The dull buzz of Violet's scroll receiving a message stirred her awake, eyes cracking open to see sunlight already filtering into the room. Her hand reached out, feeling for the small device on her bedside table.

"That's probably Blake or Yang. They left to go workout two hours ago," Ruby yawned from the bed above Violet. There was the quiet sound of a page turning and a pencil scratching on paper.

Sure enough, the most recent message was from Yang and included a picture she'd taken of a very exhausted Blake, dressed in a loose fitting tank top and shorts, weakly reaching out and failing to stop the picture from being taken. The caption across the middle read 'Waiting for her maiden!' in bold lettering with hearts on both sides.

Violet sighed in exasperation and slid out of bed, heading for her dresser to get changed while she shot back a reply to let the two know she was on her way, "What are you up to so early, Little Red?"

"Finishing up that homework from Oobleck," Ruby mumbled. Now out from underneath her bunk, Violet could see that the younger girl was lying on her stomach, both a book and notebook laid out in front of her and pencil in hand.

"You didn't do it last night?" Violet started rifling through her drawers and pulled out her school uniform, noticing that classes would begin in around an hour, "There isn't much time left."

"I know..." Ruby admitted glumly. Her pencil continued to scratch at the paper next to her, "Yang and Blake were kind of… preoccupied, so I didn't want to bother them with questions."

"Well, you can always ask me," Violet smiled as she pulled up her stockings, "What are you stuck on?"

Ruby glanced her way and spun the history book to face Violet, beginning to ramble about a specific event that was giving her issues, and how certain details were missing from the book itself.

Violet listed off some of the missing bits, giving Ruby a better grasp on the topic by the time she'd fully finished dressing, "So, that's why General Havasta used a small battalion of soldiers that hadn't unlocked their auras yet. When your aura is unlocked, you become more noticeable to the Grimm. By using that unit to lead their enemies into Grimm infested territory, he was letting them wear out the enemy before closing in with his regular soldiers."

Ruby's face had turned a shade of green, "That's so messed up... Why would someone use the Grimm like that!?"

Violet shrugged as she opened the door, pausing to look back at Ruby, "It worked, didn't it? Havasta won that battle because of it, and spared the lives of a lot of his own men. History is full of people trying to use the Grimm to their advantage. To them, it's no different than setting a forest on fire to root out an enemy, or blowing up a bridge to protect a retreat."

"Still…" the honest truth didn't seem to sit well with the young reaper.

"I know. The Grimm are vile creatures bent on killing humanity, but… 'The enemy of my enemy is….' at least worth exploiting, in this case," Violet checked the time on her scroll. Five minutes had passed since her first message to Blake and Yang, "I'll be right back if you need any more help. I doubt they brought their school uniforms to the gym so they'll have to shower back here anyway."

"Alright," Ruby was quickly writing in her notebook, "I think that'll be good enough for Professor Oobleck. Thanks, Vi!"

"No problem," Violet gave a little wave and let the door close behind herself, setting off for the gym. Some students were already out and about this early in the morning. With another hour left before classes started, most were on their way to and from the dining hall for breakfast. Violet spotted a few plates stacked high with food, students likely supplying their teammates with much needed sustenance during last minute study sessions to catch up on homework they'd forgotten to do over the weekend.

The trip to the gym was short enough, and in only a few minutes Violet caught sight of her teammates. Yang was standing next to the door with her arms crossed, cheerily talking down to a very exhausted looking Blake that had practically melted into the tiled floor. She stirred when Yang prodded her with a foot, at least managing to sit up before Violet arrived.

"Thought you'd never make it!" Yang exclaimed, giving Violet a wink, "The poor kitty is tuckered out. You're going to have to give her a bit extra today."

"Please, Violet…" Blake groaned from her place on the floor, "It got so much worse after I stopped moving. Every muscle in my body wants to cramp up."

'I hope she gets a bit more used to it by the time Saturday rolls around… I'd hate to have her nearly incapacitated if Adam suddenly attacks.'

Violet reached out a hand, smiling down at the faunus. Once Blake had grabbed a hold, Violet pumped her aura's influence into the girl, drawing out as much of her mass as she possibly could. There was a mild strain on Violet's part, 'I'll definitely need to stay close,' but it was manageable.

Immediate relief crossed Blake's face as she worked with Violet to pull herself to her feet. She bounced on her toes, feeling nearly completely weightless as a broad smile crossed her face, "This. Feels. Amazing."

Violet gave a small bow, "Anything for my favorite faunus."

"What about your favorite blond?" Yang mocked from the sideline, pointedly staring at the two still holding hands.

Violet gave Yang a playful frown, "What?" her head scanned the halls around them, "I don't see Professor Goodwitch anywhere…"

"Hey!" Yang punched Violet on the shoulder and gave her a glare, "I'm better than that old hag!"

