Dreams Do Come True

by DragonoftheEastblue

Do you believe in destiny? I certainly do, and so do two young Huntsmen-in-training who are about to have their lives changed forever. A retelling of events from the end of the Beacon Dance where Jaune realizes and accepts Pyrrha's feelings, and takes the first step on a journey he never knew was waiting for him. World-building/Canon-Restoration. Arkos, Boop, BlackSun, Iceberg, etc

23. Chapter XXIII: The Changing of Seasons

Chapter XXIII: The Changing of Seasons

For the first time since the start of the Vytal Festival, the weather had taken a turn for the worse. The sunny days of erstwhile were fading away, and were replaced with grey, overcast skies. There seemed something almost sinister about the clouds that were gathering above the city, but that could simply be attributed to the universal feeling that dark skies were foreboding. While it seemed as if it were on the cusp of rainfall, the heavens had yet to open, allowing the visitors to the capital to go about their day.

One of those visitors, though in technicality, was Pyrrha, who was making her way to the Beacon Tower. She had been privately summoned to Huntmaster Ozpin's office, and hoped that the weather was not an indication of what he wished to speak to her about. Neither he nor the rest of the Order had made any attempt to contact her after they had assaulted Cinder's forces, and she taken that as a sign that things had finally settled. She had also been so preoccupied with her team and with Jaune, that the Order had slipped out of her mind. She hadn't forgotten anything of course, but the good news of their victory and celebration of her own, had allowed Pyrrha to finally enjoy herself. Perhaps the reason for her summoning would not be so dire, and would simply be to update her on the situation away from peering eyes.

Entering the tower, she rode the elevator to the top floor, and exited to see Deputy-Huntmistress Goodwitch waiting for her. Without speaking, she guided Pyrrha to Ozpin's office and knocked twice before opening one of the large double doors, and walked through. As expected, the Huntmaster was seated at his desk, surrounded by the other members of the Order, and they all turned to look at the redhead as she approached.

"Good morning, Miss Nikos" greeted Ozpin politely, a small smile on his face. "How are you this morning?"

"I'm well, thank you" she replied with a small bow, before taking a seat. "I hope you are also well." Pyrrha's eyes then rested on the Huntmaster's desk, and felt her heart sink in pity. There lying in a small dog bed was a large Great Horned Owl, its chest wrapped in bandages. She breathed a small sigh of relief to see it was alive and sleeping, but nevertheless felt sorry for the animal. "May I ask what happened to him, Professor?"

"Oh? Harper? From what I can gather, he got into a scuffle while out on a hunt recently. I suspect that whatever creature—another bird of some kind, which is impressive given that Harper is large for his species—was left in equal or worse shape. When he returned, he had the bloody feathers of his opponent in his talons. Worry not, Miss Nikos, he shall recuperate. I have known him since he was an owlet, and this will not keep him down for long."

"That's good to hear" she said with a small smile. "I wasn't aware you had a pet owl."

"I consider him more of a friend than a familiar, though he certainly started out as a pet when I found him hiding in the library. He was injured then as well" Ozpin recalled with a fond smile, stroking the sleeping raptors head. "And to answer your first question, given the success of the tournament, your victory bringing honour and bragging rights, and the successful defending of Beacon, I have been in an overall good mood. However, there is a new matter that has come to light, which I have no doubt that you suspect is the reason for your summoning."

"I had my suspicions" Pyrrha admitted, feeling a slight unease. "I know that the Order wishes to maintain its secrecy, which I have respected by not saying a word to anyone. However, I would like some transparency with whatever it is you are going to ask of me."

"Of course" Ozpin agreed, taking a breath. "Amber's health has taken a turn for the worse." Pyrrha immediately felt her heart lodge itself in her throat, though she had known somehow that the only reason she would be called again would be for such a dower problem. "We fear that she may not have much longer, and every medical treatment we have at our disposal has proven to be of no use. Our original request, that you give us a response on whether you will join us as the new Fall Maiden before the end of the Vytal Festival, remains. The end draws near, both for the festival and for Amber. So what is your answer?"

The redhead looked down at her hands, which had balled themselves into fists, before looking up again at the awaiting members of the Order.

"Just as your request remains, so do my contentions. I cannot abandon them, nor can I forsake the resent changes that have occurred. Furthermore, I still have a great deal of trouble accepting that Amber would agree with the terms we previously discussed."

"Yes, she would have, Miss Nikos" corrected Ironwood. "And given that we are losing her, she would want to avoid losing the Maiden's powers at all cost."

"As I said to you previously, Miss Nikos, I fully understand your feelings on the matter" Ozpin continued, seeing the resistance in the girl's face. "And so does Amber, which is why she wishes to speak to you, and is the true reason for why we have called you here today."

This caught the champion completely off guard, and her mouth fell open.

"She regained consciousness?" she gasped.

"Yes. After the capture of Cinder Fall, we gained new insight on the consequences of the Maiden's powers being segmented. That insight, that the powers would reform once one half-Maiden passes, proved to be correct, when Fall was put to death. In doing so, Amber awoke. Unfortunately, our hope that this would aid in her recovery, was shattered when her condition only worsened. We have spoken at length with Amber, and she wishes to judge you herself in order to either give or reject her blessing. Do you accept her request?"

Pyrrha had not expected any of this, and wished she had better prepared for such an event. Nevertheless, she knew that one of the major disputes with the Order was Amber's lack of consent, and now, she had a chance to speak to her. To not respect Amber's simple request, would be incredibly insulting and hypocritical.

"Yes, I shall" she replied, readying herself.

"Thank you" Ozpin said graciously with a small but sad smile. "Please come with me."

The two left the office for the elevator, and just as he did before, Ozpin opened the secret panel that granted him access to the vault below the tower. When they exited the elevator, Pyrrha was surprised to see that Penny was tending to Amber, who was sitting up and reading a book. The ginger noticed their approach and smiled at them.

"Good morning, Pyrrha Nikos" she said in her usual tone with a military salute, causing Amber to look up at her visitors. "Salutations."

"Good morning" the redhead returned with a respectful bow. "Forgive me, Penny, I didn't know you were trained in medicine—or part of the Order."

"I am trained in many disciplines" she explained. "Huntmaster-General Ironwood wanted me to be the best, and has invested a great deal of m–time into me to insure that. As for being a member of the Order of the Maiden's Ring, I am not a full member. I am involved with the Order, more so than Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck, but not the same as the General or Major Schnee."

"I see" Pyrrha acknowledged curiously, before looking at Amber, who was examining her with an amused smile on her face. "Hello, Miss Calico."

"Hello" she returned, before smirking at Ozpin. "Shame on you, Sam. You didn't tell me that the new candidate was Pyrrha Nikos."

"Forgive me, Amber, but I wished to leave it to surprise" the silver-haired Huntsman confessed with a small smile. "I will leave you two to get to know one another. Miss Polendina."

Penny nodded and turned to Amber.

"Please press this button" she indicated on a small device connected to one of several instruments surrounding the bedridden Maiden "if you require me."

"I will, thank you" the brunette replied gratefully, and watched her caretaker leave with Ozpin after bowing. "Now then, please take a seat, Pyrrha." The redhead complied, and took a chair that was placed to Amber's left, resting her hands on her thighs and sat straight. "You don't have to be so formal! Just pretend that we're two strangers getting to know each other. So what brings a Mistralese like yourself to our Kingdom?"

This was of course a very odd situation Pyrrha found herself in, as Amber was nothing like she imagined. She seemed strangely carefree, regardless of the important factors at play, and appeared to show no fear of what the purpose of their meeting implied. She shifted in her chair, trying to adjust her mind more than her body, and took a breath to steady herself.

"Very well. I left home to take my training as a Huntress more seriously" Pyrrha began. "I had spent so many years competing in tournaments that I began to feel that there were no longer any challenges left for me in Mistral. I wanted to be the best Huntress I could possibly be, so I decided to train in Vale, hoping to meet warriors who I could learn and grow from. In that same vein, becoming a celebrity greatly limited my freedom to connect with others. I'm a social person, and being treated as if I were royalty made me feel...alone. So I decided on Beacon, and I have since then become truly blessed, meeting amazing and wonderful people, making friends whom I love, and a team that with each passing day, I grow more proud of. Leaving home was the best decision I have ever made."

Amber nodded with a smile at this. "Found any boys you like, or have you just been focusing on school?" she asked.

Pyrrha lightly blushed. "No, I have a boyfriend—my captain, Jaune."

"Do you have a photo?"

The redhead fished out her Scroll and searched for one. She had taken one recently of him wearing his now completed suit of armour, as he had wanted a more presentable photo for her mother to see. Anthemya of course had not a single poor impression of Jaune, especially after Pyrrha had explained the context of the dress, but Pyrrha nevertheless obliged him, as presentation did mean a great deal to him and his family. Also, she now had a great photo of her boyfriend to show off to those who wanted to see. She handed her Scroll to Amber, who smiled widely when she saw the blond swordsman.

"Oh he's handsome" she complimented, tapping on the screen to get a better look at his face. "And really cute too. You must really be as good as everyone says to have that as your captain and boyfriend to distract you, and still win the Vytal Tournament."

