College Fool didn't get a chance to see this. I am catching up and trying to forge ahead (dem punz), so that we can get back onto me writing a week in advance, and CF seeing the chapters. As for why I always put this (since people do ask), it's because it's only fair to take responsibility for my own mistakes, but also because CF requests it.

Simples.


Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: Dishwasher1910

Book 3: Chapter 5


The goodbyes as we left Eldon were surprisingly heart wrenching. Even though we'd only known them for a day or two at most, the fate of the village had become important to us, and in a weird way, we'd become important to them too. Ruby was down on the ground, hugging Oscar goodbye, while Hal chatted in the background, and well-wishers lined the road.

If it hadn't been for my wound tugging beneath my jerkin, I'd have suggested we stay a few hours longer to make sure everyone was okay, but tug it did, and Ruby wasn't willing to risk it. I also had strict instructions to keep my armour off, and it was hung and strapped to the side of Faith's saddle. Well, I suppose it was my saddle in reality, but it was within biting distance of the horse, so it definitely belonged to her.

"We'll come and visit at some point," Ruby promised. She looked to me, and I nodded in return. It would be nice to see how Eldon transformed itself once their trade was up and running.

"I'll take part in any celebrations next time as well," I said. "Sorry I couldn't make these ones."

"No matter, lad," Hal guffawed. "We all saw the lass vanish off with you. Looks like you had some celebrations of your own. I hope you didn't pull any stitches loose?"

"That didn't happen!" Ruby hissed. Her cheeks were bright red, which hardly helped our case. Not if the raucous laughter of the crowd was any indication. I shook my head, a little more amused by the idea than I dared admit.

True, I was embarrassed too, but I could see why everyone stuck to it. To them, we were their golden couple, a pair of Heroes who came from the mist and saved their lives. In their minds the tale would only be sweeter if we were deeply in love to boot. Honestly, I didn't think anything Ruby – or I – said would sway them. We were probably married, consummated and Ruby was pregnant with at least twenty-two children.

She was still mumbling denials as our horses trotted out the gates. "Why wouldn't they believe me?" she whined. Her eyes narrowed when she heard me fail to hide a snigger. "Hey, you should have helped! You just sat there and didn't say anything!"

"What could I say? They'd already made their minds up."

"Well, you could have said something!" Ruby growled under her breath. "Instead, you just sat there smiling. Argh!" She turned away on her horse, crossing her arms. "You suck."

"To be fair, I'm wounded."

"Oh, and did the stomach wound prevent you from speaking?" she asked, an arch, almost snooty, tone to her voice. "No? Well then, you suck!"

There was something about being told that by Ruby which was inordinately funny, but I managed to control my laughter, partly to avoid pushing her over the edge, but also because it hurt to do so. The wound was sewn up, and definitely wouldn't cause me any trouble, but it was sore and red. I could only hope the Priest back at Beacon could sort it out.

Thoughts of Beacon brought back pleasant feelings too, mostly about meeting up with the rest of the Guild. There was worry at the same time. What would I do if any of them had been hurt? No. They were stronger than that. I couldn't imagine any of them running afoul of any Grimm. The biggest threat was Weiss losing her patience and freezing Yang's mouth shut, and that would hardly be a loss.

"Hey Jaune," Ruby mumbled. The Reaper sounded quieter now, more serious. I hummed to show I was listening. "That Ranger… the one I- the one that died…"

"The one we killed," I amended. It had been all her, but I'd intended the same and I wouldn't let her suffer it alone. "The one that was responsible for untold death and pain. What of him? Don't tell me you feel bad about what happened?"

"No, not that…" It was clearly a lie. I'd have to ask Yang to help her sister out. "I was just thinking this morning about him. Don't you think it's odd that a Hero would do that kind of thing?"

Back in Ansel, I might have thought so. Growing up in a village where Heroes were things you glimpsed once in a blue moon, and otherwise figures of legend and story, I'd have been horrified at the thought of one turning to banditry. Here, however, with what I'd learned, the truth was easier to swallow. "Who knows what goes on in the head of a bandit," I said. "The ship that attacked us in Atlas was crewed with deserters."

"They were attacking trade ships though. Those would give a lot of lien and it would be safe too. As long as they could sail away, they'd have all the oceans to hide in." Ruby held a hand out gesturing to the forests around us. "Here though, so close to Vale and Beacon? How did he expect to stay hidden? Why would he attack villagers of a poor town? Why help other villagers do the same?" Ruby's brow creased together. "It just doesn't make sense. There's no reward and loads of risk."

