Howdy!

I know this took a while to come out
but I really wanted to make it good XD

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY

Chapter 24: We Who Won't Turn Back

"What…" The boy whispered under his breath. "What the hell is happening to me…?"

Wiping his face once again, Jaune's reflection didn't change. His skin was darkening, blackening and turning purple around his temples and the corners of his mouth. Taking a heaving deep breath, he reached over, slipping a towel against his face. He rubbed and brushed, scrubbing away at his skin. He groaned in disgust, staring at the now, slicked jet colored towel. It was covered in a strange substance that began to emanate an equally strange ripple, radiating energy.

Muscles tensed and his bones ached, giving off that same agonizing ripple. He won't lie – it was starting to hurt like a bitch. Luckily, his sink was filled to the brim with warm water. Rolling his eyes, sighing for the umpteenth time since the ooze began, he shook his head in despair. Dipping his face into his sink, the once barely clear liquid, was suddenly turned black and red.

"Damn it…this is really starting to get out of hand…"

Pulling the plug on the drain, the dark, murky water was sucked away with a guttural burp. Sealing the drain, he twisted the knob, letting warm water fill the bowl once again. There was no explanation for this phenomenon. Not in the future-past and especially not now. Ozpin gave him what little information he had, and not a single word of it was good. Jaune chuckled to himself, wiping the oozing black substance from his cheeks and temples.

As Ozpin said, I'll blow up because of how many semblances I have, or I have some kind of hyper-radical cancer, as Nurse Peridot hypothesizes. Jaune wiped the black liquid from his face. Hmm. Neither sound fun, but what the hell can I do? Guess I'll have to lay off getting more power for a while?

Suddenly, the door clicked and the lock he twisted was undone. Swinging open, Pyrrha rushed in, shutting the door behind her. Taking a deep breath, her green eyes landed on Jaune's shirtless form taking in the strange damage that has taken his body. Scars and heinous bruises were forming all across his back and torso. Some scars looked like they would open at the slightest touch. Black ooze flowed from some of the wounds but before they could drip down his once unblemished skin, he quickly scrubbed and wiped them away.

"They're anxious in there…" Pyrrha gave him a calculating gaze. "Has it gotten worse?"

"C-Can't say for sure." Jaune sighed into his towel.

"Any idea what it could be?"

"If Nurse Peridot doesn't know for sure…slim chance I would." Jaune shrugged. "Hoping it's none of the things they've assumed it could be so far…but if it is? Welp. Might as well kill me now, Pyr."

"Whatever it is, I know you'll pull through." Walking up to the boy, she pressed her hand against his bare chest. "And don't joke about that."

"Well…you did hurl a spear at me the first time we went to Beacon…"

"If I remember correctly, you said it was to save your life!"

"Still threw a spear at me."

"I can throw one at you right now, if you'd like."

"My, my. Getting feisty?"

"Well…Yang and I have been getting rather close lately."

"A passionate firecracker and a brusque goddess." Jaune chuckled. "Now I really hope I'm gonna die."

Taking a deep breath, ignoring the strange substance still dribbling down his flesh, she leaned her head forward, resting against his shoulder. Almost matching his chuckle with a giggle, she punched his bare chest, smiling into his skin. The pair was silent, letting their heartbeats synchronize as one. Past the skin and thick muscles beneath, she could feel it, despite the never ending rumbles emanating from the radiating liquid. Even with this disease rampaging his body, his heart beat on, humble yet marvelous. It brought a smooth ease to her soul, like a melodious song. As with every other time since this anomaly began, their arms wrapped around one another, holding on as if the world was coming to an end.

Their bodies pressed tightly, heat and warmth channeled, flowing like rivers. Pyrrha took slow calming breaths. Their aura began to mingle, slowly coming together as one. Her eyes gazed upon his clearing face, a look of elation and calm washing over his features. His energy, his power and his strength, was felt full force as it combined with hers. Pyrrha could feel it rushing through her nerves, her bloodstream. It was exhilarating, feeling him speed against her skin, raising the hairs on the back of her neck. But it wasn't to feel pleasure or excitement.

When the disease first started, she found that her aura actually eased the pain and somehow managed to subdue the black ooze. But one of the rather, pleasurable side effects, was the intense passion. It felt like a blazing inferno against a single wax candle. He alone, had such incredible presence and power, it was overwhelming every time they'd done this so far. In a way, one selfish enough, could call this a trip in heavenly ecstasy. She laughed in her mind, leaning into his body, pushing her aura against his own, combining the energies as one.

I guess one could call me selfish. Pyrrha sighed into his neck.

For one final push, she created a small aura pulse that sent incredible sensations throughout both of their bodies. He shuddered against her athletic form, tightening his hold on her, as she dug her fingernails into his back. If it were any other situation, she swore she'd be red-faced and on the verge of passing out. But Jaune was in pain and she was, for some reason, the only one to truly calm him. It wasn't Yang, despite all their history; it wasn't Blake, despite all the time they spent together as a couple. For that alone, it made Pyrrha feel happy.

