So, I'm back after a month from my last chapter! It is I, Maelstrom, and back at you with the second part of the Forever Fall mini arc! This time, I tried my hand at mixing in a variety of POV's from different characters as well as a bit of development from the characters! I certainly hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

But I do want to respond to a couple of reviews from before. Mostly because I wish to interact with my adoring audience!

WinterWolf29: I'm glad you enjoyed Lilac's mature and insightful side to the story, especially considering since I wanted to show the duality of a comic relief character and an essential character to the people around them. And I do agree, Frey is surprisingly your favorite character though I do agree with you on that!

Hiremsage00: Well, while I can understand the…frustration, I hope you are satisfied with the conclusion of this chapter.

Arexis: Thanks for your review and insight, but I would appreciate it if you didn't insult people. Don't mean to be an ass, just saying.

Well, after that, on to the chapter! Enjoy!


Chapter 9: Fraternizing Between Teams: Part 2


The wind whistled and brushed gently on Sable's pale skin, and the scent of Greywood Maple left a fresh smell of bark and red leaves. He rested his head on the nearest trunk, and surprising him, it served to be malleable and soft enough for his head to lean on it with no problem. Sable truthfully found this like the perfect resting spot, his arm slung around his propped knee, and the other leg stretched out.

Still, he didn't get too comfortable. If there's anything, he learned about Beacon academy and living with a team. It's that you don't get naps with a loudmouth, jokesters, and rowdy people.

"Neither of you are going to win!" Yang grinned fiercely as she struggled with both of her arms propped on a stump. She participated in a three-way arm-wrestling contest with Nora, the hyper-electric ginger, and Ragnar, the hazel-skinned with the robotic prosthetics. Somehow, Yang held her own well against Ragnar and Nora at the same time.

Still, the sight left Sable only slightly amused.

"That's what you think, blondie! I've been reigning arm-wrestling champion ever since I was 13!" Nora challenged with her own taunting smirk as her knuckles turned white with strain and pressure.

"Can it and give up already so we can get this done, gals! My arms are getting sore!" From between both girls, Ragnar yawned, slightly impatient but still grinning wide as his signature.

"What are you talking about? Your arms aren't sore!" Yang exclaimed as he looked at him indignantly

"And you're cheating anyway!" Nora pitched in with her own shout.

"I have no idea what ya talking about! I've always been playin' fair from the beginnin'!" Ragnar whistled, acting as if nothing had happened.

Sable scoffed from the sidelines, cupping his mouth and shouting through it. "Stop messing around and just use all your strength, dude!"

"What!?" Ragnar shouted back, barely losing his grip on the two girls. He blinked and nodded in realization. "Ya know what should have just done that from the beginning!"

"What are you trying to say—" Yang didn't get to finish as suddenly her arm was pushed downwards simultaneously with Nora's, leaving a crack in the stump which shook the area around them. "Dammit!"

"Aww, nuts! See, I knew you were cheating!" Nora pouted as she stood with hands in her hips.

"Hey, don't blame me. You're the one who decided to arm-wrestle with the dude with the robot arms!" Ragnar pointed with his finger before shrugging and giving a taunting wink. "Unless ya want to lose again in a best two out of three?"

"Oh, you son of a gun! You're on!" Nora eagerly accepted the challenge with more vigor than before, slamming her elbow on the broken stump. "When I win, I'm forcing you to eat 2 dozen pancakes!"

"Like hell you will!" Ragnar reciprocated with his own taunting intimidating grin before the next arm-wrestling match continued.

"So, I'm not playing against Perry, alright?" Yang just threw her hands up, slightly irate as she stormed off to another part of the circled group. "Freakin' robot arms man…"

You should have done that sooner. Sable smirked, amused at Ragnar and Nora's yet again clashing in a battle of wills. Despite the constant taunting back and forth, Ragnar, Yang, and Nora were getting along well. At least, for two hot-heads and an ecstatic bundle of electricity, that would make Lilac look like a snail.

Sable stretched his neck side to side, glancing at another corner of this circle. Frey and Weiss were counting the number of jars they all collected and neatly ordered them in a four-by-four square. Frey seemed to be jotting down notes in a spare notebook (why does he even bring those with him?), writing intently with the intensity of a thousand suns.

Weiss, on the other hand, took to counting the number of saps jars herself, inching around and tiptoeing to make sure that none of them tipped over. Though Sable figured she just didn't want to ruin her white dress since this is Weiss after all.

Slightly boring, but a thought occurred to Sable.

Those two were hanging out recently, which baffled Sable knowing what he knew. Weiss mellowed out ever since he called her out on the first day of school, but his opinions were still mixed, and leaning a bit negatively on her attitude. She doesn't particularly trust him or Lilac for a variety of reasons, but Sable had a sneaking suspicion that it had to do with his lineage.

Sable scoffed, folding his arms behind his head as he leaned back down on the floor. His Faunus heritage didn't bother him; he didn't care if people looked at him like an animal. He has better things to give a shit about.

Pyrrha's words, in particular, left him thinking on his own. Right now, she was conversing with Ren in the circle, possibly about organizing the jars of sap while making sure to be on the lookout for Grimm. Pyrrha paused to glance at Sable, seemingly neutral for seconds before turning into a small smirk. She waved, almost in kindness.

Sable simply gave her a two-finger salute and his own smirk. Any tension between them might have softened up, and despite their standings on what Jaune really needs, they respected each other as people. However, to Sable, it was more than as people. As a young man trained to be a Huntsman with one-on-one experience for tournaments, he easily respected Pyrrha for her skills. To which he eagerly waited to be able to fight her in combat class.

As for Blake, she leaned on another tree not too far-away from earshot. She looked around the environment, seemingly enjoying the ambiance while staying out of the circle for her own reason. Probably for the best.

Call Sable whatever you want to, but he has not been getting anything but weird vibes from Blake.

Still, he found sleep enveloping his mind briefly. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to fall back asleep on the trunk of the tree.

"Big Mistake!"

Immediately the blaring roar of the airhorn assaulted his ears, shooting back up while covering his ears furiously. "Son of a…!"

"Language!"

Sable rubbed his hears but blinked at that familiar voice. He looked to his left to see Lilac holding the airhorn with a mischievous smirk and to see Ruby with an equally sheepish smile while also holding back her giggles.

Why did he even think of taking a nap again? Jokesters, everywhere.

Lilac snickered as he put the airhorn back underneath his peaked cap, waving a free hand to Sable. "Hello there, leader!"

"Seriously, you just can't help yourself pulling some stupid prank, can't you?" Sable shook his head, slightly glaring daggers at Lilac.

Lilac simply stuck out a tongue in response, pointing to Ruby. "Ya can thank Ruby for the idea!"

"I may have wanted to get a reaction out of you…sorry!" Ruby fiddled with her fingers, though she put on an apologetic smile. Sable's glare turned into an annoyed sigh, slightly frowning but not as miffed as he was before.

"It's fine…just don't do that often." Sable crossed his arms but stayed sitting there in his position.

"Hey, why does she get an apology for the prank, but I don't?" Lilac put on a pout, clearly offended by the 'double-standard' happening.

"Because she's not obnoxious about it. Besides, she's not the one who had the bright idea of putting chocolate pudding in my toothpaste!" Sable exclaimed with pointed teeth, shutting down Lilac's words with a frank attitude.

