. He was no such thing, only a few inches taller than the girl herself. "He always catches me when I jump on him. But now Pyrrha isn't here to get me off!" Link sighed at the young squire's logic.

Putting hands on her hips, keeping his balance straight, he pushed outwards with the strength of the golden gauntlets. Nora, strong as she was, did not have the magic of the Gerudo in her hands.

It left Link holding her up like an oversized child. It was appropriate, given her actions.

"Wow wee," Nora giggled, looking down at Link even as she was handled like a toddler. "You really are super strong. That's extra good!" She spread her arms and legs wide with the declaration. He shook his head at her antics.

Nora reminded Link too much of his daughter.

He dropped her from his outstretched arms, letting her bounce lightly on the grass before securing her stance. She never lost her grin through it all. Like she did before she sat down, Nora spun on her heel, arms outstretched.

"Welp, let's go find everyone else!" Nora proudly declared as she gripped Link's hand mid-spin. He far more prepared this time, following in step behind the girl as she lead him back to Beacon's buildings. "We're all having lunch before battle practice, cause there's no way we can fight you on an empty stomach!" And now he knew which one.

And, like a child eager to play, Nora began to skip with Link in hand. It was odd, something he was sure was equally odd in these foreign lands, but he spoke no words of protest. Only quickening his steps to match her speed. It would make for an awkward conversation if he stopped and let the force throw the girl to the ground.

The cafeteria came up quick, the same building he had first shown Mikau to the young squire teams. He had not been here since then, least not in the company of the others. And it was after that he was nearly made into a captive of the Council.

Nora's request for his presence suddenly made a lot more sense.

"The queen is back!" Nora shouted, jerking Link both figuratively and physically forward.

She pushed the door open, taking exaggerated steps forwards into the cafeteria. Either by consequence of frequency or Nora's normality, Link hardly noticed a change in the squires present.

They still sat in rows of chairs along the massive interior of the building, wearing uniforms he found painful to wear before. They spoke, chatted, and laughed in groups and teams they were all likely found of. It reminded Link of something important, the sight alone that was.

They were children.

They were children enjoying company of friends, having meals served by superiors, and preparing to learn for the rest of the day. Strong as they were, and his duels against them could testify, these were still very much children.

He could see pranks being set up by groups at far tables, absent manners in so many of the youth, laughing at crude jokes, learning important lessons, worrying about tests from superiors, that was what they were doing. They were not warriors, not yet. For now, they were children enjoying the life they had been given.

And Nora, pulling him along the cafeteria's walls, appeared to embody that more and more.

"There are my squires!" Nora shouted once more, pointing towards familiar faces. Link noticed now more than a few pairs of eyes were on him, squires likely confused why a knight was present.

It mattered little. Attention was common to him, be it here, Hyrule, or the Gerudo Valley. This was just a combination of the latter two. Besides, his attention should only be where it was needed.

For now, that was upon the designated squads of RWBY and JNPR.

"Whoa, wait, Nora, you seriously got him?" Yang Xiao-Long asked, standing from the table quickly. There was only one obvious reason for her hesitance. "I was just pulling your leg! I-I mean, Link! Hey! Awesome to see you again! I mean, like, you you. Not as in-"

"Calm down, Xiao Long," Weiss now, interrupted her teammates ramblings. "This is hardly the first time we've seen Link, and that his hardly how you are meant to act in front of an instructor."

Her tone was calm, and she had a similar posture, but she a rather obvious tell, one like Nabooru. Namely, that she refused to give eye-contact to what she was most focused on. It was rather obvious when everyone else was staring at him.

"Yeah, Xiao Long!" Nora responded back in kind. Link was sure that was not how she normally addressed the boxer. "Link's super cool to be around! He was begging to hang out with us!" No, he hadn't.

"Nora, did you drag Link here?" Ren now, the boy looking over his sandwich at the girl. Link could tell this was far from the first time this had happened, beside from himself that is.

"Nope! I asked permission first." Nora, finally, released Link's hand. Only to strike a pose that he assumed was meant to be heroic. Hands on her hips, head angled high, and one foot on the table.

She was also wearing a skirt.

"Nora! Foot down!" Pyrrha now, already reaching over the table to push the orange-haired girl's foot off. She giggled as she took it off. "And Link, I apologize for Nora if she brought you here with false intentions." Link blinked at her.

"Hey! I said I asked first!" Nora stomped her foot now, lips pouting with hand still on her hips. Link took the chance to look around them, already knowing several more eyes were on them, though not as many as he expected.

He supposed, for this time group now of day, it was normal. Time could only tell what else was acceptable.

"Well I think it's great you're here!" Link saw Ruby lean back in her seat, arms in the air with a bright grin under her silver eyes. "Cause Yang's right, it's been way too long since we last talked. Well, I talked and Blake told us what you said." She was leaning with her words. Link didn't understand why.

"But it is great that he's here!" Yang picked right up after her sister. Her gaze shifting quickly from her to him and back again. "Cause, that means we're talking to just him. Not that it's bad talking with Elrora or Impa, but we're not guessing who we're talking to." She was biting her lip now.

"And now we can talk like when we first met before!" Ruby raised her arm in the air as if she had a point. Link couldn't see it, only Nora following her hand towards the ceiling. "I mean, like, before before, when before was the first time. Not like before a teacher, but before a student."

"Ye-yeah!" Yang eagerly picked up. "Back when it was cooler to talk, a-and easier, not like now. Not that you're hard to talk to, cause you don't really talk-not that that's bad!" Link could see her teammates rubbing their hands over their eyes.

"Wow, I can finally see the resemblance," Link picked up Jaune whispering to Pyrrha. The corner of his vision caught the red-head nodding in kind. He agreed with both of them.

"Yang," Blake finally spoke, eyes on her partner. Link watched the blonde whip around to see the Hylian-in-hiding. "I think now would be a good time to do what we talked about." What had they talked about?

"Wait, here? Now?" Yang asked looking at her teammate with clear unease. "Okay, that is not something I wanna say here. A-And I'm pretty sure Link wouldn't want that either." What didn't he want?

"We promised that you would do it the first time we saw him again," Weiss added on, wagging her finger at Yang. She really did look like the heiress others referred to her as. "And out of everything we discussed, that, I believe, is the most important to show your willingness to improve." So they had talked, that was good.

"C'mon Yang!" Ruby encouraged her sister, three against one. "It's like you always told me, never hold back a punch!" Link, though hearing it for the first time, was rather sure the quote was taken out of context.

"Um…" Jaune began, but was silenced by a hand from Pyrrha. Link nodded silently at the action. At least he wasn't the only one.

"Uh… dammit Rubes," Yang muttered under her breath, hands moving across her face. Whatever she was going to do, it was far from normal, or comfortable, for her to do.

Link wasn't on edge, at least in the sense of worried. But any conversation of action he was not aware of was something to be innately cautious of. You did not survive battle grounds by dismissing idle chatter of soldiers. Nor by ignoring what they were doing.

And Yang, but Link's observations, was nervous. Her hands were balling and releasing themselves, lavender eyes looking from the table to him and to her teammates again. It took only a glance for Link to see they were looking at her, with expressions ranging from expectant to acceptant. It was odd, but he recognized it.

He saw the same faces at Hyrule's Barracks, when soldiers were admitting their faults in the field.

"Right, yeah," Yang finally started, moving around her chair. It was clear she was trying to stand across from Link, too look him in the eye.

But Nora was in the way. Nora, grinning brightly and spinning from him to her without a care for what the blonde was trying to do.

"Nora, maybe you should sit down," Ren suggested to the girl. Link didn't need to see her face to know she was considering otherwise. Previous actions showed she was not a fan of being told to do nothing.

"Just for you Renny," Nora responded, before flipping over the table, feet overhead, and landing in the seat next to the pink-striped boy. He took in stride. Jaune, however, was rapidly trying to move his food out of the way.

"Kay, thanks," Yang waved a hand at the dark-haired boy, who nodded in response. All eyes were on her again.

All eyes, including many more of the nearby students.

Link kept his arms crossed as he looked over them, many eyes looking down as his gaze fell on them. He knew they would look back up swiftly after he passed them. It was normal for children to try and avoid attention, in a bad situation at least.

The idea that this was one was not a grand thing. Maybe it would be preferred to talk somewhere else about this, or at another time. That would be the responsible thing to do.

But then again, these were children, and everything for them happened quickly or not at all.

He turned towards the blonde, seeing her playing with her hands. Her fingers were grabbed and twisted by the opposite hand, one after the other. Her teeth played with her lower lip, maybe as an attempt to keep herself from talking.

It all showed that she wasn't offended by what she had to say, but nervous. It was an important distinction. Enough to let Link know what it was she was going to say.

That wasn't something to say in public.

"Link," Yang began. "I know, before, I really screwed up when I wanted to fight you, or Elrora, actually both." It was both, but he didn't need to correct. He only needed to stop her, respectively.

What she was about to admit was not something others needed to hear.

"What I said before the fight, like right before… I want to apologize for-" She stopped as Link made a move.

He had to stop her from talking, because what she was going to say was not for others to hear. But stopping her with force would grab too much attention, would show an improper method of dealing with problems, and would likely anger the Headmaster.

Thankfully, he knew how to stop a child from talking. He had years of experience.

And, like he knew she would, Yang stopped talking when Link had his hand atop her head.

Her lavender eyes stared up at him, body stiff. She was likely confused. She wasn't the only one, as a single glance from the corner of his gaze showed the rest of the table was in a similar situation. A little odd, but not important. Yang was important right now.

He simply waved his other hand in front of her gaze, smiling kindly as she shook his head. Simple and quick, hard to construe, and easy to see. He made sure to ruffle her hair as well. A fork dropped by a nearby table.

"Uh…" someone drooled out nearby. Link didn't need to check who. It was probably a sign he was doing this for longer than necessary. Yang was clearly a bright girl, able to find the hidden rules in the document and develop a plan for them.

She'd understand he was forgiving her. Words were unnecessary.

So he dropped his hands, letting them fall to his waist. He kept his smile on the girl, who continued to stare at him. The only odd part about it now was how stiff she still was. Yang, and the rest of her team. JNPR as well.

"Welll, uh…" Yang began, rolling her shoulders as she stepped back. "I guess we can call us even with that. Yeah." Even? Link wasn't aware there was a debt on either side to be paid. He did watch her start to comb her hair with her fingers, pulling down the strands he had 'spun' up.

"So we're all okay?" Jaune asked now. "No one's going to be thrown across the room or given a beating or anything like that."

"We're even," Yang stated again. "Yeah… we're all good." She was giggling now, which Link knew was a good sign. "Just s'long as… that doesn't happen again." Link agreed.

So long as they did not carelessly bring up his family again, all was settled.

"Excellent," Weiss spoke now. "Then Link, may I be the first to thank you again for your diligence in teaching us new things regarding our future as Huntsman." He was not prepared for the sudden flattery, least not from a student that he had spoken little to directly.

"That's… very forward of you," Blake picked up as well, leaning over to look at her monochrome counterpart. "Anything else you want to add?"

"Yes, in fact there is." Weiss sounded very sure in her words, not hesitating for a moment. Link could see Blake's surprise at that. "I am deeply sorry that the any… that we did not see your potential to be an instructor before the unfortunate incident involving the Military."

"That was weird," Link heard Jaune whisper. He was sure Blake heard his Gerudo counterpart, but neither he nor she made not of it.

"But I am thankful that you have not only agreed to teach us your adapt methods of Grimm Hunting, but…" she was hesitating, eyes very quickly drifting away. They returned quickly. "But for also mentoring us in the mindset of Huntsmanship." Link was fortuned to see he was not the only one confused by the word.

"Is that a word?" Pyrrha, aside Jaune, asked. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I've heard that word before."

"Yeah princess, you gotta use actual words if you're gonna make a motivational speech," Yang spoke to the alabaster girl. She had her fangs showing between her grin. "Figured the pride and joy of the Schnee would get that right."

"You understand what I meant, and that is enough!" Her face reddened at the teasing of her friends, giving them her attention. "And are you one to criticize my missteps in proper speech, Xiao Long?"

"Rubes and I ain't gonna rule an empire one day, Schnee." Link could nearly see the mockery emanating from the blonde brawler, complete with her resting her head on the underside of her wrist.

She may have been the most instinctual of her teammates, but he supposed that was what made her so adaptive. Afterall, Yang was acting like her previous apology was already a thing of the past. And he was okay with that.

"But Weiss does have a point," Ren spoke now, directing his partially covered gaze towards Link. He returned the quiet squire's look. "There is no lack of lessons in your classes, both in combat and philosophical questions. Because, I confess, I would not have thought of strength as the ability to build." Few do and, as proven here, few would.

"Oh yeah! That was a great point!" Ruby shot up next, one hand on the table and the pointing at the boy opposite her. "Cause there's no way you can be strong without building awesome things. Like how my baby took a lotta time to set-up and calibrate, right?" She wasn't entirely wrong.

"No, actually," her partner returned. Link swore Weiss had her nose to the air a she responded. "Strength refers to building tools to assist in living, such as housing, agriculture development, transportation, and other devices that assist those who require them." Link found himself nodding, remembering the many commands given by the Hylian Military to protect such things.

"They don't have to be physical things," Blake added on. "Sometimes just building better relationships are what are needed to be strong. Because it's easy to destroy something like peace, but making it… is difficult." Link felt a smile pull at his lips, correct again.

"Hey, we're making small steps, right?" Jaune asked now, leaning over the table to face the conversing girls. "I mean, yeah, a lotta of what we've been doing is beating up the White Fang, or the Grimm, or that Roman dude… or each other." Link hid his own smile, but he could hear Nora and Yang snort at the boy's comments.

"Way to sum it up Vomit Boy," Yang returned. Link had no desire to know where the nickname came from for his Gerudo counterpart. "But we're doin' a lot of good though. Not like we're picking fights, just ending them." She threaded her hands together behind her head, leaning back with her words.

"A defensive stance does work in many matches," Pyrrha added now. Link did not miss her hand on Jaune's shoulder. He was sure it was far preferred over the elbow in his gut. "But failure to capitalize on an enemy's mistakes only gives them an opportunity to attack again."

"Then we just gotta hit them harder!" Nora finished, the cheer in her voice not matching the meaning of her words. The smile did nothing to help. "Smash 'em, bash 'em, and make them into a villain stew!" Looks of questioning disgust around the table was what Link observed, but there was something more to it.

He wasn't watching a simple conversation between friends, at least not just that. These weren't things that adults would discuss even with free time. No, it was rather obvious what the conversation was about.

It was about learning from the lessons he was teaching. It was him watching the children grow. How odd it was for him to not realize that fact sooner.

But Time would never stop teaching him, and now was no exception. Link pulled out a chair, moving around it to take a seat. This felt like the beginning of a lengthy conversation, and standing amidst a mess hall of children was hardly being subtle.

"Important as it is to be able to build things, you gotta be able to defend your stuff." Yang put up her fist with her words, flexing her arm with a sharp grin. Her muscles were well defined, of that Link knew few could deny. "Am I right or am I right?"

"You're delusional," Weiss spoke back. Link held back a snort of laughter. "It is appropriate to defend, but our very title of Hunters means we have to hunt things or people that may generate violent or destructive responses in the future."

"It is true that striking first, and accurately, can force an opponent into a defensive position." Pyrrha complemented Weiss's words, a hand on her chin as she spoke. "And an opponent that is trying to stop you from harming them has fewer chances to retaliate."

"That sounds kinda dark," Jaune spoke without a glance at his partner. Link, however, was looking at her, and he could see the flash of discontent at his words. Wide eyes and a quick silent gasp. "I mean, yeah I get why we have to attack the Grimm and stuff, but wouldn't just doing that nonstop be dangerous to? It's not like we can just wipe the Grimm out of existence. Can we?"

"Doubtful," Ren answered his leader. "Grimm don't come from reproductive means. They, for lack of a better term, just appear. Where and how they appear isn't well known. So unless we know where they come from, we can't stop them. Only prevent them."