The energy radiating from the ooze fought against her aura. Its strength grew endlessly, trying to overpower her, but she wouldn't let up. Bringing her soul to full strength, the strength she had smashed against the dark power within him. He groaned softly, feeling the battle within him. She pushed and pushed, beating against the ooze, her aura overpowering his own. Shuddering into her torso, crimson bolts of lightning flickered around his shirtless form. Through clenched teeth, their aura exploded in every direction, stealing the color and lights from sight.

Almost in freefall, the sensations tingled and danced through their bodies, jumping and latching. They groaned and moaned into each other, tightening their bodies together for dear life. But just as quickly as it came, the white pale subsided, leaving their world in the same yellow hue beneath incandescent lightbulbs. In the wake of it all, his once black and purple bruised torso, was now clear of all the damage as if nothing happened. While some of the scars remained, the rest had faded into nothingness.

Blue met green, locking in adoration of the other. The deepening pools, darkened, obsessed with the other, taking in the glimmering thrill, dashed across the orbs like flickering flame. They were almost like buffed gemstones if one were to stare long enough. Within their pupils, like striations into their irides, their aura could be seen, replenishing, filling their bodies with that same marvel of a tingle.

Pyrrha leaned forward, somehow out of breath and panting, her forehead resting against the crook of his neck. "I-Incredible…"

"Tell me about it…" Jaune whispered, holding her to his now, clear body. "That…"

"Worked better than any other time before…" Pyrrha smiled into his neck. "I can't believe it…"

"Pyr…" Jaune chuckled, slowly taking in heavy gulps of air. Trailing his hand from her back, his finger danced against her shoulder before resting at her chin. Tilting her to face him, her eyes once more, were lost in his oceanic sapphire. "Thank you…"

"No need to t-thank–"

His lips pressed against her own, tasting a hint of milk chocolate. Blushing, he deepened, lowering his free hand to her waist, pulling her closer to his shirtless form. Her tongue fought with his, tangling and rushing against his, letting him know that he won't win the battle. In a similar fashion, like the wild, uncontrollable, frenzied rush of euphoric sensations when their aura merged – the kiss alone felt like a storm of lightning and electricity, making the girl's knees weak.

When they parted, a snap was heard as their lips struggled to break away. A soft trail of saliva followed, connecting their bottom lips together. Pyrrha struggled to keep her breath together and her thoughts from drifting – Jaune, lowered his hands to either side of her waist, holding her in the most protective, caring way he could, shrouding her in his aura and arms.

"I love you, Pyrrha." Jaune leaned his forehead against hers. "Thank you for going out of your way to do this for me…"

Much to his surprise, she reached up and flicked his forehead, leaving a blistering red spot. "I love you too, but I'm not doing this for thanks, Jaune. I'm doing this because I want to…and I'm apparently the only one who can keep this…thing from hurting you. If anything…it's my job."

"Now, that makes me feel bad." Jaune sighed.

Another flick, the boy winced when her green eyes glared. "Fine, not my job. It's just something that as your girlfriend, I have to do. When we started dating, I promised to do what I can to make you feel happy and well. Yang and Blake too."

"I'm certain that sounded better in your head."

"Oh shut up." Pyrrha giggled. "It's still a little crazy to wrap my mind around. But regardless…this thing we have…has got to be one of the best things, if not the best thing in my life, so far."

"What do you mean?" Jaune raised a brow, leaning against the sink counter. "I would have never thought having a harem would be on your bucket list."

As expected, she flicked his forehead again. A burning blush spread across her cheeks. "I-I mean…I'm surrounded by people who love me – I'm surrounded by people I love. I have a family that isn't so concentrated on my public image, but rather, concentrated on me, Pyrrha, the girl, not Pyrrha the invincible girl."

Pressing her hand against his cheek, he leaned in. His warmth spread through her body, accentuating her blush perfectly. "And I have two girlfriends who are absolutely wonderful and a boyfriend who happens to be the man of my dreams…and to think it all started with a simple last minute decision…"

"Really?" Jaune raised a brow. Hmm. I never heard this…

"Yeah…" Pyrrha's hand rose to the back of her head. "I was actually accepted at Atlas and Haven, but just as bags were packed and stuffed into the trunk of a limousine, I decided that I wanted to go to Beacon. Sure, Haven was the closest to home and Atlas had a training regimen that I was the most accustomed to – neither really had what I wanted. I wanted a new start – a new chance to make myself someone that I wanted to be, not what I had to be. Winning tournaments and appearing on Pumpkin Pete's cereal boxes, put me on such severe pedestals – I thought it would be impossible for me to really make myself into someone I could be happy to be."

"But I'm sure you already knew all of that…"

"No!" Jaune smiled. "Please…go on. I…I've never heard this before."

Pyrrha gazed at him with a look of both shock and relief. "I thought you knew everything about us?"