Faith came to a halt as I tugged on the reins. She glared at me, but I barely paid attention. Ruby was right. It was too unusual. I looked behind me, back to Eldon, and then to the path ahead. An unpleasant sensation gnawed away in my gut, and for once it wasn't the fish wire keeping me together.

"We should have checked the body," I said.

"You were injured."

"True." And I hadn't wanted to go near it, or to let Ruby near since she'd just killed the idiot. Still, we'd just left it there without even making sure there weren't others in the area. If there had been, they'd have surely come to his defence since the fight was so even, but still… we'd not done enough.

"We could go and check on it," Ruby suggested. "It won't be hard to find the area since the tracks are only a day old. There are probably still arrows stuck everywhere."

"It can't hurt to take a look. Maybe we're overreacting."

Ten minutes ride and five minutes through the underbrush later, I wasn't so sure. A curse escaped me as Ruby and I stood before a marked indentation on the floor. Dried blood lined the grass, a reminder of the absolutely dead body we'd left here. There could have been no survival. Not even if a Priest had been hiding behind a tree.

The body was gone. As was the bow, the arrows, and any sign of the Ranger's presence.

"M-Maybe an animal did it," Ruby whispered. "Or it could have been a Grimm."

She sounded uncertain, like she didn't believe it herself. I couldn't blame her. If something had dragged the body off or eaten it, then there would have been remains, tracks, or more blood at least. Instead, this had been removed – as had any evidence of it.

"We're going to have to report this to Beacon."

/-/

To my relief, Ruby offered to take care of the report, and to hand in the Quest Scroll, gather the money and even stable the horses. She took everything out of my hands, with a pointed reminder that I had to go and see the Priest now. Not after grabbing some food, not after a shower, and definitely not after a day's rest. Her stern expression would have been comedic were it not for the way she held her scythe, suggesting she was more than willing to hook the blade under the back of my collar and drag me to the Priest if needs be.

Well, it wasn't like I'd intended to sleep on the injury.

"The stitching is adequate," the Priest said. She was a brown-haired woman with fox-like ears, as well as a bushy tail that swayed behind her. "You'll live, and there doesn't seem to be any sign of infection."

"Can you heal it?"

"Is that a question or an insult?" The woman smiled and leaned her chin on one hand. "I'd not be working here if I couldn't heal something like this now, would I? The question is, do you want me to heal it?" She poked the skin around the wound, and didn't at all seem worried by my pained gasp. "This will heal on its own."

"I'd rather this was done with," I said, taking a quick breath as she poked it again. "C-Can you stop that please? It hurts."

"Pain is good."

I winced. "Because it shows I'm still alive?"

"Huh, what?" She blinked. "Oh right, yeah. Sure. Whatever…" The woman rolled her shoulders and worked her head from side to side, making her bones crack. "Well, if you want it healed, you want it healed. Sit down over here while I grab a knife."

I… must have heard that wrong. I hoped I'd heard it wrong. "Excuse me?"

"I need to remove the stitches and suture, unless you want your skin to completely heal over it?" Why she phrased the last as a question, I had no idea. Of course I didn't want that. "Anyway, sit down, grit your teeth and feel free to whimper if you need to." She smiled. "I won't tell~"

"D-Don't you have some kind of spell to do this?" I asked. "I mean, surely you have something to dull the pain, right?"

"Silly boy, I'm a Priest. We're not just for healing, you know. The only spell I know that involves the word `pain` is one that applies it all across the body of an enemy." She froze, ears perking up. "Do you want to see it? I can assure you it would make you hardly feel the stitches being removed at all."

Yeah, because I'd be too busy convulsing from whatever else she cast on me. In the end, I shook my head and clenched my eyes shut, taking deep breaths in an attempt to ignore what was about to happen.

The actual events… those were expunged from my mind.

I could vaguely remember a lot of panting, a lot of my eyes remaining closed, and also some loud whines coming from myself. There was also the unpleasant feeling of a closed wound opening, but that was quickly solved as a cool feeling washed over it.

Not even five minutes later, she was done.

"There," she said, slapping the skin. I yelped, but it was more from reflex. It didn't hurt at all. "Doesn't that feel better?"

I don't think I'd ever slammed a door faster in my life. With my stomach `healed`, and with Ruby addressing to most of the work, I had a rare chance to myself, and didn't fancy going back to the interrogation I'd likely receive at the Guild. Instead, my feet took me towards the Beacon library, a huge and bustling building with two floors, both festooned with books. The entrance led into the central area, which was mostly long tables and seats where people could read. A balcony on the second floor was filled with students, some reading, others talking between themselves.

It was the work of a moment to scan the tables, but Blake was nowhere to be seen. Then again, that was normal for her. I hadn't come to meet with her anyway.