"And that's why we're here!" Nora shouted as her partner finished, raising her hands into the air in some pseudo-celebration. "Cause no one's getting' past the queen and her guard!" Link rubbed his temple at her words, confused. Her friends were snickering, but he was not. Clearly there was something there he wasn't aware of.

"I'm sure it was the same in Hyrule." Link looked at Blake, the Hylian-in-hiding staring at him with golden eyes. "Stopping monsters from attacking others, saving the faunus from them, and you were likely the best at it." Tatl had been bragging again, that much was certain. Thought Tael probably didn't help.

"Oh yeah, you've probably done tons!" Link shook his head to look at Ruby, the youngest of the children leaning over the table and looking at him with wide silver eyes. Her squad mates followed suit, all of them looking at him with expectant gazes. He had no mysteries or questions as to why. "I bet there are a bunch of really cool weapon systems set-up all over Hyrule to help prevent Grimm invasions!" Systems for managing armaments, yes. They had those.

"Of course they do," Weiss's head nodding with a light smirk. "The tools Link has shown in combat practice and in the Badlands show a level of skill and craftsmanship for infantry weaponry. In order to develop tools of such sophistication, larger counterparts had to have come first." Link was only sure of a few of her words. He could only tell the alabaster heiress was complimenting his weaponry.

"And development of the larger tools into smaller ones was done in parallel with improving the larger tools." Ren finished for Weiss, his hand scratching at his chin. "Like computers and Scrolls." Computers were those large electrified pieces of metal, if Link remembered correctly.

"Exactly!" Weiss proudly declared with a point of her hand. "Similar to how ballistic weaponry has been improved to be used by Huntsmen while also being improved for stationary systems." Link remembered the cannons on the flying ship in the Badlands.

He dared not to think what that could do if fired at him.

"Wait wait wait, that doesn't make sense!" Nora whined her words, shoulders falling with her grin. Even her frown was an exaggerated display. "Computers are big and clunky and control the world! Scrolls are just… little fragile screen. Extra fragile." It was enough to have Ren put his hand on her shoulder. Link did not miss how she leant into the contact.

"Well, they're both technically computers," Jaune explained to his subordinate. Link believed that was the term still. "One's just a lot bigger, so it can do a lot more. But you can't really move and use them. It's, um, like having your cake and eating it too." Link did not understand the metaphor for even a moment.

"Yeah, I've always wondered about that saying," Yang, of all present, interjected. "Seems kind of impossible to eat your cake unless ya got it. I get it's supposed to mean you can't keep something and use it, but there isn't much use for a cake 'cept for eating. Or pulling a prank." Her grin was feral as ever.

At least now Link understood the confusion. They were equating his tools to larger counterparts in Hyrule. It made sense with some thought, especially with the children rattling off explanations to one another.

Unfortunately, he could hardly think of the use of a bigger sword or shield. Unless they meant castle walls.

"So like…" Ruby began again, silver eyes sparkling as her hands moved in front of her. It took him a slow moment to realize she was 'making' something in front of her. An active mind for an active child. "If Link is able to fire hyper-coolant tipped arrow heads that can create solidification of air molecules, then stationary systems could use higher mass bolts to be threaded with more hyper-coolants to turn even more air into ice!"

She was shaking with excitement, Link realized. How odd of a child to be so excited by the idea of weapons of mass destruction. Maybe it was the culture.

But he didn't have those things in Hyrule or the Gerudo Desert. He even shook his head in dismissal of the idea.

"Oh! Oh!" Nora was shaking her hand in the air, trying to get attention. "Or like how Mikau can make those giant lightning storms, so they're gonna have mega hyper storms at their castle!" Of that, Link new firmly the Zora did not have. He shook his head to dismiss the idea again.

But they weren't listening, or watching.

"If that is true, then it is likely they also have fan equivalent systems capable of producing hurricane like winds." Weiss was tilting her head in thought now, lips moving as she thought. "If the simple boomerang was able to lift those CRDL barbarians into the air, then a dedicated system would be able to make movement of even heavily fortified transport vehicles difficult, if not impossible." That one gave him pause.

Link had… seen objects similar to that, but never along Gerudo walls or Hyrule's fortress. And they were hardly strong enough to move a box of wood, let alone the steel carriages he had seen fly through the air. Strong, but far from immeasurably.

A solid amount of iron kept him on the ground.

"I bet the safes are super small there," Jaune added in. "You've seen how much stuff he carries on him all the time. He pulls out swords from his pockets! Bet they could stuff a whole Bullhead in a chest or something." The largest item Link had found in any chest or ruin was his favored shield.

He was waving his hands no in dismissal of them all, hoping one of them was not too observed in the ideas to at least offer him a glance. And, as Time would dictate, one did.

"Wait, Link?" Blake asked, the Hylian-in-Hiding having a firm eye on him. And just like before, all at the table turned to him. He did not bother to check those around them. "Do you not have tools like this?"

Her hands move over her teammates, and the question was clear. He shook his head quickly, lips moving in a silent no. If tools like that did exist, no war had ever come to Hyrule or the Gerudo grand enough to call for their use.

"Wait… none of that?" Yang asked. She almost sounded hurt by the truth. But so rarely was the truth kind to hear. Link shook his head again in answer. "You don't have, like, iceberg ballistas or super-storm fan factories or any of that stuff?"

Link gave a quick snort of air through his nose and shook his head. Ballistas and fans, to be sure, but nothing capable of rending a battlefield from the earth.

"But that doesn't make any sense," Weiss countered him. "Tools like yours are commonly researched into larger counterparts for the purpose of defense, or at the very least for sieges." He felt a brow rise at her inquiry. It was audacious, to say the least. But curiosity was a natural part of any child.

"Maye the faunus in Hyrule aren't so blood thirsty to plan for constant war." Blake answered the heiress's questions, but with eyes on her, not Link.

He did not need to know her and her team to understand the chill that fell over them was a warning. He hadn't spoken, so it was not for him.

"Or," Ren now, attempting to break the ice. "Maybe instead of investing in tools for an army, Link's kingdom and country was more invested in… the individuals." Link grinned at the pink-striped boy.

He had a good sense of judgement.

Link grinned at him, watching the boy nod in response, his own smile subdued, but present. Nora more than made up for his lack of excitement at the discovery.

"See?! I told you Renny was super smart!" She cheered with her words, as she did with most of what she said. It was a small wonder why she and Lana got along so well. "And now he and Jaune-Jaune are gonna make up a killer strategy to take you down flat!" Link kept his smile, even as his brows rose. He looked at his Gerudo Counterpart, already watching the boy's face pale.

"Whoa whoa no no," Jaune quickly let out, shaking his hands as quickly as he could. "That's way ahead of where we are, Nora. We're still trying to figure out ho-OW!" He let out quickly, rising quickly in his seat.

Link only needed to glance at Pyrrha to see her own posture was stiffer. She had likely slammed a heel into his foot. Or some other painful act below the table.

"An emphasis on infantry…" he heard Weiss whisper, eyes back to the table and fingers folded in front of her. She was thinking, deeply. "That… makes a surprising amount of sense."

"Wait, how? Just cause Link's strong?" Yang question, her hand motioning passively towards him. Her arm jerked when she realized what she was doing. Link only grinned. "Not that you're not a kickass Huntsman, just… it's kinda hard to imagine someone saying a guy on the ground with a gun is worth more than a tank. Tanks always win."

"Did you forget that Adam and I were able to destroy an Atlesian Spider Mech?" Blake described a situation to her partner Link had not heard of. And judging by the confused glances of the opposing squad, neither had they.

"Adam?" Pyrrha asked, head tilted in curiosity. However, in place of Blake, Ruby was the one to answer.

"It's super complicated. We'll tell you later, promise." Or answer in a way he expected a leader to. Link smiled again.

This young Rose was growing well. It only took a turbulent storm to show where she had to grow. Still, Saria would likely want to apologize later.

"The point," Blake started again, chopping her hand through the air. "Is that Hyrule sounds as if it values and trusts its warriors enough to invest better equipment for them over heavily reinforced vehicles." She was correct, in that Link could not think of a carriage in Hyrule built for war.

Still, they didn't need to know about the Guardians.

Beep! Beep!

He recognized that sound.

Link pulled out the paperless Scroll, opening it to observe it. It was blinking red in the corner of the screen, indicating the time of day. Just beneath that was a reminder, as Glynda had referred to it.

He had half an hour before classes were to start.

Of all the new things in this strange new land, Link could admit one clear thing. The ability to measure time was far better here than hammering the Sheikah stones of old.

He pushed the device together, pocketing it along his belt and moved to stand. He knew the others wouldn't miss what he was doing, especially when he pushed back his chair to stand.

"Hey wait, you're leaving?" Yang asked. "You were the last to get here and now you're the first to leave?" That was a poor way to describe the situation, but Link could not dispute the simple facts.

"He has to prepare for class," Blake spoke up now, grinning quickly towards him before looking back at her teammate. "When it comes to making sure we are learning, he has to take time to prepare before the lessons."

Impa, mostly, but he did as she said was best. Recollect names, review battles, remember faults, instruct on improvements. Simple, but effective, so long as they were vigilant.

"Well that's true. Can't really be a good instructor if you're just rushing in and outta class." Ruby added to her teammate, waving her finger towards and away from herself. He was sure she was speaking of another instructor. "And Link is the best teacher we've ever had here!"

"Um, we've only had, like, four other teachers," Jaune added. That seemed an appropriate number to Link. Too many and it was hard to remain calm during lessons. "And one of them is usually-OOF!" He jerked forward with the expulsion of air.

The elbow in his side was the clear culprit.

"And Link has done an excellent job moving from foreign student to instructor," Pyrrha added in the absence of Jaune's words. Link watched as the boy nodded towards them.

Clearly, by the indifference of those around the table, it was normal. In which direction and context, Link couldn't say.

"Thank you joining us," Ren now, nodding towards Link. He did the same in kind. "We look forward to your lessons this evening."

"Yeah! It'll be super-duper I bet." Nora chimed in. "Betcha it's gonna involve giant swords cutting Godzilla monsters in half while a battlefield rages on outside!" That was very specific and incredibly unlikely.

"I think you shouldn't watch action movies before you go to bed." Blake addressed the girl. Her response in kind was a stuck out tongue. By the rolling eyes from the Hylian-in-hiding, that was normal. "But thank you again Link, and we'll see you later."

"Well, you and a friend." Ruby moved her hands with the words, like she was trying to save something that didn't need saving. "Probably Impa, but Elrora would be cool to talk to again, or Saria even!" And all would like to speak with her. Of that Link knew.

"Wait, Saria?" Jaune asked, rubbing at his side still. "Who's Saria?"

Ah, that was right, JNPR had not met her yet. And by the nervous glances RWBY started to give him, they had not intended to tell in such a way.

"Um… uh… ah…" Ruby floundered for a response she couldn't give. It was adorable in a few ways, but necessary in others. "Um, Link! Do you… want to…" Her hands rolled in the air, their meaning obvious.

Link responded only with a quick wave of his own. The girl's expression fell at the sight.

Turning back, he walked away from the table, sure what their conversation was going to be about. He had no intention to stop it. Because they were friends, together and to him.

"Thanks again for hanging out Link!" He turned head to see Nora standing in front of her seat, hands cupped around her mouth. "Lets do it again before you have to fight more ancient Grimm, okay?!" He smiled and waved in return.

They were friends, despite their age difference, skill difference, and position difference.

Friends.

The Unknown had the advantage, but it was sacrificed for allies.

The squires made a path for him through the cafeteria, conversation dipping as he passed, he knew that the girls of RWBY would have to tell their friends in JNPR about his old friend and mentor. What little they knew at least.

And it was because of how little they knew that he knew it mattered not. They only knew her as an old sage of the forest in the body of a child, a girl who loved to tease with questions over actions. The worst that could come of it was a request to duel her.

What a mistake that would be.

It took little time for Link to find himself in a vacant hall. It was too early for the squires to congregate to the lessons. For now, he was alone in the tall and porcelain white hall, alone with his thoughts.

He hated being alone, and Nora had done enough to keep him from that. They were his friends, distant as the gap between them now was. It was a ravine he was used to with many of his friends, intentional or not.

The ease of conversation often died when they saw examples of what he was capable of, or her tales of what he had accomplished in the past. Because he had already been a knight. And now, he was teaching squires.

Children, Link reminded himself.

Children that valued what they had, worked hard to keep what they held, and thought the best of nearly everything they saw. Kids, though hardly little ones, having no lacking in naivety.

There were wiser members of the group, Weiss, Pyrrha, and Blake, seeing more than what shown and hearing more than heard, but just as easy to grab the first possible answer. Even then, they were still kids. If not for what they did, then for what they didn't have.

They didn't have a lover to embrace at night. They didn't have children to teach and raise. They didn't have homes to protect and maintain. They didn't have a past they sat to reflect on. They only had a future they were trying to shape.

Link stopped in the halls, his boots the only sound so far. It wouldn't stay that way long, not with his lessons approaching, but he knew he had long enough to think in silence.

He hated to be alone, because he was reminded so often of what he had lost.

Link let his hands trace the masks beneath his tunic, the wood material guarded by magic and skill. Reminders of his past he wouldn't let go of, actions of his friends he would not let become vain. That was not who he was. And that, among other things, was what separated him from the children.

They were looking to create memories in their future. He was left carrying his own.

He drew out the Mask of Truth, the porcelain white mask marked by the blood of Sheikah. Carrying the mark of their history, signifying their purpose to all who saw, it was as vibrant now as it was decades ago in the fortune teller's booth.

And now he had more than merely the power to see secrets. Now it held the memories of the Sheikah Captain that guarded those secrets. Memories that guided him, taught others, and strengthened his resolve to do what needed to be done.

The children, new to the world, had a million things left to do.

Link, new to this strange land, had only a few.

And thanks to Oobleck and Ozpin, he, Tatl, and Tael came closer and closer with every passing day.

His boots clicked as he continued his walk down the hallway, leaving the mask in hand. He would need it for lessons as only a few of the Hylians could hear his soft voice. Besides, Impa was a born teacher, in every sense of the word. And classes were about to begin.

He had to teach his friends how to fight.

---

Coco Adel thought proudly of herself. She was everything a leader had to be. Well-read, wealthy, focused, social, and charismatic. Add in experienced and she was the whole package Beacon tried every year to sell, successfully at that.

It was why she knew it was okay to wince when she saw the Atlas kid get thrown across the arena floor.

Wasn't exactly a light blow Impa had used on the poor guy, throwing around that sword that could, and did, make Yatsu blush. And the half-pint of a woman was swinging it faster than the big guy could swing his. Even if everyone was talking about the glyphs she made for her Semblance, Coco was starting to think that strength was the real one.

"Coco," she heard Fox call her name. She really hated looking away from a fight, but the outcome was kinda obvious. "Are you sure now is a good time?" Didn't need to think long on what he was talking about.

"Gotta do it sometime, and the sooner the better," she spoke in turn. He trusted her, but that didn't mean she had to be rude to him. They were partners. "We do it now, we still got another chance against him before the end of the semester. If we're lucky, maybe before the big wigs put the Festival back on track." That would be nice to attend either way. There were gonna be great accessories there.

"I understand," Fox replied almost automatically. He was cool. Coco knew that. He just liked to sound like a sage. Too bad Yatsu had him beat on that front. "Just… be careful." Against a super powerful form changing faunus? What could go wrong?

"By aura depletion, Impa is the victor." The usual half-assed claps came with the announcement. Not even Goodwitch sounded all that into the obvious. That was the typical response for when average information was being given out. She clapped her hands to match the beat. "Now we will move onto our final match."

Coco began to stand before Ms. Goodwitch even announced her name. There might not have been a rush, but if she acted cool then lost, it'd be a serious hamper to her cred. It made much more sense to treat this like what it was, a lesson. She just hoped she'd be part tutor somewhere in what came next.