"She's hardly an old hag," Violet replied, using her free hand to rub where Yang had hit her. With her aura up, the blow hadn't truly done any damage other than to knock a few percent off, "I mean, have you seen how tight that dress is around her hips?"

"Ewwww," Yang shuddered, "First my uncle, and now Goodwitch? I'm starting to think you have a thing for older people."

Violet scoffed, "No, I'm just observant," Blake stumbled the first few steps as Violet started to lead her along, forcing Yang to follow.

"Is that what perverts call it when they get caught staring?" Yang teased from behind.

"I don't know. You'll have to ask one for yourself," Violet shot back, glancing back over her shoulder to see the grin clearly spreading across Yang's face.

"Thought I just did."

Violet laughed, "Oh please, I'm a connoisseur. Perverts are gluttons."

"What's the difference?" Blake interjected between the two.

Violet looked around the immediate hallway and spotted Sky Lark, the L of team CRDL. Violet gestured for the other two to remain silent, then raised her voice to catch the boy's attention, "Hey Skyyy~ we were thinking about having a pillow fight later tonight. You up for a little fun~?"

Sky's eyes went wide and darted up and down each of the three girls, visibly reddening, "Oh, uh- I… uh…"

"Oh, I guess you're busy then? Maybe some other time~" Violet led the trio past and whispered to them the instant they were out of earshot, "Look back in 3… 2… 1…"

The three girls glanced back over their shoulder as one and caught Sky staring after them, his eye line definitely lingering much lower than head level. Violet laughed as Blake turned an embarrassed shade of scarlet and Yang cracked her knuckles with a glare. Sky realized he'd been caught and paled before turning away, moving at a brisk pace to escape the potential ire of the three girls.

Violet wiped a tear from her eye, glad her plan had worked out so flawlessly, "See? Glutton. He wasn't content with staring after just one of us."

Yang calmed down and let her fist unclench once Sky was no longer in sight and turned back to Violet, "You mean you wouldn't have stared? That was a pretty tempting offer, all things considered."

Violet waved a hand in dismissal, "I get an eye full every morning."

"What!?" Yang glared anew, "Ruby better not be included."

"That precious little cinnamon roll?" Violet scoffed, "Not a chance."

Yang breathed out a sigh and relaxed, "Okay. I've heard enough," she raised her hands in defeat, "Let's get back to the room before our lecherous leader finds another person to spy on." She took the lead, walking a dozen or so feet ahead of Blake and Violet. The faunus was still having trouble keeping up. While she technically weighed less, that did little to stop her muscles from locking up, only serving to ease the pain.

Violet noticed how quiet Blake had become, and the slight tinge that still clung to her cheeks. She gave her a small bump with her shoulder, the two still holding hands between them, "I was just messing with Yang. You don't have to worry about me staring."

Blake gave Violet a considering look, then brightened with a coy smile, "You did want to hang around in the bathroom when I was trying to take a shower."

Violet smiled, "Okay, fine. You don't have to worry about me staring at Yang. That better?" She held in her laugh at the conflicting expressions that crossed Blake's face, ending with her turning another shade of darker red and nodding acceptance.

'Little different than your books, eh Blake?' Not for the first time, Violet wondered have far things had gone between her and Adam, 'No time like the present to ask.'

"So, have you ever had any flings, Blake? Someone wrapped up in your dark past, perhaps?"

Blake's hand tightened in her grip, the girl reflexively tensing up, but at a glance to their surroundings, her shoulders lowered, "I did… once upon a time. He wasn't what I thought he was, though."

After a few seconds, it appeared like nothing more would be forthcoming. Violet gave her a nudge and made a 'go on' motion with her hand, "Give me the juicy details! I want to know."

Blake's brow knitted together, "Juicy isn't a word I'd ever use to describe him… he was my mentor… Adam ran the White Fang group that I joined... I was right there next to him for a long time, helping with train robberies and burning down shops that wouldn't serve faunus…" Blake gave Violet a sad look, "I regret it… I want you to know that."

Violet smiled kindly, "I don't blame you for any of it, Blake. You never took that next step, and that's what's important; the law be damned. I'll never think less of you for the things you did."

Blake sighed and nestled closer, "Thank you. You don't know how much it means to hear someone say that… I'm always so worried about people finding out… being ostracized from Beacon…"

Violet laughed, "If you go, I go," then shook her head, "That'll never happen though. Ozpin can't afford to lose someone of your caliber, and any students that caught on and tried to make a big deal out of it?... They'd have to deal with me instead."

There was a few moments of silence that passed between them, ending when Violet's eyes drifted up to the bow on top of Blake's head, "You know… I really wish you'd get rid of that thing... Who's left at the school for you to be afraid of? Cardin was never a threat, and he's been turning over a new leaf as of late. Even Weiss Schnee knows, and she's never said anything offensive to you, right?"