"All of you assume I know everything." Jaune corrected. "There's still so much I don't know about all of you."

"Okay…" Pyrrha smiled. "Well…you met my parents. They were as nice, caring and loving as any parent would be. But after I won five junior tournaments in a row during my first few years at Sanctum – they…they revamped my training and thrust me into a position I didn't really have a say in. Sponsors, cameras, reporters, sponsors, interviews, sponsors – it was never-ending. Then came the annual Mistral Tournaments. I was thirteen when I started fighting for the Kingdom's entertainment, rather than my village's."

"I was thirteen when I won the first tournament. Fourteen when I won the next. So on and so forth until I graduated from Sanctum as valedictorian and made the decision to pursue a career as a huntress. By that point, everyone at Sanctum and even some in Haven were enamored by me and practically worshiped the ground I walked on. Girls would try to get close to me, just to have guys look at them the same way they looked at me. Boys would try to get close to me but never cared about me. They heard Pyrrha Nikos – the invincible girl! Winner of tournaments and destroyer of opponents! And where others saw a beautiful girl blossoming into a woman, they saw a get rich quick scheme, rather than Pyrrha Nikos, the girl."

"I knew many of the people I knew in Sanctum would be vying to run to Haven to just have the chance to be on the same team as the Pyrrha Nikos." She said bitterly. "I couldn't stand the possibility of being another trophy to be dusted and placed on a pedestal for boys to brag about and girls to use fake bravado of friendship on. It was like I wasn't even a human being but rather, a thing to gawk and examine. Even though I am Mistrali by blood and birth, it was like being a foreigner in my own Kingdom…"

"So if I was going to be a foreigner, I'd might as well go the whole nine-yards…" Pyrrha smiled softly, her eyes falling half-lidded. "Since leaving home, I've never felt so alive, so free. I found that my fame, while international and well-known, few in Vale really acted the same way as people in Mistral did. It was comfortable change of pace and then…I met all of you…"

"In a way…" She blushed. "You changed my life, Jaune. Ren, Nora, Ruby, Yang, Blake and Weiss. All of you…you showed me a life away from cameras and strict rules and regulations. You gave me a chance to be myself without the fear of scrutiny from sponsors and well, sponsors. This fear I've had, of being tossed aside after my use has run thin…withers away because of that one decision to come to Beacon…so I'll be damned if I let the boy who saw me for me; loved me, for me – suffer from a disease that could possibly kill him."

"You told me, I waited too long the last time…" Pyrrha smiled, her lips trailing against his. "I won't turn back now; I won't hold back. You won't lose me, and I will never lose you."

Weiss sat against the fire escape, her blue eyes gazing out into the great megalopolis of the City of Vale. It always surprised her, fascinated even, that such a disgusting, overpopulated cesspool could look so beautiful. Even with the industrial wasteland that stretched for miles in the horizon, to the urban sprawl that began to swallow land and space, the city felt like home.

She wasn't referring to the strict, auspicious and orderly fashion of Atlas nor the great leveled Schnee Mansion in Atlas. Rather, a place she could honestly say left a warm feeling in her admittedly cold heart. Her legs dangled over the edge, feeling the cool autumn winds graze against her bare porcelain legs. She relished in it, reminding her of the frozen fields of Solitas and the piercing winds. While nowhere near as intense and certainly nowhere near as cold – it was a welcome trigger of reminisce.

Home, she wondered, was such a vague term. It referred to so many things, while at the same time, being the simplest of words. With as many definitions as there are seconds, days and years, there was one that began to stick.

Home, she felt, was with her team and JNPR. Home she wondered, was listening to Ruby argue with Yang over cookies and pickle jars. It was spying the heated blush on Blake's face as she rapidly flipped through pages of filth that she swore was art. The warm feeling she felt echoed with the same sentiment, hearing Nora cheer about pancakes and breaking legs in the same sentence. Home, is smelling Ren's gourmet, handcrafted dinners that she swears he stole from the gods themselves. It was studying and preparing while the rest of her family was lazing around, with the ever studious and responsible Pyrrha.

Home was what she felt whenever she was near Jaune.

Sights, smells and interactions she's experienced since meeting the tall, blond and scraggly yet handsome boy, gave her a new perspective. It was tough work considering her upbringing, but over time, it was simply that – a matter of time before she too, saw the magic herself. He led his friends in a way that made them want to follow. Even after the revelations of their past and the rather horrific things that happened – the things he suffered along the way – that didn't stop him from wanting to relive a better past to fix his dark future – their dark future.

She thought she knew what suffering and pain was, until she met Jaune Arc. She thought she knew what loss was, until she met Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie. She thought she knew the emptiness of fame and fortune until she met Pyrrha Nikos. She thought she knew Faunus, until she met Blake Belladonna. She thought she knew a sisterly bond, until she met Yang Xiao-Long and Ruby Rose. There were so many things that she proclaimed she knew – so many subjects that now, in hindsight, were foreign to her. Concepts she thought he understood, revealed, she lacked any real insight – and that woke her up from that incessant dream of achieving perfection.