"The challenger to Impa of the Shiekah is Coco Adel of team CFVY." The clicking of her heels was muffled by the whispers of students who watched her pass by. They were smart enough to not make a move on her. Not after the last one.

She rode the platform down to the arena center, watching Impa come back into view behind her thick glasses. Tinted glasses. She could see Impa clear as stars at night. Impa seeing her eyes? Not so much. It did a lot to intimidate most kids, but Super Faunus Link and his friends weren't kids or average.

"Well met Coco Adel," Impa spoke politely across the stage. Massive pillar breaking sword still strapped to her back. Coco had her own mega-buster in her purse. Well… part of her purse. "I hope to be impressed by your acts during this duel."

Coco sighed before she began her plan.

"Actually, I got a curveball for you. If you'll hear me out." She watched a single silver brow raise on Impa's head. It was kinda impressive how her eyes didn't even flinch. "It's something that's got to do with this fight, trust me." She pushed one of her hips out, crossing her arm with her purse over her shoulder. Comfortable, confident, and not to be messed with.

"Hmm…" Impa hummed audibly. That was a pretty universal sign someone was thinking. Looked like the ancient faunus from a foreign land wasn't much different. "Very well. Do you have questions? Or perhaps… a discovery." Coco didn't flinch.

"A bit of both, actually. See, after Yang read that line in the rules you made up, I got to digging, too." Coco, adjusted her glasses, staring at Impa carefully. She had a good eye for detail. People weren't much different. "I figured there must have been something else good in that packet you called a rule book. And wouldn't you know it? I found it on my second read-through, buried right under the item regulations." She threw her arms out, letting the confused whispers wash over her.

"And what was this secret you found?" Impa asked in turn, arms folded over her chest. Coco did not miss the slight smirk over the old faunus's face. She knew what was going on. "Pray tell the rest of your fellow squires what this is." Oh, she would.

"This," Coco spoke up, not actually holding anything. Wasn't anything to hold. "Is me figuring out that instead of fighting you as teams of four or going solo, we can face you in a team of eight!"

She loved the feeling that came with the rushed conversations around her. Sure, it was above and around her, but she could just see the rest of the teams piecing together what she said. Probably scrambling to figure out how it worked. Well, if she knew any teacher by now, she knew she was gonna have to explain her answer.

"See, most of the rules are built around how much of your Aura we gotta chip away at," Coco spoke as she pointed at the board above them. Neither she nor Impa looked up at it. "Solo, just a third. Teams, the whole thing. But that's all based around choosing who we fight or where we fight." This was the important part. "The freshman figured out that if we chose both, you'd have to fight solo and get all your Aura down."

"All true so far," Impa agreed with a small nod of her head. Her grin had yet to go anywhere. Coco had a pretty good idea why. She could feel the stare of the other students on her. "But how does this secret you found relate to it?"

"But if we let you, you, choose both, we get to pick a bigger team! Right?" She was careful with her gestures, like a corporate business meeting. Pointing at the faunus with the first question, the twisting her hand till her palm was right side up for the question. A show of confidence and confirmation.

Her reward for the actions, next to the pretty high level of whispering through the stands, was watching the stoic Impa blink in surprise. If nothing else, that was worth it.

But then it got a little less rewarding when the sharp-eared woman started to laugh. That was usually bad, at least when teachers did it before a lesson.

"Well done, Coco Adel," Impa spoke warmly, smile bright on her face. She had to admit, even with the platinum hairdo going on, the faunus had the golden oldies look down pat when that smile came out. "Well done indeed! I can see you are fine leader of your team, finding such details to ensure your victory." She sucked in the praise.

"Can't be a second year team led without something to show for it," she admitted, popping her hip out to get a better balance to her stance. She felt the weight of her purse pull down on her other side. "Only thing I can't figure out is why you'd hide something like that in there." She held out a hand to the question.

"Is it not obvious?" Impa asked like it was. But no, it wasn't. Coco would have heard it by now otherwise. The whispers from the students seemed to agree to her sentiment. She really wished Velvet was down here. At least she could hear any of the good conversations going on. "I did design these to simulate, nearly, what you can expect as a knight."

"Yeah, well… it isn't obvious enough," Coco spoke up, scratching the back of her head. She had to adjust her hat, but at least it kept her eyes off of the doubtless glare from Impa. Teachers tended to not like back talk, and Coco was full of it. "Least I can't figure out the promise of going eight on one."

"It's an ambush." Coco had to shake her head like she just was ambushed. That wasn't Impa who spoke.

"Ms. Schnee," Goodwitch spoke up, looking into the crowd with her words. Coco traced her gaze, seeing the familiar Schnee Heiress standing in front of her seat. She had her arms crossed like Impa, but more dignified, somehow. Never doubt a Schnee when it came to making something simple look fancy. "I appreciate your attentiveness, but you were not addressed for an answer."

"It's quite alright, Glynda," Impa spoke up. Coco turned in time to see the faunus holding her grin. "After all, Weiss is correct. It is to imitate an ambush. Would you care to explain why, Ms. Schnee?"

The students seemed to either stop talking or talk louder, depending on where they were. Coco was just staring at Impa, wondering what the heck an ambush had to do with this. Like what, she was entitled to attack them in their sleep or something? That didn't exactly promote good safety.

"When we challenge you," Weiss began, silencing all the talk in the room. Coco wished she had that kind of power. "It is as if we are hunting a Grimm. We don't know where it is, but we can research and prepare for its abilities. If we chose a location, we are instead imitating a defensive post, unprepared for whatever kind of Grimm may come our way, but knowing the landscape thoroughly."

"Correct, so far," Impa spoke up, ending with what Coco could only hear as an ominous tone. Must have been the mean glint in the faunus's red eyes. It looked like she was challenging Weiss to keep going. Probably was, actually. "But then what of your teammate's actions? What was the purpose to Yang choosing both her opponent and the location?"

"A high risk hunt," Weiss spoke almost immediately. She seemed to know what she was talking about, but Coco had none. Heck, even Impa looked like she was agreeing with the heiress, but what did that even mean? High-Risk Hunt, she'd never heard that before. "Otherwise referred to as an ambush. Setting up in foreign territory or unmarked land to attack a Grimm that has unspecified details regarding it. They are usually performed outside low-populated villages or in Grimm Infested Territories, due to the inability to collect clear information." Guess she wasn't the heiress of the company for nothing.

"A bit overdone, but otherwise correct," Impa noted with a nod of her head. It was still kinda cool to see the smile on her. Coco's opinion changed rapidly when Impa looked back at her. "But if that was the ambush why does the scenario Ms. Adel just suggested also qualify?" That was a leading question, probably because Impa already knew the heiress had the answer.

"Because the roles have changed," Weiss spoke up as fast as Coco expected. "Instead of one of us initiating the ambush… you are going to do the ambushing." That sounded bad when explained point for point, like knowing a sniper was aimed at you and you had zero aura. That kind of bad. Coco flicked her tongue against her cheek to keep herself from biting her lip.

"And it appears you are proposing such a task against me. Allowing me to choose your opponent, your location, so you may have a team twice as large as normal." It took coco a full moment to realize Impa was talking to her now. She spoke up as if she were paying attention, like in class.

"Sounds about right to me," Coco responded back confidently, putting her hands to her hips and donning a light grin. Confidence was in appearance. If you looked confident, you were confident. Simple as that.

"Very good," Impa replied with a bow of her head. Coco began to nod her own, confidence building just like she knew she would.

This was perfect! Not only did she prove she could make a plan better than that boxum blonde, but now she had a good chance of making it work!

"You have five minutes to pick out your teammates."

Coco whirled at Impa, mouth already moving in shock.

"What?!" She shouted at her teacher, too late to notice the faunus was already nearly out of the arena. The heck!? Where was she going? "What does that mean?! Where are you going?!" She shouted at the golden oldie's retreating form. Impa didn't even look over her shoulder as she walked into the locker rooms. She did, however, respond.

"It's an ambush, Coco," Impa spoke with a voice that sounded too mirthful to belong to a teacher. More like a sociopath. "You don't get to choose where or when. Better think fast before I get back." Coco started thinking the moment Impa passed through to the locker rooms, not an ounce of flare in her movements.

Coco was not so relaxed.

"You guys!" She looked up and shouted at her teammates. She hardly needed a clue to know they were the best first three she could ever pick. "Get your butts down here ASAP, we gotta go!"

She watched Velvet nearly jump in shock, looking left and right as if one way was better than the other. She made a decision and started to move, thankfully. Fox was right in front of her, making way across the other kids as fast he could. No need to worry about Yatsu when it came to a blockade. He usually was the one blocking paths.

Her team was good, probably the best, but they were only four. She needed to get four more down on the floor in five minutes! If this was an ambush, Impa was NOT going to wait for her to get ready. It was going to be strike first and fast. So she had to start calling names and hoped they jumped to the challenge.

There was one name Coco knew loved a challenge.

"Nikos! C'mon!" She shouted to the Invincible Girl, waving for the star of the freshman class. If there was a good choice amongst that lot, it had to be her. "If you're down here we got like a guarantee to win!" Coco already found herself putting her hands to her head when the red-head started to shake hers.

"I decline," she spoke simply. Coco felt her glasses fall a bit. "I am waiting to assist my team in any duel we participate in." Coco would have found it heart-warming, especially the gleeful looks the rest of the team, were it not for the fact they were still down four people and about to get ambushed by some super-soldier faunus!

Fine, couldn't get them all. But if they couldn't get strength, then they needed smarts.

"Weiss, you wanna join?!" Coco called up, already feeling Velvet stiffen behind her. It was gonna be cool. Weiss was like ice, but she was smart as an elephant. "This has got to be a good chance for you, right? Cause Yang can't fight and all."

"I also decline, Coco." Said leader felt a groan move through her throat at the words. "I need more time to prepare before I rush into a combat situation such as this, especially against someone like-"

"I'll join!" Coco didn't need to whip her head to see who yelled that. She was standing right next to Weiss.

"Ruby!" Yang yelled at her sister, pretty audible actually. The room was getting louder though. "Sit your butt back down. This ain't the time for us to go charging in." It was amazing how loud Yang was, voice echoing above the cacophony that was rising in the room. Doubtlessly bets being placed against them.

"Nope, it's the perfect time!" The young team leader spoke up. "We did agree that we had to scout out Link's friends, and this is gonna be one of the best ways." Coco couldn't have been the only one confused, but hell if she was gonna look a gift horse in the mouth.

She liked gifts, especially those that came with high-caliber rifle scythes. The leader of team CFVY was already waving Ruby down when another voice spoke up from the crowd.

"I'm up for joining, if you don't mind a stranger that is." Coco looked at said stranger… she recognized him. He was that visitor from Vacuo, Mercury something.

Standing up like Ruby, arms crossed over his chest, he had a look of confidence that was assuring as it was off-putting. Looked kinda like poison. He forfeited his duel against Pyrrha a couple of weeks back for whatever reason. Only time Coco ever saw him fight, but if he was gonna use that fancy footwork and not throw in the towel, it was good enough for her.

"Can't have a bad friend in an ambush," Coco called back. She wasn't sure how she felt about the grin he gave. She took it as a good sign, seeing as he seemed to catch her joke. Intelligence wasn't a bad thing either. Maybe he was the full package looking to collect. She could roll with that.

"That makes six," Fox spoke up next to her, eyes looking around uselessly. Coco gave him a glance before looking at Ruby already heading towards the locker rooms, Mercury moving a heck of a lot slower to the same place. "Should we keep asking for two more?"

"I'm not going into a fight against Link with a half-full purse," Coco spoke back. Fox held up his hands, relenting quickly. She knew where he was coming from, tough guy who was best at sneaking around in the midst of fights. Too many players meant it would be hard to keep himself concealed, at least in the long-term. They'd work around it.

They had maybe a minute or two left, at least until Impa's arbitrary deadline ended. Coco still didn't have an idea if anything was going to happen by the end of it. She wouldn't be too surprised if she just told them the test was tomorrow or something. Then again, Impa had pretty much proven she wasn't a normal teacher. Close as she was to a Goodwitch, she certainly was no Glynda.

"Um, Coco?" Said leader turned her attention to Velvet, the faunus looking up into the stands. "I think they might want to join, probably." Coco would have cheered for her teammate's ears, but she knew that was a no-go in public. Later though, she'd get a carrot for the assist.

Following Velvet's queue, Coco saw a couple of students having a conversation. One was maybe her height with a thick red beanie covering one of her eyes. A bronze eye was out and staring at the partner she was having a pretty… lively discussion with. Said partner had thick dreadlocks running down his back and a green sleeveless hoodie across his chest. Neither of them were getting bonus points for style. But if they could help…

"Hey!" Coco yelled up to them, hands cupped around her mouth. "You two want in? We have two spots still. Positions open, waiting for you to apply!" That got a chuckle from Fox, unsurprisingly. Bit of a giggle from Velvet, but that was about it. Coco kept her attention on the pair of students now looking down at her.

"We're talking about it, give us a sec!" The one with the dreadlocks called back. He began talking to his partner again, who kept pointing back down at them. Good sign so far… maybe.

"Her name's May, a-and she wants to join us," Velvet spoke up from behind Coco. It was getting really hard to not turn around and give the girl a bear hug. "His name is Roy, he's afraid that if they win they won't get anything for it." Oh yeah, the prize for victory. That thing.

"Hey, you two!" Coco yelled up again. "If we win, I promise I'll buy you both a custom mod for your weapons!" Okay, her dad would pay for it, but if he heard that she lead a team to take down some foreign super hunter in a fair fight, she could spin it into being a congratulation gift. And when it came to the spin, Coco was top of the game.

She knew she was right on the money when the two kids, May and Roy apparently, gave looks at one another before waved his hands at her.

"We'll be right down!" Roy yelled, May already stepping out of the chairs that lined the arena. Coco felt a grin split her face. This was it, she did it! A full team ready to go, almost ready to go!

Adjusting her gaze, she looked around at the team members that had made it to the floor. Counting May and Roy, who should be here soon, they had eight players. Yatsu, the obvious muscle. Fox, a quick brawler. Velvet, a wildcard by definition. Ruby, the crimson sniper. Mercury, lots fancy footwork. Coco knew she had smarts and distance at her aid. But it was kind of hard to make a full plan without knowing what May and Roy could do.

"Hey, Velvet," she spoke lightly to her teammate, not letting her eyes drift from the party looking at her, well, mostly her. Ruby was adjusting that huge scythe of hers. "What are the kids saying about our odds?"

"Um… hold on," Velvet spoke lightly, ears doubtlessly trained to the crowd. The girl was as gifted with numbers as she was with tech. "It sounds like Link has the advantage, b-but odds are 5-1 we lose when he's at half health. 20-1 He doesn't get hit." Coco didn't really know how to feel about that.

"Hey, at least they know we'll know knock him around a bit," Mercury spoke up. Coco saw him stretching his legs, crouching down and twisting them around. "But I'm pretty sure we can knock him out cold. You know, as long as you're all as skilled as you're supposed to be." And there was the downside to confidence.

"You're the one on watch, Mercury," Coco shot back, just enough bite to get his attention, not nearly enough to drive him off. They still needed him. "Pretty sure you're the only one here who forfeited a match you started." Even though it was a jab, the silver-haired boy didn't do much more than shrug. Cool as ice, apparently.

"So what is the plan?" Ruby spoke up now, flinging her scythe until it was notched over her back. Coco did her best to not get intimidated by its size. She would never say those words out loud. "Are we gonna split up into groups? Try and divide and conquer? Oh! Are we going to circle Link and attack all at once?"

"Too much too quickly there Red," Coco spoke up, reaching up and pulling down on Ruby's hood. She gave it a flick back before she let go, leaving it only as a minor prank at most. The pout the freshman gave her was priceless. "But we can't divide a single fighter, circling him just means there's gonna be someone across from him you could hit, but groups are a probably gonna be like partners at a dance."