The bow twitched in place, Blake's hand drifting up to it, "What if word got out about a cat faunus in Beacon? The White Fang don't take very kindly to deserters, Violet."

Violet snorted, "Are you forgetting who we fought on our last couple outings to Vale? If you were there with Adam that long, then at least one of them would have recognized you, right?"

'That isn't technically why they know, but it's better for you to be on your guard, Blake. Four eyes are better than two.'

Blake paled and swore, clenching her free hand into a fist, "You're right… I didn't even think of that with everything else going on. By now, Adam's gotten word about me," she gave Violet a sorrowful look, "I'm sorry. You're all in danger with me here…"

Violet laughed, "As if we weren't already? Don't worry, Blake. I can take on your ex. Maiden powers or not, he won't get to you."

"You shouldn't underestimate Adam," Blake warned, shaking her head, "He's one of the strongest people I've ever met."

"And you're currently walking hand in hand with the strongest," Violet reminded her, tightening her grip with a small squeeze.

"I just don't want you getting complacent… Amber would have been strong too, remember?"

"Qrow told me a bit about her. Amber wasn't a fighter. She didn't have any battle sense and preferred to throw her powers around as a first and last resort," Violet could still see the doubt on Blake's face, "Point being, I have a much better chance than she ever did. Adam won't know what hit him."

'Although, by now he's been threatened by Cinder, so he'd have some idea at the very least,' with his personality, Violet didn't think he could be coerced into working with them, 'And I really wouldn't want him to, anyway…'

Blake grew silent as they continued following Yang through the last leg of their journey. Violet had to help her up the stairs, with the faunus wincing the entire way and using Violet as a crutch. Yang shouted encouragement from the top and pumped her fist, offering no real assistance beyond moral support.

Blake stopped to take a breather at the top of the stairs, with only a hundred feet left down the hall to their room. She stretched to release some of the tension and finally signalled for them to continue. Violet resumed her place and helped her for the final stretch. Yang held the door open for them as they crossed the threshold, and Blake unceremoniously collapsed on Yang's bed, incapable of getting up into her own.

"It's alright if you rest there a bit kitty cat, I'll take the first shower while you relax," Yang grinned, grabbing her school outfit and a towel before darting into the bathroom before Blake could offer up any protests.

"You look tired," Ruby said matter-of-factly, watching as Violet sat down on the bed near Blake's feet, "What did Yang make you do?"

Blake turned her head from where it had been face down in the mattress so that she could speak, "Ruby, I'm sorry you have to hear this from me… but your sister is the God of Darkness incarnate. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she learned how to run people ragged as a slave master in the Schnee Mines."

"It couldn't have been that bad," Violet joked, kneading her hands across Blake's back. The girl groaned from the pressure against her taut muscles.

"You don't know the half of it," Blake replied seriously, "A hundred push-ups, a hundred sit-ups, a hundred squats, and a ten kilometer run…"

"That doesn't sound so bad…"

"Try it with an extra fifty pounds strapped to each of your arms and legs. And that was just the warm up!"

"I mean…"

"Yeah, I know. Not everyone has your semblance, Vi."

Ruby laughed from up in her bunk, "If you think that's bad, you should have seen the training she put herself through back home. That sounds like a cheat day for Yang."

"I'm telling you she isn't human, Ruby. I think she might be a bear faunus in disguise… or a mammoth."

"Maybe she hides her faunus trait under all that hair, and that's why she's so protective of it," Violet played along, giving Ruby a sly frown, "Are you by chance a hedgehog faunus, Little Red?"

"What? Don't be ridiculous."

"Hmmmm," Violet shared a glance with Blake, "I think she's hiding something, don't you?"

Ruby rolled her eyes and chose to ignore them, going back to the last bit of her homework that was left. The page was mostly filled, Oobleck's usual requirement for essays being an entire page, with as much of the margins used as possible. She tapped her pen against her chin, "I need a closing statement, Violet… any ideas?"

"Hmmm…" Violet continued to massage out Blake's muscles as the girl laid there, thoroughly enjoying her leader's ministrations. Violet could only guess that she'd learned how to do this in one of her past lives, as the action felt too instinctual.

"How about…. 'In conclusion, while the use of the Grimm can be an effective tactic against your enemies during warfare, it remains a deplorable act that should only be considered as a final resort in desperate times. The dangers posed to both sides are, in most cases, too great a threat to be a viable strategy'."

Ruby furiously scribbled down the words as Violet said them, trying to keep up. Violet repeated a few sections over again until Ruby finally had it down and nodded in satisfaction, "Thanks, Violet!"