"Well, we waited till after the tournament to begin dating" Pyrrha informed, her blush deepening. "However, thank you for the compliment. Jaune has been an incredibly supportive leader and lover, and I owe him so much. I recently met some of his family, and they have been immensely welcoming. I truly am blessed."

"You're really in love with him, aren't you?"

"Yes—with all my heart and soul."

Amber's smile grew into a mischievous grin. "You two plan on getting married?"

"We've certainly discussed it" Pyrrha confessed, before her eyes softened. "I couldn't imagine anyone else to spend the rest of my life with."

The Fall Maiden handed back the champion her Scroll, and nodding in approval.

"You certainly look it. Good for you, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha accepted her Scroll back and thanked her for her compliments, before asking a question she had wanted to ask ever since she learned of Amber's existence.

"Excuse me, Miss Calico?"

"Amber, please."

"Amber, there is something I need to ask you."

"Go right ahead."

"How did you become involved with the Order of the Maiden's Ring?" Pyrrha asked. "I was asked out of the blue, and was thrown right into the thick of it without proper time to fully internalize and comprehend it all. It was right in the middle of the tournament, while I was also becoming closer to Jaune. It was beyond stressful, and if it were not for the severity of the situation, as well as my own religious vows, I'm not sure I would have been as willing to undergo the trials and tribulations."

Amber was silent for a few moments, before taking a breath to begin her answer.

"I hardly had a choice to be honest" she sighed. "I'm not entirely sure if I was born with the Fall Maiden's powers, or they came to me when I was young, but I did have them. I never trained to be a Huntress, and was just a regular girl from a small town called Gawton to the south east of the Kingdom, not far from the sea. I was barely sixteen at the time, when Qrow found me, and that was only by chance, as I was dropping off a tanning order for the tavern owner. He was sitting at the bar drinking—as he always does if you haven't noticed—and I wouldn't have paid any attention to him, if I didn't notice him looking at me. I thought he was some creep at first, especially when I found him following me. When I confronted him, he began to ask questions regarding the powers of the Maiden, and who I was. I was just the daughter of the local tanner, so all of it sounded crazy, until he showed me a small gemstone.

It was a silver pendant set with a yellow topaz stone, and when he showed it to me, it was glowing like a flame. He told me that it was made by the leader of his Order, specifically to locate the Fall Maiden, and he felt it grow hot when I entered the tavern. I still didn't really believe him, until he handed it to me. The moment I touched it, it was engulfed in fire, but it didn't burn me. Instead, I felt something from deep inside me come to life, and the Maiden's powers awoke, with fire coming out of my eyes. I started to believe him, but I was beyond terrified, and I didn't want to go with him to Beacon. It took a while to convince me, but finally I agreed when he warned of the danger I was in if I stayed. When we made it to the capital, I was introduced to Sam, who welcomed me with all the grace and kindness I could imagine. We talked for hours, showing just how much patience he possessed, and finally, after a few days, I agreed to stay at the academy to be trained as the Fall Maiden. So you're completely right in all of this being unbelievable and overwhelming, but since I already had the Fall Maiden's powers, I really didn't have a choice. I grew into the role, but it shows that I hadn't grown enough. I was so easily tricked and defeated, and if it wasn't for Qrow, I would have died then and there, and the Maiden's powers would be in the hands of the enemy. Anyway, is there anything you want to know about the Fall Maiden powers? I can't imagine that Sam and the others have had the time to give you all the details with everything that's been going on. Feel free to ask me anything that comes to mind."

The redhead thought for a moment. In truth, she had a myriad of questions, but the only one that came to the forefront of her mind seemed almost childish.

"Um...what does it feel like to be a Maiden?" she said at last. "Do you feel any different?"

Amber nodded, fully expecting this question.

"Yes and no. I certainly felt different once I started training to use Aura, but that's normal for anyone that starts training to be a Huntsman or awakens their Semblance. I can feel there's a difference from my Aura and the Fall Maiden power though. Aura feels like warm sunlight, but Maiden magic feels like fire. It doesn't burn or hurt, but it definitely took a while to get used to. Then there's the other strange...bonuses. I can feel when the seasons are about to change, when the dawn breaks, and life itself. It was overwhelming at first, but I've started to get the hang of it. Also, you can fly."

"That sounds...incredible" Pyrrha breathed.

"It is. Just you wait until you wield the powers themselves. It's scary having that much power within you, but given that it's you, I think you'll be able to handle it—Sam stressed that you're a very disciplined person."

"I try to be. My Semblance can be very dangerous within cities and other settlements. If I do not focus it, it can latch onto metal objects that I didn't plan on controlling."

"Then I should warn you that the Maiden's magic greatly amplifies your Semblance. My Semblance is called 'Divine Blare', which lets me blast bright light from my hands to blind people, and burn Grimm at close range. Using Divine Blare with my Maiden magic, I can vaporise Grimm within fifty feet. I can't hurt Humans, Faunus, or animals—thank the Gods—but with the Maiden's magic fueling Blare, I can permanently blind them, so watch out. It's what I tried to do with Cinder Fall when I was ambushed, but by that point it was too late. My flashing did show Qrow where I was, so there's a silver lining."

"I suppose so..."

"Oh! That reminds me" Amber remarked, snapping her fingers. "Your boobs are gonna grow." This out-of-the-blue statement caused Pyrrha to look up at the Maiden in shock, her cheeks turning pink as Amber cupped her mammaries. "I was already done with puberty, but then after awakening the Fall Maiden's powers, they went up a couple cup sizes over several months. Turns out the Gods are pervs! Relax, I'm not being blasphemous! I know the truth, so don't give me that look! It turns out that because we Humans are children of the Light, and Maidens are women, we possess a small part of the miracle of creation. Therefore, we become more like Amynta, the Goddess of air, marriage, women's fertility, and childbirth—but you know all of that. Speaking of which, don't panic when you stop getting your period. There's nothing wrong, it's just a little bonus from being blessed. So the upside is no more bleeding, cramps or mood swings, but it also means it's baby-time all the time. So make sure your boyfriend wears a condom, as birth control doesn't work. On top of that, Maidens show less signs of aging, and we live longer. The Maiden powers come with a lot of perks, though I can't enjoy the fun ones that aren't related to power, since I couldn't date after I joined the order...didn't get a chance to before then either..."

A heavy silence fell onto the young women. Pyrrha was robbed of any thought to voice, as Amber's somber remarks reminded her of why she was sitting there to begin with. Despite the Fall Maiden's lively and upbeat speech, trying to make light of the situation, word of her fate would enter it, and cause the Mistralese champion's heart to clench. She tried to hide it, but she was a bad liar, and therefore a bad poker player, allowing her face to betray her. Amber of course noticed her distress, and reached over to take her hand and squeezed it comfortingly.

"Don't think about that for now" she said kindly, as if she could read Pyrrha's mind. "Let's focus on getting to know one another. I need to know more about you as a person, so put the bad part out of your mind for the time being."

Pyrrha looked into Amber's face, her eyes landing on the scars, before finally finding her eyes. To her great surprise, there was neither pain nor fear in the young woman's eyes, proving that her smile did not stop before her brown orbs. Despite the truth of the matter and the damage to her body, it did not halt Amber's warmth to shine through. To Pyrrha, it felt akin to the succor granted by a holy man, mixed in with that of a mother. Was this who Amber was, a by-product of her magic, or a mixture of both? She didn't know, but she also didn't ask, and instead managed to smile, and nod.

Reluctantly at first, Pyrrha began to talk at length of her background and childhood. With Amber being such an attentive listener, the fears and darkness began to fade away, and Pyrrha set about telling stories with a much lighter heart. The pair swapped tales of their childhoods, training regiments, how the Vytal tournament progressed from beginning to end, how she and Jaune became a couple, and many more subjects. They were so engrossed with their conversations, that they did not keep track of the time, and several hours passed as fast as a flowing river. It was only when Amber began to breathe more heavily, did the flow of conversation come to an end.

"Are you alright?" Pyrrha asked, now noticing the beads of sweat that were forming on the brunette's brow.

"Oh I'm fine" Amber reassured with a smile, though her laboured breathing and sweating said otherwise. "All that talking just took more out of me than I thought it would. I think I'll have to take a nap, but I'll be fine right afterwards." She reached over for her oxygen mask, and pressed the button on the device Penny had instructed for her to use earlier. "Pyrrha, there's something I'd like to ask you."

"Of course."

"Would you be available tomorrow? I'd like to continue our talk. I'll make sure to get plenty of sleep so that I won't quit early."

"Certainly" Pyrrha assured, fearful that she may not get another chance. "I'll make sure that my day is free."

Despite feeling exhausted, Amber grinned mischievously with a twinkle in her eye.

"I hope Jaune won't be too disappointed with me getting in the way of your alone-time."

The redhead was unable to stop herself from smirking at the comment, and felt a little better.

"I think he is mature enough to be patient and wait for me to return, and not be cross for losing a day together."

"Sure, but give him extra kisses as an apology from me."

