AN: Hey, everybody. Shorter chapter this time, but I figured that where it ended was a great spot, so I hope you guys don't mind too much.

If I could also make a recommendation for you guys to read a story, I would ask you guys to check out a story called Kingdom Hearts RWBY by XenoBlaze. I helped them out by providing some story suggestions, so it would be cool if you guys gave it a look-see.

Anyways that's enough out of me. Enjoy!

Chapter 18

"Ruby," Weiss called up to her from her desk. Ruby was sitting up on her bunk, and looked over at Weiss when her name was called. She and her sister had come back from their morning exercise, and Pyrrha had once again joined them. Yang was still in the shower, and the other three girls were all in their uniforms.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"You're available after classes today, correct?"

"Yes?" Ruby said, eyes narrowing suspiciously. Why did Weiss want to know if she was available? "You're not going to ask me on a date, are you?" Weiss started screeching indignantly, and Ruby could hear Blake drop her book. "I know we made up and everything, but don't you think you're moving a little too fast?"

"Stop being a pest!" Weiss yelled, crossing her arms and turning her head to look away from Ruby. "I was only going to ask you to study together, but forget it! Get caught up on your own if you're going to be a nuisance."

"Wait, what do you mean, 'get caught up'?"

"You skipped ahead two years," Weiss explained. "That means there's plenty of material you didn't get the chance to learn that you'll still be expected to know. I assumed you'd want me to help you go over it so you can get caught up faster, but just forget it."

"Aw, thanks, Weiss!" Ruby said, smiling happily at the heiress. "Yeah, we can do it tonight."

"Did you not hear me?" Weiss asked angrily. "I said forget it!"

"Blake, do you want in on this?" Ruby asked the black-haired girl.

"There is nothing for her to get 'in' on!" Weiss said, clearly frustrated.

Boy, it was fun to mess with her.

"I'll pass," Blake said.

"Wait, why don't you want to join?" Weiss asked. What ever happened to there not being a study session?

"I study better on my own," Blake said simply.

"Aw, I wanted to make it a team thing," Ruby said sadly. It would be a perfect opportunity for the newly united team to bond, after all.

"Make what a team thing?" Yang asked, having finally emerged from the bathroom in her uniform. Well, her modified uniform anyway.

"Team study session," Ruby responded.

"Lame," Yang said.

"Well some of us care about catching Ruby up on her studies, so I supposed it will be just the two of us," Weiss said haughtily.

"Go right ahead, Weiss Cream," Yang said with a smirk, ignoring Weiss's demand that she stop calling her that. "Anyway, now that the boring stuff's over, we wanted to know if you guys wanted to start working out in the mornings."

"We've been doing it with Pyrrha the last few days, and she said she'd ask her team if they wanted to join us, too," Ruby elaborated.

"So like a joint team workout?" Blake asked.

"I don't see why not," Weiss said. "A little extra training never hurt anyone."

"With your scrawny arms, you look like you could use it," Yang said jokingly.

"Hey!"

"I'm in too," Blake said.

"Great!" Ruby said, pulling out her scroll. "I'll just let her know and then we can head to class."

Pyrrha stepped out of the bathroom in her uniform, stepping out into the main room of Team JNPR's dorm. Nora was bouncing on her bed excitedly, like usual, Ren was meditating, and Jaune was…looking at his scroll. Not doing the homework that he still hadn't done, not studying for the class she noticed him fall asleep in, just looking at his scroll. Sure, Nora and Ren weren't currently doing anything productive either, but Pyrrha knew for a fact that they had both already done their homework. She frowned inwardly before addressing her team.

"So, everybody," she said, getting their attention. "I've been exercising in the mornings with Ruby and Yang, and they were wondering if all of you would be willing to join us from now on."

"I thought you'd NEVER ask!" Nora said happily. "I love working out!"

"Someone has to make sure Nora doesn't go overboard…" Ren said. "…again. So count me in."

"Great!" Pyrrha said, happy for the chance for her team to interact with Ruby and Yang's team. She looked over at her leader.

"What about you, Jaune?" she asked. "Will you be joining us?"

"That's early in the morning, right?" he asked, a concerned look on his face.

"Well, of course," she said. "We have to do them before class starts, after all."