I'd come for research.

It was the work of a moment to close my eyes and concentrate on the new Skill I'd acquired. I'd never understood how it worked in terms of understanding, but once you reached a Level and unlocked an ability, you just sort of knew what it was – but only on a basic level. When I unlocked Quench around the six or seven mark, I'd known what it did, but had no idea how it could be applied to Blacksmithing. My father had to explain that as he taught me the craft. It was the same with the others. I knew that Stoke the Forge could super-heat my hands, but the knowledge was useless without knowing how to use that to smelt metal or craft a knife blade.

On my newest skill, Runesmithing, all I had was a sentence.

Imbue weapons and armour with the ancient power of runes.

Well, that was both exciting enough to tempt me, and vague enough to be a slap in the face. What was a rune? How did I apply it? What did it do? Where could I learn more? The latter was a particularly distressing question, since my father had been the highest level Blacksmith I knew, and he was only the same level I was now.

My hands paused on the spine of a book. I had to repeat that to myself to really take it in.

My father… one of the best Blacksmiths in the area – who was so well-known he had some Heroes from far afield commissioning work from him - was Level twenty-four.

The same Level as me… at the age of seventeen.

I was already on par with him. That was… that was insane. My father had been plying his craft for longer than I'd been alive, and each and every single piece he made would have granted him Exp. Despite that, I'd overtaken him in only a few short months. Was the difference between Exp gained from crafting and fighting that huge? It had to be. There was no other excuse for it.

Didn't that mean he knew about Runesmithing though? He'd never made mention of it, not even brought it up. It wasn't something he'd have hidden away if he knew about it, and I felt certain he would have taught me in the event I ever reached that Level. There was only one other explanation.

He hadn't figured it out either.

This isn't like normal crafting. Ruby's scythe was just me using an existing design and strengthening the bits I figured would need to be strengthened. I knew most of what was involved. I don't know anything about Runes. I don't even know what one looks like.

Sure, I knew what one was. It was an ancient form of writing, almost like a picture with words and meaning attached to it. That was easy. I could squiggle some random stuff on some armour and see what happened, but the chances of that working were slim. Besides, it wasn't like people hadn't been drawing and writing stuff on swords and armour for decades. That didn't give it any extra power, so I somehow doubted me writing runes on one would help either. There had to be more of a process involved in it, something I had to do in order to make it work.

I pulled out another book and read the back, and put it back with a sigh.

The Beacon Library was extensive… I imagined it was one of the best in the world, though probably second to the Atlas Academy of Magic. It was flawed in the same way, however. In a way that probably made perfect sense for everyone else, but not for me…

It was filled with books related to being a Hero.

Not a single `How to Blacksmith` or `Runesmithing for the rune-impaired` to be found. After all, it wasn't like anyone here should be capable of such things, so why keep anything about it? Hell, was there anything even known about it at all? I'd never heard of Runesmithing before, and I felt confident in saying if someone did, then they'd have advertised the face as best they could. There were plenty of Blacksmiths who claimed to be Level thirty, forty, or even above.

Dad always rolled his eyes at those, especially when he saw their wares. It was a common tactic among the Labour Caste, particularly those less scrupulous. No one could see your Level, after all, so why tell the truth? But if no one knew what it was, then that would mean either no one figured out how to use it, or that no one ever reached this Level.

The latter shocked and terrified me in equal measure.

Was I entering new territory?

No, surely not? It felt arrogant to even think it, but… no other Blacksmiths fought against the Grimm, at least not on purpose or as often as I did. Was it… was it actually possible that I was right now, right here, one of the most experienced Blacksmiths in Vale?

The thought staggered me. It actually drove me back a step. I looked down to my hand, flexing it open and shut. I'd never considered myself powerful, but then again, I'd been comparing myself to Heroes for what felt like the longest time. Back home in Ansel, there wouldn't be a single person capable of standing up to me.

I'd surpassed them all. I'd quite possibly become one of the strongest members of the Labour Caste in the Kingdom.

And no one knew.

That was insane.

It was also a problem. If no other Blacksmith was at this Level, then that meant I'd be completely blind moving forward. I had no idea what my new Skill did, and neither did my father. What other ones would I earn in time, and would I even be able to use them? Skills like Ruby's were pretty obvious. You got a big area of effect attack. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out where to use that. I was a Class that was focused on my ability to Craft, however. It was different. Almost all of my Skills would be based around the idea of me making things.

But I needed to know how to make them… and no one else would know. That meant no instruction booklets, no advice to work with, and no direction on which to base my search. I was completely and utterly on my own.

Well… that sucked.