"Keep moving and trade often, ya?" The leader of team CFVY turned to see who spoke. She was rewarded with May, the girl with the beanie over one of her eyes. Roy was just behind her, but Coco was a little more interested on the weapon on her back, the high caliber rifle that was. Two snipers then, awesome. "Can't stay in the same place too long. Makes things dull."

"Right on the mark," Coco agreed, giving the new comer a nod of the head. The grin May gave back was a good sign. Positivity being positive and all that. "Means that you and Ruby are gonna be the support. You've both got the best reasons to keep whatever one of Link's partners moving."

"Those were my thoughts," Roy spoke up now. He had saw blades on his gauntlets. Huh. Kinda like Fox, but about half a foot up the arm. He'd know best how that'd change the fighting style. Maybe more defensive? "Then the quickest of us have got to keep whoever comes out busy long enough for someone to nail 'em to the ground."

"Corner and strike?" Yatsu spoke up. Coco looked at the heavy hitter of team CFVY. It was always hard to ignore a guy who was heads taller than you. "A suitable plan. Difficult given our lack of familiarity."

"Probably the best reason for us to keep trading partners," Coco spoke up again. She was the leader of this group, or whatever they wanted to call it. "If there's any kind of conflict, we're going to have to separate. So, like if Ruby and May can't shoot straight next to one another, then they work off of someone else." She intentionally ignored the glares both girls were giving her. "There's no use trying to make something work when we got a chance to take Link down."

"I can agree to that," Mercury spoke up now. Coco kept a wary on him, now just because he had some cool grin going on. Least his partners seemed alright to talk to. "I'm best at sword's reach anyway, but not much further than that. Hard to shoot accurate when you're swinging your legs." She'd give him a point on that.

"Noted, then you'll probably want to lay back at first, at least until we have a good idea of what to expect." Guess it was time to bring up the game plan, seeing as she was already starting to give orders. "Ruby and May will be doing the same thing, but probably from far ends of the arena. Last thing we need is some kind of surprise attack knocking out all of our support."

"Works for me, lassie," May spoke up easily, crossing her arms behind her head. "Give me some cover and I'll give ya headshots."

"And I can be the surprise!" Ruby shouted. Coco wasn't sure where the young team lead was going with that comment. "I'm the fastest one here, so I can move around the arena really fast! As long as someone is in between Link and me, I'll be able to change station easily. And don't forget that I'm pretty tough up close, too!" To prove her point, Ruby unfolded her scythe. The bang it made when fully extended was pretty hard to ignore.

"Yeah, noted," Coco spoke up, if only to relent the point. "But that does mean you're probably at point Yatsu." She turned to the tallest member of the team. "You'll probably be able to take one of… whatever Link dishes out, so that'll give Fox and Roy time to move in when he's recovering." The tall member of the team just nodded his head. Always short on words.

"Works for me, but I do like to strike high," Roy commented, waving his hand above his head. "Easy to get grapples when you go for the torso. No one likes to get grabbed by the guy with blades on his arms." That was an understatement. Coco was pretty sure people would be pretty scared just by that.

"I can work that," Fox noted, thankfully. People working together was a good thing. It made cohesion on the battle field easy. "I prefer lower torso to leg sweeps. But I am about speed, quick attacks, not tackles."

"Then just let him hold Link down for us," Mercury spoke up again, cracking his neck this time. Coco felt herself grimace at the noise. It was as if he couldn't make himself known without doing something weird. "Pretty hard for anyone to dodge a good kick to the gut if they can't move, right? Enough of them and I'm willing to bet our hammer here could knock him out." The silver-haired boy patted Yatsu's chest plate with the words. Coco knew her teammate well enough that he wouldn't retaliate, only look down at Mercury. She only scoffed when her thoughts became reality.

"Alright good plan, great plan," Ruby spoke up, raising one hand with each phrase. "Then what do we do until Link comes back out? Just wait around? Talk?" Actually, that was a pretty good question. It wasn't as if this was a test they could review before taking. It was them waiting for someone to come out and attack them. Simple as that.

So instead all Coco could do was shrug as she turned around, looking at the seven other students who were waiting with her. Velvet was playing with her ears, combing the fur on them. Fox was going through some training motions. Yatsu was doing nothing, at all. Ruby was hopping place. May looking through the scope of her rifle. Roy spinning the blades on his gauntlets. Mercury was just… looking up. That was all they could do, because doing anything else would just risk missing their time to strike.

The tension of waiting was pretty amazing. No wonder it was called an ambush.

"So how long's it been?" Coco found herself asking the group, before turning her head to the one person who would obvious know. "Ms. Goodwitch, is Link gonna be out here anytime soon? If he wants an extension, I got no arguments." She only grinned when Glynda gave her a sharp glare through her glasses. She'd gotten used to that look freshman year.

"It is not my place to interfere with a duel until it is time to decide on a victor." Well that was one of the most cookie cutter answers she could have given. Coco made no attempt to hide her displeasure with the words, rolling her head as she stuck out one of her hips.

"Oh c'mon, you can't even tell me when the fight is gonna start?" She waved one of her hands uselessly as she spoke. Some movement was better than none. "Isn't that like the whole job of the ref? To say start and stop?"

To answer her, Glynda just looked up from her Pad. The Pad kinda looked new, but that wasn't too important. Instead, the blonde professor answered Coco plainly.

"As Impa said nearly eight minutes ago, you have five minutes to prepare."

It took Coco a solid second to sift through the words. When it clicked in her head, she whirled, grabbing her purse, and securing the necessary buttons to let the lead fly. The quickness to her actions at least startled the rest of her team, Yatsu gripping his blade and Fox pulling his arms. But the others like Ruby only looked confused.

"Get ready, now!" Coco shouted at them. "Whoever Link's bringing out is gonna be here soon." There wasn't much point in debating that point. Given all the mysteriousness Impa left the room, an ambush seemed likely. Funny, considering how they were the ones meant to ambush.

"You're probably right about that," Mercury spoke up. Coco stared at him through her glasses, watching as the silver haired boy looked around them. "Something tells me they're already here, too. In fact, I'd say they're rather… close." The joy in his words only made him creepier than usual. That was until he swung his leg in a brutal kick.

It would have secured Coco's ideas that the boy was insane, were it not for the dull thud of his leg hitting something.

Coco watched, stared, as sound came from nowhere. She was staring at nothing, the floor of the arena and past that to the walls, but seeing nothing that made the sound. Mercury had put his boot down, but there was still something clinking across the ground, moving almost. Before she could even curse in curiosity was that was, the answer was given to her.

Impa, like silent lightning, just popped into view.

Coco would have felt her jaw drop if she weren't gritting her teeth like her grip on her minigun. It was already unfolding, aimed at the tall faunus. Said faunus was standing crouched, one hand holding what looked like a piece of stone just in front of her face, the other gripping at her leg. She wasn't injured, no way, so that was probably a weapon or something. A single glance showed Coco the knives that were secured about her upper thigh. That sight made the Team CFVY realize something else.

Impa wasn't holding that giant sword she usually carried. It made her look… smaller. Yeah definitely smaller, but so small that she was unnoticeable? Was that a glyph of hers? It was a pretty common rumor at this point that she was some mixed descendant from the Schnee Family, but Weiss had never pulled out that trick before. But there was something else new about the Faunus.

She did have some new artwork over her eye, left eye. It… looked like a larger eye? A large red bleeding eye that trailed down just one of her cheeks. Whatever, it was something. And against a Faunus like Impa, Coco knew something was worth watching out for.

---

The silver-haired boy, Mercury, was faster than Link gave credit for.

To his defense, Impa saw nothing special in the boy either. He had not fought any duels with other squires, did not attempt to answer questions in class, and his very name was unknown until he volunteered to fight. It was the combination of unknowns that made him more dangerous than anyone else on the arena.

It was also why Impa was only barely able to block the roundhouse kick he had aimed for her head.

Because of the surprise of the attack, even though she was the one cloaked in stone, a sloppy defense was all she could throw up, one that resulted in too much force being placed against her arm. It forced a retreat, lost her the position of surprise. By extension, removed a critical piece to remaining the unknown.

Impa made a passive sound of annoyance as she removed and pocketed the Stone Mask. Link's memories told her where it belonged, just as they had explained its use. The gasps of the crowd were matched with a few startled expressions from the eight squires before her. Perhaps only Mercury saw through the passivity of the mask. It mattered little now if he was. It would have been only a hindrance to continue to wear it.

A pocket of silence took the arena's floor. Impa took to studying the squires who joined Coco Adel. Ruby was obvious, as was Velvet, but the others were unknown. Their attire suggested their class, the heavy set warrior, taller than the others, the close-ranged fighters, very like active shadows, and the girl with a long stick upon her back. She was likely a mage, very likely to fight from a distance. But Impa could waste more time thinking on them. She was studying them, but they were studying her.

"Tch, I was hoping to get a good hit with that," the boy commented, resuming a combat stance with speed equal to Impa. Link noted that he did not continue his assault. Impa took note that the others were struggling to keep up with what had happened. "But I guess if you're a hot shot huntress, it makes sense it wouldn't be that easy, huh?" And he was still smiling. Yes, Mercury was fast, but he was also clever.

"You are quite the unknown," she admitted to him. Flattery was an easy means to reduce one's guard, though it did not last nearly as long. "I am curious if you are a clever Warrior, or a walking Shadow. Both are worthy to fear."

"Wouldn't mind being the Shadow," Mercury coolly replied. He was hopping in place, too low to the ground to possibly be an opening. He must have known that. Link agreed the boy was well trained or well learned. "But I gotta say, it's a lot more fun to fight in the open." He didn't give any clue towards the spinning kick he directed at Impa, aside from ending his sentence. This time, however, she was ready.

The back of her hand wove and caught the junction between the boy's foot and leg, pulling back to disrupt his stance. Rather than falling, however, Mercury put a great amount of force into his other leg, flipping over Impa and redirecting his legs back at her. She saw the holes in the ends of his boots. Link knew what that meant. Impa wove left and right to dodge the blasts, simple given their straight trajectory. It was only after Mercury landed, smirking, that Impa realized a small mistake.

Her back was to the rest of the squires, a few of whom would doubtlessly catch onto her opening. Link couldn't hear them moving, but Impa was not to take a risk. Retreat then assess, do so with a distraction.

Impa brought her hands to her, calling forth her honed magic. Escape was best in the cover of smoke, smoke came easy following explosions. Link and Impa had experience with both. When her magic was bounded tightly, Impa took in a quick breath of air. Breaking her laced fingers apart, she threw one hand to the ground, letting her magic erupt.

The explosion was minimal at best, small compared to what both she and Link were capable of, but it was good enough. Impa could hear the cries of fright and confusion. Link could tell the difference between those who were annoyed and worried. Both retreated to the wall of an arena, feeling Impa's magic dissipate as she faced the squires once more. She had more time to judge them now.

The explosion had forced Coco Adel to her side, caught by the large warrior beside her, Yatsu if Link's memories were to be believed. The close brawlers were wiping soot from their eyes, the Hylian Velvet holding her large ears to her shoulders. A small wonder why. Mercury, however, appeared nonplus with the explosion, his eyes still trained on her. He may not have expected it, but he was prepared for it. He was a dangerous one.

That was when Impa's gaze caught a flurry of petals shot out to another far wall, filling her with confusion. Link knew it was Ruby, her swift ability making itself known. Petals were in the clear indicator she was using it. And while she was, she was fast, far faster than Impa or Link were. She was dangerous as well.

It was a pity, almost, that Tatl and Tael were both with Ozpin for the day. But for promises broken, favors were recompense. Any annoyance she had for their lack of presence could be thought of later. The now was far more important. And the action of now, through Link's thoughts, was to warn the squires of their coming defeat. Both Link and Impa knew it was inevitable.

"Be ready, you all," Impa's words spoke, earning the immediate attention of the distracted knights-in-training. They turned their weapons to her. "Against unfair numbers, I cannot risk to hold back." Impa spoke only the truth. Link knew that the truth was far more terrifying than any lie.

And the truth was, in the midst of a battle, those who supported their allies from afar were the priority targets. With them, movement was restricted, caution had to be put into every action, and one mis-timed movement could be the end. Without them, the enemy was prone to anger and irrationality. Link knew Yang would be furious with what was coming next. Impa would deal with the brawler when the time came.

Impa dashed towards Ruby and the other student, both still preparing their weapons. Foolish. They would pay for not being attentive before a fight. One of the other students, the one that appeared blind, struck at her with his elbows. Impa saw it coming very quickly. Link knew what to do. Impa knew it was brutal. Both knew it was necessary.

She easily ducked his blow, seeing his leg rising with his own anticipation. It wasn't fast enough. Impa twisted, catching the underside of the Gerudo's arm. The moment of her run made flipping him over her simple. The trick was what came next.

Link was used to carrying shields, but only Impa had the knowledge to turn a body into one.

As the dark-skinned squire flipped in the air, Impa deftly reached out and caught him by the throw, facing towards them. It made the blades on the back of his arms useless, their proximity between them too close to give them any purpose. Link remembered that the others were still training their weapons on them. Impa had not forgotten.

She kept her run towards Ruby and the other squire, holding up the dark human in front of her. He was struggling, gripping at her arm and attempting to strike her head. The later was a good objective, disorient and weaken. But Link knew where to strike a Gerudo to render them unconscious, or at least weakened. It was a good thing Impa had given her warning before, because it was not a kind maneuver.

In the midst of her sprint, Impa slammed her fist into the boy's stomach. She felt him curl in her grasp. Link heard the on-lookers in the stand give sounds of discomfort. Impa heard someone shout behind her, likely in fear. Fear was the mind killer. Ruby and her friend were the threats. Impa struck the Gerudo teen again, and again, and then trice more. Each blow gave out less and less air, reducing his struggles to weak motions of his arms. Good, because Link knew what came next would be far more brutal.

Ruby and her friend were readying their ranged weapons, aiming at Impa even as she approached. They were close now, and as soon Impa released the Gerudo boy, they would fire. They were not inexperienced, far from amateurs. It would be unlikely for them to miss so close. The alternative to taking a blow, however, was to turn a shield into a weapon. Impa knew how to use a body shield. Link knew how to use any tool masterfully.

Impa pushed the boy forward, ducking as his body fell. She didn't waste a moment to grab the boy's legs, all the while keeping his body between her and the weapons the squires used. This next moment was crucial. Fortunately, Link knew exactly what to do.

Pivoting on her foot, Impa used Link's memories to spin the Gerudo boy like a mace.

She was quickly rewarded for the tactic. The boy's head slammed into the squire neither Impa nor Link recognized. The blow was devastating for both parties. The boy she held was clearly dazed, the capped girl was nearly done in. Clearly a mage, lacking a suitable defense. It was easy to capitalize, so long as Impa moved to Link's memories.

She released the boy, letting his body fall like a doll onto Ruby. She let out a noise of surprise, but Impa did not relent. She was quickly on the girl she had dealt the cranium blow to, raising a fist the moment she was on top of her. A single blow would do, enough to take her out of the fight. But she felt someone preparing to intervene.

Impa directed her hand and summoned her magic, bringing forth a large glyph between her and the party she had fled from. No sooner than she did than did she feel something heavy slam against it. A quick look showed it was the silver-haired boy, Mercury. His whole body had gone into the kick he had delivered, enough to leave him airborne from the blow. A poor consequence to his choice.

It was an opening Impa could not ignore. Link told to remove the girl first, and Impa agreed. Her hand swung back down, delivering a brutal backhand to the capped girl. The blow made a crack of bone, sending the girl toppling the short distance to the wall. She stilled at the structure. She was alive, clearly by both Link and Impa's standards, but removed from the battle. That left six to confront. Still an up-hill fi-

"GAH!" Impa let out a cry of pain as something slammed into her gut. It sent her tumbling back, twisting to put herself back on her feet, but in an exposed condition. It wasn't good. She had just enough to look up, to see Ruby aiming that scythe of her at her. In that moment, she saw the girl pull back the lever once more. It was going to fire again. "No."