The elevator door opened to reveal Penny, who marched quickly to her patient. Noticing her arrival, Amber placed the mask over her head and mouth as Penny began to examine her and the medical apparatuses she was attached to. She leaned back into her bed, allowing her caretaker to begin her work, which gave Pyrrha her exit, though she did so very reluctantly. She bowed to the both of them, and slowly made her way to the elevator, but was then halted by Amber.

"Pyrrha" she called, removing her mask so she could be heard clearly. Pyrrha turned to look, holding her breath anxiously, but saw that the Fall Maiden was smiling. "If your first kid is a boy, I think Roy would make a great name."

Pyrrha released her breath and returned the smile, the sentiment touching her heart.

"Roy is a wonderful name. I will keep it in mind for the future. Thank you, Amber" she replied humbly, and she bowed once again before continuing her march for the elevator.

As the doors closed before her, the redhead gazed at the injured brown-haired woman, and prayed that there could be a way to save her. If not, then for her passing to be free of pain and regret.

When she arrived at the top of the tower, she was greeted by Glynda, and was guided back to Ozpin's office. Upon entering, the rest of the Order turned to face her, and politely welcomed her back.

"Welcome back, Miss Nikos" Ozpin said gently. "I take it you and Miss Calico had a pleasant chat."

"Yes, we did" Pyrrha confirmed, taking her seat once again before him. "She is a wonderful person."

"I like to think so as well. How I wish that she could be spared from such turmoil" he sighed, interlacing his fingers and resting his hands in his lap. He eyed Pyrrha carefully, trying to read her thoughts and emotions from her eyes and face. The Huntmaster could see her encounter with Amber had given her a lot to think about, and now was no doubt trying to make sense of everything. "You appear to have a myriad of questions for us, Miss Nikos. Please, feel free to ask them, and we shall answer them to the best of our abilities."

Pyrrha looked up at him, as well as the other members of the Order, before taking a breath to steady herself.

"You say that, Huntmaster, however, you have not been as forthcoming as I would like. Previously, you, as well as the rest of the Order, presented me very little information, and avoided most of my questions. I understand that you wish to remain secretive due to the severity of your mission; however, after how much I have already learned, and how involved I have been made, I demand that you answer my most pressing questions. I cannot come to a proper conclusion if I remain in the dark. Are you now willing to answer them?"

The others looked at Ozpin, as Pyrrha had spoken with steady seriousness, and had made it clear that she was no longer being overwhelmed by the truth of the Maidens. The silver-haired Huntsman was also aware of this, and could see the graveness in her emerald eyes, which had heightened greatly since the last time they had spoken. He suspected he knew the reason as to why, and knew that the truth was all she needed to hear.

"All the secrets of the Order will be made available to you once you officially join. However" he said, making sure to halt her protests, which he saw were beginning to surface from his first remark. "I will answer as much as I can, as you have certainly earned that right. Please begin, Miss Nikos."

Nodding, Pyrrha continued. "Thank you, Huntmaster. You previously mentioned that Cinder Fall was not the leader of the enemy, but rather she answered to another. Who is this master? Who can command factions that are completely at odds with one another for a single, monstrous goal?"

"Certainly, however, I must correct you by saying they have not a master, but a mistress. Her name is Salem. We do not know what she is nor where she came from, or even how old she truly is. What we do know is that she is a powerful sorceress whose knowledge of the black arts is more disturbing than the Grimm themselves. While powerful and wicked, and a mystery with almost no record of her or her origins, we do know there is one thing that she fears: the Maidens. They are the only force in Remnant that can stop her, and their very existence has kept her at bay. However, that does not mean that she has not tried to weaken them. Indeed, she has been trying to do so for centuries."

"The Dark Agents mentioned in Heidrian the Heroic's tome" breathed Pyrrha.

"Yes" Ozpin nodded, pleased that she had remembered this detail. "While she succeeded in destroying the original Order after forcing them into secrecy, she does not wield the power to annihilate the Maidens from the world. Nevertheless, we have recently discovered something far worse that has changed in the years since the fall of the original Order."

"Which would be?"

Ozpin paused before looked at the champion with sorrowful eyes.

"Salem has the Spring Maiden in her service."

Pyrrha's eyes widened in horror. "How? How is this possible?—and for how long?" she asked.

"We don't know" answered Ironwood. "We were only recently made aware of this revelation, and if our source is to be believed, she has been under Salem's leadership for many years."

"Would the Gods not intervene in some way if such a desecration of their power was taking place?" she asked, understanding the severity of this inhuman enemy enslaving the Maidens, which were as Ozpin himself described, Hammers of the Gods.

"You are forgetting, Miss Nikos, we have no record of there ever being a Dark Maiden, nor have we sufficient information of the transference of power" Ozpin reminded. "What She has developed in secrecy to circumvent the Change of Seasons, we do not know. However, we do know that the Gods are as involved as they dare. Of course as a devout practitioner of Vóreios Astéras, you know that the Gods do not hold our hands in life. They would not have given us free will if they expected us to live on rails. Destiny exists for those who can grasp it, but it does not contradict the overarching rule of free will; we must live life as a test for the Gods to judge us after death. Now, we do not know how Salem has convinced the Spring Maiden to join her, or how she ensnared the Spring Maiden's powers, but we do know that it is neither a simple nor a clean method of control. Amber was badly injured in the initial attempt to steal the Fall Maiden's power, and James has learned some new details from Cinder Fall's autopsy."

"We did a thorough examination of her body, and found some peculiar points of interest" continued the General. "We noticed the start of organ failure, despite all other tests showing that she was otherwise in perfect health. We cannot determine the cause of this organ failure, but a theory the Order has proposed, is that the method of taking the powers by force, has resulted in self harm. In comparison to the injuries that Amber has taken, there is a close similarity. Now, how the Spring Maiden has remained alive and supposedly in perfect fighting form for years if she too would be susceptible to this destruction, we can't say—unless she is acting on her own free will."

"In any case, the news that the Spring Maiden is indeed in league with Salem, means that we have even less time than we believed—which was not plentiful to begin with" Ozpin sighed with a frown. "We must prepare our defenses, and ready for the coming storm. It is why we are desperate to now locate the remaining Maidens so that they do not fall under Salem's spell—as well as not lose the Fall Maiden. Manipulation is a skill the enemy has long since mastered, and this makes us ever the more cautious. She has manipulated Men, Faunus, and now, the Maidens themselves. And with even They vulnerable to bending to Her will, then this means that Salem can begin Her conquest of Remnant."

Pyrrha ingested this information with great difficulty, as the scope of what she thought had been the truth, was far larger than she believed it to be. There was only one result this Salem would bring.

"The world will go to war once again" she said, her heart clenching at the thought.

"Yes" replied Ironwood, his eyes reflecting a fierce determination to fight, regardless of the foe. "Though not Kingdom against Kingdom, but a Holy War to thwart the legions of Darkness; if we can rally the warriors of the world to fight side by side."

"Please forgive us for all this secrecy and hastening, Miss Nikos, but we had no choice other than to feel our way through this quagmire. For years we have planned for this inevitable war, but so much turmoil and toil has sidetracked us to the point of being vulnerable to this surprise assault. We did not come to any of our decisions lightly, neither in mind nor in heart. We did it with the safety of the people of Vale and of Remnant first and foremost. So now that you know the truth, will you help us?"

Pyrrha felt beside herself. She looked down at her hands, which had unconsciously grasped her red sash tightly, and if she were not wearing gloves, her knuckles would be pure white. She knew that this would be the greatest decision of her life, and one that would change everything she believed her future would hold. She felt fear growing within her, which was met with a calling to fight, leaving her with a great deal of uncertainty. However, she was not the same person she was when she arrived in Vale, or even that of the week before this very day. So much had changed outside of the revelation of the Maidens being real, and that change came in the form of one blond Knight. Jaune's kind and handsome features materialized in her mind, and her anxious heart began to soothe, bringing her to the only path that she would walk upon.

"There is nothing to forgive, Huntmaster. I now understand your struggles, and I cannot blame any of you for your actions" she said calmly, looking up at the members of the Order with solemnity in her face. "I have demands."

It was a direct comment, but she could not think of another way of delivering it.

"We fully expected that you would" Ozpin confessed with a nod. "Please state them."

"I love Jaune" Pyrrha announced without embarrassment or hesitation. "This year has been one filled with unexpected twists and turns, and the one I expected the least, other than the existence of this Order, was falling in love. It was stressful trying to form this relationship, but at last, we are together. He is the man I know I will marry, he is the man I wish to start a family with, and his family have already welcomed me with more warmth than I could have dreamed of. I will not abandon him, his family, or any of my friends. Tell me directly if accepting the position as the Fall Maiden will rob me of my relationship with him."

Ozpin remained silent for a moment, as did the other members of the Order, except for Qrow, who snorted in amusement.

"Everyone wants to fuck, and this one is holding her ground for marriage and kids" he remarked taking a swig from his flask. "We got lucky with this one. None of us were that focused at that age."

"Speak for yourself" retorted Winter with a displeased tone of voice.