"It was funny, and you know it!" Lilac defended.

"It was messy and disgusting!" Sable argued as he stood up and pointed a gloved finger to Lilac, who blew a raspberry in retaliation.

"Chocolate's not disgusting! It's the food of the heavens!" Ruby pitched in on the conversation with her own pout. "Sable, I don't understand how you cannot like chocolate!"

"It doesn't sit well with my stomach, and the taste is overpowering!" Sable glanced at Ruby before waving a hand. "I don't understand why you even like chocolate chip cookies!"

"W-w-what!? It's super sweet and scrumptious!" Ruby defended with a hand on her hips and a pout as she leaned forwards, completely ignoring the height difference between both.

"I highly doubt it…" Sable, on the other hand, cringed and rolled his eyes, not convinced in the slightest. "Fine, suit yourself."

"I will!" Ruby pulled huffed as she turned upwards in defiance.

Lilac snorted, trying to cover it up but failing to do so as he laughed out loud. What was so funny? Nothing about this was funny! "Okay, Okay, okay…truthfully, we just wanted to talk to you about some things."

"Like what?" Sable took his seat again and sighed while scratching his wolf ears. They had been itching for a while now. "Is this about Jaune or something?"

"Bingo!" Lilac threw a finger-gun expression while Ruby chuckled awkwardly.

Of course, it is… Sable growled as he folded his arms backward into his head and laid down. He already discussed this with Pyrrha, and he didn't want to talk about it again.

"W-we're just kinda concerned about him and… well…" Ruby tried to find the correct words as she took a seat in the tree and scratched her cheek. "We've meant to ask you about you and him."

"Not interested in talking."

"Aw, come on, just a little bit!" Ruby exclaimed with a serious but childish expression that only made her look smaller than she really was. "I just don't understand why you are so harsh on Jaune, okay? Is that such a bad question?"

"Yeah, Fido! I mean, Jauney's good to poke fun, but even I know when to dial it back." That third voice wasn't Lilac, but Yang. She walked over to where Sable, Ruby, and Lilac were, for the most part, taking a seat across from them and forming a small circle between the four of them.

She's still calling me Fido. I dunno whether to be annoyed or offended…but I'm sure it's not the latter. He didn't really feel insecure enough to be offended about something as basic as a nickname. "Yang, you make more puns about Jaune and the rest of us compared to the midget over here, and you're telling me to dial it down?"

"Hey, hey, I'm just saying," Yang raised her hands in placation, her cheeky grin adorning her expression. "Maybe you could give the guy a break?"

"I concur with the sentiment as well." Frey chimed in, taking a seat next to Yang while pushing up his glasses, making them shine a bit. "It is not any different from Cardin if you begin to poke holes at Jaune's self-esteem, so the logical decision is to let bygones be bygones."

"Don't compare me to that chicken-fuck, okay?" Sable cursed out, standing up straight from his laid down position, pointing at Frey with an annoyed gaze.

"Language!" Both Frey and Ruby called out at the same time, leaving Sable putting a hand to his face.

"With your unruly behavior and such crude language, it isn't an inaccurate comparison," Weiss spoke from a distance as she stood next to Frey…leaving everybody asking one question.

"…are you going to take a seat, Snow White?" Lilac cupped his chin with both hands, grinning innocently with a whistle.

"On the ground…in the middle of the forest…are you serious?" Weiss narrowed her eyes, seemingly not in the mood.

"Just take a seat before he leaves a whoopee cushion, Weiss." Frey sighed as he closed his eyes, remiss at her behavior, and knowing exactly how Lilac is. He gestured to the open space next to him, and no whoopee cushion in sight. It looked safe as far as anybody could see.

Weiss seemingly mumbled something under her breath before relenting and taking a seat on the ground…followed by sputters that was familiar to everybody involved.

Weiss, curiously enough, sputtered her words out as her face heated. "W-w-w-w-what the-! Lilac!"

At that, everybody looked to Lilac with mixed emotions flashing through their face. Some were giggling, somewhere shaking their head, and Sable was the only one who didn't seem too surprised. Though he was amused.

"You…you should see how red your face is!" Lilac kept sniggering as he held his sides, guffawing hysterically at the prank he pulled off.

"Incorrigible, sniggering imbecile! How did you do that!?" Weiss shouted indignantly, crossing her arms and glaring with the fury of 100 icebergs. It wasn't before Frey eased her down with a 'there, there' did she huff and turned her head to the side. "There wasn't any whoopee cushion!"

"

"I'm not telling~" Lilac took the insults in stride in a mock tip of his peaked cap before turning to Sable with an expectant smile and cupped cheeks. "Now, about you're beef with Jaune!"

"This again? Guys, if you're going to tell me to ease up on Jaune again because of how harsh I can be, then I'm sorry, but it's a no." Sable succinctly stated a small frown on his pale features. "Jaune doesn't need to be babied right now. In fact, I personally think he needs somebody to tell it to him straight."

"Yeah, I see where you're coming from, Fido." Yang nodded, though she shrugged. "But, it's not like hearing that from you is exactly reassuring."

Sable arched an eyebrow, his narrowed crimson eyes turning to a glare. "And what's your point?"

"I believe she's referring to your…how should I say…," Weiss brought her finger to her chin while giving a snide smirk at Sable. "…belligerent attitude?"

Belligerent attitude? What kind of word is that? And were they seriously referring to his attitude? It doesn't need to be any clearer than that. Apparently, if Yang and Weiss are both agreeing on this, then they think that he's just this way on purpose?

"Eh, I'd say it's more like a snapping twig!" Lilac chimed in with mischief, ignoring Sable's closed eyes and slowly pulsing vein. "You are pretty short-tempered, that even I got to admit is kinda off-setting. Why exactly are you like that?"

Snapping Twig? That's not even a saying!

"Everyone, please refrain from the jokes…" Frey gestured his hands downwards with an awkward smile, while Sable grounded his teeth. "…and please don't probe our team leader further when he's obviously not appreciative."

'Appreciative' my ass!

"Heh, come on, specs! I'm sure that Fido here can handle a few jabs," Yang snickered by herself as she gave a finger gun pointing at the now fuming Sable. "Just gotta watch for that…bite!"

W-watch…for that bite? Slowly his expression darkened slightly as he contained the indignancy and frustration he felt underneath his skin.

"Ugh, Yang!" Ruby groaned in disappointment, a sentiment the rest of the group shared with them. "That was absolutely horrible…"

"Don't be ridiculous, sis! It was completely accurate to the situation!"

"Enough!" Sable shouted, fed up with the jokes and the misunderstanding. Still, that silenced the chattering between groups that might have otherwise continued. "Look, I know I'm not the most agreeable person to be around…"

"That's an understatement." Weiss snuck in that last remark.

"…but trust me when I say that everything, I'm saying isn't me intentionally being an ass to everybody that looks at me. I ain't nothing like Cardin, and I sure as hell am not being hard on Jaune just because I have a 'short-temper.'" He shot a glare at Lilac, who seemed to flinch from the harsh look, though the cheeky smirk that would be there isn't present. "I'm just the way I am, okay?"

"What does that mean?" Ruby asked curiously, but she seemed attentive in a 'this is something serious' way.

"And if that's so, then why are you hard on him?" Weiss asked herself, eyebrow raised.