Impa threw up a Glyph, red as the fire she felt. She grimaced as another blow was dealt against. Far preferred the glyph than herself, but it was still keeping her immobile. Not good while outnumbered. Far from acceptable when Mercury, the clever warrior, saw the same opening. It was horrendous when Impa saw Coco spinning up some over-sized weapon at them. Link recognized the same tool from the Badlands. It was not something they could stand long against.

So the Shiekah threw up another glyph, then another, and the last above her still. Arms outstretched to support their strength, she could only grimace as blow after blow was dealt against them. Ruby's weapon was like a small cannon. Mercury's kicks lacked nothing in force. Coco's weapon was like a volley of arrows without rest. Their collective tools filled the air with explosions and booms, deafening Impa's trained hearing.

This was an extremely poor position. Only a quarter of their team gone and trapped in a corner of her own making. It would not be long before the other members gained courage and wove through their teams attacks. If the large warrior chose to strike at the perfect moment, it would cost Impa a great deal of her health. It was already draining to keep up the glyphs. The situation could not last.

Impa could hear the crowd talking of her predicament, whispers both excited and terrified as she focused and spun her force into the glyphs. Link could tell they were thrilled by the idea of their defeat, seeing the undefeated be crushed.

Both Impa and Link knew it was not something they could allow to happen. Not this soon and certainly not this early. These squires still had much to learn. Fortunately, Link had a plan. Impa knew it would work. Both had seen its success in the past. They were for opposite reasons, but it would work.

Impa knew how to do it. Link knew how to use it. They only had to be quick.

She drew in the glyphs, backing herself into the corner. Less space meant less error. She could not afford any, not with the constant onslaught. It was still risky, but the odds were in her favor. These squires were clever, smart, well-trained, but inexperienced. That lack of understanding would be what caused Link's plan to work. Impa trusted his memories.

"Ho!"

Impa shouted loudly, swinging her arm with the effort. The rune above her accelerated, descending through her as it was meant to. Her own magic surrounded her, read her, copied her, then did as she had commanded it to.

It made another version of her. It made a shadow of herself.

It was not a true shadow. It was not dark as the starless night nor staring with eyes of red. It was colored the same as her, dressed the same, and moving the same. But it had no thoughts of its own nor intents to live. Only orders that it followed, and it had its orders.

No sooner did her self-made doppelganger come to life than did it take off running about the edge of the arena. Its appearance brought an obvious lull to the attacks over Impa, as Link knew they would. These warriors in training were so surprised by most of his skills that the rarity of this one, even back in Hyrule, would ensure their shock. He was not wrong.

With her runes gone, exposed as she was, she saw the remaining six parties follow the shadow of her, running towards the bunny-eared Hylian. She was the obvious target, another mage preparing something that Impa could not read. Her plan mattered little if she was gone. It was the thought process Impa was sure the others would expect of her, especially given her assault on Ruby and the other squire. She was not wrong.

Coco's heavy machinery followed the trail her shadow left behind, the saw-bladed warrior chasing it with great intent. Mercury was frozen, staring at it before looking back at Impa. Ruby was not firing at her either. They were all shocked. That was good. Impa knew what she had to do. Link trusted she would not go too far. She was the one friend who controlled her emotions the most.

She took off for Ruby, running with a speed she knew far surpassed the silver-haired Mercury. But, for good measure, she laced a knife on the ground, letting it strike out as he took a step towards her. She was half-way the distance to the red-hooded support when she heard the boy fall back from the trap. It was only a distraction, but a distraction was all she needed. She was upon Ruby before the girl had a chance to raise that scythe again.

Impa grabbed the girl's neck, holding her off the ground and removing the support she needed to work her weapon. The Shiekah quickly spun until her back was to the wall, making a shield of the girl once more. But when all those were set, the General of the Hylian army began her work. Link still trusted her, but he knew this was beyond what the girl suspected of him. She would forgive, hopefully.

"I'm sorry, Ruby," Link spoke through Impa's voice. It made the girl still, staring at Impa with wide eyes. It was exactly what the Shiekah needed. "This will be over swiftly. Then we can speak again."

Even as Link spoke, Impa stared into Ruby. She saw through the gown of red, past the eyes of silver, and into the core of who she was.

She saw everything that was Ruby Rose, the youngest of the squires in Beacon, and likely one of the most deserving of the title of Knight.

She was full of hope, and full of sorrow. She was full of determination, and reservation. She was full of love, as much as a child could.

Ruby Rose was full of speed, ready to charge towards any danger, just as quickly as she wanted to end it.

Impa's Eye of Truth, framed by her clan's red markings, let her see it all.

And because she saw it so clearly, she understood it. Because she understood what Ruby Rose was, she knew how to use it. Impa had not taken anything, but she had certainly forged something from memories that were not her own. It was far and removed from the first time.

The Eye of Truth showed all to the Shiekah blood. They were the clan taught and trained to use knowledge as the strongest of weapons. Impa saw more than any other with her eye. Link had mastery over all she saw.

"And we are done," Impa spoke now, dropping the girl from the air. Ruby moved to settle on her feet, but it was not to be. The drop was a feint, and Impa did not let opportunities pass her by.

Her leg raised itself to deliver a brutal kick to Ruby's gut, knee nearly embedding itself into the young girl's frame. The cough of pain was as audible as the surprise on her features were visible. Impa chose to ignore the sight. Link knew it was necessary. Both knew the uselessness of mercy in a duel without death.

Impa swung her fist, colliding with Ruby's face in a near instant. She continued the momentum, carrying the girl until her head slammed into the wall of the arena. There was no crunch, thankfully, but the daze in the girl's gaze was obvious. It wasn't enough, but nearly there. Link used his memories, spinning through his attack until Impa's opposite hand landed on Ruby. The back of her fist slammed into the girl, making her drop her scythe and fall to the ground. She was out.

"Three down," Impa noted, staring back at the others. They only just began to look at her, figuring out what she had done. If they had been a few seconds sooner, it would have been clever. Now, they were fools. And fools met their end swiftly. This time, not painfully.

But they were just wise enough to wait for her now, to not uselessly rush her after being tricked. That showed they were learning. It was enough to bring a small grin to Impa's face. Link agreed. It was a shame that three of them were not awake to share the lesson. But they had been given teachings of their own.

Moments passed in silence, complete absence of noise kept far away by the chatter of the crowd. But the others were not moving. Coco had her machinery aimed at Impa still, long section spinning in preparation. Mercury had taken a crouch, likely prepared to jump once more. The saw-bladed warrior was much the same, but his blades were literally spinning. The Hylian was watching silently, fearfully, and the tall warrior had a grip on his blade Impa knew promised pain.

Link chose the time to act.

"Five to go." Impa raised a glyph in the air, jumping on it.

In the next second, she was shooting across the arena, the wisps of shadows falling behind her.

---

Yang was gonna hurl. It was that or run into the arena and start a killing spree.

She thought they were on good terms with Link and his friends, the super-faunuses actually helping out. Heck, they even had a good time over lunch, teasing included. You don't tease people you're not comfortable with! But right now, she didn't feel much love for the faunus, not after what he'd just done.

Ruby was just taken out. She was lying on the ground of the arena with her precious weapon lying outside of her reach. She had been beaten, kicked, strangled, then punched again, and again, and then th-

"Yang!" Someone shouted, nearly making the blonde throw up her lunch. "Yang! Calm down! Ruby is okay!" Was she moving? Oh yeah, she was, standing up and trying to find a way down to the arena.

That was funny because she was so sure that Link and his friends had made it clear that he was teaching them. But Yang couldn't see the lesson in beating her sister like that, not after one of the other teammates had just gotten a roundhouse-kick.

"You sure about that?" She turnedon Pyrrha, the red-head looking looking her with a narrowed gaze. "My sis was just… just destroyed! Did ya miss what just happened to her!?" She waved her hand at the arena, making it clear she was waving at her sister, still lying on the floor, still as a log, not moving, not- "Now what's gonna happen? I... I-I can't even imagine!"

"Just remember what you did last time," Blake spoke up instead, voice just loud enough to hear. Yang focused her lavender gaze on her partner's golden eyes. "Ruby is removed from the fight and Impa would hardly break her own rules of engagement. That isn't to mention Ms. Goodwitch would stop any fighting if they were seriously injured. Ruby's knocked out, but that's it. She will be okay."

"How sure are you?" Yang asked her partner, still trying to walk as she did so. Man, her body really wanted to get down there. "I-I've gotta get her out of there. She's not supposed to be that close to a fight if she can't do anything! They've gotta stop the match or-or-"

"Sit down, Xia Long!" Weiss shouted at her, standing up as well. Yang was startled by the girl's voice. She was hardly something to be afraid of. She didn't matter when it came to Ruby's well-being. "We only JUST finished apologizing to Link about the last incident. Now is not the time to create another!" Wrong.

"I don't care if I blow that to all hell!" Yang shouted back. A part of her told her that some of the other students were looking at them. A dozen other parts told her to put Weiss in her place. "I'm not letting my sister get crushed by some pumped up maniac of a-"

"Yang, look at the arena!" She didn't bother to look at Jaune. If he yelled at her, it was for a good reason. Yang turned away from Weiss with a snarl, looking at whatever it was that gave Vomit Boy a hint of courage.

She felt her jaw drop with her legs as Impa shot across the arena floor, dark shadows falling behind her.

The faunus, the old as bones with ears like an elf faunus, was jumping from glyph to glyph across the arena just like Ruby would trees back home. She was standing on one, staring at CFVY in the arena, before jumping off and turning into the hauntingly familiar cloak. But it wasn't red like Ruby, it was dark and black. Petals didn't fall, but wisps of shadows.

Yang had no idea how, a million questions why, but only one definite conclusion.

Impa was straight up using Ruby's semblance.

"That's… that's not possible," Ren, of all people, spoke what no one else could. Yang wasn't sure if she could say anything. Her muscles too weak at the sight, falling back into her seat without a strong leg to stand on. How was this possible? Impa's semblance was glyphs, the same as Weiss for Dusts' sake! So was… wait…

"Her semblance isn't magic, despite appearance," Blake spoke up, speaking what she had told their team a few nights ago. That was supposed to just be a warning to Weiss, but now… oh geez. "She never told me what that meant. But this… what is this? Mimicry?"

"That is… possible," Weiss spoke up, voice as breathless as Yang expected it to be.

Yang felt her hair getting warm, blazing actually. She could be talked out of storming the stage. That was a mistake last time and she'd made damn sure to let her team know to stop her before a second one occurred. They were doing a pretty good job, like her dad holding her back after Signal teacher had called Ruby dense.

But that was so much harder right now.

"She could… could she have stolen…" Weiss couldn't finish the sentence. Maybe she did, but Yang couldn't tell. She could only hear her heart drumming in her ears. The sound got louder the longer she stared at her sister lying on the ground, not moving, laying still, unarmed, hurt, injured!

"No, no way," Blake spoke before anyone could let in another word. "She's too proud, Link too honorable, to do something so impossible... heinous as that during a simple challenge. That isn't even possible, stealing a part of someone's soul like that." She could talk all she liked, but Yang couldn't care. It was becoming really hard to care the longer she stared at Impa running around and using Ruby's-

"Stay calm," Impa's voice spoke up. Yang whirled to her in the arena.

Impa was standing some distance away from the rest of the crew down there. Ruby was at the far end away from the maniac. That was good.

But she was still lying on the ground, exposed. That was bad.

Hopefully whatever came next didn't affect her. Better not, or Yang would be more than willing to risk some kind of detention with Goodwitch. At least the rest of the punks down there were aiming their weapons at Impa. That'd keep her from rushing Ruby.

"You began this fight valiantly, but you have begun to strike out vainly," the old faunus was talking, holding up a few knives in her hand. It would have looked cool, if Yang hadn't seen the same woman beat her sister into the ground! "I am doubtless my skills have surprised you, the Unknowns working against you, but you cannot allow that. Stay calm, focus, and you may still have chance."

A chance? Seriously? Yang wanted to see Impa get beaten into the dirt now more than ever, but even she knew they were all screwed. The faunus had taken out three of them in like a minute! How they hell were they supposed to beat her. Yang even looked at the screen to see the proof.

Impa had just barely lost a fifth of her Aura, something that Yang had done to Elrora with a single punch. May was out of the ring, Fox too. Mercury was down like a sixth of his aura, Roy three times that, Coco another fifth! Only Yatsu and Velvet looked like they were unscathed, but honestly how long could that last if Impa could take them out with a few hits! Even Ruby… huh…

She had Aura still. She had like half her Aura still!

"Weiss," Yang found herself whispering. Probably because the room had gotten so quiet. "Do you see that, or am I just going crazy to stop myself from going psycho." That made sense, maybe. Defensive mechanisms or whatever a psyche would want to call it.

"Yang what are… oh… oh." Yang could pretty safely conclude that meant she wasn't crazy. The relief almost made her melt in her chair. She felt her hair cool a few degrees at least. "She's playing possum to surprise Impa. She's setting up an Unknown where her opponent believes in a fact." Yang was pretty sure Weiss meant it was a trap. She found her grin returning.

"Oh Grimm and Dust, Ruby," Yang spoke out in an exasperated sigh. "It's like you're trying to give me a heart attack."

"I think it'd be more fun to see you with a heart burn!" Nora spoke up, quipping the boxer. Yang chuckled at the joke; that was all.

Couldn't laugh yet. But it was funny. Still, couldn't laugh yet.

Ruby still had gotten kicked and beaten before being thrown away. That was still… there. But she wasn't knocked out. Yang just had to focus on something else, something else that wasn't exactly Ruby. Like… one of the other five kids still left down there.

Well, more like four. Yang was having a hard time calling Velvet a fighter, seeing as she was just standing off the way and watching the fight. Didn't even have a weapon on her. At least Coco and Yatsu had those beasts of tools, and one of them being a literal Dust-blessed minigun! If she got a good track on Impa, that'd be the show, probably. Roy and Mercury were kind of opposites. Both close range, but so far no one seemed to far all that well close up to Impa. That was before she did… whatever with Ruby. There would be talks later about that.

"Smart," Yang heard Blake whisper next to her. Didn't take the boxer long to figure out she was hearing something they couldn't, probably a conversation on the floor. A double tap on her shoulder gave the hint to her partner. She blinked before responding. "They're going to attempt to corner her again, at least that is what Coco is proposing. It looks like Roy is the only one not on board." Weird, Yang swore it would've been Mercury as the odd man out.

"Most likely because he just saw Impa whip his partner to the floor," Jaune spoke up. He could say something smart, once in a blue moon. "I don't think he's on board for just guard duty after that."

"Well, can't blame him for that." Yang could easily understand that feeling. "Gonna be trouble if it costs the match though." That beanie girl must been the one with the cool head. The saw-bladed teen, Roy according to Blake, looked ready to jump at Impa, who was… what was she doing?

Yang had to squint at Link's friend, watching as the faunus, moved her arms through the air in one of the weirdest fashions she'd ever seen. It looked almost like she was trying to drag her hands through sand, making large deliberate motions as she positioned out her stance. She was pretty far away from the knives on her thigh, so it wasn't like she was gonna throw one. But then why the heck weren't the rest of the kids doing anything?

"A battle is hardly ever won by skill alone," Impa spoke with her action, dragging one of her hands past her chest. Would have been ten times more exciting if she ripped off that chest plate of hers. No such luck. "Knowledge is the keeper of victory. Those who possess it before the battle own its end. But the few who gather it in the midst of conflict… they are the ones who can turn the tides of war."

She was starting to sound like one of those poets Yang always fell asleep listening to. Ruby had better get up and kick butt soon… or stay down and wait it out. Either were good with Yang, so long as her little sis was alright.

"The Shadows are the Knights that gather the tools of victory. We Sheikah live and breathe in that realm." Yang understood that one. Weiss reminded her about it over the past few days. Shadows were like the ninjas of Hyrule. Made a lot of sense, especially given how Impa was dressed now. "So now watch closely, prepare properly, for what a Master of the Shadow can do."