I should stop looking for Blacksmithing manuals then, I guess. If I focus my search on Runes, then at least I might be able to figure out what I'm meant to be inscribing on things. I hummed and moved over to a different area, one focused on ancient history. I had a feeling its inclusion was Professor Oobleck's work. I made a mental note to ask him about Runes at some point, and also to look up any old myths or stories on legendary Blacksmiths, the type which led to those powerful weapons you heard about thousands of years ago. Most of those were probably just stories, or weapons that had earned the legend through the actions of the wielder, but it was possible some of them might have been Runesmiths in their own right.

It was worth a shot.

I was so engrossed in looking through the section that I didn't notice anyone come up behind me, and jumped when a hand landed on my shoulder.

Blake raised an elegant eyebrow.

"S-Sorry, you startled me." I said, laughing the moment away. The Assassin was dressed in the school uniform, which she wore well, as always. I was actually a little pleased to see her, and also somewhat giddy that she'd felt the need to come and seek me out, as opposed to the other way around.

"I haven't seen you in a few days," she said. "You'd have normally bothered me by now."

Was that concern in her voice, or was I reading into it too much? I laughed and rubbed the back of my head, then wished I could take it back and not look so indecisive. What was I meant to say?

Blake looked me up and down. She sniffed lightly, and for a second, I worried I smelled bad. Her amber eyes narrowed. "You smell of blood," she said. "What happened?"

"I just came from the Priest. I took an injury." I rubbed my stomach. "It's all healed now though."

"You wouldn't have been injured while farming in the Emerald Forest. Not unless you went particularly deep. You've also been missing for two days." Blake's lips turned down, her expression turning demanding. "You went on a Quest, didn't you?" she accused. "You went on another Quest."

"Ah, uh... well, sort of."

"I can't believe you!" Blake turned away and threw her arms in the air, then turned back, already giving up on the idea of storming away in disgust. Her eyes were narrowed, her hands tightly clenched into fists. "Are you insane? You saw what happened on our last one. You would have died without me. Yet the first thing you do when you get back is go on another? Tell me, are you stupid, or do you simply not care for your own life?"

"It's not that, I-"

"Then what is it?" Blake snapped. She poked my stomach. "What is this?"

My hand caught her finger, wrapping around her hand and preventing her from poking me again. I felt bad enough as it was without this, and had to swallow a little guilt as I stared into her angry eyes. "It's not like that," I said. "It was a small Quest, Blake. It was meant to be easier than even farming in the forest. It was meant to be so easy a single person would do it. I still went with someone though. We decided to be safe and do it with two."

Blake's glare lessened a tiny bit, but not enough to let me off the hook entirely. "So, what happened?"

I explained it as best I could, sticking to a basic summary of the events that led up to us accepting the Quest, and then how we'd put down the bandits who could barely fight back, only to find a Hero behind them. Blake listened quietly throughout, and to my relief, her ire seemed to slowly fade.

"You idiot," she sighed once I was done. "How is it you manage to find a second Quest that blows up in your face so soon after the first?"

"I have a terrible Luck Stat."

"That doesn't exist," she said. "It's a myth."

"Yeah, well I'm starting to believe otherwise. Anyway, the injury wasn't too deep and I just got it healed. You only smelled blood because the Priest had to re-open my wound to take the suture out."

Blake nodded. She looked me up and down to make sure I hadn't hidden some other injury from her, but seemed content to believe me once she'd finished. It didn't mean she was happy, a sentiment she made clear with a put-upon frown.

It meant I wasn't about to be yelled at even further though.

"You need to be more careful. How is it you managed to get injured in a full suit or armour ad with a shield, while Ruby got out without so much as a scratch? Don't answer that," she added, when I opened my mouth. "It was a rhetorical question. You managed it because you're drawn to danger like a moth to the flame."

Okay, that was a little unfair. I didn't go out of my way to do anything. It was more like I was the flame, and danger was a very excitable and desperate moth eager to start a relationship. "There's not much we can do," I said. "We need the Quests to afford the money to escape TRE. Without it, we'll not get out for months, and he'll keep draining us the entire way. Besides, this was supposed to just be a few Grimm."

"Atlas was supposed to be a simple exploration and investigation," Blake countered.

"True, but at least we knew it would be dangerous. This was less than a day away from Vale and Beacon, and in a dinky little village."

"I suppose…" She finally let her glare come to an end. "How much was the reward?"

"Seven hundred and fifty lien…"

Blake snorted. "That's hardly worth being shot for."

"I know, but it was worth killing one or two Grimm for. That's what we thought we were facing."

Blake hummed, but didn't argue. It wasn't like we'd intended to court danger, and she seemed to realise that. "I guess there isn't much more I can say." She sighed and shook her head. "At least you're in one piece still."