"Like I said, I'm the way I am, okay? Now quit asking." Sable shut them down as he folded his arms. What did he even have to share? It's not like they're—

"Now, Sable." Sable glanced to Lilac and Ruby, the former serious with a small understanding smirk, and the latter trying to look even but expectant. "No one's here to judge you, you know that!"

Sable took a brief sigh, though it took him more energy to think about what he's going to say. He didn't feel comfortable enough to tell everyone here his personal life, so he attempted to find a way to explain his viewpoint without revealing too much. These people he knew for about a month, and he cursed himself for his careless thoughts from earlier.

I mean…where would I even start?

After some thinking, Sable adjusted his sun-goggles before speaking again. His expression turned slightly serious and, for a moment, earnest. "Fine. I'm sharing."

The group nodded in prompt, Lilac and Ruby especially smiling as they decided to listen to what Sable had to say.

"So… the life I lived isn't normal. I-It's nothing too dramatic, so I won't bore you with the details, but I will say that it's not like wherever you guys come from." Sable started explaining, his voice slightly even and less crude compared to before. "Let's just say that living on Patch Island doesn't really constitute a great social life."

"Oh yeah…you lived in Patch Island, same as us!" Ruby's silver eyes beamed with a small smile on her expression. "B-But, wait, I've never seen you before in Signal Academy."

"Yeah, usually, if you wanted to be a Huntsman, you'd have to go to Signal Academy for training first," Yang added with her own surprisingly informative sentence. Guess she's not just a bad pun machine. "So then why did I never see you there before?"

"Because I never went to Signal Academy."

"W-Whoa, what's with the weird faces?" Sable widened his eyes, seemingly confused about the group's reactions. Although Frey didn't seem as surprised as more, he was slightly amused. Why, though, Sable didn't understand.

"You've never been to a combat school before!?" Ruby exclaimed in awe, but at the same time, shock and confusion.

"E-eh…no? Besides, I told you I was homeschooled." Sable emphasized that last part with a twitching brow.

"Okay, back up… you mean to tell me you didn't get an official education in combat school, and you still made it into Beacon Academy?" Weiss put a hand to her face in disbelief, the small little frown on her face clear to see. "Because of homeschooling?"

"You're acting like you've never done it before. Considering your family, I think you can afford that." Lilac commented, shrugging nonchalantly.

"…You're not incorrect," Weiss admitted with a reluctant nod.

"Then, you already know why I'm…short-tempered with you guys." Sable continued, though he rubbed the back of his neck. "Let's just say I never cared for hanging with other kids my age…unless you count the times I picked fights in Vale."

"Ya know…I'm not really surprised. Just look at what you did to Cardin and his team!" Yang laughed at the memories, and Sable could just imagine the fight again. He didn't regret it, and he sure as hell didn't give a shit if he got detention.

"Um…hello~?" Lilac spread his arms out while gesturing to himself with a small pout. "Who's the one who bucked so hard his eggs cracked?"

"Gross…" Weiss muttered in disapproval while Frey nodded in agreement.

"Hey, that was hilarious!" Lilac pointed with a giggle. "Painful but hilarious!"

"W-well either way," Ruby cut the tangent short, looking at Sable. "Who taught you how to fight then?"

At that question, Sable remained quiet for a moment before looking to the side. "He's…well. 'Family' is accurate, but not quite the whole picture."

The group all collectively tilted their heads, though that is to be expected. He doesn't really want to say too much, so he had to get it out of the way.

"He's the one who taught me to pick up a sword, the one who taught me how to shoot and the one who trained me for gods know how long. It wasn't easy, though; in fact, I'd say it was hell compared to Signal Academy. Not that I'd know." Memories replayed through his head, and Sable found himself unknowingly smiling as a result. The even weighted handle of his first wooden sword, the amount of recoil that knocked him down to the floor because of improper footing, and the muddied clothes that were the result of hours of training.

"Still, I have to be grateful for him. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here in Beacon Academy." He recalled a specific piece of advice that the old man gave him before, bringing up a finger. "You know what he told me once?"

"What did he say?" Frey asked, intrigued as he leaned forward.


"Gah!" An albino Faunus child winced as he was once again pushed down to the ground for the umpteenth time this evening. How long have they been at this? An hour? Hundreds of charges? The child didn't care, and he didn't stay down on the ground. He clawed his way upon his two feet, muddied and splotched with dirt on his white shirt.

The wooden sword he wielded had nicks and gaps in the wooden edge, scratched for over what could have been weeks of swinging, countering, and parrying. His hands were callused, but he still maintained a two-handed stance as he charged once again at his master.

The master's bearded face twinged upwards, satisfied as a simple one-handed swing of his falchion intercepted the over-head slash by the child. Both edges clashed, but the wooden edge was deflected and redirected to the side, along with the child thrown to the ground yet again.

Again, he failed and still didn't land a hit on him. He pounded his fist into the ground and shook with an emotion he hated. "Dammit! I'm…I'm still…weak!"

"Of course." The old man was still as blunt and cruel as usual. "You're simply a child using a hunk of wood against a seasoned warrior. There is no way as you are now, you will be able to defeat me."

"I know…!" The child gritted his teeth and leered at his master despite the teaching. "But I'm trying to be stronger…I don't want to stay this way! I-I can't be weak again…!"

"Enough, pup. "The master's stern tone left the child frozen and silent. He continued to speak. "It is a truth that you are weak as you are. An hour of non-stop sparring, and you still haven't landed a hit on me. Many people would say it's laughable. And maybe it is, but I beg to differ."

The child heard massive, noble strides towards him as he stayed on all fours and his hands balled into fists. However, he listened to his master kneel, and soon he felt a massive grasp on his head.

"Do not hate yourself for being weak…rather, be proud." The child raised his head high, looking into the master's golden eyes and the knowing smile that came with it. "Be proud that you refused to stay weak."


Sable didn't understand at first. Being a child at the time, he didn't develop a proper understanding of those words until he grew up and continued to train under the old man. He hated being weak, and maybe that's precisely why he took those words to heart.

It told him to continue gaining strength and to persevere even through the hardships. Such a phrase felt contradictory, but Sable understood what those words meant.

Being weak isn't a sin.

After he had explained his side of the story, the group looked at him with thoughtful gazes that varied. From Weiss and Frey, it was a mixture of newfound intrigue. From Ruby and Lilac, it was a resurfacing appreciation and respect. Yang herself seemed to be nodding as well, oddly attentive for how she usually is.

Seeing their reactions, Sable rolled his eyes, scratched his cheek, and shrugged. "So, there…that's why I'm so hard on Jaune. That's exactly why I can be pretty…snappy."

"See, I knew I was right," Lilac commented with a small giggle, though his typically tricky demeanor didn't pop up this time.

Ruby, on the other hand, looked on with a look of sympathy, and yet she frowned in thought. "I can understand that everybody needs a push, but…"

"Ruby, I know you and Pyrrha talk to Jaune and sugarcoat your words, but I'm not like that. I'm going to say it straight, loud, and clear." Sable reaffirmed his thoughts.

"And we're all agreeing with you on that…though I guess we just accepted it." Yang nodded, though she even herself gave a small smirk. "But it also sounds like you never really hated Jaune to begin with!"

"D-don't read into it." He covered it up with a cough, though it didn't go unnoticed by everybody.

"Still, it sounds like you are hard on him because of his reluctance to push out of his weakness…and I daresay you seem more concerned about his situation than all of us." Frey cupped his chin, deducing what Sable's thoughts could be.