"It was my pleasure, Ruby," Violet had finished with Blakes shoulders, upper back, and lower, and was now working her way down past her thighs. With the amount of knotted muscles, Violet couldn't help but wince in empathy, "You weren't kidding about that ten kilometer run, were you?"

It had been a rhetorical question, but Blake still answered anyway, preoccupied with the massage as she was, "No. Yang is-"

The door opened as Yang stepped out, dressed in her school clothes and with a towel on her head as she dried it out even more, "Yang's what?"

"A perfectly capable physical trainer that shouldn't increase my workout in the slightest," Blake answered instantly, eyes widening as she couldn't see Yang from her position on the bed.

"Blake says you're a bear faunus," Ruby confessed with a giggle, stuffing her newly finished paper into her bag along with her book.

Yang smiled and flexed one of her arms, "I can see where she might get that idea. I'd say I'm more of a dragon faunus, though."

"There's no such thing as a dragon faunus," Blake scoffed, sitting up in bed. She gave her body a few experimental movements, rotating her arms and stretching out her legs before standing. Blake winced, still not nearly fully recovered, but gave Violet a smile, "That definitely helped. Where'd you learn how to do that?"

'Not in another life. Nope. No way.'

Violet shrugged, "My physical trainers were expensive," she glanced over towards the now open bathroom, "Think you can manage on your own? I can't keep my semblance up from that far away."

Blake bit her lip, glancing at the bathroom as well before grabbing a hold of her bunk to support herself, "Drop it for a second… I'll see how I feel…"

Violet waited for Blake to nod before dropping her semblance. Blake winced, a slight gasp of pain escaping her lips as her full weight came rushing back on to worn out muscles. She wavered, having to rely on her hold to keep herself up at first. Blake took a moment to steady her legs, then took a hesitant step towards the bathroom. Despite some trembling, she managed to get all the way there on her own.

"Can you pass me my uniform and a towel?"

Violet did as she was asked and handed over the items, helping to steady her as she made the last few feet into the bathroom, "Alright. Maybe don't lock the door just in case you need something? I'll make sure nobody walks in on you."

"Thanks Violet," Blake smiled.

Violet left her to it and shut the door behind herself.

Yang pouted, "Guess I'll have to run her a bit harder tomorrow. It was too easy if she can walk on her own already."

Violet shook her head, "You know we do still have combat class and our team exercises later, right? Blake might be better off if she can actually practice with us properly, you know?"

"Pssshh," Yang waved her hand, "She'll be fiiiine. Her aura will get her back up to par long before then."

"If not, you'll dial it back a bit?"

"Yesss, Auntie Vi," Yang rolled her eyes.

Violet shuddered, "Nope, it just sounds weird when you say it. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to disown you and go back to being just teammates. It's not you, it's me."

"What about me?" Ruby chipped in from above on her bed.

Violet spared her a sweet smile, "You're fine, darling~"

The trio continued their banter for the next ten minutes until Blake finally emerged from the bathroom, having been able to handle herself well enough without help. She immediately asked for Violet to activate her semblance again though, which the leader was more than happy to comply with.

Violet nodded in approval when they left, noticing that Blake had refrained from including her bow as part of her regular attire. Both of her ears twitched on her head with every passing glance, each excited whisper, but with Violet right there at her side, Blake kept her anxiety in check.

With Blake slowing them down slightly, they arrived at Professor Port's class later than most. Violet led her team to the place in a row directly beneath team Cardinal, and gave Cardin a meaningful glance towards Blake once both teams had settled in. Yang shot a glare at Sky in the meantime, causing the boy to pale again and look ready to bolt from his seat.

Cardin frowned down at Blake, taking a moment to notice the disappearance of her bow and the cat ears that had taken their place. Understanding dawned on his face, and he leaned forward.

"Um… Blake?"

Blake flinched and turned around, her expression guarded.

"Nice… um… ears?" he nervously glanced at Violet, and with the flat look she gave him, clearly knew that wasn't enough, "I'm... sorry for what I said about the faunus. It was stupid of me to try and group an entire species into such a narrow-minded viewpoint... Maybe we could talk some time?"

Blake's eyes widened slightly as her ears twitched furiously, "M-Maybe, Cardin. I'll think about it." Blake turned back to face the front of the class, and Cardin leaned back in his chair with a small smile tugging at his lips, proud of himself. Violet gave a nod of approval and scooted closer to Blake.

"He is trying. You have to give him that much, at least."

"How do you do that?" Blake whispered in bewilderment, sparing Violet a glance that was still wide eyed, "My father tried to change how humans looked at the faunus for years before finally stepping down. He could never manage it."

Violet shrugged, "Maybe it helps that another human is the one saying it?"

"That can't be all there is to it," Blake muttered. She stared at her desk in confusion, as if the wood could spontaneously offer up some solution to her problem, "We tried everything to get humans to accept us."