"Yeah…" I laughed for a moment, and then coughed awkwardly. "So, you were pretty worried, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you noticed I was missing," I said, trying not to sound too eager. "You also got angry when you realised I'd hurt myself. Were you worried for me?"

"Should I not be?"

"That's not what I mean."

"I saved your life in Atlas," she said. "I would at least like to imagine you living a little longer before you get yourself killed. Otherwise, I went through all that work for nothing."

"And it wasn't because you missed me?"

Blake's eyes narrowed. "Don't read into things so much."

"You sure don't make things easy, do you?"

"Of course I don't. Did you expect me to?"

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I guess this was what I got for pushing her. Not exactly what I'd had in mind, or hoped for. I tried to affect a smile, but managed more of a grimace instead. It wasn't at all convincing, and Blake certainly saw it.

"It means that much to you?" Blake sighed. "Alright, fine. I did notice your absence, and I was slightly concerned. Slightly!" she added, noting my creeping smile. I'd have gone for her cheeks going red, but she rolled her eyes instead. "Ugh. You really are an idiot, aren't you?"

"Maybe a little bit," I admitted, knowing that if I said it was only around her, I'd receive a sharp kick to the knee. That was if she didn't just assassinate me then and there. "I'll be careful in future, Blake. I promise. This was… well, we were as careful as we could be. It was an ambush and we couldn't get away without taking him out head on."

"Then I suppose I'll have to accept that," she said. Blake's amber eyes watched me carefully, and after a few moments, she let out a suffering sigh. "The next time you want to go on a potentially life-threatening Quest, inform me."

"So you don't worry?" I joked.

Her eyes hardened. "No. So I can go with you."

My heart skipped a beat, and then a second. My mouth was incredibly dry, and the words I wanted to say predictably fled, leaving me a useless mess. "You… you're serious?" I managed, and then wanted to punch myself in the face. Of course she was serious. When had I ever heard Blake be anything but?

"I'd tell you not to read into it, but I imagine that's a lost cause," she said, shaking her head. "Still, I worked hard to keep you alive thus far. You're not allowed to go and die stupidly on me now. I can use the lien. The next Quest you have, tell me. I'm coming with you."

I wasn't sure whether the Guild would agree, or what they'd think, but Blake was definitely right about one thing. I was reading into this way more than I should have been. The issue of her attendance barely crossed my mind. All I could think about was what it meant.

Blake was willing to go out of her way to help me. Did that… did that mean something?

"I'll tell the others," I said. "I'll try and convince them."

"See that you do, Jaune. I'm sure they'll be willing once they realise it will let them take larger Quests. I'm not exactly dead wei-" Blake paused, eyes fixed on something over my shoulder and behind me.

I turned, and quickly saw Ren in the crowd. He saw me at the same time, nodded his head and moved towards me. Oops. Looks like I'd wasted too much time and he'd been sent to collect me. With a nervous laugh, I turned back to Blake.

She was nowhere to be seen. There wasn't so much as a sign of her presence, and no one nearby seemed to have noticed it either.

How did she keep doing that?

"There you are," Ren sighed, a hand falling on my shoulder. "You realise the Guild is practically up in arms right now?"

"Huh, what? Why?"

Ren raised an eyebrow.

"Perhaps because a certain Knight was sent to the Priest for healing, and then never showed up afterwards, nor sent word that he was okay?"

Oh…

Oops.

/-/

Ren did his duty well, not letting me escape as we made our way back to the Lodge. He then betrayed me at the last, abandoning me to the not-so-tender mercies of Ruby, Yang and Nora. I made sure to send him a particularly annoyed look as I was smothered under the three of them, each berating, showing concern and calling me an idiot at the same time.

"Enough of this," Weiss finally snapped, her patience gone. "Arc is fine and alive, even if his ability to get wounded again is beyond all common sense."

Oh come on, her too? I was shot by a Ranger who ambushed us from the dark. How was it unreasonable that I got hurt by that? I opened my mouth to argue, but quickly thought better of it when Weiss' eyes narrowed. I sighed and nodded my defeat.

"Good," she said. "Now that we have some peace and quiet, I think it's about time we take a look at how much we managed to earn." Weiss reached into her robes and drew forth a small, leather pouch. It clinked as the tossed it on the table before us. "Yang and I had to clear out some Grimm from a mine, and then rescue some trapped miners inside. It wasn't too difficult, and we earned a thousand lien from it. Two hundred came as a bonus, with ten for each miner saved."

"Ten lien is the price of a life?" Pyrrha asked.