"Hey, I'm not concerned about that wimp!" Sable retorted too quickly for what should have been a normal response.

"When you speak and act like the way you are now, it's not so convincing." Weiss snidely remarked as she smirked.

"Yeah! I think he's just looking out for the little guy again!" Lilac nudged Sable in the gut before whispering to Ruby the following words. "And you know what we call those kinds of people?"

"Here we go again…" Sable groaned as he put a hand to his face.

"Big 'ol softies!" Ruby remarked with a chuckle, Lilac, and the rest of the group joining in on the laughter. Sable looked like he was about to burst, but instead half-lidded his eyes and sighed in exasperation.

I hate you guys…so much. He thought it, but even he didn't mean that.

The smirk said otherwise.


Maybe I shouldn't have followed his advice after all.

It's easy to say that Jaune made a mistake, a grave mistake. No sooner did he retaliate against Cardin, and now he's getting beat up like a chump. Then again, throwing a jar full of sap on him might not have been the rational or let alone the best idea to pull off and grow a spine.

The beating aches around his body and the cuts on his face weren't the only signs of Jaune's beat-down. He felt nothing but a sluggish sensation every time he stood up from the kicks, punches, and shoves that grew only more violent as it went on.

But he didn't care whether it was a mistake. He made the decision to stand up for his friends, and even with the humiliating pain, he didn't once think that what he did was a mistake—okay, maybe he did just earlier. Still, the albino wolf Faunus brought up excellent points.

His words reverberated back to Jaune as he felt knuckle on his chin, the force dazing him backward before he tumbled on his backside. The ground beneath him felt rough and coarse, but Cardin's hands lifted him up by the collar and hung him in the air like a teared-up teddy ragdoll.

Yep. Humiliating.

"Well, Jaune…can't say it wasn't nice to have you as my own personal butler. But I'm unfortunately gonna break you down to teeny, tiny pieces." Cardin's derisive sneer covered by a mocking smirk was met with sniggering behavior from his team. "Who knows, maybe Glynda will take enough pity on you to not expel you out of Beacon!"

"Hmph…I don't care…what you do to me…" Jaune managed to cough out. His throat was pained and hollow. He didn't care so much about the pain, and while being humiliated is less than pleasant, at least he stood up for his own dignity. "Just don't lay a finger on my friends…y-you…chicken-head."

Cardin scowled then pulled him closer until they were eye-to-eye level, only to glare with indignant fury. "Call me that again, and bruises won't be the only thing Glynda finds on you! You think that what you're doing makes you any less useless? Makes you somehow braver than you were before? Don't make me laugh! You're still just that coward from before…aren't you?"

am I still that coward? He truly did wonder. Jaune wasn't really the strongest man in his family…in fact, he was usually considered the runt of the litter, as people would say. Growing up with more sisters than any boy reasonably should have, he was expected to be the man of the house when his father wasn't around, and yet he always cowered when it came to what they wanted.

For the longest while, Jaune couldn't live up to the idea of becoming like his father, who used to be a Huntsman himself, and even when he faked his transcripts to Beacon and…borrowed the family heirloom by lying to his family, he still didn't feel like he deserved it or earned it.

Instead, he felt like he had cheated his way into an academy that shouldn't have taken him in.

Nobody would have expected him to become a leader, and he certainly didn't expect to be fully supported by his friends and team.

Ren with his mature wisdom and calm outlook on life, Nora, with her electric personality that made it exasperating if more so fun to be around her, and Pyrrha, who believed in him more than he believed in himself; they are his team and his friends.

He couldn't possibly humiliate them willingly, let alone put them under pain by hornets.

So, was he a coward? Probably, yeah…but he wouldn't be the coward at this very moment. He couldn't. Otherwise, Sable wouldn't let him hear the end of it.

"Hey, you are listening, Jauney!?" Cardin snapped as he jostled Jaune, who weakly glared at Cardin.

Cardin looked as if he would snap in rage at any moment…and by some crazy streak of boldness…Jaune gave a cocky smirk and spit in his face. He may have been a bruised banana, but he sure as hell didn't want to give Cardin the satisfaction.

Maybe Sable rubbed off on me more than I thought.

And it worked. Cardin growled as he reared his fist before slamming it straight into Jaune.

Jaune closed his eyes and braced for the pain…but never felt any. At best, he had felt a pushing force on his face the shape of a fist, but he somehow didn't feel pain. Instead, he hurt a yelp of pain from Cardin and landed on his own two feet feeling better than ever—

W-wait…huh? Whatever happened, Jaune lost the feeling of aching bruises all over his body. Instead, he brushed his hands over his face. Yep, no bruises or cuts. Still smooth and lucky!

He moved his arms and immediately saw a faint white glow emanating from them. Was this his Aura acting up? More importantly, why did it act up now? He chalked it up to possibly a defensive reaction to Cardin's blow, but the soft light slowly dimmed until Jaune was staring at his normal gauntlets and greaves.

No sooner than after that, he got pushed down to the ground on his front side. He put both hands on the ground and lifted his sight up to Cardin, who glared at Jaune harshly. Regardless, Jaune himself didn't seem too intimidated anymore.

"Fine, you want to be like that? Let's see how much of a man you really are then…" Cardin's heavy steps were loaded with a march, but before he could make it to Jaune, a low growl was heard.

It didn't take team CRDL long to look behind them, just in time to witness another Grimm that nobody expected to see…let alone even try to fight. The monster leaped forward and stood on its four legs. Jaune widened his eyes as he got a better look at the monster.

It forced itself from the forest and into the clearing, it's heavy paws black with smoke and sharpened claws. The beast was considerably taller than Cardin by 4 heads, towering easily over the 5 students, with its bear-like snout. The bulky frame and jagged spikes that protruded out from the Grimm's back gave it the appearance of a mother bear and a hedgehog…though the Ursa Major's ash-white bones were there. The teeth were prickly daggers, and the eyes were the signature sickly yellow and bloody red.

It no doubt must have been attracted by Jaune's negative energy and the rest of CRDL put out. A fight and a beat-down with heavy emotions indeed were a smoking gun for Grimm. However, as he thought this, the Ursa seemed to turn up its nose and sniff the air. What did it smell? Grimm were mindless monsters, yet they bore many instinctual habits such as that of a predator. Still, perhaps Jaune didn't consider that with the Ursa.

As it sniffed the air, leading its snout to Cardin, the group stepped back in fear, and Jaune was struck by a realization.

The sap…! And it seemed to be correct because no sooner after, the Grimm stood on its hind legs and a deep roar bellowed. Afterward, Team CRDL looked terrified. Russel was the first to run and dash deeper into the forest opposite of where the Ursa was, followed by Sky and Dove next.

Cardin seemed haplessly frozen, unable to move from the shock and fear. The Ursa raised its claws and swiped Cardin's body away like it was a ragdoll. Thankfully, due to Cardin's Aura, they didn't cut through his armor.

But Jaune himself didn't have much luck. Cardin had been standing between him and the Grimm, and now he was a sitting duck. Like a can of food waiting to be eaten for free. Except, Jaune noticed that the Grimm ignored him and instead dashed on its four legs towards where Cardin had landed.

S-so…I'm safe then? He believed it anyway. He also thought it'd be easy to run away, despite his earlier bravado. He's still not adequately trained, and there is possibly no way he can beat an Ursa Major with just Crocea Mors!