"Um, you guys can go without me," he said.

"Are you sure?" Pyrrha asked, genuinely surprised that he would decline extra training and bonding time with his team.

"Yeah, you guys have fun."

"Aw, come on, fearless leader," Nora urged. "It won't be the same without you."

"No, really. I'm good." He said. Pyrrha could see the disappointment on Ren and Nora's faces. She felt plenty of disappointment herself, but didn't let it show. At that moment, she got a notification from her scroll. She took a look at it, and smiled at the confirmation Ruby sent her that the rest of Team RWBY wanted to join in on the workouts.

"That was Ruby," she said. "Looks like Blake and Weiss agreed to join us."

"Weiss will be there?" Jaune asked, looking hopeful.

"If Ruby's text is correct, then yes, she will be."

"I'm in," he said quickly.

"Really?" Pyrrha asked, blinking in surprise.

"Yup," he said. "Exercising sounds fun."

His teammates were thoroughly unimpressed.

"So, Yang's getting detention?" Aqua asked Glynda. She was meeting with them, like she had first thing in the morning for the past few days to discuss the final details of her class. However, Glynda instead decided to start with a piece of bad news.

"Correct," the deputy Headmistress said. "Peter said that while Miss Schnee was fighting a Boarbatusk during his class, Miss Xiao Long decided it was appropriate to cheer for the Grimm. She left the classroom before he could stop her, however, so I will be issuing her detention when she is in my combat class later this afternoon."

"Fair enough," Aqua said.

"In other Xiao Long-related news," Ozpin chimed in, "I have placed the order for her new uniforms, so she can stop modifying hers."

"Thank you," Aqua said. "I'll let her know."

"Now then," Ozpin said, pulling up a list of students on his Scroll and projecting the screen so it hovered above his desk. Despite being exposed to the technology for 10 years and ostensibly being used to it, scrolls never ceased to amaze Aqua. "I have your roster for your class." 16 portraits were displayed on the screen. She recognized quite a few of them. "Since this is advanced combat, we decided that only a select few teams would be permitted to attend your class. We selected the three first-year teams that scored the highest during initiation, and a second-year team so you meet the minimum of 16 students required for the class. I imagine the second-year team will also be able to assist you in class and help out the first-years, since they are older. Let's go over the roster, shall we?" He highlighted four portraits, and they enlarged.

"This first team should be very familiar to you," he said. "Team RWBY. Thanks to your youngest daughter's leadership, they scored the highest during initiation, and thus were allowed to enroll in your class. We already know what Miss Rose is capable of, and her sister appears equally as powerful, if more rough around the edges. Miss Belladonna clearly has received extensive combat training, but Miss Schnee's combat abilities appear to be more lacking than what I would expect from someone in her position." he said.

"I noticed that, too," she said. "Her fighting style seems awfully sloppy for the kind of training her family can afford. I'll keep an eye on her."

"Very good," Ozpin said, changing the display to the next team. "Next is the second-highest-scoring team, Team JNPR. Obviously, Miss Nikos will have much to provide to the class, and Miss Valkyrie and Mister Ren already have excellent teamwork. However, Mister Arc's performance is rather concerning. I imagine he'll need extra attention."

"Definitely," Aqua agreed. "I just hope he can pick things up quickly, or else he could really end up holding his entire team back. That can be fatal."

"I agree," Ozpin said, changing the images yet again. "Moving on, we have the third and final first-year team, Team CRDL. They were the third highest-scoring team during initiation, which makes them eligible to enroll in your class. However, I have my concerns about this team, particularly their team leader."

"I recognize him," Aqua said, seeing that his name was "Cardin Winchester". "I'm pretty sure I saw him ogling Glynda and me before initiation started." She heard Glynda huff angrily next to her.

"I was afraid of that," Ozpin sighed. "Mister Winchester's father is a long-time member of Vale's council. Unfortunately, that means that he has been able to act with relative impunity for years and has a bit of a reputation as a trouble-maker, a reputation he is already beginning to live up to. According to reports, he tends to bully others. He also has a history of sexual harassment and racism complaints against him that his father was able to make sure never went anywhere. It seems the young Mister Winchester thinks that this behavior will continue at Beacon. It's our job to disabuse him of that notion."