"Well, once we graduate, maybe I'll help you," Violet offered. Her words were said more quietly, as the bell rang and Professor Port took his place at the head of the class. Violet kept her head forward to appear as if she was paying attention, "We could show the White Fang some hope."

"That…" Blake spared a timid smile, "That would be nice. I hope we can do that, Violet."

"You can count on me."

The pair were forced to stop talking as began his lecture, now requiring everyone to jot down notes that he believed to be important. Violet wasn't sure how the time he killed ten beowolves in a single swing would be applicable to their own lessons, but added it to her notebook like most others. The class ended with some assigned homework, a question sheet on the different variety of forest Grimm, and the class was excused.

Oobleck's class passed without a hitch. Ruby was even given perfect marks on her essay and congratulated in front of the class, though Violet suspected that the teacher was under the impression she'd helped more than she actually had, going by the small nod and smile he sent Violet's way.

Violet's own was perfect as always, while Blake and Yang both received passing scores. Oobleck scrutinized them more closely, but appeared to allow their similar subjects this time around. Violet doubted he would do so again, and made a mental note to create some reminder in their dorm to not forget any more of his essay's due dates. Aside from that, Oobleck gave a lecture on the historical use of grimm in battle, using Ruby's essay as a prime example.

Ruby was embarrassed, but proud of herself, and Violet made sure to encourage that as much as possible. She wanted her team to be the best they could be, whether that was in the field or in a classroom. Ruby tried to wave off the compliments, but was certainly pleased with the attention.

Oobleck refrained from assigning another piece of homework at the end of the day, causing the entire class to leave happily for lunch, only a brief intermission before Professor Goodwitch's class. By then, nearly three hours had passed, and Blake was managing much better on her own. 'Good thing, too. That was really starting to fatigue me…' She was now only reducing the faunus girl's mass by half, enough to keep her on her feet without any strain.

Violet stepped into line behind the rest of her team and let out a deep breath, trying to hide how tired the continued support was really making her. The pair of cat ears atop Blake's head swivelled at the sound though, picking up on her distress.

Blake turned to face Violet, concern etched on her face, "Are you feeling alright?"

Violet gave her the 'okay' sign with her hand, "I've been better, not gonna lie. This is definitely the longest I've kept my semblance up on a person at any one time. Guess we're both training, huh?"

"How does it feel? Do your muscles actually get sore?" Blake tilted her head curiously, looking Violet up and down, "You aren't sweating or anything, I can tell that much."

Violet paused, "It's… hard to explain. It's like having a second set of muscles that can take the weight off things and shuffle it around however I want. They're constantly carrying any weight I've pulled off… When I fire Zenith, they're stuffing that weight down and compressing it into the projectile… They still get tired, but it's sort of an intangible feeling…" Violet shrugged, "Best way I can think of to describe it, honestly."

"I think I get it...?" Blake didn't sound certain of anything, but she played it off well enough as far as Violet was concerned, "Does your semblance get stronger with training, like a regular muscle?"

"It does, yeah. When I first decided on Zenith's base design, I trained my semblance constantly so that I could carry its weight. I can go an entire day with it on and not feel it. People are different from objects, though."

"How so?"

"Your aura is an extension of your soul… People can choose to allow it, but even then, on a subconscious level, they're wary of the connection. You've been fighting back a little bit this whole time, whether you noticed or not."

"Really?" Blake's face frowned in concentration, and Violet could feel the strain on her semblance dip slightly, though the uncertainty still remained.

"It's okay. The only ones that have ever managed to stop fighting back completely were my parents and Henna. I wouldn't expect you to be perfect at it after we've only known each other a month."

"I do trust you though, Violet…" Blake appeared to be frustrated with herself. Her eyes were downcast, refusing to meet Violet's own, and her ears had flattened down across the top of her head, blending in with her black hair so that you might not even see them from a distance.

Violet raised a hand and ran it through Blake's hair between her ears, causing them both to perk up slightly, "It's fine. There's a difference between trusting someone and literally raising them from the time they were a baby. I'd be surprised if anyone else ever managed to reach that same level of innate trust. There's nothing wrong with you for not being able to."

"I want to…"

Violet smiled reassuringly, "Then you'll have plenty of time to practice. Whatever you did just now definitely eased up on it. Keep trying that each day and you might pull it off."

Blake seemed happy at the admission and turned back to face the front of the line with a smile. Both Yang and Ruby were chatting with each other as they began selecting food from the buffet they passed. Not too long later, the four of them joined team Siren at their usual table.

"So, did you guys discuss whether or not you wanted to help us next week?" Violet asked, sitting down across from Weiss near the head of the table. The rest of the spots were then filled by Blake, Yang, and Ruby across from the rest of team Siren.