But as he gained his footing, he felt conflicted. What reason would there be to let the Ursa attack, Cardin? More importantly, what reason would there be to run away and possibly allow the Ursa injure Cardin… or worse?

Jaune never liked Cardin and understood more than ever that he probably never will…but he needed to prove to himself.

He stood up for his friends…and now it all came down to him saving a bully from a big-bad hungry bear monster of destruction. His hands were shaking as he gripped Crocea Mors and unsheathed it, revealing the new white blade. He soon grabbed the shield, activating it as well.

Okay, Jaune…you can do this… Just gotta look on the bright side…right?

Oh, who am I kidding! Let's just do this! He grits his teeth and immediately charges to where Cardin was.

Was he afraid of dying? Possibly…but he might as well die being something that he hadn't been until now.

A Huntsman.


"Eleven jars of sap collected and present…perfect. Absolutely spectacular." Frey grinned in satisfaction after having counted the jars that his team and friends have collected. For the 3rd time, no doubt, but it never hurts to be extra vigilant when Nora's on the prowl.

Three times already did she slurp entire jars full of sap, that while Frey understood where delicately sweet and savory, now was not the time for any shenanigans. But still, it never hurt to get one more set of eyes working alongside him.

"And no Nora to be seen. Wonderful." Weiss commented with a calm, pleased tone to her voice. She strides next to Frey, standing beside him with her hands folded. However, she acted around the more 'prone-to-tomfoolery' Lilac and the off-standish Sable; he could not deny she was just as thorough and responsible as him. "Wouldn't want her running off with another jar. How much sugar can she take?"

"I suppose the answer to that would have to be a metric ton, especially considering her…very bottomless gut," Frey responded, unsure of how she manages to do it. Besides that, he had chalked it down to perhaps an accelerated metabolism, even though it still failed to explain what exactly she does to warrant such a palate. However, there were more important things in mind. "Regardless, we seem to have each collected the necessary amount for our teams."

"I suppose you're right." Weiss agreed, though she looked less for wear and her white combat skirt not as pristine as before they arrived on Forever Falls. She carried herself with more dignity, and yet from her posture and cooled rhetoric Frey could deduce that she'd…warmed up.

Pardon the non-existent pun, of course. He chided himself. Lilac certainly is a significantly treacherous influence.

"Well, I suppose that means we are finished. Now we just need to wait for Professor Goodwitch and meet her at the rendezvous."

Frey simply nodded, following her back on the way to the rendezvous, which so happened to be where the rest of their friends rested. The two Atlesian spoke along the way since there was nothing other than the ambiance of falling leaves and the wind to accompany their conversation.

"So, how have you been acclimating to your team, Weiss?" Frey asked, eager to hear more from Weiss about her experience.

"Somewhat alright. Dealing with Ruby's childish behavior and Yang's puns doesn't make it easy, but I find a way to make do." Weiss's words sounded harsh, but Frey knew it was one of the endearment. "Although Blake needs to get out more. She certainly doesn't do anything but stick her nose in a book."

"Very interesting, though it seems to me like you've accepted your teammates." Frey had a knowing smile on his face, lifting his glasses. "Whatever happened to the prim and proper Schnee Heiress from the first day?"

"Oh, hush you, I haven't changed that much." She retorted with a sharp tone, though her engagement was transparent. "I simply have changed my priorities and adapted naturally to my environment."

"That is what the people would call…changing to your surroundings, Weiss." His chuckle carried with it the sort of correction one would get from their older brother. "Still, I'm glad you are getting along with your friends."

"Friends…yes, I suppose so." She looked away, though not abashed or ashamed, but rather dignified…though Frey only found it somewhat more tolerable and endearing. The past month has been like this with the two. They have not brought up the topic regarding their heritage or their positions in the Atlesian aristocracy.

It seemed to be an unspoken rule between the two. Until the two both felt comfortable, they would not share such personal detail. There is no need to bring in Atlesian standards into a conversation between two friends. This did not mean they were clueless.

I'm sure she knows who I am, as I know who she is. Whatever heritage they both have, it need not be the critical factor in their identities in Beacon Academy. Best to respect that sort of secrecy.

"What about you're team, Frey? I know it can't be easy when you must deal with an insufferable leader and his…accomplice." Weiss remarked with less joke and ease, though Frey supposed she still had a bias towards the two. Whether or not it was because they were Faunus isn't entirely clear.

"Ah, of course. Sable is indeed difficult to understand, although he makes it up in his surprisingly strong disposition." Frey recounted the times that Sable showed a flawed, aggressive, but effective authority in his leadership. "As for the accomplice—which I assume to be Lilac considering his reputation—I'd give him more credit than you give him."

"If he didn't commit such heinous acts of buffoonery, maybe I would." Weiss shook her head, though she looked as if considering the idea. "It's baffling how he's learning to be a Huntsman just as the rest of us."

"Everybody's learning to be a Huntsman; it isn't as if he's the only one whose acts border on the absurd." He naturally defended his teammate, though his wry smirk hinted no offense. "I'm sure you know who else I'm talking about."

"How could I not? I'm still trying to understand exactly what motivates such people to become a Huntsman."

"You never know, they might have unexpected circumstances…or perhaps made hasty decisions." He noted, and he continued to speak. "Then again, perhaps family concerns could be my reason."

Weiss looked up, and her crystal blue eyes gazed at Frey as if in realization. "E-excuse me?"

"As I said, perhaps family concerns are... part of my…" They halted in their tracks at the same time, leaving Frey in mid-sentence with his mouth open. Did he genuinely let that slip? Preposterous.

Regardless of whatever thought, Weiss herself arched an eyebrow with a small grin. "Getting personal, aren't we?"

"No, nuh-uh, falsehood, you didn't hear anything!" Frey's stoic expression morphed into one of slight panic and embarrassment as he put his hands forward and tried to deny it. "I-it was a slip of the tongue, nothing too important no matter how you look at it!"

"If it truly isn't important, then why the need to deny it?" Weiss folded her arms, but her sly grin curved upwards even more. Apparently, she found this amusing, seeing him act in such a shameful fashion.

If he weren't a gentleman, he indeed would have been beside himself.

"Perhaps…because I may have revealed a personal piece of information," Frey admitted, sheepish and abashed by comparison.

Weiss looked at him with a curious gaze, but she closed her eyes as she asked, "Then you don't mind sharing with me said piece of personal information?

"After what we agreed on the first day? That just won't do." He shook his head, though he gave her a pointed look as he pushed up his glasses. In a manner, he believed he went back to proper etiquette. "Quid pro quo, Weiss Schnee…if you truly want to know about my situation, it's only fair that you do the same, no?"

Flinching from the point, Weiss relented as she put a dainty hand on her face. "Fair enough…guess I'll share a bit about me if you return the favor."

"Equivalent exchange, my dear Weiss."

"Oh, hush you!" She snapped but was met with a slight chuckle by Frey. These back-and-forth conversations were rather amusing, if not very enjoyable and insightful. However, Frey knew that Weiss herself had been hesitating to share anything personal than before.

I'm loathed to admit…but so am I

Weiss took a breath before she looked paced to a nearby tree, watching the leaves sway. "Where do I begin?

"I suppose since we were talking about why people become Huntsman, you could start there."