"I expect eight hundred was the actual price. The ten was just a bonus. Either way, we made a thousand and came back unharmed."

"Nine hundred for us," Pyrrha said, speaking for her, Nora and Ren. "The Quest was only for eight, but we actually earned a hundred from a small bracelet that dropped from the Grimm we killed. It was only a Charisma one," she added. "We figured it wouldn't be much use for us, but a Shopkeeper in the town wanted it."

"The Quest was awesome," Nora cheered. "There was a whole nest of little Grimm! They hadn't attacked anyone yet, but they were getting close and killed some sheep. We went in and just started fighting like madmen. It was great!"

"We had a plan to collapse boulders on them," Ren explained with a sigh. "Sadly, Nora misheard boulder as charge in and engage them all in melee."

Nora grinned.

"No one was harmed," Ren sighed. "Miraculously…"

Ruby looked to me to explain ours, but I crossed my arms and stared straight back. Nuh-uh. No way. Weiss hadn't even asked for everyone to say whether they were harmed or not, which meant this was all a rather predictable lead-up to the two of us getting told off. I wasn't going to walk headfirst into that. I'd already taken a wound to my body. I wanted my ego intact.

"We, uh… we earned seven hundred and fifty," Ruby said. "We had to kill some Grimm, but it maybe turned out to not be Grimm but bandits instead."

"Maybe?" Yang interrupted. "Define maybe."

"Maybe as in definitely," Ruby said weakly. "Then when we went to fight them, it turned out there was a Hero working with them. Jaune got shot and… uh… well, we defeated the guy who did it and returned as heroes."

"Seven hundred and fifty to fight a Hero?" Weiss asked. "That doesn't sound like a fair exchange."

"Well, we didn't know it was a Hero…"

"Even to fight bandits, that would seem weak. Why did you continue the Quest once you knew it wasn't just Grimm?"

"The people couldn't afford any more. They were too poor."

"That shouldn't have mattered, Ruby. If the threat was from bandits, then Vale would have moved in their defence anyway once they knew." Weiss leaned forward. "Members of the Soldier Caste would have been dispatched to deal with them. That is their job after all."

"That might have taken too much time." Ruby yelled. "They needed help right away!"

"And what if you needed help, Rubes?" Yang asked. Her voice was barely above a whisper, yet we all heard it. "What if you'd gotten into trouble and it wasn't something you could have gotten out of? What if I'd had to find out you died on this little Quest because you took on someone too strong for you? Is that fair?"

Ruby balked. "N-No, but…"

"But what, sis? It didn't happen, so I should be grateful?" Yang snorted. "That just makes it worse. It means you'll do the same thing next time, and then the time after that and the time after that. It'll continue on and on until something does go wrong." The Brawler's hands were clenched into fists. "If I'm lucky, you'll come back crippled. If not, you won't come back at all. Is that what it's going to take?" Yang stormed to her feet. "Is this how far your promise to me goes? I asked you to be careful. You promised you would be!"

"I was!"

"Clearly, you weren't." Yang snapped, forcing the younger girl into silence. "Don't lie to me, Ruby. Not like this. Sure, you thought they were bandits from the Labour Caste, but did that make them any less dangerous? They can still pick up a sword, Ruby. They can still kill you!"

They could… and that dug a little too close to home for me. I spared a look for Ruby, but she didn't return it. Her head was faced toward the ground, her shoulders hunched. There was something more here than a broken promise. That much seemed obvious.

"What if it hadn't been bows and arrows but a spike trap or a falling tree? They could have dug a hole and led you into it, or even just had some spikes hidden in a bush." Yang's breasts rose and fell as she went on. "With your speed, you'd have gone and impaled yourself. It would have been worse precisely because of how fast you move! I guess you didn't think of that though, all you thought about was how some people were in danger and needed help." She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Ruby Rose to the rescue, over and over, no matter how dangerous it is."

My stomach fell as the berating continued. Ruby had yet to reply, or to look up. Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore. "It was a joint decision," I said, standing up.

Yang's glare almost put me down again. "Then that means you're as stupid as her," she snarled. "Sit down, Jaune. This doesn't involve you."

"Since I went with her and was involved, I think it does." I tried to keep my voice calm, even if I wanted to back away and hide behind the couch. I didn't think I'd ever seen Yang so angry. She was normally so carefree and cheery. Now, her eyes were bright red, narrowed into slits and targeted at me. "I could have convinced Ruby to turn back," I said. "I didn't. I wanted to help them, too."

"That's not true!" Ruby yelled. She looked at me, shaking her head. "Don't believe him. He was against the idea. I convinced him to stay."