"In any event" said Ozpin, taking control of the conversation once again, "we fully expected for you to ask us of this. Personally, we have all forgone forming such relationships, choosing to dedicate ourselves to this cause entirely." Glynda gave him a quick glance which Pyrrha noticed, and saw for the first time a flash of pain in her green eyes. "Winter, our youngest member for example, forfeited her birthright as heiress to the Schnee family and company. She did this willingly of course, as it has given her the freedom to fully dedicate herself to our cause. For you, Miss Nikos, so long as your relationship with Mr. Arc does nothing to hinder or distract you from your duty, then you are free to continue it. We may fight for a noble cause, but we all need something closer to our hearts to get us through the dark times. Furthermore, as a Maiden, you are not forbidden from marrying and having children of your own. Heidrian the Heroic mentions in his tome, there are special individuals referred to as the 'Children of Maidens'. This is self-explanatory of course, for he is referring to the children conceived and born from the Four Maidens. He says that they appear to have greater strength than most, as well as some developing unique abilities. My personal theory is that this is where some of the hereditary Semblances came from, though I do not doubt the legitimacy of the family lore of those who still remember them. So in short, we shall not impede in your happiness."

"Just save the baby making until after this shit is over for good...if we survive" muttered Qrow.

"Thank you, however in that same vein, I cannot have a strong relationship with him if I have to keep this all secret" Pyrrha continued, knowing that this would be the subject matter they would resist the most. Knowing she and Jaune could still be together gave her much more confidence, and she would gladly argue with passion. "Lying to my friends has been the hardest endeavor I have ever undergone since the passing of my father. Jaune is not a fool, and immediately knew something was wrong—I could see the pain he was in not being able to help me. I vowed that I would not lie to him ever again, so if I am to become the new Fall Maiden, I cannot keep it a secret from him—or my friends for that matter. I then implore that you grant me permission to tell them all the truth."

"Permission granted" Ozpin replied curtly with a smile, pleased she still asked. This caused Pyrrha to blink in surprise, showing she had been expecting a confrontation, which caused the Huntmaster of Beacon to chuckle. "Not what you assumed I would say, I see. Miss Nikos, I must confess that I am quite fond of Mr. Arc, and I fully expect him to keep this all a secret if you ask him to. When I spoke to him last, I could plainly see that his love for you was as deep as yours is for him. I could not imagine anyone else who could stand by your side. As for your teammates, they will learn the truth in time, but not now. As a matter of course, all will learn the truth, however I think it would be best to wait for their skill and maturity to develop a tad more. I will let you know when that time has come. As for Team RWBY, they have nearly a birthright claim to the truth, so I can assure you they will know sooner rather than later."

"A birthright?" Pyrrha echoed curiously, as the notion of birthrights had become a popular one as of late.

"Indeed. Miss Rose, Miss Xiao Long, and Miss Belladonna's parents were once all members of this Order. They may all have either passed on from this world, or left to seek their own paths, but they, at a time, marched beneath the same banner. Weiss of course has her sister as a current member, so they all will be told the truth of the Maidens."

"Whether their folks want them to or not" cut in Qrow almost bitterly. "When war breaks out, you can either climb out of the muck and become a Human being...or you die."

"In short, you may tell Mr. Arc when you wish, and Mr. Ren and Miss Valkyrie when we say. Team RWBY must wait, not only due to the sensitivity of their family, but their connection with Team SSSN. Does that sound agreeable?" proposed Ozpin.

Pyrrha nodded, honestly unable to see a fairer compromise.

"That then leaves us to my final demand" she said steadily. "What will happen to my teammates and friends if I agree to be the next Maiden? Will I have to abandon them, as my new responsibilities will stop me from fighting with them? Perhaps with Jaune being my lover may grant him special privilege to be with me, but I cannot allow the line to be drawn behind him. I love Nora and Ren as if they were my siblings, which is why I offered them to stay in my home for as long as they need. And the more time that I spend with Team RWBY, then more I treasure them as my friends. We have trained as a team, and we shall remain a team till our Hunt has ended, so I cannot leave them behind. I am tired of being kept on a pedestal, and I would much rather die fighting with my friends side by side."

This statement caused the Atlassians to smirk proudly at her, as they felt the very same as soldiers. Ozpin was of a different make, but nevertheless understood and resonated with her profound seriousness.

"Answer me this, Miss Nikos" he began at last. "What does a circle signify?"

Pyrrha was a little surprised by the question, but had no difficulty answering it.

"Wholeness, unity, eternity, cycles, the Sun, the Moon, protection against evil; there are many tributes to the circle across Remnant."

"Yes, and all are true. It is the very reason as to why the name of this order is 'The Maiden's Ring'. The Maidens represent the eternal changing and returning of seasons—the wheel of time. It also refers to the Order's holy mission to defend the defenders, as that is what the Maidens are, and for as long as they remain in Remnant, so shall the Maiden's Ring. Today, our mission is to unite the world against the Darkness of Salem, who in turn is doing everything she can to divide us, turning Men against Men, Faunus against Faunus, Men against Faunus, ally against ally, and brother against brother. We are not the enemy, so the idea of breaking the bonds that unite us when they are so strong, is immoral. If you may forgive my roundabout reply, neither I nor the Order will demand you to abandon your friends. Once the world learns of your status as a Maiden, changes will naturally come, but the war will have to end in order for the greatest of changes to emerge; then we may peacefully debate on what to do. The only additional responsibilities will be the special training you will have to undergo through the Order. I will train you personally, as will Qrow, as often as he can be spared. Of course, you of all people are fully accustomed to rigorous training sessions, and no doubt you will flourish under pressure. You will become a Maiden, but you will still be a Huntress-in-training, and must continue your studies. Have we satisfied your demands, Miss Nikos?"

Pyrrha remained silent for a moment, needing to think if there was anything else she was forgetting. Everything she thought that would impede her from joining the Order and undertaking this holiest of charges, had been laid on the table, and the Order agreed to them. She had not an inkling to believe that they would go against their word, so she could not think of a logical reason to resist further. It was then that one thing she did forget, emerged from her racing mind, and she felt very ashamed for failing to think of it.

"My mother!" she said. "May I also tell my mother? After the death of my father, she worries about me constantly. That worry has lessened over the years, but I could never forgive myself for needlessly stressing her."

"Of course. Given that she is your mother, who no doubt is responsible for raising such a noble and dutiful daughter, I can say with confidence she too can keep this a secret" Ozpin replied with a soft smile. Pyrrha could feel the corners of her mouth wanting to turn into a smile of her own, but the weight of the decision she now needed to make, repressed it.

She shut her eyes as if in prayer, and allowed herself to sift through what now laid bare. She had vowed to become a Huntress to defend the innocent from the hordes of Grimm, and felt it was her religious duty to do so. She had made that vow, not only in the names of the Gods of Light, but in the name of her father, who gave his life to protect others. For her, it was always a larger than life path to become a Huntress, which she learned she was in the minority through the years as a Huntress-in-training. She had been content with being another in the ranks of Huntsmen, and after meeting Jaune, as well as Ren, Nora, and her other friends, felt completion, where she would graduate as a Huntress, and operate as a team until their retirement. When Jaune at last accepted her feelings and wished to pursue her, her future was now set, hoping that he would return her love, which he slowly had, and marriage became more and more of a reality. From marriage would bring children, something else she had wanted ever since she began her journey as a woman, only heightening her standards of what man she wished to join in holy matrimony. Jaune was that man, and she could not imagine anyone else filling that role. She would fight for him, as well as for her friends and family, to protect them, and to the death if need be.

None of this had changed, and becoming the Fall Maiden, in all reality, did not affect anything that mattered. It had been terrifying at first, but the more she thought upon it, the more she felt something cry out from her very soul. She had vowed to serve the Gods in the same manner as many had before her, and no doubt as many would after her. However, she now had an opportunity to do so in a far more direct and significant fashion. She would not become a figurative Hammer of the Gods; she would be a literal Hammer of the Gods. The honour of such an offer was beyond words, and it touched her belief in destiny. Could she truly claim that she was destined to become the next Fall Maiden however? Honestly, she knew that she could not. If the enemy had not been so cowardly, and cruelly assaulted Amber, then she would not be having this conversation with the Order. Regardless, she knew that thinking of what would have been had no bearing on what was. Now, what was in her hands, was whether or not she would uphold her principles and vows, or cower in fear.

Pyrrha opened her eyes and rose to her feet, stepping to the left of the chair she had been seated in. Without warning, she drew Miló from her back, and took a knee, resting the blade on its point, gripping the hilt of her sword with both hands as she bowed her head.

"I swear by the Light of the Northern Star and all the Gods of Light that I shall keep secret the knowledge of the Order of the Maiden's Ring, and swear loyalty to it and her members. I accept the holy charge of receiving, guarding, and wielding the Fall Maiden's power, as well as the duty of fighting the evil of the Sorceress Salem. I shall fight to destroy her with all my might—may the Gods cover me with death if I should ever fail" she vowed without stutter or hesitation.

The Order gazed at her demonstration of loyalty, and while Pyrrha could not see as her head remained bowed, there was a fire in their eyes. That wholehearted commitment was something they needed more than anything else, and seeing the young woman come through, gave them hope they would not go forward with a generation unwilling to fight. Ozpin then rose from his chair, and walked around his desk to the kneeling Huntress-in-training, and held out his hand.

