"I told you, Glynda. Until we find out who this girl is, I want you to keep tabs on her. With all this recent activity from you-know-who, it'd be unwise to not be cautious," Professor Ozpin pinched the bridge of his nose.
"She's just a girl, Ozpin," Goodwitch told him.
"We can't afford to take any chances," the headmaster affirmed. With the roll of her eyes, Professor Goodwitch exited the office and left Ozpin alone. "I want to trust her, I do," he murmured after she left. "But until I know she's on our side, it's best to keep an eye on her."
Ozpin was old—far older than almost anyone else on Remnant. He's seen a lot in his time, and if there's one thing he's learned, it's to never let your guard down. There weren't many people he could trust with the truth.
Professor Ozpin let out a sigh as he pulled up a file on his computer. It was a collection of video footage of Ash during combat training.
"Interesting," Professor Ozpin leaned forward in his chair. His computer's holographic screen was bright in the darkness of his office. The headmaster pushed his circular glasses up on his nose as he clicked through the pages on his screen. He pulled up a video of Ash fighting a Beowolf in Professor Port's class.
The student's movements were swift and calculated, yet it still appeared as if she as making it up as she fought. Then again, she very well could be. "Needs work…" he murmured and scrolled through more footage.
Ozpin watched with interest as Ash sliced the Grimm apart and sheathed her weapon with ease.
"Very interesting," he paused the video and played it back frame by frame. Then his eyes widened when he found what he was searching for.
. . .
"Is that all you got?!" Ash shouted and deflected a particularly powerful blow and returned with one of her own.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Yang grinned and threw a punch at the white-haired girl. Ash ducked under the attack and shoved her elbow into Yang's gut, making the blond double over. "Oof!" she grunted, but she recovered fast, kicking her teammate away and thrusting her arms forward to send a pair of explosive rounds at Ash.
The amnesiac jumped and spun her body, narrowly avoiding the explosives. Once she landed, Ash sprinted at her teammate and jabbed her sword. Yang saw it coming from a mile away and knocked the blade away with her gauntlet. Unfortunately for her, that's what Ash had planned for.
The white-haired huntress in training rolled to the side in the direction that Yang had knocked her sword away and swung the weapon again, bringing it into Yang's side. The impact was enough to make the brawler wince as she was pushed aside. Ash followed up with a sharp jab to her chest and knocked Yang flat on her back.
"Watch your footing next time!" Ash smirked and swung her sword downwards.
Yang quickly kicked her feet out from under her and knocked her sword away before the amnesiac could blink. Then the blond appeared directly above her with a smirk on her face.
"Better practice what you preach, Snowball," Yang told her. Then she shot to her feet and let Ash get to her feet. Without waiting a beat, the amnesiac threw a punch at her, which Yang easily avoided.
The two squared off for a few more seconds, their eyes never leaving each other. Ash wasn't the most skilled in hand-to-hand combat, but she figured she could last maybe another few seconds before Yang overpowered her. Therefore, she needed to get her hands on her sword.
Her eyes broke away momentarily to glance at her sword, but Yang immediately seized her opportunity. The blond threw a punch at her teammate and caught her in the chest, making Ash stumble back. Fortunately, her sword was directly beside her, so she used the momentum to fall back, snatch her sword, and come back up on her feet fast in a backwards roll.
"Not bad," Yang cocked her head to the side momentarily.
"Yeah, well, think fast!" she lunged and swung her sword. She seemed to catch Yang off-guard, but she wasn't fast enough to deliver a full-force blow. But it was enough to stagger her. Capitalizing on the opportunity, the amnesiac delivered a flurry of strikes to the brawler. At the last second, Yang evaded to the left and brought her foot up fast, causing the amnesiac to stumble. But she quickly regained her footing and swung her sword in a wide arc.
Yang rushed forward and threw a jab, her fist inches from Ash's face.
Then the buzzer rang, and both fighters halted.
"And that's the match," Professor Goodwitch announced.
Ash's eyes flicked to the gloved fist inches near her face. Yang glanced to her side to see her teammate's blade less than an inch from her side. They relaxed, lowering their respective weapons and swapping wicked grins.
"That was a very well-fought match, you two. I'm glad to see such tenacity and skill on a first-year team. If you keep practicing, you should do well in the tournament," Glynda complimented. "You may return to your seats."
Ash and Yang nodded their thanks, then went back to their team. Once they sat down, Ruby, Blake, and Weiss complimented them on their good fighting and patted their backs. Yang and Ash gave each other a fist bump and grinned.
