Despite the offering, team RWBY insisted that the problem be solved on their own. Well, Weiss insisted it anyway.

"This is a team RWBY-only problem," she explained. "While we would appreciate it if you happen to see Blake, we would appreciate it more if you didn't do anything about it."

"What Weiss is trying to say," Yang said. "We're really worried about Blake. Just tell us if you see her, okay?"

Ruby didn't say anything, more focused on finding their missing friend.

With a collective sigh, team JNPR agreed.

"Alright," Jaune spoke for them. "We'll let you know if she comes back to Beacon while you guys go search."

With that, team RWBY minus one left to ride the Bullheads.

That left Jaune and Pyrrha alone, technically Jeanne was with them but she was in her spirit form. Nora and Ren were out into Vale again, promising that they'll let the others know if they ever saw Blake.

Having nothing better to do, Jaune and Pyrrha had decided to train a few more sword forms. This time, it involved counterattacking. While Jaune would parry Pyrrha's telegraphed strikes, he would immediately follow with own of his own. Jaune's fundamentals were getting better here. It was noticeable especially during spars. Sure, Jaune was still rather behind most of his peers but he was no longer at the bottom of the class. That position was unstable now and dependent on whoever was slacking off.

Working up a sweat, Jaune and Pyrrha parted ways as they entered the changing rooms. Jeanne materialized here and joined Pyrrha.

"You don't really sweat Jeanne," commented Pyrrha. "Even if you did, you weren't really training."

"It's less the training and more giving Jaune his privacy," Jeanne reasoned.

When the two left the rooms, Jeanne could already feel that Jaune had already left. She felt it through the aura reserves. As they were looking for the blonde they found him on the roof that Pyrrha was most familiar with. Jaune was there but he was not alone. With him was Cardin Winchester.

The two looked to be chatting. Judging from Jaune's expression, the blonde knight was looking for some kind of advice and Cardin was there, listening to him. A stark contrast to what they were like before.

Rather than interrupt them, Pyrrha opted to stay out of view.

"Cardinal Henry," Jeanne commented from behind her. "The Cardinal of Winchester, he interrogated me before I was ultimately sentenced. At some point he had possession of my ring."

"Wait, wait," Pyrrha interrupted. "It was odd enough that you and Jaune share similar names. I'm not sure where familiars are from so I was willing to let this France slide. But Cardinal of Winchester? Once, I'm willing to let slide. Two, odd coincidence but sure. Three? Okay, I have to ask."

Jeanne shrugged. "I am not sure of it myself. What I am sure of is that there is a connection between me and Jaune. Like there was a weak connection between my world and Remnant. Master seems to have made that connection firmer, albeit still weak."

Pyrrha's head spun. Things were so much simpler without all this. Headmaster Ozpin might as well tell her that magic exists and she bets that it would be more believable than other worlds. Remnant has yet to achieve the means to travel beyond the atmosphere so other worlds were still more make-believe to her.

Instead, Pyrrha focused on the two boys. "Will Jaune be alright?"

Jeanne nodded her head. "I do not sense him being in danger."

The two girls continued to follow the two boys in behind the corners of the halls.

/-/

"So let me get this straight," said Cardin, eyebrows scunching. "Something big happened with team RWBY? One that worries you?"

"Yeah," Jaune confirmed. "I don't think Blake's the kind of person to really get emotional." Cardin nodded at that. "So I think that it must be something big. What do you think?"

"I think," Cardin began. "Is that whatever it is, it is something that team RWBY needs to settle first before you start putting yourself in that."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. Things like that sound like a secret." A mischievous grin painted Cardin's face. "I know someone just like that."

Jaune rolled his eyes.

Cardin continued. "Still, if team RWBY are out there looking for her, it should be fine enough. Doesn't sound like it's been that long so unless something big happened, what kind of trouble could she get into?"

Jaune had a pause. It really hasn't been that long so perhaps it wasn't that bad. Who knows maybe Blake would come back by next week, assuming the rest of the team haven't found her already.