"We are not royalty, nor are we Gods, Miss Nikos" he began, causing her to lift her head. "Whatever pride may say, we are but mortal men and women intent on fighting for the future of our Kingdoms and loved ones. If there is anyone that we would bend the knee to, it would be you—once you become one of the Four Maidens. So please, rise." Pyrrha nodded, and accepted his hand as she sheathed her weapon. "Nevertheless, I, as head of this Order, fully accept your vow, and welcome you into the holy brotherhood of the Maiden's Ring." He then took her hand in both of his own, and looked upon her with the same sorrowfulness as he had when she had first been summoned nearly a week ago. "As grateful as I am, I truly am sorry for involving you like this so suddenly. How I wish we had more time to prepare for the coming battles, or at least enough time so that you and your friends could be trained properly and graduate as full Huntsmen. I have high hopes for your generation, as I once believed that mine was the one that would fight this war of Light, until the path we thought lay so clearly before us, was submerged in doubt and darkness. Now, I believe you are the ones that will be the beacon of light that will guide the world against the evil of Salem."

"I pray that we will" she replied genuinely. "And I pray that our repulsion has bought us more time."

"That remains to be seen, I'm afraid. Is there anything else that you wish to ask us?"

"Well...I suppose there is one at the moment, though it's admittedly somewhat mundane in comparison to what I've learned since the first conversation we had. You referred to Salem as a sorceress, and throughout my conversation with Amber, she called the Maiden powers 'magic'. Does this mean that magic is real?"

Ozpin smirked, knowing that she would ask him this sooner or later.

"Indeed, my dear—magic is very much real. Why would you assume otherwise?"

Pyrrha blushed in embarrassment, feeling like a child asking their father or mother a question when the answer was obvious.

"W-Well, I believed that the existence of magic can simply be attributed to Aura and Semblances" she replied. "While the Huntsmen academies are only several hundred years old—Haven Academy being the oldest in Remnant—Humans and Faunus have been wielding both for over three thousand years. That is what we were taught at Sanctum, as well as that sightings of creatures such as dragons, unicorns, cockatrices, and phoenixes were nothing more than Grimm."

"Yes, that is the general consensus. However..." the Huntmaster held up his right hand with his palm open, causing it to glow green with Aura. In the centre of his palm then bloomed a green sigil, which surprised Pyrrha enough, but then surprised her further when something emerged from it. A fully armoured knight mounted on a horse wearing a caparison, galloped at full tilt towards the stunned redhead with a couched lance. It was no larger than a common squirrel, and she watched it run past her before circling to face her, and then rear back on its hind legs. "I have come to learn over the years that not everything is what it appears to be. It is much better to keep an open mind to the possibilities, for you may never know what lies beyond."

Pyrrha's eyes were glued to the magical creation, watching the horse bob its head and count thrice, with the Knight placing his free hand to his chest and bowing respectfully to her.

"...Does this mean that all those creatures of folklore are real as well?" she asked after finding her voice.

"Well..." Ozpin replied, holding out his right index finger. The Knight turned his horse and both leapt into the air, before turning into a phoenix and perching on his master. "That remains to be seen. Any other questions, Miss Nikos?"

Pyrrha laughed. "I'm sure that I do, but not today, other than Amber has asked me to visit her again tomorrow."

"Of course" the Huntmaster smiled, placing the green bird on his shoulder. "Come with me."

They walked back to the elevator, where Ozpin opened the secret panel to reveal the hand scanner. He asked Pyrrha to place her hand onto the scanner so that her identity would be entered into the vault's security system.

"There you are. You may now enter the vault whenever you wish; whether you want to visit Miss Calico, or to comb through the texts and artifacts we have recovered over the years. I do request however, that you do not host festivities with non-members in the vault. Is that clear?" he stated with a small smile, a little attempt of humour on his part.

"Yes, I will keep that in mind" Pyrrha replied with a smile of her own as they began to walk back to his office.

"Very good. You may go now. Our work is never done, and we have a number of things to complete before the end of the year, as we are still, of course, teachers, and this is still an academy."

Pyrrha bowed respectfully as the other members began to leave the office. Ozpin returned to his desk as Qrow seated himself across from him, indicating that they were going to have a long conversation about something. The redhead saw Huntmaster-General Ironwood and Major Schnee exit the office, and both walked towards her, keen on welcoming her personally into the fold.

"Allow me to extend the pleasantries and our gratitude, Miss Nikos" Ironwood said politely. "No doubt this is all nerve-racking to say the least."

"Yes and no" she replied with a sigh. "I have slowly become used to all of this, but I know it will take much longer for it all to become normal."

"As I told you the first time you were brought before the Order" reminded Winter. "However, you appear to be recovering from the shock of it all much faster than I did."

"Don't sell yourself short, Major" Ironwood smirked. "You've grown tremendously over the past two years, proving my choosing of you was well founded." This praise caused Winter to straighten and puff out her chest in pride, her cheeks tinting pink as she thanked him graciously. "It's also why we chose you, Miss Nikos, as you've displayed the perfect qualities that are not only needed as a Huntress, a warrior, and a member of the Order, but qualities demanded of a Maiden—a Fall Maiden specifically. I agree with Sam that we all possess free will, but I think that you were destined to become the Fall Maiden."

Pyrrha was touched by his words, but still felt pangs of guilt, as Amber's fate was now tied to her own.

"Thank you sir, but I do not believe I'm as special as you all think I am. I've done my best to do what is right, which is why I have agreed to this charge. No doubt that anyone with the same convictions would do as I have" she explained.

"I'm not so sure. I've seen a great deal of the world in my time, and there's plenty of cowardice, even in the best of men. In my view, courage is the rarest of all good traits. There are many good people, but there are few that are good with enough courage to make a difference. Sam and I have had plenty of disagreements on that subject over the years, and it's taken him a long while to come round to the reality of the world. We've been arguing about our worldviews ever since we met nearly twenty years ago, and it's not likely to change."

This came as a surprise to Pyrrha. "I'm sorry, I had assumed that all of the Order was united in the same worldview."

"Oh we are—for the most part—but that doesn't mean that friends cannot disagree about things and still be thick as thieves. As it turns out, in working with allies, it sometimes happens that they develop opinions of their own. Let's take Sam for example. He believes that all people, Human and Faunus alike, are inherently good. I disagree with that premise. I believe all people, Men and Faunus, have the capacity to be good. Goodness has to be learned, because doing evil things, bad things, selfish things—that's easy. Doing the right thing is hard, as we naturally shy away from hardship. However, there is something that he said to me many years ago that I agree with deeply; that the Human spirit is indomitable. As a soldier, I have seen so much evil in my life, and it can be so disheartening, that it feels as if the sacrifice isn't worth it. And yet, I then come across people like you, and Winter, and even Qrow. There's something uplifting about Humanity, as well as Faunality, that we see even during the toughest times. Well, especially during the toughest times. People always come to fight against the largest of foes. Even in the most repressive regimes in history, there have always been underground movements, resistance movements, volunteers against tyranny. I suppose that this is the indomitable nobility of the Human spirit Sam spoke of. Sure, it might sometimes take the form of the wide-eyed innocence of youth, either in young men wanting to enlist or in children applying for Hunting school, but it's there. It's always there. And it's always refreshing."

The Huntmaster-General smiled warmly at her and wished her the best, before walking down the hall to the elevator, leaving the women behind. Pyrrha watched him silently, feeling an entirely new level of respect for the man. It gave her comfort that she was in good hands, and that there were people in the world that shared her desire of fighting for the good of all. Beside her stood Winter, feeling the same respect, as well as pride and admiration for her commanding officer. It was very evident as to why she was so loyal to him beyond the expected obedience that came from the chain of military command and service.

"He has a way with words, doesn't he?" the Major remarked. "The Atlassian Council views him as a meat-headed war-dog, failing to see his qualities past that of a military commander and educator. They do it to slight him, no doubt, envious of his popularity with the people, and the loyalty of his men and students."

"Yes, he also displayed that at the opening of the tournament" recalled Pyrrha, his words of unity and camaraderie touching her then as well. "The Councils know nothing of us, correct?"

"None. We have expelled a great deal of effort to maintain that secrecy."

The redhead paused for a moment, before asking a question that she wasn't sure if she would like the answer.

"What will happen once the war begins and we will have to make ourselves known? How will the Councils react? What if they label us as traitors?"

Winter said nothing for a short while, before replying with a steady breath.

"We will cross that bridge when we come to it, however, we can hope for their support; more for the sake of our citizens than for our pride. We have planned for this of course, but there are larger fish to fry at the moment."

The pair said nothing until they reached the ground floor of the tower, were they said their goodbyes and walked away in opposite directions. Pyrrha was now left to overflowing thoughts that were now roaring through her mind. So much had her world changed in only a few hours, that if she hadn't gone through such a thing once before, she would have been overwhelmed by it all. Now, with her heart strengthened by Jaune's love, the transparency of the Order, and her long conversation with Amber, it steadied herself enough to ride the waves and meditate on the matter properly. She would have, when her Scroll began to vibrate, which caught her off guard as she had assumed she had placed it on silent. Presuming that it was Jaune, she quickly retrieved it from her pocket, and was surprised to find that it was not her Knight.