"We did talk about it… Nora voted for helping you, and since Nora would go no matter what the rest of us chose, and Ren would follow her… and neither Pyrrha or I want to let our teammates risk themselves without our help…"

"Ah, democracy…" Violet laughed and flashed Nora an amused smile, "I can see your predicament. Would it help if I said we'd refuse to let Nora tag along if it wasn't what the rest of you wanted?"

"Hey!" Nora crossed her arms.

Weiss and Pyrrha exchanged a meaningful glance before both turned back to Violet with Pyrrha speaking, "It would. We agreed that if you wanted all of us to be in agreement, then we would go with you."

"And if I had just let Nora rule the vote?"

"Then we would have restrained her in our room," Weiss announced matter-of-factly, "Between Pyrrha and myself, I think we could have managed," she eyed Nora sideways who was currently bending a metal spoon in one hand and glaring at them, "Maybe…"

"Welcome aboard!" Yang cheered.

"I'm glad you're coming along," Ruby confessed, giving team Siren a wide smile.

"Your help will be appreciated," Blake nodded her thanks.

"So when do we start?" Weiss asked. Violet could sense a hint of nervousness in the young heiress's voice and held a hand up.

"Not until next week at the earliest. We aren't even talking about our plans until then."

Weiss stopped herself in the middle of a sigh of relief and instead changed it into a curt nod, "That is acceptable. You'll let us know, then?"

"Yup. Running theory is that Torchwick is held up in the warehouse district. Aside from that, we don't know yet and won't be looking into it further."

"I was so ready to shoot down a bullhead, though!" Nora complained from the side, standing up to place her hands on the table and lean closer across it, "Why don't we go tonight!? It'll be fun!"

"No way, Nora. Not after the docks. I'm not risking my team or any of you so soon after that catastrophe."

'Or at all if Qrow and I can track down Roman. We can put a stop to the Breach early and maybe even catch Cinder...'

"That works for me," Weiss folded her arms across her chest, "The preparations for the Vytal Festival start next week, and new students should be arriving. I'd like to have that time to uh, greet them."

"Do you mean spy?" Blake asked with a sly smile.

Weiss's arms tensed defensively, her facing going slightly pink, "D-Don't be ridiculous! As students of Beacon, it is our duty to welcome foreigners to the city for the festival! I-It's tradition!"

Blake smirked, but let it go. The atmosphere calmed down a bit after that as everyone dug into their lunches. Violet spent the time testing how much support Blake still needed, and could feel the girl doing the same through her side of the connection, attempting to ease up on the strain. Violet was glad for the reprieve. By the time the half hour lunch had ended, Blake gave Violet the go ahead to drop her semblance completely.

After a few tentative steps, Blake flashed the rest of her team a smile, "Good as new. Thanks, Violet. That helped get me back into action a lot faster."

"And just in time for combat class," Yang grinned and patted Violet on the back, "What did I tell you?"

"You're the expert," Violet agreed, impressed with how well Yang had scaled Blake's first day to her individual needs.

Yang leaned in to whisper to Violet, still grinning, "It only gets more difficult from here. I hope you're ready~"

They left together as a group for the locker rooms, Violet and Blake next to each other out of habit, if not holding hands as they had earlier in the morning. Violet could feel her semblance slowly but surely recovering from the days strenuous usage, 'At least my semblance doesn't take as long to regenerate as actual muscles.'

As much as she enjoyed messing with Yang when it came to working out, this was a good opportunity to increase the strength of her semblance overall. Violet wasn't sure if she'd ever get to the point where some of her weaknesses were nullified, but there couldn't be any harm in trying.

As always, the stands that partially encircled the arena floor were dotted with students by the time both Vibrant and Siren arrived. They took up their usual set of benches and sat back, waiting for Goodwitch to announce the first spares. The final group of students filtered into the stands and sat down, talking amongst each other.

"Ahem," Ms. Goodwitch cleared her throat loudly, eyes slowly roaming across those gathered, "Now, as I am sure many of you are aware, the Vytal Tournament will be taking place in Vale this year. As such, I believe it is important that you go into the tournament with a solid idea of who you will be sending on to each round. Today, you will be pairing up with another member of your own team, to spar against the other two. While this will not decide who you send along, I hope it gives you a better idea of your own standing."

Both Ruby and Blake turned to look at Violet and Yang, nodding in agreement before any arguments could even begin.

"There's really no other choice, is there?"

"You guys are the strongest on the team, no doubt about that!"

Violet and Yang turned to look at each other and shrugged, "Best three out of five?" The two of them had already sparred four times in Goodwitch's class, with the results sitting at two to two. While Violet was more skilled overall, and had years of different lives to draw from, Yang's speed and tenacity were simply unmatched.