Her sentence ended with her hands drawn together, stopping just above her shoulder. Weird, usually that kind of talk ended with someone holding something dramatic, or just striking some corny pose. The way Impa was standing, it looked like she forget her giant blade wasn't with her. Funny, but given everything Yang had seen so far, that was pretty impossible.

That's when she threw her hands, or more accurately, threw something forward. The arena floor was covered in smoke the next second.

"You gotta be kidding me," Yang heard herself mumble, staring at a literal cloud of whatever cover the floor. She lost track of basically everyone down there as soon as the smokescreen went up. No Ruby, no Impa, not even Glynda wherever she was in the cloud. "Ain't that illegal or something? Blocking the ref's view?"

"Perhaps in duels between students, but apparently not when we are facing Link," Weiss spoke up. She was leaning forward as if she hoped to see something. Her and about every other kid the place. Yang had to throw a hand back to stop whoever it was from leaning over her. "But if we can't see, how can she expect to see either. Universal sight impairment is a military tactic for retreat, not attack, not unless a means is available to see through… or sense…" Yang felt the gears in her head click in time with Weiss's.

"Blake?" Yang asked, seeing her partner give a glance before looking back at the arena. Her bow was moving. "What's happening? C'mon. Speak up." She snarled at the words. Yang would get over that later. Right now her sister was still in the game, and if she got found out in the fog…

"Nothing yet," Blake spoke. "Coco and Roy are being very… vocal of the screen. Everyone is else simply stepping around. I can't tell from where, not with all this noise." She glared at the kids around her. Small mystery what the feline meant, given that everyone was either talking or screaming to know what was going on. Yang was used to loud booms though, given she had shotguns on her hands.

"The Screen," was all Ren simply said. Yang didn't need to look at him to know what the boy meant. She looked up above the smoke cloud. She still saw the same thing as before, Aura wise at least. Impa was down, yeah, but pretty freaking far away from out. Wasn't looking good…

BAM

The boom of impact was the first warning that something was happening. The shouts from the rest of the students didn't help. The next high sign was the dull thud that came from something hitting one of the arena walls. Yang felt her seat shake. Something like, had to be someone getting hit. She stared back up at the screen.

One glance told her Yatsu was in for a bad time.

That feeling got worse when she saw the mini-giant's Aura go down by tenths with every blow Yang heard through the smoke screen. It was only after the fifth hit that she realized she could see the billows in the smoke where the blows were likely being dealt. Not like it was gonna save Yatsu though.

Three more blows, quickly in time and all just as deafening, then Yatsu was out.

"She wasn't kidding about the not holding back part," Jaune muttered from Yang's side. She could nod her head at that, blowing away a stray piece of her hair. It was almost painfully obvious how much Link and his friends were holding back before now, given that Impa was pretty much destroying the star team of the second years plus her sister… not quite yet that last one.

BAM

Another colossal blow echoed through the smoke screen, met with the same tremor through the stands. Yang felt like she was walking on needles, horrified to look up and see Ruby's face next to a red bar. But she had to look, because cowardice was not going to make her a bad sister. It was guilty sort of relief to see Coco's face next to an Aura meter that went from green to yellow.

"Aw, I wanna see the fight!" Nora shouted, like every other student. "It's not cool if we can't see!" She had a point… childish, no doubt, but still kinda valid. If Yang were to make a BS excuse, they couldn't learn from the teacher if they couldn't see her.

But then the smoke started to move. Not dissipate or rise or whatever smoke did to go away. More like it started to… spin. It wasn't until the puffs of gray air began to move inward that Yang really understood what she was seeing. They weren't just moving, they were being sucked in! She only knew one person who could do that.

Yang was not disappointed to see her sister's petals start to appear through the dark cloud.

"That's Ruby, isn't it?" Pyrrha asked like she didn't see what Yang did. Kay, it was possible, but given how the girl could pinpoint throw a spear from like a mile away, Yang kinda doubted it. "She's making a vortex to dissipate the smoke. That's very clever." Well, if there was one word for her gun-crazy, admitted-to-Beacon-early, prodigy of a sister, it was clever. Not that Yang was complaining.

As the smoke left, the rest of the challengers came into view. Yatsu was knocked out on the ground, his massive sword thrown away somewhere. May and Fox weren't in much better conditions. Velvet was huddled up, crouched down with her ears down. Probably had the best chance of avoiding Impa. Mercury and Roy, the two probably most vulnerable kids, were just spinning around like they were ready to fire at the first thing they saw. Made sense to Yang.

Then, finally, Impa came into view. She came into view with Coco held up by the back of her head, minigun discarded like Yatsu's sword. Impa wasn't even looking at the CFVY leader, she was just holding Coco like she was gonna give a cranium crush. Her eyes were instead looking around the arena, probably following Ruby.

Speaking of, Yang felt a grin pull at her lips when her sister skidded to a stop, sliding right in front of Velvet. She was panting though, a lot. Yang would've been surprised if she wasn't.

"Impressive," Impa spoke, still holding Coco up. The girl was grabbing at the hand that held her, clearly not getting anywhere. Given the sword Impa usually swung around, Yang was pretty sure Yatsu was the only one who had a chance to dislodge that grip. Herself aside, of course. "I thought you were already removed from the fight. That is my error for not checking. Though you wasted a good opportunity to strike at me."

"I couldn't see you before," Ruby spoke up, twisting her scythe back at Impa. The faunus moved to put Coco between her and the barrel. Yang grit her teeth. It made sense, but damn if the sight didn't make her want to check Impa in the back of the head! Who used a body shield like that? "Really couldn't see you through the smoke, but I wasn't gonna let everyone get hurt while I did nothing!" The cocking of her rifle was pretty hard to miss, the sight and the sound.

"Noble, but again mistimed," Impa spoke as if she weren't being stared down at gunpoint, without a gun of her own. "We can discuss later what would have been wiser moves. For now, let's conclude this du-."

"No!" Ruby shouted. Yang wasn't sure what got her more, the fact her sister yelled like that to a teacher, friend even, or that Impa did stop. On some thought, definitely the latter. Given that Impa did just nearly knock Ruby out, it kinda made sense she'd yell. Hell, Yang would've been screaming… with fists. "I… I want to know what you did! How come you can run like me now?!"

Oh yeah… yeah! Yang had almost forgotten about that! Between Ruby getting beaten down, the smoke screen, and stuff it… wait… was Impa laughing? Like… oh geez she sounded creepy… It was creepy enough to make the whole room go quiet.

"Unknowns have the advantage, young Ruby Rose," Impa spoke in a drooled out voice. Hearing her talk like that, sounding so different just… in control... Yang was getting ready to vault the stands to help Ruby again. Weiss must have realized something was up, because she felt the girl grab her wrist, like that was going to do any good. "But… to set at ease the tension I wish not to see propagated, I will say honestly that I have taken nothing from you. All that you had you still possess. Not a thing of your mind, body, or soul is missing from you."

That was one way to turn a conversation around. Yang felt her own breath of relief from her lungs. Weiss must have done the same, cause she let go of her hand as soon as Impa said those words. Didn't stop the rest of the room from chattering though. Hard to blame them.

"Despite the circumstances now, you are still a squire that I am teaching to be a knight." It was amazing to Yang, how Impa could say all of that while holding Coco up in the air. The chick wasn't struggling as much as before… maybe she was listening, too? Actually, that was possible, seeing as struggling was going nowhere fast. "I promised that your defeat of me would prove your deserving for the station. However, that only means I cannot afford a mistake."

Huh? What did that mean? What kind of mistake could Impa make that would mess them up? Like what, she went too all out and knocked them around? Yang was pretty sure there were a few bodies lying around that put to rest that idea.

"You're victory would boost your confidence. Your confidence would invite challenge. A challenge too great would lead to a tragic end." Yang was sure of only one thing right now. Impa was a master at changing the mood. She'd gone from chilled by that laugh to understanding then right back to the-hell-is-going-on. "I wish to see you succeed, but I will not hold back to allow such a thing. Not against you, or your friends, or anyone else in the audience who one day dreams of wearing the mantle of knight."

Take away the 'knight' and put in 'huntress' and Yang was pretty sure that took up like 95% of the room, give or take the kids who were here just to make a name before doing something else. Kinda like Weiss. But hey, big woman had a point. It was a point Yang kinda wanted to beat into submission and let fester for hurting anyone close to her, but the logic was there. It was kinda like 'the strong survive' or whatnot.

"So to claim victory, Ruby, I will use all at my disposal, especially when you and your friends are clever enough to find new ways to challenge me." Yang felt herself chuckle at that one. She almost had Elrora beat… by about a margin of four to five. Eh, better luck next time. "And that includes trying to sneak up on me."

Wait, what?

Any short question Yang had was quickly answered. Impa turned and threw Coco like a freaking rock, hurtling the girl at the wall behind her. It wasn't until Yang followed the unfortunate team leader of CFVY that she saw Mercury circling around Impa. The dude had to dodge the girl flying at him, throwing off any game plan he was coming up with. Yang could almost hear his tongue click in disappointment, which was something he'd probably do.

But no sooner did that happen than did Impa charge, pulling back a fist at it. Mercury pivoted probably trying to lift up his leg to block whatever the Faunus was gonna throw at him. But to his surprise, and doubly so Yang's, Impa ran right past Mercury. She stopped when Coco slammed into the arena wall.

Impa stopped because she delivered a savage hit to Coco's head. Yang didn't need the score screen to know that the CFVY leader was out. The hissing, 'oh'ing, and all around pained noises were evident enough that the girl was down for the count. That was a smart move… in the worst of ways, Yang realized.

"Now four of you are done, of that I'm sure," Impa spoke as she turned back around. Yang could see her red eyes looking at the rest of the kids around the arena, probably figuring out who to take out next. Probably the one time Yang hoped Ruby was last on a list. "And four left to go, all without your usual partners, without a plan, and without a clear means on how to stop me."

"Intimidation," Yang heard Weiss whisper next to her. Then she kept talking. "Stating of simple undeniable facts to create a mindset of defeat. It would make them predictable to counter." Great, mind games. Just what Yang needed to watch.

"You're being pretty brutal for a duel against us students," Mercury spoke up. He sounded cocky, per usual, adjusting his neck as he spoke. "Doesn't that make you feel bad at all? Going all out on us. It's not like we got much of a chance against you."

"Guilt," Blake spoke up now. Yang knew exactly what her partner was talking about. "Make the opponent regret choices. It would leave her open for attack more often than usual. Even if it works, it wouldn't last for long against someone like Impa." Yang wasn't sure if she ended it that way cause she honestly that Impa was all that or if she was a Faunus. Knowing Blake, probably the latter.

"You should be proud I am holding so little of my abilities back," Impa returned. Unlike when she spoke to Ruby though, her eyes were moving with her hands. Hands that were making weird signs around her body. That was important, probably. "Though you are less experienced than myself, or any other instructor at this Academy, you are all skilled enough to require my absolute focus and effort. I find it a testament to your past, all of you, that I must so readily alter my plan of action."

"Praise," Pyrrha now. Figures she'd be next. "Put your foe on a pedestal so they assume their next action is the right one. It makes the capitalization of any mistakes a truly damning thing." The Spartan of team JNPR was definitely speaking from experience. Yang couldn't see it any other way.

"But as I said before. Defeating me means you are ready to be a knight. I cannot see any of you at such a level," Impa continued to speak. She drew her hands back, holding them to her sides like she was trying to push a giant wall back or something. "To allow you to win would only mean mockery of your determination to succeed, make light of the trials you have overcome. I will not give an easy battle, but that does not mean I am being cruel for cruelty's sake."

"Honesty," Yang spoke up now. She could tell Impa wasn't lying, stupidly. "It's gonna put everyone on edge. Set them off like a firecracker." The Faunus sounded just like her teachers back at Signal, all high, mighty, and preachy. Never said a made-up word though, just too many words altogether.

Yang watched Mercury twist his grieves, jumping on the balls of his feet. She watched Roy spin his gauntlets, revving them up like some kind of motor. She watched Velvet, finally, make her way out of the ringside, taking deep breaths and standing beside Ruby. Ruby… Yang saw her little sister adjust her grip on her rifle, getting ready to fire away. There was a scowl on her face. That was probably the weirdest part of all of this.

"Now, let us finish the match."

But no matter what happened, Ruby had better come out okay.

---

Ruby wasn't okay.

It wasn't that she was staring down Impa, sort of Link, with Crescent Rose. It wasn't that she'd basically seen three good friends of hers getting beaten so effortlessly. And it wasn't even that she couldn't help the new girl May from getting clocked by Impa when she was right next to her, but that did hurt. What wasn't right was… something. She didn't know a word for what it was.

She felt fine, really, aside from the bruise that was probably gonna show up on her face after the match was over. But it wasn't like she hadn't had that happened before when she was trying to figure out how to use Crescent Rose before… or just running through the woods. This was different. It was like… she just realized something. But she couldn't put a word for it.

Ruby didn't know what she was feeling, and that wasn't okay.

"Roy," she spoke up, earning the boy's attention. Ruby kept her eyes on Impa. She was fast like her, somehow… that means she could attack fast. "Try and protect Velvet." The boy gave her a quick glance, enough to show that he didn't get what she was thinking. She didn't either, not fully. It just felt right. She'd do anything that felt right to get this weird feeling to go away, or at least make sense!

"R-Ruby," she heard Velvet whisper next to her. "What are you doing?" She didn't know, so it was hard to answer. But… Elrora did talk about peace, inner peace, making peace… she'd have to try that. It was better than doing nothing and letting this weird feeling get worse.

"Coco didn't want you to fight," Ruby spoke up. "But she wanted you in the ring. So… you probably are planning something, right?" She wouldn't look at her upper class man. When she did, Impa would probably charge. She needed to remember that, not that Impa was now moving like she did when her semblance was active, or that Impa had just wiped out four of the higher class fighters like she was… no… inner peace, like Elrora said.

"… I do," Velvet admitted. Ruby saw Roy shift closer to them as she talked. At least that meant he was listening to her. It helped her feel better, a little. "I just need to watch Impa for a bit longer. If I can… I think I may be able to pin her down." Ruby really wanted to know how that would work, but now wasn't the time for it.

Impa was scary, and if she stopped looking at something that was that scary, it'd attack. Inner peace, accept what was there… she could do this. Elrora told her she could. That would make the feeling go away, at least for a little bit, hopefully.

"Okay… Mercury and I will distract her, right?" She didn't look at Mercury, because Impa was still looking at her. She wasn't attacking though, like she was waiting for them to make a plan. That was scary, too. She heard the boy make some kind of noise. That probably meant he was on board. "Right, okay." Ruby took deep breaths, trying to change that feeling she had. It didn't do much.

"Are you prepared?" Impa spoke again. She was waiting for them. Ruby had to swallow on nothing, fingers flexing against Crescent Rose. "Then I'll begin." Two things happened after that.

Ruby saw Impa turn into smoke. Ruby felt the feeling in her change.

It wasn't just different, it was leading . It was like the feeling she got when she first met Link in the woods or when Penny told her about her real self. It was telling her something, like it was guiding her on way to do. But it wasn't just like that. It was so much stronger that. Ruby… she didn't have a word for it.

But if the feeling was this strong, like it felt wrong to go against, then she could at least see where it wanted her to go. Ruby lifted and swung out Crescent Rose, turning the sharp edge towards the path Impa had come from.

She felt her baby hook onto something. The feeling didn't want her to stop. Without seeing it just yet, Ruby fired Crescent Rose, feeling the fulcrum of the force spin her scythe about her body. Whatever was latched onto her baby was thrown away. The feeling got weaker after that.

When Ruby looked to what she hit, she saw Impa across the arena again, arm along her torso and wide eyes focused on her. She wasn't the only one.

Did… Did she just catch Impa off guard?

"Nice catch, Red," Mercury spoke up, breaking whatever quick shock Ruby found herself in. Now she looks at the boy, who's grinning at her. So she did catch Impa with that… "Guess it makes sense, you're faster than she is." No, no it didn't.