"Olivier?" she answered.

"Bonjour, Pyrrha! How are you?"

"I'm alright, and yourself?"

"Not too badly. At last my duties have been completed, and I am free to travel the city at my leisure. Therefore, would you like for us to have our match, or would you prefer to wait for when we return to Mistral?"

Pyrrha paused at this, as she had nearly forgotten their promise. It was true that the end of the school year was only in a few days' time, and she could indeed wait till their return for their fight. However, after accepting the Order's request, and learning of what was to come, never before did she need a clear and concrete understanding of her current level of strength. It would be better for her to learn it now than later, as her fellow members had repeated ad nauseam that time was of the essence.

"No, I would like to face you today" she replied at last. "I am free if you are, and we can make use of the academy's training halls in the southern corners of the campus."

"Excellent! Which one shall we utilize? I am currently at the airship harbour" Olivier asked.

"Training hall B is right there near the bank, just south of the main ceremony hall. I will meet you there."

"Parfait! See you there."

Pyrrha ended the call, and with a bound, sprinted south-west towards the training hall, passing the information office in the process. It only took her a few minutes to reach the training hall, and when she entered it, the faculty member at the front desk informed her that a foreign student had reserved a room not long ago, and was waiting for her. By the time she reached the room, she had fully caught her breath, but nevertheless paused before the doors, collecting her thoughts, and steadying her mind. When she opened the doors, she saw the tall senior Huntsman-in-training standing on the opposite starting position, smiling patiently. Pyrrha returned the smile, not only as it was always wonderful to see her mentor, but that she could see that with him reaching the hall before her, without a drop of sweat on his brow, informed her that his speed had increased further.

"My, aren't you quick on your feet" he remarked in a playful and teasing manner. "Do you require a moment to recover or shall we begin?"

"I am more than ready" she replied, and walked to her starting position.

"Very well. I hope I am not taking you away from your beau. No doubt you would prefer to spend your time with him than with your old mentor."

"You promised to fight me properly after the tournament concluded, and I intend to keep you to that promise" Pyrrha answered with a slight blush. "I will have plenty of time with Jaune this evening."

"Alright" he nodded, before drawing his rapier and activating his gauntlet-buckler shield, and striking it with the flat of his blade. "En garde!"

Pyrrha drew Miló and Akoúo, echoing her mentor's challenge, and took her fighting stance.

λΛλ

Back at the dormitories, Jaune and Ren were in their room, keeping themselves busy to the best of their abilities. Jaune was sitting on the floor with his back against the side of his bed as he polished his cuirass. Ren was across from him, sitting on his own bed and reading his book as he usually did with his back against the wall. The boys had barely spoken to one another that morning, and finding themselves with free time on their hands, decided to simply do whatever they needed to take care of. As Jaune polished his armour, he glanced over to his Scroll that rested on the bed just to his right, for what might as well have been the thousandth time that hour. This of course did not go unnoticed by his teammate, which was a skill that the blond wished he could learn, as it was almost infuriating how perceptive he could be.

"You can just text her if you're so worried" Ren said without taking his eyes off his book.

"No, it's OK. She's just really busy, that's all" Jaune dismissed, glancing up at the green-clad young man, before returning to his polishing. "And since I made her worry yesterday, I'll just trust that she'll call or come back soon enough."

"If you don't pull all of your hair out beforehand" Ren remarked, turning a page. "You become quite depressed when she isn't around. It's sort of amusing how clingy you've become since the Dance."

His captain looked up at him, and gave him a looked of pure pique, honestly considering to throw his oily cloth at him.

"Like you and Nora?" he shot back, earning himself a point as Ren's cheeks tinted lightly pink.

"It's not the same. After ten years of being together, I always feel incomplete when she isn't with me."

That caused Jaune to grin and he pointed at Ren with his cloth.

"Ten years of marriage does that to you. My dad always refers to my mom as his 'better half', so it makes sense you'd feel that way. Definitely a relationship goal for myself and Pyrrha."

This scored another point for Jaune, as Ren's blush deepened, causing him to focus more intently at his book, leaving Jaune to return to his polishing. This didn't last long, as while Jaune tended to his armour, a question arose in his mind as he stared at his family's heraldic achievement. He then looked up once again at his friend, and wondered if he should ask it, not sure if he was prying into something he shouldn't. Admittedly, it was a question he had been meaning to ask ever since he had met him, and if it was a touchy subject, then Ren would politely decline to answer.

"Hey Ren? Can I ask you something? It's not about Nora" he said, quickly adding the clarifier before his teammate could protest.

"Ask away."

"Why do you go by your family name instead of your first?" Jaune asked, keeping an eye on the young man's reaction as he spoke. "It's bugged me since we first met, and given that even Nora calls you 'Ren', I just wanted to know the reason."

This caused Ren to look up at his captain silently, before sliding a bookmark into his novel, and closed it gently.

"Yes, I suppose that is to be expected" he answered. "I did go by Lie until after I met Nora, and it wasn't long afterwards that I asked her to call me Ren." He looked over to his right to where his tailcoat hung over one of the chairs, his eyes resting on the back where the gold-trimmed magenta lotus sigil sat in the centre. "Ren is my family name, and I am the last of that family. We were never anything like your family or Weiss', but nevertheless, the family name was important, as was the family itself. We were greatly respected in our village, and many would come to ask my father for advice on things. I don't want it to vanish from the world, so I decided that it would be the name I would present to both friend and foe. The word 'Ren' means lotus in my native tongue, which is why our sigil is the lotus flower. The lotus represents determination and resilience, for the flower can rise above the dirty and murky waters to create beautiful blossoms. It's why my pistols are called 'StormFlower', which was Nora's suggestion after I explained to her the meaning of the lotus. My mother would even cook with lotus roots, called 'renkon', and my father would give her lotus flowers before he would leave on trips, as a way of saying that he loved her even when he was away from her. I know it's a rather long explanation, but I simply want to keep my family name alive; to honour it, and fulfill my promises to them. Is that satisfactory?"

Jaune nodded slowly, not at all expecting the answer to be so layered, but understood the reasoning perfectly.

"It is. I totally get what you mean by honouring the family name. It's what I've been trying to do since Pyrrha reminded me about what it means to be an Arc. Thanks for letting me know, Ren" he said, earning a bow from his friend, who was pleased that the blond comprehended his rationale. Jaune then smirked mischievously and added, "And it explains why she calls you 'Renny' as a nickname."

This caused Ren's cheeks to turn pink in embarrassment, feeling a tad foolish to expect them to forget the ginger's drunk nicknaming.

"Admittedly" Ren managed, "it's better than my given name, as it unfortunately means something entirely different in common speak, than what it means in my mother's; ardent."

Jaune couldn't help smirking at this, trying his best not to appear disrespectful.

"Not to sound like an ass, but that better describes Nora than you. Then again, you did admit how passionate you are about protecting her. Either way, you've found a perfectly fine way of getting around that, and for a better reason than the names' double meaning. Ren is a cool name, and Nora Ren has a nice ring to it."

"Yes, it does" Ren agreed calmly, before realizing what he had said, and looked up at Jaune, who had a very satisfied grin on his face. Ren's cheeks began to burn, both for revealing something he meant to keep secret, as frivolous as it was to do so by this point, and in realization that the blond had most likely planned to tease him from the beginning. "Aho (moron)."

Jaune chuckled, understanding the insult despite not speaking the language.

The door of their dorm suddenly opened to reveal Nora smiling happily with a brown paper bag in her arms.

"Hello, Ren! Jaune! I'm back~" she cheered.

"Well, speak of the Grimm" Jaune remarked with a smirk. "Welcome back, Nora. Given by the smell, you just came from a bakery."

"Yup! Ruby and I hit up a cute place she found, and bought a bunch of yummy looking stuff. Plus I saw some really cool pastries and cakes that I bet Ren can make too, and make them even better. I took photos." She then marched over to Ren's bed and jumped next to him, pulling out her Scroll to show what she had found. "By the way, Jaune, Pyrrha's back and waiting for you in our room."

Jaune's eyes widened at this and quickly rose to his feet.

"Really? Why didn't she call or text me?" he demanded.

"You'll see."

Driven by his need to know, the blond made his way to the door, but then remembered that his hands were still oily from tending to his armour. He spun round for the bathroom, and after washing his hands, headed out of his room and straight for Pyrrha's. He opened the door without knocking, and saw the redhead with her back to him, placing her armour and weapons on her bed. Even from where he stood, he could see she was in less than proper state, and he needed to know exactly what happened.

"Pyrrha!" he gasped, causing the lieutenant to turn and look at him.

He now could see the extent of her dishevelment. Her hair was a mess, her face and shoulders had scratches and a couple bruises, her clothes were even more beaten, sweaty, and dirty than they had been after her fight with Sun, and her left thigh had a light bandage wrapped around the gap between her armour and her skirt. He felt his heart fall into his stomach, and his feet moved on their own, closing the distance between them, and he placed one hand on her shoulder, cupping her right cheek with the other.

"Are you OK? What happened?"

Despite how she looked, Pyrrha smiled warmly at him, suspecting that he would react this way, and was touched by his concern.