After participating at the battle of the docks, seeing the blood soaked concrete and Ruby's silver eyes glow – it was in that moment alone that she knew she was a fool. She was a fool in a bigger game, and that alone scared her. Perfection, achieving the approval of a man that abused and emotionally tortured her throughout her life, was something she no longer wanted. Seeing her quest to achieve something so asinine and meaningless in the grand scheme of things, left a sour taste in her mouth.

The lie her father had woven into her thoughts, the nonchalant, carelessness of her mother; her conniving, cruel little brother – it all crashed against her, murmuring in the back of her mind. The things he'd say to her, the discipline he'd strike, the demeaning attitude he had for her – it felt like several slaps to the face – sometimes it actually was. Her mother, the last real Schnee before herself and her sister, had descended into a hole of wine and alcohol, always drinking in the gardens, ignoring the heinous crimes her husband commits.

Shutting her eyes, her thoughts, as dark as they were, drifted to one filled with pride and happiness. The darkness of the cold heartedness of everyone around her was eclipsed by the shining energy of this memory. This woman was everything Weiss wanted to strive to become. This woman was her inspiration to rebel against their father – their family line.

Winter Schnee was everything Weiss felt she wasn't. Courageous, strong willed, a real manslayer. She giggled at the adjective – but she wasn't entirely wrong. Winter had a figure most huntresses struggle to maintain, top it off with a pair of heels and she was a level unattainable by most. From the last time she saw her, before facing off against the Arma Gigas, Winter was as beautiful as she always had been. She carried herself with the strength of not an heiress to the largest company in Remnant; she didn't carry the Schnee name like a badge of honor.

The strength she had, was something she cultivated from years of experience in the field and being a real fighter. She was something Weiss desperately wanted to be. Scowling at the pleading, almost embarrassing tone she sported in her mind, the girl sighed. A small blush formed on her cheeks trying to ignore the thoughts that transpired to destroy her personal credibility. Running a hand through her pristine white hair, a smile formed on her face, thinking back on her sister.

She left a burn mark on the Schnee family, happily removing herself as heiress to the company. At the time, Weiss didn't understand, but now, it was as clear as day. Winter was a high ranking Atlas Military officer, a special operative, if she remembered correctly, and was one of the General's closest agents. Jaune told everyone of the inner circle and that alone made Weiss glow with pride for her sister. Winter earned everything she had – she fought for what she had. She didn't become a slave to their father's own machinations and attempts to control them.

Running a hand through her hair, she stopped. Her blush stopped and disappeared. Replacing her look of sudden epiphany, a beaming smile grew across her features. Winter went her own path, forged herself into the woman she is, that didn't mean Weiss had to follow the exact same path. Staring at the shattered moon, her fears, her doubts and thoughts of her rather dysfunctional family broke into as many pieces as the fragmented satellite hovering above.

Weiss clenched her fists, thinking of all the things that have happened so far, wondering, reminiscing, imagining a brighter past – things that she wished could come to pass. Icy blues glanced at the never ending skyline, edged off with white lining emanating from the shattered moon that stood ever present. While large cities were far from new to her – Vale just had this…ambiance that differed so greatly from Atlas and Solitas in general.

Even with Grimm crashing down on Sanus, flooding the countryside; Jaune's army and kingship on the rise – the city still found a way to be peaceful. Millions upon millions of people, squashed together with thousands more flooding every month that passes by, even the negativity gathered, wallowing over the great jewel of Sanus, did little to deter the golden air. Lights glowed in the grand skyscrapers, speeding left and right on the freeways. People, even with the problems around them, continued living their lives.

In a way, she could say she preferred Vale over Atlas. The Kingdom had its faults…

But it was indeed Home.

Blue stared at the moonlit night, starry eyed and silent. Leaning in her seat, her sapphire eyes counted the infinite glimmering beauties. In her hands, a small cup of instant ramen steamed with a pair of chopsticks in the other, stirring the contents together. Crossing one leg over the other, she blew the steam away, blowing air into the scalding hot soup. Slurping away at the noodles, she sighed, taking in the taste of shrimp and other vegetables.

Behind her, the hotel room was switched out with a larger, significantly larger, room. Sleeping bags and several Faunus slept together covering the floor in sleeping men and women, bringing a small giggle from the once wounded Faunus. Each one, new recruits and veterans, were gathered together for different reasons and she herself was no different.

At times, especially recently, she began to wonder why they kept fighting the humans of Vale and not outright hunting down the Brotherhood. She questioned why they had to stay in Vacuo – she knew there had to be more to this sitting around and recruitment. Sticking her chopsticks in her noodles, she stirred it around, wrapping the wiggling pasta around the utensils and brought it up to her salivating mouth. Slurping away, she began to gulp the remaining contents, letting some of the venerated broth spill on either cheek.