Getting up, for they were sitting on the edge now, Jaune gave Cardin his thanks. It was an odd experience, seeing his the man who bullied him once now giving him advice. Doesn't change much during combat class but that's probably just how he had trained over the years and Jaune can't fault him for that.

Meeting up with both Jeanne and Pyrrha with a lighter mind, Jaune went about his day. Nothing much had happened for the rest of the day. Most are either training for the Vytal Festival or are using the weekend to relax. Jaune could use some of the latter after the training.

"Want to go back to Giles Family Café?" Pyrrha suggested. "We could try a different blend this time. Maybe even some cakes to."

"Yeah, sounds great."

When the three are there, they served once again by an eager little Gillian. After an embarrassing moment where she showed them a rather crude drawing, the three were shown their seats.

With a warm glass in Jaune's hands, any remaining worry he might have had were washed away. They had some cake this time, too. Cardin was right, it was still rather recent and nothing much had yet happened. And really, how much trouble could someone like Blake get into? Someone seemingly intellectual like her couldn't possibly get in too much trouble.

/-/

Blake was in too much trouble. In hindsight, it may have been a good idea to back away and maybe even call for backup. Sure Sun was a huntsman-in-training, making him leagues above these grunts of the White Fang, but there was a quality and quantity. Namely, they could throw themselves at the two while Torchwick was running away with the dust.

"I shouldn't have run away," Blake cursed. It was a common thing for her, really. Probably why her Semblance involves clones. Leaving behind a part of herself as she runs away. Useful in a fight but really saying something about her.

All things considered, she and Sun should be down by now. The fact that they weren't came from the roof in the distance. There was no mistaking the red cloak of her team leader and her odd companion.

Penny Polendina, if she recalled, had intense strength. Considering that Blake knew Yang, that was saying a lot. The swords that latched onto the bullhead were being pulled by strings so strong that Blake felt a little insecure about the rope of Gambol Shroud. If that wasn't surprising enough, the blades spun and blasted some kind of beam that tore another bullhead in half just moments earlier.

When all of that was done and the noise settled. Blake had that instinct to run again. Surely, her team leader, Ruby, was angry at her. She didn't want to face them right now. But she couldn't. Sun was holding her down or anything, it was just that her feet refused to budge.

Blake expected a shout, a slap to the face. Any kind of punishment really. What she instead got was a red color barreling into her and held her in a tight embrace.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked, tears streaming down her face. "I was so worried."

Blake couldn't hold herself there. She held her team leader tightly and assured her that everything was alright.

"I owe you all an explanation then huh?" Blake asked.

Ruby made no response. She only held Blake tighter. Somehow, that was answer enough for Blake.

When they heard approaching footsteps, Blake readied herself when she saw that it was Yang and Weiss.

It was Ruby who quickly acted. "Look Weiss, it's not what you think. She can explain the whole thing. She doesn't actually wear a bow. She has kitty ears..." Ruby's voice was shaking and she spoke rather swiftly that much of what she said was rather higher in pitch. Not that it mattered for Weiss wasn't listening.

Blake stood, face-to-face with the Schnee heiress. "Weiss, I want you to know that I am no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was—"

"Stop," Weiss interrupted. "Do you have any idea for how long we've been searching for you? Twelve hours. That means I have had twelve hours to think about this. And in that twelve hours, I've decided: I don't care."

"You don't care?"

"You said you're not one of them anymore, right?"

"No, I-I haven't been since—"

Weiss was not finished. "I don't want to hear it. All I want to ask is that if something this big comes up, you'll come to your teammates and not some—someone else."

Blake shed another tear. "Of course."

"Yeah, team RWBY's back together!" Ruby joyfully declared.

Turning towards Sun, Weiss pointed her finger. "I'm still not sure how I feel about you."

Sun chuckled nervously. That was fair. Blake was just glad that she was accepted back in team RWBY.