"I'm alright, Jaune" she replied, slipping the fingers of her left hand under his right, and squeezed it comfortingly. "I just had my sparring match with Olivier after my meeting with Huntmaster Ozpin. I should have messaged to let you know, but I got caught up in the excitement."

Jaune felt instant relief, though he still didn't like seeing her injured.

"Don't sweat it. I deserve it after forgetting to check my Scroll with me yesterday" he said, causing her to giggle. "So...how did it go?"

Pyrrha maintained her smile, but her eyes were a mixture of disappointment and contentedness.

"I haven't had my butt kicked that hard in a long time" she replied with a sigh. This surprised the blond, as...well...it was Pyrrha.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry, Pyrrha" he said, having no idea what else to say to comfort her.

"There's nothing to apologize for. I have lost before, and no doubt I will lose again. I didn't become a champion overnight after all. There are plenty of growing pains one must go through on the path of the Huntsman, and it is better we go through them now instead of in the field; though no doubt there will be plenty to learn out there as well. Honestly, I think I did better than I thought I would, which gives me comfort that my hard work is paying off."

"That's good to hear, I guess. Though, you couldn't have lost that often, since you are called 'The Invincible Girl' after all."

Pyrrha smirked coolly at that.

"Yes, but there is something about that name that points to the truth of the matter: girl. I will be eighteen this September, but I am a long way off from being a woman and a Huntress. You saw just how strong Olivier was at the Karaoke bar when he took a fully enraged punch from Yang without a flinch, and brushed her off as if she were a fly on his arm. That is what a fully trained Huntsman can do, and should be a sobering reminder as to how much more we need to grow. It encourages me that despite being called the Invincible Girl, and in my room at home, I have a cabinet full of trophies and awards, which have placed me on a pedestal that so many think makes me unreachable, the true apex is higher still. I want to see just how high it goes, and what amazing warriors lay there waiting. My father told me that even in defending a title, he always thought of himself as the challenger. I've kept that mentality alive, and will continue to do so for many years to come."

Jaune listened to her in silence, absorbing the profoundness of her words. Her mentality when it came to competitiveness was nothing new to him, as she had explained a great deal during their countless hours of training together, but it was only during their date and moments alone such as these, did she reveal how engrained they were. None of it was for show, which was one of the many reasons he loved her, and how it encouraged him to improve as well. A warm smile grew on his face, and dropped his left hand form her shoulder to her hip.

"I'm gonna need to pick up the pace, or else you'll leave me behind" he remarked, half-seriously.

Pyrrha's smile began to turn mischievous, and she rested her left hand on his chest.

"Well, do your best to keep up then" she teased.

"Of course I will. I mean, the view is great from behind, but as team captain, I can't let you hog all the limelight."

"Jaune!" she gasped, slapping his chest in a slight disciplinary manner, but her smile widened further. This was the first time he had flirted in a more sexual fashion, and her heart had skipped a beat in excitement.

"What? It's not wrong if it's true" he teased back. "Just don't get too far ahead of me, OK?"

"Keep up, slowcoach" she taunted, leaning forward to provoke a kiss from her boyfriend.

Jaune caught on and closed the distance, but at the last moment, the redhead pulled back, with a smirk on her lips. The blond was now fully up for chasing after Pyrrha, especially after she had chased him for so long. Thankfully for Jaune, he already caught her on both counts, and only had to move his hand from her hip to the small of her back, and reeled her in, capturing those taunting lips. Pyrrha instantly melted into the kiss, and wrapped her arms around his neck, noting in her mind to do this more often—as if she needed the encouragement. His scent filled her nostrils, along with the all too familiar scent of sword oil, which unfortunately reminded her that she no doubt smelled unpleasant after such an intense sparring match.

"I need to shower" she said, reluctantly breaking the kiss. "Could I ask you a favour?"

"Anything."

"I'm expecting a call. Could you take it for me if I take too long washing up?"

Jaune blinked, not expecting a request of that nature, but it was far from a queer one.

"You sure? Is it really important?"

"It is, but don't worry, it's not so important that I need to be the one to answer; you only need to note the information the caller provides. Alright?" she instructed.

Jaune nodded, and accepted the Scroll before watching her enter the bathroom, leaving him to wait in silence. He slowly began to pace, wondering just what exactly the call would be about, and decided it would be best for him to grab a piece of paper and a pencil. This search was halted however, as the sound of water running from a showerhead became audible, and quickly caught his attention. It should have spurred him on to find that pen and paper, as now Pyrrha couldn't come out to take the call. Instead, the steamy image of the redhead showering began to form in his mind, water and suds running down her…

'Stop that!' he warned himself, trying to shake the image from his mind. 'It's not right!'

She's your girlfriend. It's your duty to think about her like that. And didn't you just tell her to her face that you love to look at her ass?

Jaune tried to ignore the little voice in his mind, which he wasn't sure if it was his conscience, or as his uncle Otto put it, the "lizard part of the brain". He wasn't entirely sure as to why he used 'lizard-brain', but it oddly fit. Doing his best to slay the beast, Jaune looked around him to find anything to take notes on, when Pyrrha's Scroll began to play a traditional sounding song on a laouto, which he recognized as her ringtone.

"Pyrrha! You're Scroll's ringing!" he called.

"Thank you! Please answer it!" she called back, her voice audible but muffled from both the shower and the bathroom door. Jaune looked down at the device, and was about to answer, when he noticed who was calling.

"Uh...are you sure?"

"Yes!"

The blond looked at it with a frown, and hesitantly accepted the call.

"Hello?"

"Hello? Pyrrha?" came a woman's voice.

"Pyrrha can't come to the phone right now. She just had a sparring match with Olivier, and she's now washing up" he replied, making sure to include as much detail as possible, for it would paint a much different picture otherwise. With a quick breath to steady himself, he added "This is Jaune Arc speaking. It's nice to hear from you, Mrs. Nikos."

"Oh hello, Jaune!" said Anthemya in such a warm and welcoming voice, that all of his anxiety washed away. He instantly realized that she was certainly where Pyrrha got it from, and it made him want to meet her in person more than ever. "It is wonderful to finally hear from you at last! How are you?"

"I'm well, ma'am, and yourself?"

"Oh just fine. Pyrrha has told me so much about you, and that you two have finally begun dating."

"Y-Yes" Jaune blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed, given that it was Pyrrha's mother he was speaking to. "We waited for the tournament to end so that we wouldn't be distracted, and I think it was the right call. Oh, and thank you so much for offering room and board for my teammates. That's an incredibly generous thing to do."

"There is no need to thank me, Jaune. Common decency is worth neither coin nor excessive praise; or as my husband would put it, 'We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone'. It is an honour to help my daughter's friends, especially ones that have suffered so much. Also, it will be wonderful to have my home filled with company and commotion; it breaks up the monotony of pouring over countless books for work" she explained sweetly. "Our home is of course open to you as well. Will you be joining your friends and stay with us this summer?"

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Nikos, but I have to return home for the summer" Jaune replied with genuine regret. "Please don't think ill of me, as I really do want to meet you, but my cousins came to visit to meet Pyrrha, and invited her as well as our friends to our ranch. There will be a lot of visiting going on in the future, which I hope will happen sooner rather than later, so I need to get my own house in order by explaining to my family what's happened over the past year. Also, they really want to meet Pyrrha and get to know her, so I'd like to do this right. Maybe next year at the soonest."

"Then may I suggest a compromise?" Anthemya offered. "How about you bring Pyrrha and your friends to your home first, and then come spend the rest of the summer in Argus? That way I can make sure everything will be prepared in time, and your entire family can meet Pyrrha properly. How does that sound?"

Jaune paused for a moment to think. It did sound like a solid plan, though he was nervous of Pyrrha meeting his parents. He was by no means embarrassed of her, not even remotely, but she was still his first girlfriend, and now that they all knew he loved her, he knew that the topic of marriage would come up a great many times before their visit was through. He couldn't help but feel shy of the situation, which irked him as he didn't want to behave like a child. He had meant every word regarding love and matrimony, and the sooner that Pyrrha became acquainted with his parents, the smoother it would all be in the long run.

"I think that would be a very good plan" he replied at last. "I'll have to check with Pyrrha and my family of course, but I doubt there will be any objections."

"Wonderful. I look forward to seeing you all soon" she said, before her voice became even more gentle. "And Jaune, thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything. Pyrrha has been blessed with so much thanks to her hard work and dedication. After my husband passed away, I could see there was this bitter fire burning in her eyes, spurring her forward and forcing her to mature faster than any child should. She began to take her training even more seriously, and told me that she wanted to become a Huntress. I was hesitant at first, but I quickly saw that it did seem to make her happy, so I supported her as best I could; for if this was how she was coping and mourning her father's passing, then I could take solace in that. However, as her skill and fame grew, I began to see a new sorrow growing alongside it. She tried to hide it from me, but a mother always knows, and I saw that she was unable to make any friends at school or at her competitions. I have done my best to help her, especially when she asked for advice in regards to a couple of boys she began to like over the years. But there is a limit to what I can do. And then she met you. How she spoke of you immediately informed me that there was something special brewing. In turn, she has now made many friends, and I have not seen her this happy in many years. For that, I am eternally grateful, and I pray that the Gods of Light may bless you in all your future ventures."