She sighed, staring off into the sandy city. The great pyramid shaped hunter academy towered over the night sky, almost hiding the fragments of the great shattered moon. Lights glimmered within the structure, shadows danced and moved about, telling her that life still remained. Much of the city was deserted with many people leaving the confines of the great megalopolis for Vale. She could only assume that the other kingdoms were emptying out to participate in the Vytal Festival.

It disgusted her that her own people would run and play in human festivities when their own people were treated so poorly in the other kingdoms. Vacuo may have been nice – it may treat Faunus as regular people, rather than animals, but that could be chalked up to the severe anarchy that runs the kingdom. No one messes with anyone, unless that someone has a debt to pay. No one bats an eye, unless it affects them in some specific way.

Seeming like a broken record – no one cared in Vacuo. She tried to reason with Perry and other higher ranking White Fang members, but no one would listen. The threat of the Brotherhood and worse, the self-proclaimed King of Vale, destroyed their plans and credibility in several Kingdoms – some worried that if they made another move, word would spread back home to Menagerie and Ghira Belladonna, the founder of the movement would disavow them. If Menagerie turned against the Fang, there was little to no chance of salvaging their operations.

Blue wanted to win, she wanted to live in peace without the fear that the Brotherhood would find her one day and finish the job. She'd heard things from Faunus and even human victims of the organization. It made her sick to her stomach. Chattel slavery, organ harvesting, sick gladiatorial fights between impoverished and homeless starving citizens to even trafficking children into their ranks. While some of what she knew of the Brotherhood contradicted some of the stories, their brutality remained the same throughout. Such a group was no different than criminal scum.

Yet, the White Fang was regarded as the terrorists. Blue hissed to herself, her doe eyes narrowing. The White Fang would never kidnap children – sure they'd kidnap business owners and company CEO's, but never children. The White Fang would never pit starving men and women against each other with the promise of a hot meal. The White Fang hadn't done half the things the news said they did – yet, everyone was so quick to believe the lies and venom the media told.

Now, her hero, her idol, was gone. Adam Taurus still hasn't been found and the year was coming to a close. Just about two months since the battle of the docks had passed, leaving a sour taste in her mouth and a deep foreboding in her stomach. It enraged her, putting her on constant edge. Perry and the other Fang with her, were growing stagnant and relaxed with their new arrangements. Collecting protection money from businesses, human or Faunus, was far from honorable. It was extortion and while the needs justified the means – it didn't sit well with the doe.

Something needed to be done – something needed to be said. The people needed to listen and get their shit together. Sitting in Vacuo was counterproductive to their cause and did nothing but delay the inevitable. Members said that the cause was over – others said the battle of the docks was their last chance. Never an optimist among the defeated. She didn't know what to do, she didn't even have a clue of where to begin.

Sienna Khan was weak, ineffective and did nothing but play politics. Talking with leaders of the four Kingdoms, whining and yelling about human discrimination, but did nothing aside from breaking a few businesses, attacking and stealing a few train cars of Dust. Her rhetoric, her aggressive speeches were what drew the masses of disgruntled Faunus to the White Fang, the promises of precise strikes at human society.

Where are those promises? Blue hissed. Where is the revolution that you said we'd have? Adam seemed to be the only person in the entire Fang to really give a damn about it. He believed in your revolution – he risked his life and gave everything he could for it. How do you repay him and the hundreds of other Faunus who agreed?! You disavow them, call them rogues to the organization. You tell us, his friends and followers, to stand down and lay low.

No. She clenched her fists, snapping the chopsticks. If Adam is gone and if Perry won't do anything – I'll have to find a way to do something. The humans took my life from me, destroyed the family I was born to – but I'll be damned if I let a Faunus tear my new family apart.

Nebula was never one to stalk someone, always finding that to be one of the creepier things to do. After all, being a victim of stalkers back home in Vacuo, it never did sit well in her stomach to have eyes planted on her back and vice versa. She swore she'd skin the next person she found following her into a coed shower room.

But for some odd reason, here she was, following a reasonable distance behind none other than Lie Ren.

He was an enigma for the Purple haired girl. For a guy surrounded by several of the most beautiful women she'd seen and powerful ones at that, he acted like everything was normal. She was certain he wasn't gay either, given how he is with Nora. Either he had extreme control over himself, or he was just one of those once in a lifetime kind of guys.

She'd had her fair share of experience with guys. Finding Nolan an annoyance, Roy a cocky bastard and Brawnz a pain in the ass with his endless sass. Then there were some of the rather unknown guys – Like Baron Crowne of team CRAP. She quickly shook her head. I've been hanging around Doré too much. It's team CARP, like the fish.

He's a womanizer sack of Remnant waste that I just wish I could pelt with bolts and call it a day. Shaking her head again, she watched as Ren turned and entered an empty training room. Unlike Ren and Jaune. These two guys are just so…unexpectedly normal. Surrounded by beautiful woman and act like it's the most normal thing in the world. How they can be so nonchalant about the girls they surround themselves with – have they seen these girls?!