"Yes…I suppose." Frey simply watched her stand there, her dress and pony-tail swaying in accordance with the breeze. "If you are who I know you are, then you must understand what it's like to have to been born to a family line."

He nodded, allowing her to continue. "Then, I am sure you know the SDC's…new management under my father."

Jacque Schnee. Frey did not need to hear much more about the man other than what he supposedly did to remain in power. He apparently married into the Schnee family. After the former CEO passed away, Jacque took control of the SDC's Dust Mines. He enlisted more workers, put them on overtime, and allegedly committed illegal slavery when it came to Faunus.

Of course, he heard all this information from the chatter in public parties and from his mother's words in conversation. He certainly did not have a personal view of what really happened.

"Without revealing too much, I came to Beacon Academy because of him…and because of my family. Well, specifically, my sister." Weiss revealed with a breath, though she turned to look at Frey, and she hesitated as she looked down. "I suppose as a member of the Schnee family, I wish to bring honor to the name, thanks to my sister and the actions of my father."

"Were they…good actions?" Frey asked, unsure whether these actions are legit.

"…no," Weiss stated with a narrowed glance, and her eyes cast downward while her sharp cold tone came back. "They were not."

Frey hummed in thought, sympathy in his eyes, and the scar that cut down horizontally down the side of her left eye looked more evident. Whatever the story behind it, she already shared a piece of personal information.

"Well…thank you for sharing a piece of your life with me." Frey cleared his throat, giving Weiss a grateful smile.

She closed her eyes, looked up at Frey with the same crystal blue eyes, and her thin smiled expressed more than words could. "You're welcome. It somehow feels…liberating to say so."

He cleared his throat, giving Weiss a grateful smile. "Well, I suppose you did your part…now it's my turn."

Weiss looked up to Frey, and her thin smile expressed the same sentiment. "Quid pro quo, as you said before."

"Excellent point." Frey chuckled lightly, though he adjusted his glasses as he began to reminisce. "I suppose if we're talking about my reason, then it's fair to say it's not too different from yours. A Huntsman is something I always grew up hearing stories of, thanks to my father. His greatest exploits and his greatest achievements were my favorites."

Weiss listened intently, and he saw a small glimmer of acknowledgment he couldn't describe. Perhaps the memories were rushing back, leaving him with a stoic expression. "But there's more to it than what I have let on…and I suppose it's related to my mother."

"What about your mother?"

Where to even begin. He hadn't spoken with her since that night, and his stoic expression slowly turned to a frown. Not out of anger or any slight, but one of regret. He regretted doing what he did…and he didn't know what it did to his mother.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you." It hurt, but he couldn't show that. He remained there with a frown but gave her an even calm voice. "My father…was a Huntsman."

Somehow, at that, Weiss widened her eyes in slight surprise. Then again, it wasn't to be expected from the way they both talked about Huntsman. Frey always considered being a Huntsman not as some means to achieve greatness…but instead a reward in it of itself, coupled with the satisfaction of providing protection to those less unfortunate.

Father always boasted about the proper etiquette of a gentleman. He ruefully smiled at the mere thought of his father, and it seemed Weiss herself frowned in concern. Not every day does it happen.

"I understand…so your father inspired you to become a Huntsman?" Weiss asked though she slowed down words hinted at a wariness.

Frey merely gave a weak nod before adjusting his glasses. He didn't understand what more to say, considering that memories of his father are…painful. "If it's not a bother, we can end this personal discussion."

"Huh?" Weiss seemed slightly taken aback as she narrowed her eyes slightly in confusion. "But what about your mother? And what do you mean by—"

"Enough." A sharp rise of his voice, no more than a stern and insistent tone. Frey put a hand to his face, pushing up the glasses as he turned and walked towards where their friends would be. "We can talk about this later…another time."

She noticeably flinched from the sharp tone, though she hesitantly nodded and followed Frey with seemingly subdued behavior. No words after Frey had shut down the conversation, and with such force that nearly bordered on hostile.

Immediately, he felt regret over his slip of conduct. But Weiss was close to asking something he didn't—wouldn't say to somebody he met. Not even if it's a fellow Atlesian. Admitting it would be admitting he was wrong.

But not wrong about Weiss.

However, as they made their way back to the group, an ear-splitting roar echoed through the air. Immediately, they both looked at each other and nodded as they began to sprint towards the group.

Whatever happened, we must find Professor Goodwitch!

They both arrived enough to see Yang heading towards them. She halted her approach, but her expression clearly spoke of danger. "You two are here, good!"

"What's going on, Yang?" Weiss asked her cold tone hardening.

"There's a huge Grimm just over that way, Ruby, Sable, and Pyrrha are heading out to find it, and we're going to find Professor Goodwitch!" Yang fired off a list of answers, and before Frey had time to ask about Lilac, both Ren and Nora were charging out from the forest.

"What's the hold-up!? Let's go!" Nora called out with an ecstatic voice, though Frey knew that she wasn't joking.

Lilac was the next to charge out at a sprinting speed. He gave a wink to Frey before disappearing in the opposite direction.

"Right, thanks for the information, Yang!" Frey nodded in agreement, turning to Weiss with a severe expression. "Weiss, you go along to find the Grimm! I'll be sure to find Professor Goodwitch as soon as we can!"

"Got it!" No nonsense in her voice; she simply followed the command and dashed into the direction of the roar. Whatever it was, it unsettled the spectacled young man.

For a second, he allowed worry over the Schnee heiress. The next second, he buried it with confidence in her skills.

He certainly is a gentleman, but Weiss is no hapless princess.


This is insane!

Jaune's legs were shaking even as he charged, and just in time when he put himself between Cardin and the Ursa major. He raised his shield, letting the overhead swipe connect with the guards as Jaune remained on one-knee to force it away. The pressure built up, but it wasn't impossible to maintain the stance even through his grunts.

"G-get out of here!" Jaune raised his voice, and Cardin complied by getting out of the way and running off into the distance. Even without his weapon, he wasn't going to help him, huh?

Look at me, though. This is crazy! He barely managed to gain his footing as he backed away and held his sword and shield in a poorly balanced stance. He knew this was horribly one-sided, but what it all comes down to is even for a little bit making sure that everyone else is safe.

Was it selfish? Did he do this to prove to himself that he wasn't weak? The idea never left as he tried swinging his sword haphazardly at the hulking monster. Still, the blade never contacted its black shadow. Instead, the Ursa charged head-first into Jaune, connecting and slamming him to the ground on his back.

Sure, the Aura took the brunt of the attack, but the force it walloped certainly left Jaune with a thought.

I'm seriously going to die, aren't I? He had no time to linger on the thought, as he opened his eyes to see the Grimm's paw about to crush him. His instincts kicked in as he rolled his body opposite to the attack and managed to get back up on his feet. As soon as he did, he charged towards the Ursa and managed to land a few lucky swipes in, however haphazard and poorly swung they were.

Jaune didn't stop there, as he raised his shield just in time to avoid the overhead claw. He used his right hand to thrust Crocea Mors into the beast's gut, temporarily lodging itself in. Jaune held the sword with both hands and pried it from the beast's midsection, leaving the reeling creature spewing smoke from the wound and growling in pain.

He let out a chuckle of satisfaction and thrill, dealing with damage to an actual Grimm with seemingly no difficulty!