Ruby was fast, but she had a hard time keeping track of Impa before. She could, yeah, especially during her duels with the other students, but if she was running like Ruby usually did, there shouldn't have been any chance in the Grimm's domain she could've done that. Yet she did? The feeling was getting worse, the bad kind of worse.

"That was new for you, Ruby," said girl stared at Impa. Did she know what was happening? The faunus was only staring at her, hand leaving her metal plated chest and sliding against her outer though. "Tell me, do you feel something?"

Actually, she did. It was the same feeling as before. If it worked once, it could work twice!

She shifted to her side, feeling petals fall where she was just standing. In the split of a second, she reached out her hand into the petals, catching on something. It was too hard to be one of the rose petals, and it definitely was too small to be anything she normally carried. With her.

When Ruby looked at her hand, she was holding a knife, the same kind that Impa had strapped around her leg. She never even saw her throw it. But… she managed to catch it? What was going on?

"That confirms it," Impa spoke. Even with her scarf, Ruby could see the grin. No, wait, what did she mean? "Do not worry, we will speak of it later. For now, there is a battle to finish." Oh right!

Ruby dropped the knife and grabbed Crescent Rose with both hands, getting into the right stance. Couldn't charge, but she had to be ready to jump in any direction. Yup, dodge and shoot, that was the best way to handle someone like Impa. And if Mercury was helping… he seemed pretty fast. He'd know when to kick, like Yang and when to punch.

"But Ruby," Impa spoke again. "You should be wary of speaking plans in front of your foe."

With those words, Impa disappeared with trails of black smoke. She felt something bad behind her, but her body wasn't moving! Oh no…

"Roy!" She screamed as she turned. "Get ready for-" Her voice died as she spoke.

Impa was already behind Roy. She was in front of Velvet. She was standing on a red glyph. And, worst of them all, her hands were on both of her teammates heads. That was bad… really bad. The feeling was way worse than before, but she had no idea what it was telling her to do. She had to do something, but what?

It wasn't until Ruby heard Velvet and Roy's head cracking together that she knew she was too late. They hit again thrice over before she was close enough, but then at least she knew what to do.

She jumped forward, raising Crescent Rose above her head. She fired it mid-swing, sending its tip careening down towards Impa. She saw the Faunus look up at her for a moment, the literal blink before the tip hit. Apparently that was all the time she needed.

Another rune appeared to stop her. It was a lot smaller than the usual ones. Weiss told her ones that the smaller runes were weaker, but were quicker to make. Ordinarily runes so small were useless, like throwing pebbles at a Grimm. But Impa had just shown their use, if you were fast at least. Because the moment Crescent Rose hit the glyph, Impa dropped Velvet and Roy to jump back. Ruby's scythe hit air.

She didn't stop though, she couldn't. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she was running with petals again, looking for Impa anywhere she could. Shadows or glyphs, either of those was what she needed to see, because she didn't have that huge sword on her back anymore! Was that why she dropped it? No wait, she had to focus!

"Gotcha!" She heard Mercury shout. Ruby turned to see the boy locking his boot against one of Impa's knives, the two holding each other in place. "You're pretty fast all of the sudden, but you're still striking at the obvious spots."

"Indeed I am," Impa replied. Ruby was listening… but she should be attacking! This was an opening! "I suppose I will need to be more extravagant for you." Ruby got a really bad feeling when she heard that. But this time, she knew what to do!

"Get away from her!" She yelled those words as she jumped back, petals falling away. She saw Mercury jump back himself before even looking at her. His guns went off to push him, flipping like Yang would with her own gauntlets. Not a moment later did Ruby see a red glyph appear above where Mercury was before.

A very large spear slammed into the ground a moment later.

Ruby held up a hand to stop the dust from getting into her eyes, feeling her cape billow at the force. She could feel Mercury slide a distance away before stopping. He was safe, which was good. She couldn't feel anything coming at her, which was also good. It gave her a moment to see just what Impa had done.

The spear that was in the ground was… an odd spear. It's point was drastically oversized. It looked more like a blade attached to the end of a metallic pole than a simple point. But even that wasn't enough. It looked like the steel was lain out in a fan like pattern, the similar sheet folding techniques that would be used on a lot of high end swords, but just really apparent. Actually… oh!

"That's a Naginata!" Ruby yelled. She couldn't help her excitement, even as Impa grabbed at the pole, lifting it from the floor. She was being smiled at from Impa, which probably meant she wasn't going to be attacked, which was also good. "That's an iteration of the combat scythe that was meant to prioritize weight and balance over raw power! Low-Carbon alloys of steel that allow for higher deflection, making it good for both cutting and defending. It can still hide explosive cartridges in its length which can double as strike-weight in early parts of a fight!" But it was really hard to attach any kind of ammunition to one, while prioritizing speed. Scythes were just better for that.

"Impressive, Ruby Rose," Impa spoke, even as she swung the naginata about her body. Swung wasn't the right word… more like spun it like some umbrella in a bad children's song, sideways. It almost looked like a fan with how fast it was twisting. It stopped with an almost audible thud behind Impa's back, held by her hands with the blade downwards. "Though I will allow you to know I keep no tools within my blades. It is my duty to bring out their strength, not to alter them to be stronger."

"Ain't that cheating though, bringing out some new weapon in the middle of a battle?" Ruby looked at Mercury. He was still kneeling, probably ready to jump at a moment's notice. Good call! "We too good for your knives now?"

"I never was very good with knives." Given the way she handled them, Ruby didn't believe her. Wait, did she just answer Mercury's question? "I always found it simpler to keep my foes away with weapons that excelled in reach, and did not require retrieving them with every swing." Well a naginata was good for that. So was that giant blade she liked to carry around.

"That isn't the only reason," Ruby whispered to herself. There was a reason Impa was using that weapon now. Link used all his weapons like that, with some really conveniently cool purpose. Freeze a bunch of Grimm, then turn them into a staircase. Put a bunch of bullies into a whirlwind, then knock them out of Beacon. If Impa wanted to just have reach, she could've used that giant blade. But the naginata… "Why is she using that?"

"You're slow Ruby." Ruby didn't think. She acted on what she felt.

Her body jumped up as she fired Crescent Rose. Her body flew across the arena, her semblance making her lighter than air. She felt the air get pierced beneath her, her eyes catching the wisps of smoke that were Impa doing… well, doing what Ruby did. The naginata was being held up like a bowstaff, but a sword was a lot harder to shake off than the dull end of a staff.

Ruby didn't stop though. The feeling in her kept moving. Even in the air, she twisted Crescent Rose until her baby was sidways to her. Not a moment later did she feel, then see, Impa's naginata slam into her baby. The feeling flared again.

She extended her legs, as she felt was best. Her feet hit the ground, fast enough for her to catch herself from being turned into paste… or at least heavily bruised. Still bad. But… it wasn't like she could hold herself up against Impa! She was kneeling into the ground, both hands holding Crescent Rose, and Impa was swinging down with just one hand on the naginata.

But then the feeling flared again, and Ruby listened. She fired Crescent Rose, letting the moment swing her over Impa's weapon. Not a moment later did the naginata swing through where she just was… wait… how did she swing over a naginata, on a naginta? A quick glance told her how.

"Oh," Ruby managed to get out. Impa had two of them.

By the time she saw the first spear-blade swinging at her again, she let the feeling tell her what to do. Her legs flexed to her chest, avoiding the blade. Before it passed her, she kicked her legs out, jumping off of the spear like a platform. It was probably cause Impa was so strong that she was actually able to jump off of it… that meant that it would really hurt if it hit her.

Naginatas were supposed to be lightweight, so Impa using two of them wasn't weird, in terms of just weight. But the momentum required to swing them was really high. That meant that if they hit, it would hurt!

It would be like trying to swing a scythe with one hand. That was what a sickle was for! But Impa was using two naginatas, and they weren't even designed like usual Mistral weaponry was. That wasn't even including how much it hurt to get hit by them.

Ruby could tell at that moment she had to block one of them. It was WAY heavier than Crescent Rose was. Sure, her baby was meant to be light weight, with a small amount of lead rounded in its curve for striking and cutting power, but it felt like Impa's weapon was just pure lead. It hurt just to block it.

"Oh, c'mon!" Yang yelled from the stands. Ruby recognized her sister. She saw her standing up with arms outstretched. She, and everyone else, were staring at them. No surprise why. Impa was using things she didn't even understand. Unknowns really were unfair!

"This just gets worse and worse, huh Red?" Ruby didn't look at Mercury as he walked up next to her. She couldn't. Impa was staring at them from across the arena, a naginata in each of her hands. Long, sharp, and glowing like unrefined Dust. Was it unrefined dust? That would be dangerous. "Got any ideas? You seem to be havin' a pretty good string of luck against her." She couldn't argue with that.

"It isn't luck." But apparently Impa could. The old faunus, something Ruby would NEVER say out loud, was standing at her tallest. That wasn't how you usually stood before you attacked. Was that a good thing? Probably a good thing, at least right now. "Luck is the beneficial outcome to events that are beyond your control. Ruby had nothing but complete control of her motions, and she avoided every knife, grab, and naginata I swung at her."

"But I couldn't before…" Kay, true, Ruby knew she hadn't actually fought Impa before, but she couldn't even follow her when she was taking on Penny! Now here she was catching knives like her dad when she was still a kid. It was weird. Good, no doubt, but weird. "A-And your running like you couldn't before. Or didn't."

"Both true points," Impa replied with a nod. "And that raises questions, does it not? Where do these abilities come from? Why have you neither seen nor heard of them before? But those are questions of the present." What other kind of questions were there?

Ruby could hear a lot of the other students talking in the stands about it. She gripped Crescent Rose tightly, ready to fire if need be. She had… two, maybe three shots left before a reload. She'd just have to be sure to do that when Impa was vulnerable. Doing it now would be an opening. Mercury must have been thinking the same thing, because he was looking from her to Impa, and back again.

"But better questions would be those for the future," Impa spoke on. She had yet to move anything more than her mouth. She was still kinda scary, tall as Goodwitch, strong as Goodwitch… but a-whole-lot-more-willing-to-attack than Goodwitch. "Better questions would be, what else is she capable of? How will I prepare for what I cannot predict? What is the-" Ruby's feeling flared. She didn't ignore it.

Her semblance came to life as she jumped to the side, moving with her feeling and against the wind. Her feet hit the ground and she pivoted on them, pulling Crescent Rose above her like Uncle Qrow had taught her, high enough to guard by low enough to adjust. Turns out it was completely unneeded.

She had just enough time to see Mercury get caught by one of Impa's naginata.

It knocked him off balance, making him vulnerable. He knew it, but so did Impa. And Impa was stronger, faster, and like she said, better.

Impa twisted her second naginata around Mercury, effectively the Death Cradle that Qrow had taught Ruby, but without the edge. It altered Mercury's descent, spinning by Impa's command. And she wasn't being nice with it. Her first naginata came back down, smacking into his head and twisting him even further. He was flailing now, completely disoriented and at Impa's mercy. But there was none to be had.

Ruby's feeling was screaming at her, but it wasn't telling her what to do. She'd hit Mercy if she went in now, she'd definitely make it worse. She could only watch on with a bad feeling that got worse and worse.

It reached its peak when Impa made a third naginata appear. But it didn't stop at just showing up.

The Sheikah general slammed her two naginata around Mercury like a cross, twisting his legs together and pushing one arm against his chest. Immobilization. That was bad, but that wasn't the worst. The worst was what Impa did with the final naginata. She used both arms to knock Mercury into the air, caught like a ragdoll tied to strings. She let out a great war cry as she slammed the mast of the naginata into him, much the same Ruby knew hammers were used. It sent Mercury flying, with Impa's third naginata flying next to him.

"Ho!" Impa shouted as she threw her arms down. Then Mercury exploded.

Ruby felt herself jump more than anything else. That was before she blinked, whipped, and rubbed her eyes. But no matter what she did to her vision, there was still a smoking body of a silvery dressed teen lying on the ground with nearly mangled limbs, unmoving, and a depleted aura. The screen up above confirmed it with just a glance.

The crowd was talking, loudly. Ruby couldn't blame them. She'd be screaming if she wasn't still a part of the fight, probably with Nora or Yang. The explosion used had to involve either unstable dust, maybe energized by Aura… but Impa said there wasn't any dust… She could even hear a few of the other students saying just that!

"The… hell…" she heard the boy whisper. She saw a bit of smoke come from his words. He should really get that checked out. "You… said…"

"I said what I wanted you to think," Impa spoke up. It took Ruby a quick moment for Ruby to remember what she was talking about. She said she didn't alter the naginatas, but they just exploded. Normal weapons didn't just explode. That was… no one could afford that! "You assumed much about my tools, as you are still creating assumptions. Are you any different, Ruby Rose?"

Ruby tightened her grip on Crescent Rose as Impa turned to her. It was just the two of them now.

"You are making assumptions as you follow your feelings. You are acting on impulse as you analyze what you see," Impa spoke as she stalked. Another red rune twirled above the silver hair of the faunus. Unsurprisingly, another naginata came out of it, gripped by its mast by Impa's hand. "Though we started with eight students, you are now the last. You were the mage to keep me at bay, but now you are the Unknown, an unknown even to yourself."

How did she know that? Wait, why didn't Ruby know that? She was acting on feeling, but not before, and not now. That was cause she didn't feel anything just before, not while Mercury was being attacked!

Why didn't she feel anything? She felt something every time Impa swung out before, so why not now!? But she did feel something, didn't she? It was why she moved! She moved to avoid the danger… so… Mercury…

"You see it now," Impa spoke as Ruby felt her jaw begin to unhinge. "I said before Unknowns had the advantage. Unknowns most certainly include misdirection and inversions. Those are as true with actions as they are with words." Her words were followed up by Impa summoning up another naginata, of course, because anything less than two now just didn't seem as scary.

But then Impa brought out a third, letting it stick up from the ground behind her. It was like a reminder of what she could do, making things out of the runes that Ruby had never seen Weiss do. And she could make three of those exploding sticks now! Wait… but then… why was there another rune. That made four!

No, five! Six… eight… twelve… Impa wasn't even holding them now…

"That isn't very fair," Ruby spoke, her shoulders slumping as she stared at her faunus teacher. Even through that weird eye paint, Impa was grinning as she gazed at her. "How is that even possible?"

"Through time, experience, and a bit of magic," Impa spoke proudly to the red-hooded girl. "Is it any different a question I should be asking with you turning what was once a tool for farming into the odd conglomeration of ballistic archery and spearman ship?" Well… when she put it like that. "Besides, I still wish to see where we stand, now that the duel is one-to-one.

Ruby's feeling flared.

She lifted Crescent Rose's tip, pushing away, barely, the front of one of Impa's naginatas. She turned her back and fell to avoid the swing of another, pulling her scythe around her to where the feeling was telling her. The center of her scythe hit one naginata, then two, either stopping them from hitting her or just pushing them out of the way. Either way, it was what the feeling was telling her to do. But that was just it, it was her feeling that was doing this.

Ruby wasn't faster. Ruby didn't know what she was. Things weren't slower and she definitely wasn't losing track of herself. She could still feel Crescent Rose, her metal baby, swinging around her arm. She could feel her feet run across the petals of her semblance. She could feel… more of herself? It didn't make sense. All she knew was something else.

She felt something near her. So she threw up Crescent Rose, twisting her feet. Not a moment later to Impa swipe at her, three naginatas all hitting the reinforced shaft of Ruby's precious Scythe. It would need damage control later, but it was okay for now.

What wasn't okay was how quick Impa suddenly appeared in front of Ruby, dark smoke dissipating around her.

"There it is Ruby!" Impa yelled as she swung one naginata against the shaft of Crescent Rose. Ruby pushed back, but found her feet sliding across the floor. It still gave Impa room to stare her down. Good thing the faunus was using both hands! "You are acting off impulse, but you trust those instincts! Don't deny them, but don't depend on them. Act with them!"

Ruby had no idea what Impa was talking about. Like, at all.