"I'll take you up on that!" Yang pounded her fists together then leaned in, a hint of doubt on her face, "You aren't going to use any of your… extra abilities, right?"

"I wouldn't exactly be able to use them in front of a stadium full of people, now would I? Violet laughed, "There's going to be thousands of eyes watching us from the stands, let alone everyone tuning into the broadcast."

"Okay, good," Yang raised her hand to get Glynda's attention, "I wanted to make sure you weren't going to pull any tricks."

"Yes, Miss Xiao Long?" Glynda called up from her place on the arena floor, "Do you have a question?"

Yang raised her voice, "We've already decided who we're sending to the doubles round. Can Violet and I fight to figure out who gets into the singles?"

After taking a moment to consider, Ms. Goodwitch's fingers tapped away at the device she held, and soon enough, both Yang and Violet's names and images were plastered across the large screen, "I trust you to know your own team well enough. We may as well get your spar out of the way first. Proceed."

Violet and Yang returned to the locker room shared by all the girls and retrieved their weapons before stepping back out on to the arena floor. Yang held out a hand before they separated. Violet accepted the fist bump with a smile.

"Where do you want me to take you for dinner after you lose?" Violet called out, walking away with the flash of a grin while drawing Zenith from her back. She allowed it to regain its weight as it slammed down against the ground, cracking the floor beneath.

"I know this really nice place on main street that makes a hell of a good burger," Yang smiled back, "Where do you want me to take you?" She pumped Ember Celica in the air, loading a round into place.

"Pizza sounds nice. I'm feeling like… bacon and pepperoni with stuffed crust."

"And the dipping sauce?"

"Why wouldn't you get the sauce? That's what makes it worth getting the stuffed crust in the first place."

"Fair point. Anything else?"

"No, now I just want a pizza. We should get enough for leftovers in the morning."

"Why? The dining hall usually has at least a few slices."

"Yeah, but we didn't even get breakfast this morning."

"Oh yeaaaah, well then, I think-"

"Would you two just fight already!?"

"Sure thing, Miss Goodwitch."

"Whatever you say Glynda... Wait, do you want us to bring you back any-"

Violet was cut off as Yang blasted across the arena floor, spurred into action by the fierce glare sent her way from Ms. Goodwitch. The fight commenced, with Violet heavily on the defensive, struggling to recover from the immediate ground she'd lost.

Violet used Zenith's wide blade to block Yang's blows, knowing that if she tried to return its weight to it, her arms would be too slow to keep up with the brawler's speed. For the time being she waited, allowing Yang to grow more and more frustrated as each blow was swiftly deflected, none managing to slip past her defense. She had also transferred Zenith's weight to her shoes, giving her a stronger footing. It was a technique that Violet had been forced to create specifically for her fights against Yang, as the brawler didn't have the reach to slip past.

Each blow was jarring. Violet was forced to take the brunt of the impacts with only the bare minimum of Zenith's mass left to offset each blow, 'Better Zenith than me.' Violet could see the mounting frustration in Yang's stature. Each subsequent attack became more and more erratic. The team leader waited for Yang's current set of attacks to finish.

'Now,' Violet spotted the telltale sign of Yang winding back up, her foot sliding backwards, preparing to change stances. Violet swung her greatsword forward, a weak blow, but one that fulfilled its purpose in throwing Yang off balance. The greatsword's path continued as Violet spun in place, giving it a full three hundred and sixty degrees of wind up before forcing its own weight and much of her own into its blade.

Yang threw her arms up the instant before Zenith connected. There was a terrible shriek of metal on metal as the heavy greatsword slashed a deep scratch across the gauntlets. Yang was launched backwards by the force of the blow and sent into a backwards tumble across the ground. The blond managed to gain control over her roll and planted her feet, sliding to a stop while raising her fists back up into a defensive stature.

Violet charged, now the one to go on the attack as she kept outside Yang's range and used fast, sweeping horizontal slashes, denying her an inlet past Violet's guard. Yang dodged what she could, backpedaling from the blade and looking for an opening of her own. The greatsword offered little chances, and the brawler knew she would be punished severely if she failed to get the timing right. Violet's sword could hit like a truck, and was regularly known for ending weaker students in a single blow.

Seeing an opening, Yang backed just outside of Violet's swing and threw an uppercut, blasting Ember Celica simultaneously. The explosion knocked the blade off course, sending it much higher, then down in an arc that planted it into the floor. Violet reduced its weight and tore it free from the ground, but was far too late to block Yang's follow up blast to her chest.

Luckily with her grip tight on the handle, Zenith came with her as Violet was sent flying back across the arena floor. She stabbed downwards and found purchase. Zenith left a long, deep furrow in the ground that stopped Violet just short of the arena's edge.