I'm going to live! Those giddy thoughts were interrupted by the Ursa's sudden headbutt, which hit Jaune directly in the chest. Knocking him out of any air as he landed on his back, he coughed as he realized his Aura started to flicker a weak yellow.

Jaune didn't need his scroll to check the gauge; he knew from being beaten up by Cardin beforehand that his Aura was in the red zone. And once his Aura fully depletes, he will be fully vulnerable to claw attacks. They wouldn't shave off his Aura, but rather his actual flesh and armor.

At the thought, Jaune knew he was going to die if he took two more hits from this sizable Ursa…and immediately sucked in a breath as he slowly stood on shaking feet. His mind traveled to the memories of his teammates, his friends, and even Sable's last few words to him back in the dorms.

This is it, Jaune Arc…it's do or die! He gritted his teeth and stared ahead at the Grimm. It stared back at him with pale glowing red eyes and bare fangs. Jaune took a few deep breaths before inhaling a considerable amount of air into his lungs. He shouted with the might of a lion, mixed with the fear of a measly dog…but he charged ahead nonetheless with his sword raised and his shield haphazardly out of the way.

The Grimm's bellowing roar accompanied its animalistic charge to Jaune with his raised right paw…ready to maul the young Huntsman-in-training to mincemeat. And as if time had slowed down, Jaune didn't hesitate as he felt a pull in his left arm…questions were buried as it guided the shield to the claw swipe that ground against white solid metal.

The Ursa Major lost its balance, and with one last roar of his own, he leaped and sliced the Ursa's head clean off its shoulders as the wind whistled in the atmosphere. The sword sang as it carved through the air, leaving Jaune landing on his feet heaving, and exhausted…but nonetheless relieved of his seemingly imminent death.

And his victory…which he earned.

W-wait, I won. He blinked when he realized that the Ursa Major's corpse started fading away to black soot, leaving nothing in the space it left. Yep…he won.

A moment of silence passed, and immediately Jaune allowed himself a shout of victory. "Yes! Yeah-ha-ha! I actually live to see tomorrow!"

What? He was terrified! It took a lot of courage for him to push himself to fight something that could have easily killed him, and it paid off.

He heard a rustle in the bushes, turned his head to see Cardin warily taking steps out of the forest. When his eyes landed on Jaune, his eyes…flickered with some sort of awe and shock. The usual mocking sneer was nowhere to be seen, and surprising even Jaune, Cardin went to him with a baffled smile. "H-Holy crap Jaune…! Y-you actually did it!"

He offered a handshake, to which Jaune simply stared at it in slight confusion. Was he supposed to take it? From Cardin of all people? It seemed a bit suspicious even if Cardin looked impressed.

Still…guess I can take it and let him know. He nodded, and the stern expression on his face formed as he took the handshake, but firmly gripped it and looked at Cardin with a sharp gaze.

Cardin looked at him with slight trepidation and glanced left and right before offering an awkward smile. "U-uh, so…I guess all's well that ends well."

"Listen to me, Cardin. Everything is forgiven…if you do me one thing. And I want you to listen carefully to what I'm about to say." Immediately the tension set in as Jaune tried his best stern tone. Something he picked up around Sable. "Don't ever try to mess with my team…my friends… ever again. You understand that…asshole?"

Cardin seemed to flinch from the last sentence, and admittedly even he found himself surprised. Wherever that bold language came from, Jaune looked at Cardin straight as he gently removed his grip and turned around.

Right now, he didn't need to worry about Cardin. He could handle himself and think about his actions.

Still, in some way, shape, or form, he felt proud…and a realization had finally set in. Sable's words echoed in his head once again. About standing up for himself and doing it by himself.

Heh, guess he wasn't wrong about that. He chuckled to himself as he walked back to where his friends might be.

Jaune Arc might have been weak, and that fight could have gone better…but he had found an answer to his question from before. Apparently…he might not be much of a coward he thought he was.

And that left him with a dumb smile that expressed satisfaction.


I knew he could do it. Pyrrha Nikos thought with a smirk on her expression, proud that her leader proved himself that he was capable of more than he thought. Sure, she still felt some reservation towards Jaune, but by now, whatever bad blood she felt towards him dissipated with only doubt over what he would do next.

Regardless, Pyrrha smiled genuinely when she turned her head to see the reactions of three of her friends and classmates. Ruby looked at her in childish awe, Weiss's widened eyes spoke of surprise, while Sable himself looked impressed.

Then again, her hand still glowed a blackish-red when she raised it towards Jaune, and everybody had witnessed the shield being pulled upwards at the last second of the fight. She half-expected their reactions, but even so, she gave them a knowing smile.

"Uhm…what?" Ruby finally breathed out a question while she put her hands together in excitement.

"How did you…do that?" Weiss went straight to the point, but even her surprise couldn't be hidden.

"I should have expected that…" Sable muttered under his breath, and Pyrrha felt the scrutinizing gaze he gave. Still, there was no ill intent but rathe realization she needed to ask.

"Well, Ruby has her Rose Burst. You have your glyphs." Pyrrha explained as she gestured a hand to her chest. "My Semblance…is polarity."

"Oh…my…gosh…" Ruby let out a beaming smile and a sigh of amazement. "You can control poles!?"

"No, you dunce!" Weiss scolded her with the pointed edge of her voice. "It means she has control over magnetism!"

"Which explains why Jaune's shield went up the way it did…you controlled its magnetic pull on purpose." Sable astutely observed with folding arms, and he gave a small taunting smirk. "Even when Jaune fights his own battles, you can't help but butt your nose in, can't you?"

"Ugh, Sable, do you ever—"

"Well, if I wasn't going to butt in, it was going to be you…wasn't it?" Pyrrha gave a knowingly teasing smirk, catching Sable off guard with a flinch not so common to see. Seeing this, she smiled genuinely this time. "See? You're not that bad of a person."

Sable scoffed, looking to the side as he scratched the back of his head. Though, he let a small smirk spread his features as he said, "Good point."

Wow…guess Ruby's not wrong. It never fails to surprise Pyrrha. Even after showing he's got a temper and the attitude of a delinquent, Sable's always trying to look out for his friends. Even if he may be rude about it, he always ends up trying to help them. It's something that made Pyrrha respect Sable even more and consider him a friend…and possibly a challenger.

But it's best not to get her hopes up too much.

Pushing the thought deeper, she began to walk off as Ruby continued to whisper about magnets being 'cool.' Weiss arched an eyebrow, watching Pyrrha walk back to the rest of the group before asking, "Wait, you're just going to leave?"

"Yeah, we're not going to tell them what happened?" Ruby looked confused as well, insistent on telling the truth to Jaune and the others. "Jaune needs to know that you helped him!"

"Not exactly, short stack." Sable ruffled Ruby's hair in a teasing manner, leaving her huffing and pouting. He continued to explain, "Right now, telling him that Pyrrha intervened would undermine his own success. And something tells me he's gonna need the confidence boost."

"First, don't call me a short stack! I've been getting all the milk I can get!" Ruby childishly defended as she jumped to land a small punch to his shoulder, leaving him chuckling in amusement. "And second…you're not wrong."

"Exactly…I think the four of us can keep this as our little secret." Pyrrha chuckle at the antics between Sable and Ruby before giving them one last smile and walking off.

Sable had a point. Even if Jaune survived thanks to her semblance, the victory of killing the Ursa Major was his and his alone. Even after that harrowing experience, she knew that Jaune's morale would be better than it was before.