Whipping around, she dashed forward, sliding through the closing door to catch up with the fleeting silhouette of Lie Ren. But before she could take another step forward, a hand reached out and grabbed her wrist. A yank later, she slipped and crashed with the sturdy, yet lean, chest of none other than the lotus himself. Her mouth hung open, violet orbs locked with magenta.

"You think too much. It makes your movements sloppy." Ren said with a calm voice. "Why are you up this late at night?"

Snapping from her shock, she raised a brow. "I could ask the same for you."

"Fair enough." Ren nodded, steadying her stance. "I have trouble sleeping at times, so I come here, the most vacant, sound-proofed training room in Beacon to meditate."

The two walked along, coming to the center of the training room. "I never took you as one to suffer from nightmares."

"Well, I wouldn't say they're simple nightmares…" Ren shook his head. "They're more…painful memories that I can't repress…"

"Like Cardin?" Nebula asked.

"Like Cardin." Ren simply said.

"What kind of memories?" Nebula asked offhandedly.

"What?"

"I-I mean, what kind of memories?" She asked once again, this time directing her voice at him. "If you don't want to tell, it's okay. Our pasts are our own after all."

Ren chuckled for a bit, crossing his arms over his chest as he fell into a meditative stance. "It's not like that at all. In fact, no one, aside from Jaune has really asked what my past is like."

"Not even Nora?" Nebula raised a brow.

"Nora and I have been…well…together since we were children." Ren nodded, smiling wistfully. "Well…"

"Not together-together." The two said in unison. There was a pregnant pause before the pair burst into laughter.

"Nora's rubbing off on you." Ren smiled.

"Well, binge mountains of pancakes and break training drone legs enough – it's bound to happen eventually. I won't say it's a bad thing but I will say it's one of the more interesting things to come out of this trip to Vale."

Ren chuckled again. "I doubt fighting the White Fang, joining an army for a teenage king, leading troops into skirmishes and eating mountains of pancakes were on the to do list."

"My, the silent Lie Ren has sass?" Nebula looked at him incredulously.

"My mother used to say I got it from her…" Ren said in a near whisper.

"Oh…" Nebula's eyes softened for a moment.

"Don't worry…" He shook his head. "It happened years ago…"

"What was she like?" She asked. His magenta eyes locked with her violet almost making her jump. For a moment, she blushed from embarrassment. "I mean…I lost my mother too when I was young."

"I'm sorry." Ren nodded. "We're all messed up, aren't we?"

"No kidding." Nebula sighed. "How about this…I share something, you share something."

Ren stared at her with a raised brow. "Hm. Sounds fair. Who first?"

"Well I asked first…" A cheeky look grew on her face.

"Not cool." Ren chuckled. "Well…how do I start…her name was An Ren…she…"

Jaune wiped his face, tossing the towel away. He looked upon his friends and sighed into his bare arms. Beside him to his right, Blake sat. To his left, both Pyrrha and Yang sat. In front of him, Ren placed a plate piled with bacon and ham. In the seat beside him, Nora had skipped straight to pancakes, lathering the tower in front of her in syrup. Ruby sat beside Blake, receiving glares from Yang every time the little rose reached for pancakes. Even with the fiery glare that the blonde was sending the young girl, she still stole a few bits of the fluffy beauties.

But then there was Weiss.

She sat at the far end of the table almost as if she wanted to be by herself. She didn't utter a word since the morning began, resigning herself to whatever it was she was thinking. It was strange to see after all. Normally, she'd go off on a tirade to Nora, exclaiming how disgusting her tower of pancakes looked, or reprimanding Ruby for trying to skip out on a real breakfast. Hell, she didn't even scowl at anyone. She was just…silent.

While for some, it would be a breath of fresh air and maybe the target of teasing from Yang, but even the blonde paid her no attention. It was almost as if the snow white was a ghost among friends. Her eyes trailed down to the plate in front of her, filled with a measly portion of bacon, ham and rice – not even an egg. While small breakfasts weren't uncommon – small compared to practically everyone around her – this was cutting it to near starvation. Weiss was a proponent to healthy eating and proper meals, so this was one of the first red flags that rose in Jaune's head.

The second, she hadn't even raised her arms to grab her silverware – better yet, she didn't sort her utensils like she normally did every breakfast with the crew. The silverware sat on both side of her, unmoved and still an unsightly mess. Her napkins unfolded and left askew. But for some reason, no one cared to mention any of this to her – probably afraid of getting yelled at. Jaune wanted to say something but for some reason, didn't know how to word what he was trying to say.

The final red flag to practically spring into the air and wave like a madman before his eyes – her bangs had fallen in a different way. Her scar, her badge of honor and strength, was covered. She'd never covered her scar, never even tried to. It was her reward for defeating the Arma Gigas in Atlas – it was her badge and the painful proof of her strength. Something was wrong. Something compelled her to hide her scar, despite all the things she gained since receiving it.