She wasn't given a moment to recollect, as a series of blasts from Ember Celica streaked her way. Violet rolled to the side, awkwardly forced to dragon Zenith along with her. She brought it up in time to block the next shots, each bursting in a flare of red across the greatsword's wide blade. Yang popped the spent shells from her gauntlets and grabbed two more strips, tossing them into the air so that they would fall into the correct slots with a practiced grace.

'Sorry Yang, but I didn't agree to not get tricky…' Violet pulled a projectile from her belt and transformed Zenith into its railgun form. Her final lightning dust cell hummed, charging the coils in a flash of electricity that arced between each.

Yang paused, not advancing in worry and confusion. She knew what the railgun was capable of. Her eyes searched Violet's, looking for a hint of frustration or anger that might have spurred this plan of action. Finding none, Yang's expression calmed somewhat, but her shoulders remained tensed, uncertain of what exactly Violet was planning to do.

Violet checked each of their aura levels on the nearby screens, noting that she was down to seventy-three percent while Yang was still in the high eighties. Violet lowered herself and prepared to dash forward, removing the mass from her body as well as Zenith's. There was a large gap of ground to cover, but she could cross it easily enough in only a moment.

Violet had transformed Zenith only half way. The grip still remained in the form of a sword haft, while the blade itself was fully in railgun form. The coils continued to hum, finally reaching peak charge.

Violet used a burst of strength and dashed across the intervening distance, swinging Zenith with the perfect timing to force Yang to block a blow from the side. Both arms raised to that side, dampening the impact as Violet returned all of Zenith's weight to the blade. Yang staggered under the unexpected blow, her mind too caught up with the charging coils to block effectively. Her eyes widened as understanding dawned on her.

A fraction of a second after Violet's weapon made contact, she pulled the trigger.

An explosion rocked the arena, as the floor itself was ripped up in the blast. Yang was caught in the brunt of it, the force lifting her off her feet and sending her flying to the side, hard enough to collide with the bottom wall of the stands outside the arena bounds. Violet was similarly propelled backwards but with less force as the inner workings of Zenith served to lessen the impact on its user.

Violet rolled across the ground and back to her feet before glancing at the aura monitors once again. Yang was down to twenty percent and out of bounds, while Violet was down to fifty, and still in the arena.

Silence prevailed in the stands, until after a dozen seconds passed, the students erupted in surprise and bewilderment. Violet took a bow, then returned Zenith to her back in sword form, allowing it to cool off as the vents expelled steam. She made her way off the stage and over to Yang, who was just then struggling to rise from the floor.

Violet pulled Yang up by her hand and gave her a hug, "Sorry you had to be the first, Yang."

"I didn't think you'd ever intentionally use Zenith that way…"

Violet nodded, "I don't usually since it hits me pretty hard as well," she held out her hand again, extending it for a handshake, "No hard feelings, right?"

Yang knocked Violet's hand away and went in for a hug instead, gripping the other girl tightly, "Of course not you idiot. That was awesome! You had me so worried for a second there."

Violet scoffed, "As if I'd vaporize you. The thought shouldn't have even crossed your mind."

"What exactly were you thinking, Ms. Regalia?" Glynda demanded, angrily striding up to the two of them, "I believe you were strictly forbidden from firing off your weapon in this class."

Violet shook her head, "I didn't fire it off, because the projectile didn't go anywhere. If I don't add any mass to it, the metal just explodes before it ever has a chance to exit the coils."

Ms. Goodwitch looked Yang over, checking for any visible damage, then nodded, "Next time you pull something like that, I'd appreciate some type of warning first. I nearly stopped the fight."

"No need to worry about that," Violet gave Ms. Goodwitch a wink, "This poor maiden is all tapped out on tricks up her sleeve."

Glynda narrowed her eyes but didn't bother to comment before turning back around and pulling the riding crop from her belt. With a quick wave of it, the exploded bits of arena floor drifted through the air, returning to their previous positions. The air suddenly cleared of a fine dust that Violet hadn't even realized was there. She breathed more clearly and put a hand around Yang's shoulders.

"So, about that burger…"

Yang smirked, "That pizza actually sounds really good right about now. I'll take a double since you're paying."

"Awww," Violet hugged her close, "I changed my mind. You are my favorite blond."

The pair returned to the seats next to their team and spent the remainder of the class taking bets on who would win.

'We still have team tactics after this… Those pizzas will have to wait…'

Well, this was a fun chapter to write. Had some trouble figuring out how to end it, though… Already nearing 8k and at this point I just wanted to post it.

Hope you enjoyed!

PS - For those of you that also follow it, Black Lotus will be out later today or tomorrow. (Sunday / Monday). Last chance to make bets on how the teams will end up! Post your guess as a review and I'll shout out anyone that gets it correct.

- Sybaen