Still, she hoped in her mind that maybe he would come to her about this…but she didn't know if it was possible.

It all comes down to Jaune, after all.


Guess I'm the last one to get to the dorms. Sable scratched the back of his head as he marched the dorm halls. Detention had finally ended, and so Lilac and the rest decided to go back to their dorms and relax there. The midget invited their leader, but he didn't get to take a proper nap, and at the time was cranky.

So, to stave off his bitterness and ensure that he didn't go to sleep with running emotions, he opted for a simple nap in the outdoor gardens of Beacon Academy. Lilac was reluctant and stubborn but, with enough convincing from Frey, relented when he acknowledged Sable's drowsiness.

A growing man needs his sleep after all… He paused, before putting a small hand on his face. He's really starting to sound like the old man. Probably the one thing that annoyed him from time to time, though he didn't necessarily hate it.

Still, as he marched down the hallways, he felt his body bump into someone noticeably smaller than him by a few inches. Of course, where he expected the somebody to fall to the ground. They didn't.

Jaune stood there with a complicated expression, even to Sable. Still, he looked slightly flustered when he realized who he bumped into. "O-oh, s-sorry about that…"

"No need to mention it, it's not that big of a deal." Sable simply brushed it off as he stuffed his pockets, taking a step back as he sized up Jaune.

"R-right, I guess it isn't." Jaune still looked the same as he was from before, nothing much changed physically in terms of stature, stance, or skill. What did change was the presence around him, and a glimmer of bravery in his eyes.

Or is that…responsibility?

"Well, is there anything you wanted to say?" Sable arched an eyebrow, sighing as he tilted his head.

Jaune widened his eyes slightly, before ruefully chuckling. "What gave it away?"

"I dunno, it just sorts of…feels like you learned something on that trip and considering the tension between us, I figured you want to talk about the other night." Sable's words came out too naturally, but this didn't seem to bother Jaune anymore. "That and…I did see you decapitate an Ursa Major by yourself."

"W-wait, you saw that?!" Jaune exclaimed at that, leaving Sable to half-lid his eyes.

"Just in time too…I was considering jumping in and finishing it off, but you seemed to have it all control." Sable's wry smirk fit well with his folded arms. It certainly was entertaining, if a little surprising at the time. But that didn't leave Sable unsatisfied or anything.

In fact, that genuinely surprised him and left him satisfied for a reason. Jaune reminded him too much of what he used to be. That child from back then was already gone, and it died over the years. Staying weak when you have so many chances to grow stronger is a waste of potential…and Jaune was wasting it all away before.

"I did not have that under control! I genuinely thought I was going to die!" Jaune defended himself as he snapped, though the humor in his words was not lost on the wolf Faunus. "I would have preferred if you'd just come in and help me, at least!"

"And take away your golden moment? That's not my style, you should know that by now." Sable shrugged his shoulders, looking non-chalant. If he did that, it would miss the point of what Sable wanted to see. Jaune standing up for himself, and not being a coward or a wimp.

Or less of a wimp at least.

Jaune sighed and shook his head, though the expression on his face didn't convey annoyance. Instead, he just gave Sable an even look and a surprisingly genuine smile.

"W-what? Is there something on my face—"

"Thanks'"

"Huh?" Did he…hear that right? Did Jaune here just thank him? For what? "W-what did I do?"

"You were right, what you said about me." Jaune simply said, as he looked down to his hands. "I wasn't being a good leader, and more importantly I wasn't standing up for myself when I should've been."

"On top of you being a wimp and all that…but I guess I was wrong." Sable tried to brush it off, though he didn't want Jaune beating himself up. "Besides, give yourself some credit, you did something nobody thought you could do."

"I know, but that's why I wanted to thank you for what you said." Jaune raised his head, and blue sea eyes met with crimson. "Your words, even if they were…tactless and mean, helped put my position in perspective…and I can't help but feel bad for having you all wrong. Ya know, what with you being a bit of a jerk at times."

"Hey, what the—"

"But I understand now that…well, you're not as…big of a jerk as I…thought you were?" Jaune fumbled sentence, and immediately regretted it as he nervously smirked. "Would it help you to know if I'm actually trying here?"

"Trying's the best thing you can do at the moment honestly…" Sable just shook his head, before stuffing his hands to his pockets. "But I am starting to get your point."

"Y-yeah, I guess what I'm trying to say is…well, you were right." Jaune immediately finished, though he noticeably cringed when he said it. "Ugh, feels weird to say that all of a sudden…"

"Trust me, I'm a bit weirded out myself…but if it's any good for me to say this, Jaune." Sable agreed but smirked in encouragement. "Ya did good."

"O-oh, w-well of course I did…" Jaune looked surprised by the compliment but rolled with it as he chuckled.

Sable himself felt relieved and even somewhat glad that Jaune grew a spine, managing to kill a Grimm that large isn't an easy feat for someone who has no combat experience. Maybe that's why Sable felt the need to tell Jaune that he did good. He finally shut up those thoughts of doubt and just did it…and even if he was weak now, something within Sable knew that Jaune's going to grow stronger.

He didn't need to bring it up. Sable could feel it, and understand with Jaune's determined and yet fresh face, that he wasn't intent on giving up.

"W-well, this was a good talk Sable…thanks again." Jaune thanked him again, and by now Sable's already feeling it. Not usually does this happen, but the more it happens the more Sable doesn't know how to react. "I'm gonna go talk to Pyrrha, and…make things right."

Before Jaune could leave though, Sable patted Jaune on the shoulder as they were shoulder-to-shoulder. Turning to Jaune, Sable gave off a grin with encouragement. "Do what you gotta do, Jaune."

With that, an understanding between the two of them had been made. Jaune looked to Sable and gave off his own smirk, before heading outside the dorm supposedly. Maybe Pyrrha was still somewhere else.

Still, after Jaune left. Sable couldn't help but look at his gloved hands. The same hands which were pretty callused and shaped by his grip on both Skol and Hati. The same hands which he put to work over 9 years was it?

Trained and prepared, where Jaune wasn't and somehow even more clueless. Sable frowned when he remembered what he told everybody back at Forever Fall. About the old man, and the thoughts that crossed with it.

Still, looks like everything's gonna be all right with the wimp. Sable closed his fists, stuffed them into his pockets, and allowed a relaxed smile on his expression. If Jaune was serious about getting better, and Sable felt that he would, then he guessed he could ease up on the harsh insults…and instead, give him harsh criticism.

You can change the intent, but you can't change the bark of this wolf.

Wait… was that a pun?


Yes, yes it was Sable.

Thanks to everybody who read this newest chapter and made it to the end! I wanted to give a bit of insight to Sable's character, his attitude, and a flashback that reveals something about him people don't often know.

Frey and Weiss are slowly bonding, but as you see Frey has certain parts of his past he doesn't want to open up yet. For everybody who wants to know what happened to the Dapper Gentleman, then feel free to discuss it in you're reviews!

Now, Jaune…oh boy Jaune's POV is a lot of fun to write! I do hope I did the character justice as well as made his conversation with Sable well-developed and a good resolution between the two! I hope you guys sincerely enjoyed this chapter!

Be sure to review, follow, and favorite if you liked the story, and feel free to PM if you have any questions! No spoilers of course!

It is I, Maelstrom, and I will see you on the horizon!