"It would be a disaster if someone with his attitude becomes a Huntsman," Aqua said, looking at Cardin's portrait in anger. "Especially since you said he's acted racist. I can see that ending poorly if he ever has to defend a mostly-Faunus settlement."

"Indeed. There are usually a few applicants whom enter this school with delusions of grandeur or some racist beliefs, but most of them either don't make it or have that attitude beaten out of them. Metaphorically speaking, of course. Mister Winchester, however, is a rather severe case. I hope we can resolve this matter without things getting ugly, as it were."

"Hopefully," Aqua said.

"And here we have our final team," Ozpin said, transitioning away from Team CRDL and to a team of students she had never seen before. At a glance, there was a girl with a beret and sunglasses, a rabbit Faunus, a large boy, and a heavily scarred boy that appeared to be blind. "This is Team CVFY, and they are the second-year team I told you about. In fact, they are among the best that the second years have to offer. They already have an established dynamic and incredible teamwork, so they should serve as fine examples for the first-years. Hopefully, under your tutelage, even they could learn a few new tricks."

"Well, I'll certainly try my best."

"Now then," Ozpin said, disabling the large projector screen, "since your class will be a supplement to what they will be learning in Glynda's combat class, you will be sitting in and observing any of her classes with your students and building upon what they learned, but emphasizing survival and teamwork. In addition, you will also be serving as her aid during regular combat class."

"Got it," Aqua said, giving a quick nod of her head.

"In addition, I want reports of the students' progress on a regular basis," Ozpin said, dampening Aqua's enthusiasm a little bit. Boy, that sounded like a lot of work. "Do you have any questions?" Aqua shook her head. "In that case. Glynda, I believe your first class will be starting shortly. I think you and Aqua should head to class now. Can't have the professors be late, now, can we?"

"Of course," Glynda said, giving a slight bow. "Right this way." The two women took their leave, leaving Ozpin alone in his office.

Once Glynda and Aqua were gone, Ozpin pulled up a new file on his computer.

Codename: AUTUMN

He opened up the file, and began typing.

Ruby Rose: As a first impression, Ms. Rose has the talent and the will to help people, both admirable qualities. However, her silver eyes and possession of a Keyblade will inevitably make her a target, so at first glance she seems a poor choice to replace Amber. In addition, convincing Aqua to allow her to obtain the powers might be difficult. Requires further observation.

Blake Belladonna: Due to her past with the White Fang, Miss Belladonna might be a poor choice of Maiden. Since she arrived at Beacon disguised as a human, we cannot rule out the possibility that she is a spy for the White Fang. Until her motives for enrolling at Beacon can be ascertained, she should only be considered as a last-resort option if no other viable candidates are chosen.

Yang Xiao Long: Like her sister, Miss Xiao Long has immense skill. Due to the lack of a Keyblade and silver eyes, she would be better able to remain discreet compared to her sister. However, if she had to go into hiding, she would be required to be separated from her sister. In addition, there is still the problem of convincing Aqua to allow her to obtain the powers. If either sister is chosen, I might need to go over her head.

Pyrrha Nikos: Has immense talent. That would be useful in keeping the powers safe. However, her being in the public eye might present a problem when it comes to maintaining discretion.

Nora Valkyrie: Strong potential candidate. If the combat skills she's displayed so far are any indication, she has the power to protect herself. In addition, her background revealed that she is an orphan, so in the event that she must go to ground, there is no family to miss her. She seems to share a strong connection with Lie Ren. Their devotion to each other could be used to our advantage. In addition to gaining a Maiden in Miss Valkyrie, we could also gain a guardian in Mister Ren.

Coco Adel: One of the strongest second-years. One of the biggest obstacles is the rapport Team CVFY has already established. Separating her from her team might be unwise in the long run. Losing Team CVFY as a front-line unit might be disastrous. If this decision had to be made last year, then Miss Adel would have been the obvious choice.

Velvet Scarlatina: Her more timid nature and desire to stay out of the spotlight would be great assets for maintaining her cover, but I have doubts about her ability to fend for herself if she had to. Like Miss Adel, there is also the problem of breaking up Team CVFY.

Aqua Branwen: At only 28 years old, she is still below the age threshold before Maiden powers can no longer be acquired. In addition, due to her pact of non-interference, it might be difficult to convince her to accept the powers. Only consider her as an absolute last resort if we are desperate.