"Weiss." Jaune spoke. Nora stopped scarfing down pancakes; Ruby dropped her fork and pretty much everyone else froze where they sat. His sapphire eyes practically glowed, staring at the white haired girl. "What's wrong? You haven't even touched your food – and you love Ren's cooking."

She was silent for a few moments before snapping up. She shook her head a few moments before facing the people she saw as friends and family. Her icy-blue eyes seemed dull, almost glazed over. There was a moment of hesitation drawn across her features before she finally willed herself to speak. "What?"

"What's wrong?" Jaune asked once again, a bit more tender than before. "Are you okay?"

"I…" The words caught in her throat. Eyes lowered down to the table in front of her. The bacon, still warm and the ham slightly sizzling in its own oil, smelled inviting. The small, measly scoop of rice she'd taken was mouthwatering. The utensils undone and out of place practically hissed at her, almost pulling at her to fix what she saw. She took a powerful breath, shutting her eyes, keeping the scar from sight. "I…I'm alright, Jaune…"

"You don't have to lie to me, Weiss." Jaune shook his head. "I can tell when–"

Pushing her arms forward, the plate she had slid against the tabletop, grinding against the placemat. Rising to her feet, the chair creaked and screeched backing away. "I guess I'm not hungry after all…I'll see all of you at HQ later…I remembered I have to finish up some homework…"

Jaune's jaw hung loose, watching the girl walk along through the dorm common room before disappearing around a corner. He wanted to get up and speak to her but something told him, now wasn't the time for that. Weiss seemed dead set on being away from them – who was he to deny her what she wanted. It may have seemed cold, but the girl more likely than not, had her reasons. People needed time to think things through – she didn't seem like she needed an intervention – yet. As for interventions, Yang was the best for that.

Sighing into his palm, she had a spot free track record so far. First Blake in his timeline and Cardin in this one. While he doesn't want to be the one to facilitate such a thing – he knew it would happen whether or not he wants it to or not. Shaking his head, he brought up a napkin and dabbed away at the slight hints of black ooze seeping from his temple. Once it disappeared, he tossed the dirty cloth into the trash bin a few yards away.

Looking to his dearest friends and significant others, he took a quick bite of his breakfast before facing them with a stern expression.

"Alright guys…" He began. "Blake, Pyrrha and I…we're going to Menagerie during the Winter Break, along with a small company of troops."

Yang tilted her head. "I get Blake, but Pyr too?"

"Remember the ooze thing?" Jaune chuckled. "Pyr's the only one to calm it and since yesterday – remove it whenever it happens. If having a black ooze incident while speaking with Blake's parents happens, I'm certain they'd freak."

"How long will you be gone?" Ruby asked with a frown.

"Three weeks at most, Rosy." Jaune smiled. "I do want to spend Yuletide with all of you. Since our mid-terms are over and students are beginning to leave – we'll be leaving next weekend."

"Understood." All nodded their heads. Ren's eyes locked with his with a very important question swirling. "So, what do want us to do?"

"Good thing you asked." Jaune smiled. "Since we've defeated the White Fang at the docks – now's the time to regroup and rearm ourselves. We need to solidify our position in Vale and thanks to Cardin – Viridian Hollow. Two cities to watch over with a combined population of over forty-five million people. Ren, Ruby – the both of you are smart and good at micro-managing. Reorganize the hunter teams into Fireteams – find their strengths and weaknesses and give them their specializations."

"Once in Viridian Hollow, Cardin will begin recruiting in the city as well – make sure to train the new recruits as hard as you would our own here." Jaune reminded. "Yang, don't kill any. Nora, they aren't punching bags. Make sure to relay these orders to Coco – using our troops as personal bag totes may be funny to watch at times – I don't want her torturing our forces."

"Poo."

"Yawn!"

"Nora." Jaune narrowed his eyes with a playful smirk. "I'll take away your pancakes."

"You wouldn't dare!" Her eyes widened, appalled. "Jaune-Jaune! No! Please!"

"Then be nice to the new people we bring in." Jaune raised a brow.

After a brief moment of contemplation, she relented and gave a weak salute. "You got it, Jaune-Jaune."

"I didn't hear an affirmative from you, Yang." Jaune almost laughed.

"No way." She glared. "We gotta toughen these guys up – best way is hands on experience. BOF!"

"We have actual trainers though." Ren gave her a confused look. "There's no need for baptism of fire…"

Yang scoffed. "Puh-leese. Lookey here, Renny. Fight against pretty little training drones and their fancy programming all day, every day, but none of that can come close to actual fighting experience. Shoot guns at barely cognitive machines, sure they'll dodge and shoot back here and there – but they don't think like a person would."

Jaune bristled at the comment for a moment. "I don't know Yang, you might be surprised."

She scowled for a moment. "Fine. I promise I won't rough them up too much."

"Yang." Jaune stared at her with a disapproving look.

"Jaune – you said it yourself – we are at war." She reminded, picking up a strip of bacon and shoving it into her mouth. "If they don't prepare properly – we'll have corpses piled to the clouds."