"That was incredible!" Ruby squealed. "It was like boom, pow, jab, kick, slice! It was—it was…!" she then let out a series of excited squeals.
"Whoa, take it easy, Rubes," Yang chuckled and ruffled her hair. "It was a good fight, but I wouldn't freak out that much."
"It was very close," Blake agreed.
"Better than most students I've seen, but still sloppy," Weiss said.
"Oh? Do you want to fight next, Ice Queen?" Ash puffed her chest.
"Please," she rolled her eyes. "If we fight, it'll be when you can actually stand a chance."
"Oho, feisty," Yang ruffled Weiss's hair as well, gaining the hardest punch that the heiress could muster to her arm. Which, in all honesty, wasn't that strong.
"All right, miss 'I'm better than everyone,' why don't we see if Pyrrha wants to spar with you?" Ash grinned.
Weiss tried to hide the momentary flash of anxiety on her face, but they saw it. "I have no reason to compete against Pyrrha, so why would I?"
"Because you're a scaredy cat," Ruby teased.
"I am not!"
"Then go challenge her to a duel and we can see if you're as tough as you say you are, Ice Queen," Yang grinned.
Fortunately for Weiss, that's when the bell rang.
"Saved by the bell," Blake commented while they grabbed their things and left the classroom.
"Hmph!" Weiss crossed her arms.
Speaking of Pyrrha, the redhead appeared at Ash side and lightly tapped her shoulder. "Can I speak with you?" she asked.
"Yeah, of course," the amnesiac responded. "Hey, guys, I'll catch up. Save me a seat."
"You got it!" Ruby gave a salute before she and the others continued down the hallway. Once the team was gone, Ash and Pyrrha stood to the side of the hallway.
"What's up?" Ash asked, her eyes searching Pyrrha's face for any clues.
"You remember the other day and all that trouble with Jaune?" she asked.
Ash nodded. "Yeah. I haven't told anyone, so—"
"That's not what I want to talk to you about," she held up a hand. "We have to do something about him. Ever since that night, he's been acting strange. And hanging out with Cardin and his team. He doesn't get back to the room until late, and he's always acting…off."
"Now that you mention it, he has been acting funny. But joining in with Cardin?" she rubbed her chin.
"Exactly, it doesn't make sense," Pyrrha affirmed. "What do you think we should do?"
"Honestly? I don't know. We tried to help him before, remember? He wouldn't let us. Generally, you can't help someone unless they want to be helped. And from how Jaune's been acting, he doesn't want to be helped."
"Oh, I'm sure I can figure something out," Pyrrha said irritably.
"It probably wouldn't do any good," the amnesiac raised her hand. "But I won't stop you if you have a plan. Jaune's a good leader and a good friend, so maybe sometimes it's okay to help someone, even when they're being an insufferable prick."
The Spartan nodded. "Thanks, Ash."
"So," Ashley clasped her hands together. "What did you have in mind?"
. . .
"Welcome to Forever Fall Forest, students," Glynda Goodwitch announced as she and her students walked through the forest. Ash and both of her teams followed the other students and the professor. Nearly all the students' faces were filled with wonder, but Ash walked with caution. All nine of them were together, except for Jaune. He was with team CRDL.
'Here I am, back in this forest,' she thought to herself. She didn't relax for even a second because every mental alarm she had was going off.
"Yes, the forest is indeed beautiful, but we are not here to sight-see. You've been tasked by Professor Peach to collect samples from the trees deep in the forest, and I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so," Glynda said.
"Cheery one, isn't she?" Yang murmured.
Pyrrha glanced back at her team leader and found him carrying a large case full of glass jars, grunting with exertion.
"Each of you is to fill an empty jar with red sap from a tree to receive full credit. However, the forest is filled with Grimm, so be sure to stay with your teammates. You have until four this afternoon to complete your task. Dismissed," Goodwitch told them, then turned away to read something on her tablet.
Ash turned to her teammates and nodded her head. "You guys go on; I'll catch up. I want to ask the professor something."
"If you say so," Nora shrugged, then the seven of them went on, team RWBY and the remainder of JNPR splitting up.
"Professor," the amnesiac said as she approached Goodwitch.
Glynda turned. "Ah, Miss Amethyst, did you have a question?"
Ash turned to make sure no one was in hearing range before speaking again. "Was it really a good idea to bring me back here?"
"It's just a forest, 'Ashley.' It's not like you're in any danger, besides from the Grimm," the professor said, her expression neutral, but she'd put emphasis on the false name.