Overall, based on preliminary observations, the candidate with the greatest potential is Nora Valkyrie.

He looked at the document and frowned. While he had a good feeling about Miss Valkyrie as a possible candidate, there were still 8 women to consider for Amber's replacement. The list needed to be narrowed down.

Time was running out, and whether she knew it or not, Aqua was going to help him make his decision.

Yang sat down near her team, back in her usual combat outfit, a pout on her face after being informed of her detention by the Dominatrix—I mean Goodwitch. So as it turns out cheering for the Boarbatusk during Port's class was a huge mistake. And here she was looking forward to Combat Class, but no, she had to start off what was supposed to be the best class ever (Besides Mom's, of course) with a detention. Even more embarrassing, Mom was there when she gave her the detention, since she was apparently observing this class, too.

This sucked.

She sat down next to Ruby, arms crossed, and took in the other students around her. As luck would have it, her team happened to have combat class with Team JNPR. This was perfect. She'd have an opportunity to spar with Pyrrha.

Her eyes narrowed when she spotted Dick Face. She was sure he had a name, but she just didn't care to remember it. Being in this class with Pyrrha was one thing, but she relished the chance to take a crack at him. He needed to learn a lesson about how to treat a woman, and she would love to send him that lesson at muzzle velocity. His eyes met hers, and he just gave her that infuriating smirk. She stifled a growl as Goodwitch started talking.

"Good afternoon, students," she said, stepping into the center of the room. The room for Combat Class was designed differently from the other classrooms, as it was circular, with an elevated stage in the middle surrounded by spectator-style seating for the students. "As most of you know, my name is Glynda Goodwitch, and welcome to Combat Class. As you may can most likely tell from the title, in this class, your combat abilities will be put to the test. This class will entirely consist of a series of spars. They could consist of one-on-one, two-on-two, and so-on. In addition, starting next week, you will be allowed to issue challenges, but for now, the randomizer will decide matchups." This class was definitely going to be awesome. "For the actual spars themselves, we will be using tournament-style rules. That means fights will end when one combatant's Aura is reduced to 15%, one fighter is sent out of the ring, or I choose to end the match for any other reason." The professor looked around the class, her steely gaze scrutinizing all of them to make sure that they were paying attention before gesturing towards Mom, who was standing in the sidelines. "Professor Branwen will be observing this class, since some of you are enrolled in her Advanced Combat and Team Tactics class." Mom bowed slightly, and Yang's gaze fell on Dick Face, and she watched as he straight-up licked his lips at the sight of the two older women. She saw red briefly before composing herself. "I expect you all to treat her with the same respect you treat me."

She reached down to start messing with the large scroll she had tucked under her arm, and a large screen appeared above the stage.

"This is the randomizer," she said, and the screen displayed two blank rectangles. "For our next few classes, we will be solely using the randomizer to decide fights. By the end of this week, every single one of you will have fought at least once. Now, without wasting any more time, let us decide the first match." She pressed a button on her scroll, and the two rectangles started quickly cycling through students' portraits before finally settling on two of them.

Yang's face split into a wide grin.

"Our first match of the day will be Yang Xiao Long versus Cardin Winchester."

AN: And I think I'll leave things here. Many of you wanted Yang to twist Cardin into a pretzel, as one reviewer put it, and here you go. You'll just have to wait until next chapter, though.

If you stop to think about it, I don't think canon Jaune really understood what being a Huntsman means. Not only did he fake his way in, he then made no effort once he got there to make up the difference between him and his classmates. Him falling asleep in Oobleck's class does not look like someone who was denied his dream for reasons outside of his control and had to resort to cheating just to get his foot in the door. It looked like someone who just couldn't be bothered.

While I was writing the scene where Ozpin is typing up his initial observations of his potential Maiden candidates, I realized that Nora actually makes a little bit more sense than Pyrrha for reason explained in the story. Now this does not necessarily mean that Opzin won't still change his mind and have it be somebody else besides Nora, but it's just something interesting to think about.

So, next time we'll have the battle you've all been waiting for: Yang vs. Dick Face- I mean Cardin.

As always, thanks for reading! I'll see you guys next time!