"BOF isn't really a reliable training method in our line of work. In fact, we'll probably get several incidents and accidents." Ren added.

"You unlocked your semblance in a distressing situation." Yang raised a brow. "Sounds like BOF to me."

"I wasn't even trained." He raised his hands in confusion.

"Not even trained my ass." She crossed her arms. "If I remember correctly, you, Nora and Blake were the only ones to take alternative entrance exams since none of you went to combat schools."

He was about to speak but quickly shut his mouth, lowering his hand. "You got me there."

"Boom." Yang smiled, taking a hefty bite of her ham. "Yang knows what's best."

"But, Yang." Ruby piped. "Most of these people don't even have their aura unlocked. It would take forever to unlock an entire army's worth of aura. We don't need to give them a BOF, maybe…test their limits. We do have overshields."

"Yeah…" Yang shook her head. "Seems extra to me."

"Not everyone has your semblance, Yang." Jaune reminded.

Blake decided to take this chance to speak. "Yang, as your partner, I would like to remind you of what Jaune said what happened to you. You lost an arm because of this very attitude. You rely on your semblance too much – it'll get you hurt again."

"I'm fine." She rolled her eyes. "Look I get that bad things happened before – but I am not gonna make the same mistake twice. Nora! Stop staring at my arm!"

"Sorry!" She giggled awkwardly. "I was just…trying to imagine wires and gears…it sounds so interesting."

"Nora!"

"Hey dad."

The man leaned into his seat, pressing his scroll against his ear. "What is it, Jaune?"

"I wanted to let you know that I was going to leave Vale for a while."

If his seat wasn't so secured, he was certain he was going to fall from his chair. Instead, he choked on his spit and fell from his chair regardless. The commotion attracted Marie and she came bursting into the room with a handgun. Relieved and sighing in despair, she sheathed her weapon into its holster against her hip and quickly ran over to the Arc sprawled in a tangle of both chair and limb. Helping him to his feet, the man quickly switched the call to speakerphone. "What do you mean, leave Vale?"

"I'm leaving Vale, dad." Jaune said again. "Violette told me that she let it slip that I'm dating Blake to mom. By the way, hi mom."

"Hey, son." Marie sighed. "Why are you leaving – where are you going?"

"To Menagerie." His tone was steady.

"M-Menagerie?!" Claude choked on his spit once again.

"Son, do you realize how far Menagerie is?" Marie spoke quickly to salvage the conversation.

"Well, Blake and I have been dating for a while now…she wanted to introduce me to her family." Jaune added.

"Son, do you know who her parents are?"

"Of course." He responded as if it were common knowledge. "Ghira and Kali Belladonna."

"And you know–"

"Dad." Jaune chuckled. "I know. Blake told me everything. Besides, Mom was once a Fang member – I hold no hate for any of them. How do you know him?"

He took a deep breath. "Aside from Marie being a former member of the Fang – Adrienne, your birth mother, and I used to do dealings with Lord Ghira when he first started the White Fang, many years ago. Quick word of advice, son. He is a powerful man, his stature and size aren't just for show. He is also an honorable man – so give him respect, he'll reward you with respect. Also, tell him, Lord Claude Arc and Lady Marie Arc send their regards."

The two swore they heard Jaune chuckling. "I will, dad."

"Alright, son." Claude nodded. "Was there anything else you wanted to say?"

"Yeah, just two more things." He paused. "You think I can invite some friends of mine to Chateau Du Arc in Orléans for Yuletide?"

"S-Sure!" Marie answered. "How many?"

"I'm not too sure at the moment, but several of my friends are looking to spend time with me this holiday."

"That would be lovely!" Marie exclaimed. "We'll set up rooms and plan immediately!"

"Calm down, mom! Can't tell who's more hyperactive when it comes to planning parties – you or Violette." Jaune laughed. "It's just the holidays."

"Fine…" She huffed.

"Oh, one more thing." He paused once more. "Before I go, I wanted you to know that I love you both for everything you've done for me. For my sisters. We love you and we couldn't be happier to have you as parents. Mom, don't work so hard this winter – aside from council work and the little ones, you need some serious du repos. Dad – I know things have been rough between us for a long time, but that doesn't change how I feel. You're a strong man and a great father. Don't berate yourself for things out of your control. Neither you deserve to be hurting this holiday – be proud of everything you've built and created, alright? We'll see each other soon, okay! Can't wait to come home!"

"Goodbye, son! See you soon!" Marie smiled.

As the call ended, Claude and Marie fell to their knees and for the first time – wept tears of joy.

So, Jaune has a disease that's riddling his body and no one's entirely sure
of what it could possibly be :o
The Darkos OT3 sets the groundwork for their departure to Menagerie!
Weiss is showing signs of severe metamorphosis
(If you've watched Avatar the Last Airbender - You know what I'm referencing)

Anyway, Review, Follow and Favorite!

Ja ne!

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