What was the idiot doing? I tried to make her sit down, jerking my head to the side, but she wouldn't have it. What was once one person yelling at another, was now three stood in the middle of the group. The rest of the Guild watched in silence.

"You can't keep doing this, Ruby," Yang sighed. "You can't keep jumping at every opportunity to help people. Sooner or later, it's going to blow up in your face. Gods, this is why I wanted to go with you, to stop this kind of crap from happening."

My eyes widened. Was that the real reason why Ruby had been so desperate to have me accompany her? I looked toward her, but Ruby refused to meet my gaze.

"Why not?" Ruby asked instead. "What's wrong with wanting to help people in need? We're Heroes. We're supposed to save people."

"We're supposed to save people from Grimm. Not every little thing that comes up! You should have come back and told Vale. They would have sent Soldiers there!"

"They needed help right away. They didn't have time!"

"They could have waited!"

Ruby threw her arms down. "Mom wouldn't have waited!"

"AND SHE'S DEAD!"

Yang's roar deafened everyone. I recoiled, unsure what to do or say. No one else was any better. Weiss kept her eyes down, pointedly not meeting those of anyone else, not that we wanted to try. Pyrrha looked at the hands crossed in her lap, while Ren had his eyes shut, and Nora stared at a wall. Against my will, I looked to Ruby. I wished I hadn't.

Ruby recoiled. She shook her head, mouth opening and closing, but no words coming forth.

Yang didn't have the same problem.

"Mom's dead, Ruby. She's dead because that was exactly how she looked at the world. Because to her, it was more important to risk her life for a lost cause than it was to come home to her own family!" There were tears in Yang's eyes, but that didn't soften the blow. "She's dead because she chose saving people over us. She chose being a Hero over us! You want to know why I'm angry, Ruby. It's because I keep looking at you, and I see the same person!"

Ruby's mouth opened.

A whimper escaped it. She took a step back, and then another, shaking her head the entire way. I wished I could say something, anything, but my mind was empty. It was all I could do to watch her back toward the door. Once she bumped into it, she spun and pulled it open, rushing past, and banging into Velvet on the way.

The faunus stood in the doorway and took a quick look in. "Maybe I'll do a little more cleaning," she said, no doubt reading the mood and choosing to avoid it.

Clever girl. I wanted to join her.

"What are you looking at?" Yang snapped. It took me a second to realise who it was at, and it was only her fierce glare which gave it away. With Ruby gone, I was now the only other person standing in the room, and my position had been facing Yang before.

She'd clearly taken that as a challenge.

"I didn't say anything. I promise."

"You should have…" Yang cut herself off, shaking her head. "Why didn't you…? Gah!" She turned with a growl, stomping to the door. "Don't wait up for me," she said, "I'll be back later."

It slammed behind her, leaving the rest of us in an awkward silence.

"Well," Weiss began. Her voice felt unnaturally quiet after all the shouting. "I didn't expect that to happen. I kind of wish I'd kept my mouth shut now."

A part of me agreed. Another part thought it wouldn't have mattered. Yang and Ruby would have gone at one another; they'd have just done it in private. I sighed and massaged my face with one hand. What a mess.

"That was unexpected," Pyrrha whispered. She moved over to allow me a place to sit. "I know Yang's protective of Ruby but… well…"

"She wasn't wrong," Ren said. "Ruby did place herself in unnecessary harm. There's bravery, and then there's recklessness."

"They're both hurting," Nora said. My eyes fell to her, mostly because the completely calm and serious voice seemed so at odds with how she normally was. "Yang and Ruby are both hurting," she repeated. "This isn't something with an easy answer they'll both agree on. It's not something that's going to be fixed."

My stomach fell. "You think they'll keep arguing?"

"Not that. I think they'll make up. They're too close not to."

"It's the issue itself that won't be fixed," Pyrrha guessed, earning a nod from Nora. "Ruby will continue to act like this, and Yang will continue to get angry when she does. It's going to repeat at some point." She sighed. "What should we do?"

"What can we do?" Weiss asked. "This is their issue."

"They're our friends," I argued.

"Being a friend means understanding when things are private, Arc. Didn't you listen to a thing Yang said? I don't think this is something either of them wants to discuss, least of all with us." Weiss sighed. "Not before they've discussed it between the two of them, at least."

"Then it's going to be a problem," I said. "It's going to come up again."

"Not necessarily…"

"You have an idea, Weiss?" I asked. Right now, I'd take anything.

"Less of an idea and more of a solution, to this and to another problem." The Mage stepped forward and picked up each of the pouches we'd left on the desk. "Our Quests only took a day or two each, but out earnings weren't exactly great. More than that, some of us have clearly had… problems with the team assignments."