"It's just… something about this forest feels off to me. Like something happened here," she shook her head.
"Like what?" the professor lowered her tablet.
"I'm not sure," she said truthfully. "It's like my fight or flight sense is constantly in 'flight' mode."
"Hmm," Glynda raised her tablet again. "Well, we won't be in the forest for much longer—just enough for you all to collect the sap. Then, we shall leave." Her tone was kinder, much to Ash's surprise. She doesn't think she's ever seen the professor be nice to a nod, Ash returned to her friends. Glynda watched her go with curious eyes.
It didn't take long for the student to find her team, and when she did, she went to work. The sap flowed unbearably slowly, making it take nearly five minutes just to fill a single jar.
The entire time, she was constantly glancing over her shoulder as if something would leap out and get her.
She saw Pyrrha suddenly leave her team and trek through the forest, then gave Ash a curt nod. The amnesiac waved back. It must have been time for her to find Jaune.
Ash screwed the lid onto another full jar before setting it in the crate with the other jars. She sighed, brushing the white hair out of her face before picking up the heavy crate with ease.
"Is that all of them?" Blake asked.
"Isn't that heavy?" Weiss asked.
"Hey, if Ruby can swing that scythe around like it weighs nothing, then I can certainly carry this little crate," Ash replied.
"…How does she wield that scythe?" Weiss wondered.
Then they heard the distant roar of a Grimm, followed by the screams of several students.
"What was that?" Ruby asked.
"Five Lien says we're going to go find out," Yang crossed her arms with a smirk on her face.
"Duh!" Ruby zipped away in a flurry of rose petals.
"We'd better follow her," Blake sighed.
"Of course," Weiss rolled her eyes.
"Let's go!" Yang grinned and raced after her sister. Weiss and Blake followed, unsheathing their weapons as they ran.
"Wait, what do I do with this?!" Ash held up the crate in her hands, but her team was already gone. The amnesiac rolled her eyes and trotted after them, the glass jars clinking together with every step.
. . .
By time she got there, whatever that was going on was already over. RWBY and Pyrrha were standing the trees and looked out onto a clearing, where Jaune was stood triumphant over the remains of an Alpha Ursa.
Cardin was sitting on his butt in the grass with what appeared to be red sap on his breastplate. His team was nowhere to be found.
"What happened?" Ash asked when she finally reached her friends.
"Jaune just killed that Ursa," Weiss said in awe.
"Pyrrha helped because she controls poles," Ruby said.
"What?" Ash blinked.
"Polarity," Pyrrha corrected. "My semblance is polarity. Control over magnetism," she explained.
"Oh, neat," Ash shifted how she was holding the crate of jars. "So, you can like, bend metal?"
"Or move it," she gestured towards Jaune. "For instance, shifting a shield to block an attack," she smirked.
Jaune sheathed his sword and pulled Cardin to his feet.
"Jaune, I—" Cardin stammered.
"Don't ever mess with my team—my friends ever again. Got it?" Jaune's tone was deathly serious. Then the team leader turned away and left him there, frozen with shock.
"Come on," Pyrrha turned and left the clearing. "He doesn't need to know we saw that."
"Why, that was awesome!" Ruby said.
"Just come on, Rubes," Yang said. Then the students followed Pyrrha back to Professor Goodwitch.
"Can someone get at least carry this for me? My arms are getting tired," Ash said.
"You carried it this far," Weiss said, and that was the only answer she got. The amnesiac groaned and followed her teammates.
. . .
"You really think so?" Qrow asked when Ozpin brought up a screenshot of Ashley Amethyst. "You're sure it's not just a trick of the light?"
"I have reason to believe that I am right, yes. Now, of all times? It's all too… coincidental. Don't you think?" the headmaster interlaced his fingers.
"Have you even found out who she really is yet? Learning about her past might tell us everything we need to know," Qrow said.
"Not yet, but I—"
"She's shown no signs that she may be what you think she is, Oz," Qrow said, getting slightly aggravated.
"Fond of her already? That may very well be a mistake, Qrow."
"Wouldn't be my first," he mumbled, then left the desk in a hurry.
"Qrow," Ozpin called after him. "We can't afford to throw caution to the wind. If I'm right, not just the school, but the entire world could be in danger."
The huntsman halted and turned towards Ozpin. "What if what she says really is the truth?" Qrow paused. "What if you're wrong?"
Then the huntsman exited the office before an answer could be given, and Ozpin sighed heavily. "For her sake, I hope I am wrong."