A/N: So tired, can't sleep yet...gotta finish this first...

Getting back into the groove again thanks to my co-writers.

As ever, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this story for the time being. Sad as it might sound, if folks don't like this,...well, we won't continue it. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? If folks don't like it? Done. So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that. I'm working two jobs, trying to keep a roof over my family's head, and at the end of the day this is very much a HOBBY. I simply don't have time to write a story no one likes, and feedback sustains me...

Of course, reviewing is your choice. I can't force you.

Now lets move onto your questions, comments and concerns~! We'll keep it short this time, though the questions are a bit varied:

Q: DAMN Pyrrha be thirsty.

A: If you think she's thirsty here you should see her in Ice Queendom. Hunted Jaune down like a stag. It was honestly a little intimidating.

Q: Who is the final Arc child?!

A: That's a secret...as is the matter of Jaune's aunt. *whistles*

Q: Update schedule?

A: This week the wheel landed on Arcane, RWBY, Elden Ring, and a potential new story. I did The Boys just last week, so everything's current on that front.

Q: You ever gonna write that Naruto/Invincible crossover?

A:...its tempting. I've finally finished all the episodes...

Q: ...Naruto's being a bit of an ass, isn't he?

A: Overprotective parents tend to get tunnel vision, alas...he's not trying to be cruel. Needless to say, Juniper won't be happy with what he just pulled. She's more the mothering type, after all...

Q: More Jaune!

A: He's the focus here again. We've not seen the last of Naruto mind; we'll see the conclusion of his and Saphron's squabble later.

Q: Oh gods, they're all after Jaune.

A: Not everyone. Thought I already said that. Doesn't help that our boy's dense as a brick...for now.

Speaking of which...!

Alright then, I think I've kept you long enough.

You didn't come here to listen to an old man's ramblings, after all.

As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. Now off we go. Hope you're ready~!

Now for the surprises. I do hope your ready.

"Never stop reaching, Jaune.

Its in your darkest moments, when you're filled with doubt...

...well, that's when you surpass your limits. I know you can. You just need a little...motivation.

~Naruto.

Just a Little Light

"How are you feeling today?"

"..."

She didn't answer of course. She seldom did when she was in one of her moods. Instead she glared past him with intent, staring at the whitewashed wall as though to blaze a hole through it. In a few more days, she might be able to do just that. She was nearly recovered now; recovered, and eager to venture out into the world once more.

He couldn't allow such, of course. She knew it, and so did he. Which brought them to an impasse.

Ozpin bit back a sigh as he listened to the steady droning beep-beep-beep of her heart monitor. It served to center him. Patience. Must have patience. She'd been through a rather trying ordeal; those who stared death in the face seldom out unscathed. She certainly hadn't.

Truly, it was a miracle Amber lived at all.

Which brought him to this. "There's someone I'd like you to meet."

"...who?" she didn't answer, idly running a tan hand along the stump of her left leg.

Ozpin looked up from his clipboard with a wince. "You're feeling restless. Adrift. I understand."

Amber glowered at him from her hospital bed. "I don't think you do. You're not the one who almost died."

Yet she hadn't. The power was still hers, virtuall intact at that. Thank the gods for small mercies...and curse them for putting such fear in her.

"Rest assured, we won't let it happen again."

"Again?" her voice pitched in distress. Someone tried to suck the life out of me. If Qrow hadn't been there...

"But he was. That said, there a rather interesting young man I'd like you to meet. Someone who might be able to help you with your...problem." she huffed and he sighed. "If you were willing to accept a prosthetic, then none of this would be necessary...

...I'll consider it."

"That's all I ask, Amber."

Pah! He was one to talk. One of his descendants was walking around and what did he do? Hide away like a coward.

If Jaune Arc truly was his descendant...then he pluck up his courage and speak to him.

And if the boy's Semblance had the applications he thought it did...

Now was no time for cowardice.