She didn't need to say who. The sound of Yang's shouting still lingered in my ears.

"You can't send Ruby and Yang together," I warned. "That won't end well."

"I wasn't going to suggest it. Instead, I propose that we do Quests as a unit. With all seven of us at once, it will allow us to take slightly bigger Quests for more reward; while there'll be enough of us around to vote down any crazy ideas by Ruby, or any over-protective ones by Yang." Weiss' eyes raked over us. "What do you think?"

"Wouldn't that be the same as Atlas?" Pyrrha pointed out. "That was a group Quest, and that was almost a disaster."

"Atlas was assigned to us. We could choose our own. I suggest we look at Quests suggested for groups of three to five, and then send all seven of us. We'll have an overwhelming advantage, and the rewards should exceed what we were able to earn individually. We'll still look through them carefully, of course," she added. "I want another Atlas as little as you. Ren and I can examine them in detail and find ones we feel confident in saying are within our ability. We can also present them and let everyone vote. We won't go unless it's a unanimous decision."

It wasn't a bad idea. In fact, the more I heard, the more I liked the sound of it. Making the decisions unanimous would mean we all knew what we were getting into and that no one could be blamed if something went wrong. It would also mean I had help with me if Ruby decided to pull the heroics card, and that would stop Yang from exploding when she did – or me being caught in the middle.

"What do you guys think?" I asked, turning to Ren, Nora and Pyrrha.

"So long as we go through them carefully, I see no problem," Pyrrha said. "It'll be nice to do them together as a group. The rewards won't hurt either."

"I agree," Ren said. "It will also help bring Ruby and Yang back together, and should let Yang watch over Ruby, without the latter feeling pressured by it. Who knows, it might even bring an end to this argument of theirs."

"Sounds like fun," Nora chirped. "I'm in."

"Well, I guess that's it decided. I doubt Yang or Ruby will disagree with it." Honestly, I was just relieved to not be the one making decisions. Something sparked in my memory, and I sighed. "Oh, and it'll be eight by the way. Blake wants to come with us."

I waited for the explosion from Weiss. She'd been the most against Blake in the past, after all.

"Wonderful. She's welcome to come along."

Wait, what…?

"You're… happy with it?"

"Should I not be?" Weiss crossed her arms, an impatient expression on her face. "Blake is a professional and skilled individual. She will be an asset to any Quest we undertake." Her eyes narrowed. "Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

Yeah, or rather there wasn't something which should have been - namely anger or scorn. I looked to the others for an answer, but they looked just as bemused as I. Pyrrha shrugged her shoulders, shooting me a `just run with it` look.

"Oh, whatever," the Mage snapped. "I'll look through the scrolls later. I'd suggest leaving Yang and Ruby some time to cool off. Once their anger thaws, they'll be back to how they normally are. This clearly isn't a new or rare thing from how Yang reacted. Do you all have things to do?"

"Nora and I are going to farm in the woods," Ren said.

"I have to meet with Professor Oobleck about a topic I struggled with," Pyrrha sighed.

I looked between them as they turned to me, and with a quick shrug, gestured to my breastplate over by the wall. Ruby must have brought it with her when she unpacked my bags. "I have to get that repaired," I said. "Unless I want to run around with a hole in my armour, that is."

Weiss snorted. "Considering how often it fails to save you, I wouldn't be surprised if you did."

Hey now, that was unfair. I'd worked hard to forge both my sword and my armour… which probably accounted for why it was so crappy. That was part of the reason I wanted time to myself, however. I'd become stronger since coming to Beacon. Much stronger. It was about time I put these new Levels to the test. Not as the Class I was pretending to be, but the Class I actually was.

Let's just say I had a feeling a new set of armour was about to luckily `drop` from a Grimm in the near future.

Probably right after I visited Vale.


You know, although I've tried to keep the core characters the same, there are small differences to their history, the most obvious being Weiss. She isn't the heiress of a famous company, or a company at all. That has had changes.

The same goes for Ruby and Yang too. I've redesigned a lot of their backstories and histories for this fic, mainly because they're not really explored in the show, and since the whole thing about this fic is it being a new world, I feel like it almost has to have affected their past in some way. So, yeah, Yang's reaction was harsh – but she has reason for it.

And Runesmithing had a mention. A short mention too, but don't worry – time will tell all things. Jaune faces a very real problem, however, that of being the first Blacksmith in (recorded) history to start reaching these high levels. While that might come with nice and juicy benefits, it also comes with the relative pain of having no idea what's going to come, or how to use it. A shame, since people like Knights could just read ahead on what Skills others have gained at what Levels, and thus know what to expect.


Next Chapter: 3rd July

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