Was Impa saying this was a new semblance or something? That couldn't be it, because she was still fast. So why was there something else? She could see it, feel it. She could feel the danger coming, she could see where Impa was going to punch, kick, throw, grab, anything. She knew and she was fast enough to get out of the way, to get in the way, to stop her… Ruby was…

Ruby wasn't just fast enough to stop the danger, she was fast enough to see it coming.

She found herself smiling at Impa.

Elrora was right. Accept what brought her here, and she was ready for anything.

She could accept whatever just happened. She'd just find out later what that was. Right now, she knew what she could do, and she'd have to use it. Just like Impa said, sort of what Elrora implied, definitely what Link did. Just the same as all them!

She fired Crescent Rose, letting the kick-back of her baby push her away from Impa. The faunus let one hand release her naginata, grabbing another. The feeling said to duck, so she did. Ruby pulled her scythe close as the naginata swung over her head, the one that was clashing with Crescent Rose already hitting the floor. That gave her an escape.

Her semblance flared fast enough for her to jump back, another quick fire of her baby sending her away from Impa had a quicker speed. She pounced back and landed with petals falling behind her. Ruby already had Crescent Rose back up, the main chamber aimed at Impa and loaded with two more shells.

"You ready Impa!" Ruby yelled out to the proud Shiekah General. She made sure she was smiling, because you always were supposed to smile when you were happy. And if you were at peace, how couldn't you be happy?

It didn't matter that it was just her against Impa, didn't matter that everyone else around her was knocked down or out, and it really didn't matter that they were both close to being removed from the fight. Okay, so the last one did matter, but not right now. Cause that she could make peace with. Everything else she could forget about.

She could forget about how cool Link was for teaching them how to be amazing Huntresses. She could forget how easily Impa had taken out all of them. She could forget the dozens of students all staring down at them like vultures, of sorts. Yup, she could forget all of that.

So long as she had Impa in her focus. Impa, Link's old friend, who was smiling back at Ruby behind red paint, silver hair, and at least a dozen fiery red naginatas in the floor.

"Come Ruby Rose!" The faunus yelled, pounding one fist to her metal chest piece. "Show me the strength of your will!"

Ruby knew she was going to lose, but it was going to be an awesome loss.

She let out a cry of her own as she turned her semblance on, flying at Impa with petals behind her.

Shadows surrounded her not a moment later.

---

"Ow ow ow!" Weiss blew a strand of hair from her eyes as her partner yelled in pain. Yelled in pain as they applied small ointment and bandages to her arm. No matter how much time they spent together, Weiss was only constantly reminded how much younger Ruby was from the rest of the team.

"Hold still you dunce," she scolded the younger teen, ignoring the hissing Ruby gave out when the pad touched her arm. Seriously, the nerve of the girl, fighting a Huntress like Impa until she was scabbed and bruised. "You're lucky this is the worst of it."

"She's not kidding, Rubes," Yang spoke out of Weiss's eyeshot. She could imagine her teammate leaning against the door to their room with crossed arms. "You have any idea how close I was to lettin' loose in there? That's not even including your possum act."

"It was a good idea!" Ruby shot back, but Weiss pulled her arm in. She wasn't about to let her hyperactive team leader go until her superficial wounds were addressed. "And it almost worked, too. Impa didn't see me coming, and I was the last one knocked out!"

"Knocked out by flying spears and explosions," Blake commented from her bed. She was the only one who perched on her bed so often. "Hardly seems worth it when the other side was a simple smack of the head." Six of one, half a dozen of the other, as Weiss's father would say.

"But I did keep up with her!" Ruby fired back again. She was rather energetic for someone who had been knocked unconscious only a few hours ago. "You heard her herself, she wasn't holding back against me! I was going toe-to-toe with a professional Huntress!" Ah, there was the reason for the excitement.

"And we are all awed by your efforts, Ruby," Weiss spoke as she undid some gauze. A light amount, to be sure, but she couldn't risk the skimmed wounds tearing. Given it was Ruby she was working on, a wild extreme act was highly likely, so therefore had to be prevented properly. "Truly I am. I did not think it was possible to stay ahead of a woman who can strike like Yang yet run like you."

"Oh, yeah, that reminds me," Yang spoke up from behind Weiss. "How did she start running at Mach 2 and all that? She was already strong as diamonds, throwing that sword around and all, but she was moving like you, Rubes!" That was a point Weiss hoped to hear an answer to. She just didn't have much hope the answer would come so quickly.

"I… don't actually know," Ruby's words came out with a significant loss in energy. Weiss stopped wrapping the gauze at the words. "I mean, yeah, it freaked me out with how fasts it came out but… it never actually felt like anything was missing. Maybe that's just Impa's real semblance. Copy and Paste?"

"The implications of that are wide and substantial," Weiss noted, tying off the gauze before she forgot. She stood up from Ruby, the girl cared for as well as she could be after a thrashing from a trained Huntress. "And you seem remarkably calm about this, especially against how you reacted before."

"You were rather vocal during the fight," Blake agreed. Weiss gave a small smile of appreciation. If Blake agreed with her, the logic was infallible. "Something must have happened to make you think differently."

"Well… it's not like something happened," Ruby began, arms waving with the motion. Animated as always, RWBY team leader. "More like, I realized what Elrora was trying to tell us before." Elrora? Not Impa? Weiss spared a glance at Yang, seeing the blonde avert her own gaze in kind.

"You mean about the peaceful thoughts, right?" Blake continued. Ruby's eager nod was answer enough. "And that's it? You just took what happened and moved on that quickly?" Weiss had doubts that were mirrored by Blake.

"Not like that. Wasn't easy," Ruby spoke in return, arms waving in denial. "But… it was like in the middle of catching her knives and dodging those naginatas that I began to realize something was different. Different like… better." Weiss felt her brow rise.

"Different with you?" Yang asked. Her sisterly instincts taking over. "It was something that Impa did, wasn't it?" Weiss felt a slow sigh leave her lips as Ruby hit her own. She took a chair as Yang began to walk over towards her younger sister and leader. "Don't hide this from my Ruby. If she did something to you during that fight, I gotta know about it. No secrets, remember?"

"But it wasn't bad!" Ruby pouted back, even with the powerhouse that was Yang above her. "I don't even really know what it is yet. It's like… I can sense things now. Or just sense bad things about to happen."

Wait, what?

"Sense, like instinct?" Blake asked. Weiss could hear the faunus rising from her bed. "You heard something clearer?" Ruby rapidly shook her head at the suggestion.

"No, nothing like that. It was just a feeling, like, knowing that if I were take one of Weiss's creams I'd have to run to Vacou to be safe." Weiss chose to ignore the offensive metaphor in place of analyzing what Ruby meant by it.

Instinct, as in innate sense independent of the five common sense.

"And I know it sounds crazy, cause I think it's crazy, but I just took Elrora's advice to accept it, and it let me go one-on-one with a General!" And there was the excitement. Weiss an unusual amount of glee with knowing what she had to do next.

"Ruby, focus," she scolded her partner. "Are you saying that whatever Impa did to you during that fight, she copied your abilities while giving you one of her own?" If the implications of a copying semblance were huge, this was strategy changing for wars.

"Uh, I don't know if she gave me part of her semblance," Ruby responded, far too calm in Weiss's opinion. Then again, this was the girl who slept on a bed that hung from rope in the ceiling. "I mean I haven't tried using glyphs or anything, but that'd be pretty cool, too!" Weiss's sigh turned into a growl.

"C'mon Ruby, be serious. Wow it sounds weird when I say it," Yang comment on the obvious. "But seriously, are you saying that you were just giving a new semblance or something?" '

It took Weiss a moment to realize how much quieter the room had gotten. Without Ruby fidgeting in her arms or making noises to fill the vacuum of space, then it was just Blake, Yang, and herself staring down the team leader that implicated what was impossible. Semblances didn't change or grow, not after they had developed.

"Well… I-It's just a theory," Ruby started with a roll of her head. "But we get our semblances cause of things we do, or are, right?"

"History lesson is unimportant right now," Weiss tried to put the girl back on track. "Yes, you're right, but stay on course."

"I am, I mean, I'm fast because I want to help everyone!" Ruby smiled at the words. She just as easily could have cried, in another setting. Perhaps Elrora's words were sinking into the girl. "I'll get to trouble faster than anyone else. No one can stop me from helping people no matter how far away they are!"

Her hands fell back to her lap, staring at them. Weiss could only imagine what the young girl thought of those hands, especially after the battle she had been through.

"And now I can sense where the danger is."

Weiss felt her eyes bulge. That wasn't what she imagined.

"You… you're serious," Yang began. Her hands were held up like she was debating either hugging Ruby or strangling her for the lie. It had to be a lie. "You're telling me that… your Semblance grew!"

"Close to that." That wasn't Ruby. That wasn't even Blake.

Weiss saw Yang and Ruby turn towards the window only a breadth of time before she did. Their eyes all fell on the same sight.

Impa of the Shiekah kneeling outside their window, gazing in with blood red eyes and a calm smile. Perhaps it was the frequency of entries and exits from the window that kept Weiss from screeching in shock. But it certainly didn't keep her from standing from her chair at the speed of the wind.

"I promised we would talk later," the woman spoke easily from the balcony of their window, as if they weren't high enough a fall to kill the average human. Impa, then again, was far from average and certainly no human. "Is now a good time?"

Weiss wasn't sure if what she felt was excitement, unease, or just plain terror.

---

It was difficult to describe what Cinder felt now. If there was a word for it, she did not know what it was. All she could tell was it was equal parts of three things. Amusement, Agitation, and Anger.

She was fairly amused at watching the worst threats to her plans be taken down simply and effectively by an unknown warrior. Cathartic without intervention or consequence. It was a wonderful thing to experience, it always was.

Agitation came when she knew that her pawn was in a game she did not place him in. Mercury was as expendable as the White Fang and Roman, but he knew too much to let slip this publically, this early. A simple mistake in any field could jeopardize all plans, plans that were still rapidly changing the more was learned about Link and his tools.

But Anger, the smoldering flame she so easily controlled, was reserved for the present sight. Mercury Black black and blue.

"Are you satisfied now?" Cinder asked the bruised boy beneath her. She didn't need to stand tall, not with him slumped against the lockers, dabbing a wet cloth at his eye. "I pray you tell me you found out something interesting with that display of yours."

"Hey, no reason to get heated over this," the boy spoke up with a smirk, as if he deserved to wear it. She suppressed the thought to discipline him. It was too public a venue. Any passerby could see too much. "I just wanted to see if there was any trick to that faunus's battle play. Sad to say her tricks have got nothing to do with how tough she is."

"Link, and by extension the memories of his friends, were given an expedited position at Beacon by Ozpin himself," Cinder spoke the words as if they were birthed from ember. Hot to touch, warm to glow, but dangerous if unchecked. It kept the boy silent as she spoke, wary. "Even if the stories they tell are slightly exaggerated, we have documentation of him slaying Ancient Grimm with minimal preparation and likely far from his maximum effort. You are capable, but you are not near his level."

"That's why I joined up with those other kids," Mercury attempted to defend. He was doing a poor job. "Made sure to wait until someone worth investigating got in the ring. Yeah, we lost, but it's not like I was trying to win in the first place."

Cinder crossed her arms as she narrowed her eyes to slits. She knew the power behind a glare, a well-placed look. For someone like Mercury Black, who prided himself in reading others, he could see the smolder behind her spoken and unspoken words. He was walking across embers, in danger of setting himself ablaze. He knew that.

"You best then tell me something you have learned from the farce of a duel. Something that I would not have seen from the stands without you in the stage." She had seen much as well, enough to know that Impa was as capable a threat as she had perceived the faunus to be. But she also now knew of Ruby and Velvet, two other fighters that appeared to have skill behind them. Thankfully, they clearly lack in experience.

"Well, ya probably know the power copying thing Impa pulled off of Red, right?" The cool glare Cinder gave the lame-excuse for a man was enough of an answer. Words weren't needed. "That means all that glyph action she must've gotten from another Schnee somewhere, cause the princess snob sure didn't recognize her."

"I believe my instructions were for you to tell me of something I would not have concluded myself," Cinder spoke again. Mercury was fortunate he was still of some value to her plan. Otherwise he would have been discarded like the White Fang dogs by now. "And you are my toy, not the reverse." His uneasy laughter was a sign of his obedience, as undesirable as it was.

"Well, then how about making Little Red's Semblance get stronger?"

Cinder was only barely able to keep her brow from rising.

"See, that's something, right? Cause I bet to everyone else it just looked like two speedsters playing tag."

She would not use so poor a terminology, but it was like that. Watching two experts of high-speed duels clashing against one another. Blows deflected as quickly as they were given, the grounds they fought on changing as often as breaths taken. It was something that required absolute attention. But Cinder saw not a clue of what Mercury was boasting about.

"Explain, quickly," Cinder spoke with smolder in her hands. She would singe the boy's hair if he lied to save face. There would be nothing left to publicly show if he had played with her. She took his confident smile as evidence to his claim. But not enough.

"I'll start with how Red was moving before she even made a thought. She didn't even know what she was doing till after it was done." He spoke of trained instincts, but Ruby Rose was both too young and inexperienced to have such a thing. "And Impa was talkin' about how she was confirming something in Ruby, like she'd done it before."

Those events Cinder could recall. Impa's words shouted amidst clashing steel. They were spoken not with fear or trepidation, but cool observation, as one would do with something they either expected or planned. Mercury's words were ringing true.

"See, the old faunus didn't change Little Red's semblance. She added onto it."

Those words alone made Cinder think of terrifying, and exhilarating, ideas.

---

Oobleck ran. He loved running. It made things faster. Faster meant higher efficiency. So he ran a lot.

Right now, he was running because it helped, and he had to. He would be running even if he couldn't run! Biologically impossible, but required. He had to run. Running was currently a requirement.

The requirement was high enough to only shout passing apologies at students that had to jump away from him. Common occurrence, but unfortunate. Higher grades next assignment possibly, worthy exchange. Worthy because Oobleck had to run.

He was in the Headmaster's Tower quickly, because he was running. But the elevator was too slow. He couldn't stop running. He only had to run up the stairs now. But that meant he was close. Running faster made him closer faster. So running was imperative. Information was imperative.

Oobleck slammed his shoulder into the door as he barged into the required room. Dangerous, but necessary. Danger was obvious in a single quickly processed glance.

Ozpin was standing at his desk, aiming the tip of his cane towards him. Brows were narrowed. Head down cast. Arms bent. Legs the same. He was ready to strike. But he didn't, which was good. Oobleck would not stand a chance.

"Bartholomew?" He spoke. Obvious question, Oobleck didn't have to answer. He currently didn't have enough air to. "What on earth is going on? Why did you ascend the tower stairs? That's meant to be a punishment for the students." Obvious punishment to walk vertically down hundreds of stories. Unimportant now. Speed was still necessary.

But Oobleck stopped himself. He saw two glowing orbs. Tatl and Tael! They were here as well! Superb!

"Geez Superbuzz! What in Time's name happened to you?!" Obvious question with an obvious answer. He only needed to speak to make it so.

"I found it!" He shouted, an effort that took much of his energy with it. Acceptable, as it mean only explanations were left. Declaration was given.

"Found what? Calm down and speak," Ozpin had lowered his cane, lowered his voice, but Oobleck had to politely refuse. He could not stop. This was too important to slow down for!

"I have found Navi!"

---

Author's Note:

Officially, I am starting a new job as a patent writer, and I love it so far! It does mean I'm writing both professionally and for fun. Hooray! BUT! I also realize that it is VERY difficult to both writer four ongoing stories reliably on top of everything else going on in my life.

So, here's the new catch. I'm updating two stories a month, those being in pairs. Unknown Legends and A Man of Focus are being updated together, then MagicTale and Your Father's A Hero in another. This month, it's the former two, and the latter two in August. As I want to keep consistency in my stories, this means that MagicTale and Unknown Legends are much longer, so take more time to write.

Take care!