It must be done.


(.0.0.0.)


They blitzed him.

In the face of such an overwhelming assault, Jaune's first instinct was to make like a turtle and hunker down; stand his ground, hide behind his shield, and weather the storm. Best offense was a strong defense and all that good stuff. Why shouldn't he? He had aura and chakra for days. His opponent couldn't possibly get to him with his guard up, right?

Then he saw Pyrrha's smile.

It was a perfectly nice smile...which was precisely the problem, Jaune found. There was no duplicity lurking within that grin. No deceit in her eyes. Pyrrha charged headlong at him-determined finally to test his mettle come hell or high water. One look at her told him his shield wouldn't be enough today. Not against someone like her. Not when she was in this kind of moods.

"You did ask for this, remember?"

He had. Here, on the weekend, away from prying eyes.

Against odds -and fighters of her caliber- that would force him to actually try.

He pivoted and whipped his shield at her. Pyrra ducked behind her own and deflecte dit; he used that moment to closed the distance between them.

In its sealed state, Crocea Mors remained just that; an ordinary sword. No need to conjure the chakra lightsaber here. He wasn't trying to hurt anyone. Just as well too. For if Weiss was all grace with precious little power, and Yang raw power with little finesse, then Pyrrha was a perfect blend of both. Power and grace.

She was also in his face; because she'd recovered far quicker than he expected!

Miló cut a crimson swathe at his knees in sword form; forcing him to brave his blade with both hands to parry. The impact produced an almost pleasant ache in his elbows. Taking one hand from the hilt he pivoted on his right heel and flung it forward, slamming clenched knuckles down at Pyrrha's face. He knew she'd block it. She was too good to be taken in by something like this. Sure enough, Akoúo̱ took the hit, though her shield rang like a gong. The impact sent her skidding away from him, aura fizzling, heels biting against the tarmac.

Most would've complained at such a cheap move. Not his partner.

"Impressive." she bounced on her heels, green eyes dancing. "Your form is excellent. Who taught you?"

A little thrill of pride shot through him, only be swallowed by shame. Mom and Dad were probably still worried sick, and here he was, goofing off on a weekend.

"My parents showed me the basics. But this?" he spied his shield on the floor and stomped down on its edge, kicking it back into his waiting grasp. "Most of its self taught."

Her gaze went half-lidded and the smile returned with a vengeance. It was Jaune's only warning. Then she was on him again, shield flicking in toward his chin in a golden blur. He met it with his own. Sparks flew between them. She hummed a little when he didn't give ground. They struggled against one another; shield to shield; flesh to flesh, face to face, each striving for the upper hand.

The stalemate didn't last long. Jaune didn't let it.

Planted his feet, he took one a single firm step forward.

Then another. Another now, and here at last, Pyrrha's eyes widened.

She must've realized his intentions too; one moment he was striving against him; in the next the tricky redhead ceased all resistance entirely, dropped down to her haunches and let him stumble forward. He felt blade cut out at his back as he went, delivering a stinging rebuke for trying to force her out of the ring so early in the game. Jaune took it in good grace and kicked out at her legs before could try again, thereby forcing her to leap into the air. The very moment she did, her sword shifted into a spear to come sweeping in at his head. He caught it by the haft with a laugh and reeled her in.

Her smile flashed out again, a brief, blinding glimmer of white. Then her headbutt rocked his world.

Stars burst before his vision and Jaune found himself rocking back, warding Crocea Mors before him. He tasted blood in his mouth and realization dawned; he'd accidentally bite his tongue. It was already healing, but the pain lingered all the same. With it came a certain cold clarity, a bright and shining realization that he'd not felt since he'd come to Beacon.

"That...hurt."

"Jaune?!" Pyrrha balked. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit you that hard."

"No, no!" he flung out a hand to ward off her apology. "That was good. Lets keep going."

Uncertainty danced through her once-lively green eyes, allowing him to glimpse the anxiety beneath. "If you're certain...?"

He bent his knee and adopted a new stance. "Never been more so."

Pyrrha mirrored him. A second passed.

Two, now.

Her left foot shifted a centimetre to the right. It was enough. Jaune burst forward, kicking off the ground to launch himself at her like a heat-seeking missile. She met him halfway with a rare laugh. They collided in a storm of blows. Feint, block, counter, then counter again.

Time ceased to have any meaning as they raged back and forth across the empty ring. No one to watch. No one to see.

Pyrrha was a blur of gold on red, poetry in motion, each strike chambering into another, another, and another still, never once using the same style for more than ten seconds. By contrast he may as well have been a walking rock; making only minimal movements, enduring whatever damaged she dealt and dishing it back thrice as hard. He could've used any manner of tricks and traps, he knew he could...but where was the fun in that? He wanted to test himself; lose himself, bury all his thoughts and anxieties in some simple, mindless, gratuitous training.

He world flash white again as he misread a feint; her blade raked across his chest, sparking his aura.

"She just hit you. What're you going to do?"

...hit her harder."

His knee snapped up in a moment of mindless anger and he struck true. Pyrrha folded around it and dropped her weapons with a gasp of pain. Agony writ itself across her face as she clutched her side. bringing with it a flash of guilt.

"Shit!" he swore without thinking. "Pyrr, I didn't mean to...!

"Its...alright...just knocked the wind out of me...

In the same instant, a soundless shadow fell over Jaune from on high.

His sixth sense shrieked, a thought broke through his battle haze, and he remembered nearly too late.

Pyrrha wasn't his only opponent. Really, the fact that they'd waited this long at all was a miracle in-and-of-itself.

A lifetime of training saved Jaune from ignoble defeat at the last instant, sending his body twisting to the right. Lie Ren's knives swept through the space his head had occupied not a moment before. He felt a breeze brush the back of his neck, then he was moving, rearing back to smash his shield against his teammates exposed chest. He heard the harsh crackle of metal meeting aura, but didn't pause to check his handiwork; he could hear a torrent of pink grenades already hurtling his way. Nora had chose her opening well.

He kicked away as they detonated and ducked back into the smoke, vanishing in the pink haze.

Three against one. Hardly fair odds. Exactly the odds he'd asked for.

"Anyone have eyes on him?" That was Ren's voice.

"Nope!" Nora chirruped.

"I'm afraid not."

Gotcha.

Jaune burst out of the smoke and landed among them. He parried Pyrrha, knocked Nora aside, and riposted Ren.

After that it dissolved into a mindless blur.

"FORE!"

Nora hurtled in from the right with a triumphant cry. Too close.

His eyes flashed gold for the merest of moments; long enough to catch Magnhild in an open palm. Nora balked; and he used the moment to drive a Rasengan into her gut. Aura sparked and she hurtled away with a sharp yelp of surprise, barreling into Ren and bowling them both over. Bonus!

Pyrrha was in his face before he could capitalize on the opening.

She'd trained all her life to fight people, rather than Grimm, and it was here in close combat that her skills showed.

Abruptly felt something tug against his shield, drawing it out of place. Semblance! He frowned and yanked it back up. His every instinct yelped.

"Time!" He yelped! Time out!"

"I'm sorry." she wilted. I didn't mean to use my semblance. Feel free to use yours, though."

Shame flushed through him. "...I can't."

"Jaune, its fine." Pyrrha lowered her blade. "Don't hold back on my account.

"No, it isn't. I have to. Its...ah...My semblance!" he amended quickly, trying not to cringe at the lie. "It isn't something I can use without consequences." desperate for a distraction, and not at all liking the sudden interest in her eyes, he took a leap of faith. "Sooo...wanna go into Vale?"

Pyrrha perked up. "That's a little sudden, but if you're asking...

"Yeah!" he grinned. "We came make it a team thing. Scope out the competition.

In all fairness, Ren tried to back out.

"Sure!" Nora nabbed him in a nelson before he could.

Pyrrha's lips formed a thin line, and he felt a miasma of displeasure radiate from her. Why? Was it something he'd said?

"Sure...a team thing. That sounds grand."

Uh-oh. Credit where it was due, he picked up on that, if not the reason for it. "We don't have to if you don't wanna-

"No, no! I do! I'd just rather go with you. Alone."

"Ack!" Nora coughed harshly. "Oh, would you look at that! I seem to have come down with a cough! You too, right, Ren?"

"I feel fine-ooomph!" she struck him in the gut and he folded over with a wheeze. "Ahem. Yes, I seem to have come down with something as well...

Pyrrha's gaze flitted to them. Back to him. A deep blush crept across her face. "Perhaps we should-

The training room door flew open before she could answer.

"Jaune!" Ruby burst into the arena in a cloud of crimson petals! "Have you seen Blake?!"

Jaune tried not to wince at Ruby's inquiry. His mind closed down. Of course he had. He'd run away from her just the other day. By the log, what had that crazy cat done this time?

...no." he mumbled instead, cursing himself for his cowardice. "I haven't. Why?"

She squirmed under his gaze. "Its just, she and Weiss had an awful fight and she ran...

'Why do I always run when things get tough?'

"Jaune?"

"No, its nothing." he shook his head, then, on a whim craned his neck back. "Guys? Have you seen her?"

Pyrrha shook her head, ponytail swaying. "I'm afraid not."

Rend soundlessly shook his head.

Nora shrugged. "Sorry...

"We can do better than that and you damn well know it. Find her. Fix this."

"Fix what?" a new voice snapped him back to reality a heartbeat too late. "Oh! Hello, friend of Ruby!"

They jolted apart.

"Penny?!" the little reaper flailed her arms. "Why are you here?!"

"You asked me to help your friend Blake."

"I didn't mean follow me all the way to Beacon!"

"But I will be attending in a few weeks...

"Stillnotokay!"

Jaune leaned back. "Hello? And you are...?"

"Salutations! My name is Penny! And you must be...Jaune!" the redhead took one look at him, rounded on him with a gasp, reached out, and clasped his hands in hers. "It is so sensational to finally meet you in person!" those strangely bright green eyes shone now with thinly disguised glee. "Your family has told me so much about you!"

Sure, great, the weird girl knew his name and...wait.

His heart skipped a beat.

"Wait. Family?!"

A/N: Penny arrives!

Aaaaand scene.

As ever, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule.

If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular, if folks don't like it...well, I'll not continue it. So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that. I'm working two jobs, trying to keep a roof over my family's head, and at the end of the day this is very much a HOBBY. I simply don't have time to write a story no one likes, and feedback sustains me...

Once again, reviews are my fuel. Without them I simply cannot write.

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review...Would You Kindly?

And enjoy the previews.

POTENTIAL ONES!

Soooo! Tell me what you want to see~!

(FUTURE! Previews)

Nora made a noise reminiscent of wedding bells.

Jaune felt his face flash with fire.

Even he wasn't that dense.


"Blaaaaake! Why do you always do this?!"


"I don't need your help!"

"You say that, but I'm thinkin' ya do.


His blade sparked red. "Enough."


"Cinder? What should we do?"

...nothing. He'd kill you if it came to a fight.

That kid? He's an idiot. No way would he stand a chance-

Her eyes flashed.

"Yes, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am."

The Fall Maiden was here. She had to be. The power would be hers.


"You hero types. Always so noble." Torchwick had the good grace to grin. "Unfortunately for you, I'm not alone." he slammed two fingers into his mouth and whistled. "Neo!"

Jaune heard the sound of shattering glass behind him and whirled.

A pair of mismatched eyes filled his vision.

Then she was on him.

R&R~!