Jaune felt beside himself from the profoundness of Anthemya's words. Of course he knew of all of Pyrrha's emotions and stresses of being placed on a pedestal thanks to her celebrity status. Nonetheless, to hear it from her mother made it even more heartbreaking. The powerlessness of a parent to help their child was something he could not even begin to understand, but could only imagine it to be a terrible feeling. It was true that Pyrrha was now much happier than she had been since their first meeting, but he still felt unworthy of such deep praise, as he had taken so long to recognize her feelings. He would have to apologize to her mother personally, to clear his conscience if not for anything else, but for now, he would accept her blessing with gratitude.

"And that means more than I can express in words, Mrs. Nikos" he replied in a soft voice. "Making her laugh and smile is a joy in and of itself, so I try to do it as often as I can. I've seen that sorrow you mentioned before I asked her out, and I never want to see her like that ever again. She means so much to me, and her happiness is a top priority. I'm her boyfriend so of course, but I feel I have so much to repay her for; not just for her kindness and generosity, but for her willingness to train me in what I'm weakest at in school. She's just...amazing."

"You love her tremendously, don't you?"

Jaune's heart beat at a quicker pace, but he spoke steadily and clearly while maintaining his soft tone.

"With all my heart and soul."

There was a moment of silence before Anthemya spoke again.

"My daughter truly has chosen a wonderful young man as her boyfriend" she said so tenderly that Jaune felt more humbled than he had ever been, and began to feel a strange sense of attachment to her. "It has been an absolute pleasure speaking to you at last, Jaune, and I cannot wait to meet you in person this summer."

"Same here, Mrs. Nikos. And thank you again for your generosity."

"The honour is all mine, and please, call me mother."

Jaune's entire face began to burn, and his heart leapt into his throat.

"Th-Thank you but I think that honour is too soon to grant me. I don't want to dismiss your kindness, but I think there's still a lot of growing I have to do before I can call you that, Mrs. Nikos" he replied, trying not to stumble over his words. He felt his face heat further as an all too familiar, but certainly more womanly giggle came through the receiver.

"Alright then. Have a good day, Jaune, and may the Light of the Northern Star illuminate your path. And thank you again for looking after my daughter."

"Same to you, though it's more the other way round with Pyrrha looking after me—but I'll stick by her no matter what. Goodbye" he replied with a smile, and hung up after the line went dead.

He looked down at the Scroll with a content expression on his face, feeling sensations he had never felt before, and honestly could not describe, but loved all the same. What brought him out of that bliss was the realization that he hadn't written anything down. Anthemya hadn't asked him to tell Pyrrha anything, and he began to wonder what was really going on. In fact, why hadn't Pyrrha told him it was her mother that would be calling? It was then that he noticed that the sound of the shower running had stopped, and he turned to the bathroom door to find it was open just a crack, and a beautiful vivid green eye peered through at him.

"You planned all of this didn't you?" he accused.

Most of her face was hidden, but Jaune could see part of her left cheek rise, indicating she was smiling.

"I might have" she confessed.

"Was this all so you could come visit my family and bring me with you to Mistral?"

"And getting you to speak to my mother, since she has been asking to for weeks."

Jaune threw his hands up and smiled incredulously.

"There had to be an easier way of doing all of that! Seriously, Pyrrha, you could have just told me your mother wanted to talk, and we could of planned this properly."

"Well, your family has been doing all the leg work as of late, so I thought it was my turn" she defended. "Also, I think it's fair since your cousins decided to scare the daylights out of me because you chose not to inform me of your family traditions."

"Wha-hey-you!" Jaune sputtered, trying to counter her argument, but tripped over his own tongue in the process. "That's not the same! I told you that I had no idea they'd go so far as to come here, plus I told Uncle Tommy in private that I'm in love with you. And didn't you say you understood why I did what I did?"

"Nonetheless" Pyrrha continued, almost as if she hadn't heard him, "time is of the essence, so I had to act on my feet. Can you forgive me?"

The blond tried to be stern with her, but sensed how vein it was to even try. He knew she was completely right that it was fair, and tricking him into chatting with her mother was far better than having to fight to confirm her worthiness. Instead, he merely folded his arms and smiled at her.

"There's nothing to forgive" he sighed. "Your mother sounded even more amazing than you made her out to be. I can see where you get it all from—at least your gentle and tender side. I don't know what she looks like, so I can only assumed you got that from her too. I really look forward to meeting her."

He then saw her emerald eye shimmer with glee, and he felt a warmth wash over him, similar but different than what her mother had caused.

"Me too" she added. "I love you."

"I love you too. Now finish your shower and join us before Nora eats all the pastries she bought. I'm gonna go take a shower myself, but I'll try to save us some before I do."

"Alright then, and thank you. You have no idea how much it meant to my mother to speak to you today."

"Actually, I think I do, but we can talk about it later."

"Of course. Enjoy your shower."

"Ha! You too" Jaune laughed with a nod, and began to turn for the door, when something caught his eye, and caused his face to heat up. Trying to hide it as best he could, he revolved back to the bedroom door, opening it and leaving.

Pyrrha blinked curiously, unsure as to what had caused the blond to act in such a manner, as it came out of nowhere. It then clicked in her mind that he was blushing, and she looked down to see what was visible through the crack of the bathroom door. Her cheeks turned scarlet when she saw that her left leg had shifted in line with the crack, meaning that had certainly been what Jaune saw. It was certainly embarrassing, but not as much as it would have been before they had become a couple. Now, a spark of flattery and excitement emerged within her, just as Jaune's earlier comment about her rear had done. Despite his manly advances, he was still shy, and it was rather cute to see him react as he did. It made her happy to have such an effect on him, and it caused some new ideas to form in the redhead's mind.

'I guess Jaune likes legs as well' she thought, closing the door and returning to the shower. 'Perhaps I'll forgo the pantyhose on our next date—if the weather allows.'

She then turned the shower lever, allowing the hot water to wash over her as she smiled contently, feeling more confident from Jaune's unintended compliment.

'Leg work indeed.'

As Jaune entered his dorm, he headed straight for the bathroom, and spoke to his friends without glancing at them.

"Ren, make sure Nora doesn't eat all the pastries so there's some left for Pyrrha and me. She'll be joining us after her shower, and I'm gonna go take one too."

"Why didn't you just join her to save time?" asked Nora without hesitation.

Jaune had been reaching out for the doorknob, and her question caused his arm to freeze, but he was still moving forward, thus he banged his hand on the brass knob. His hand jumped in the air, and he clenched it to stop the pain, before turning to look at the ginger, who was grinning from ear to ear. He pointed at her with his uninjured hand, before turning back to the bathroom and entered it without saying a word. He was going to take a cold shower, and he was not going to waste energy scolding her after what had just occurred. Nora began to snicker, immensely pleased with herself, with Ren smirking before biting into a large soft ginger pretzel. He saw no need to nudge her, as from where he stood, it was a proper way to tease his captain back for his earlier comments. Nora had of course known what Pyrrha's intentions were when they had bumped into one another on their way to the dorms, and she quickly shared them with the amateur cook when Jaune left.

Their friends may have finally gotten together, but the teasing was far from over.

λΛλ

That night in Team RWBY's room, when their friends had turned in for the night, Weiss decided to tell her teammates what had been affecting her since her date with Neptune. She explained that the date went very well, and that she and Neptune had many lovely conversations of their homelands, as well as interesting moments of their upbringing. She even mentioned how Neptune had helped the musicians that played the ambient music for the restaurant by playing some beautiful classical pieces, displaying he was far more than the pretty boy he appeared to be. Weiss then told them of how she had to tell him of the issues that came with dating her, what her father expected of her and her suitors, and that if he felt it was too much and he no longer wished to pursue her, that it would be alright. Of course, it wouldn't be alright for Weiss, who had been falling for him with each passing day, but she nevertheless had to adhere to the rules. The others were all expectedly greatly annoyed by this news, voicing their dislike of these outdated requirements. It was when the heiress shared the very personal information she had told Jaune, which opened all of their eyes to why she had acted so emotionally. It made it clear that just because Weiss came from a life of luxury and riches, did not mean that her life had been easy and problem free.

This caused Ruby and Yang to realize just how wonderful a father Tai was, who had done so much more with so much less in raising them right; especially given that he was a double-widower, and single father. For Blake, she began to sink further into her seat, feeling great guilt building within her. Not only was she guilty for her previous judging of Weiss, not realizing just how badly she had been affected by the White Fang's attacks, but also with her own family. The more time she spent with her friends, seeing them start romantic relationships, speak of marriage, their families, and starting their own, the more ashamed she felt. The summation of her years with the White Fang, away from home, and now her first year at Beacon, caused a typhoon of emotions within her soul. The lengthy conversation she had with the others two days ago was the greatest shock to her system yet, and with greater context and comparison, her heart felt as if it were made of lead.

"So what are you gonna do when Neptune says yes?" asked Yang. "The way you two acted when you came back with Jaune shows he isn't running away from you screaming, though there's some big pieces of info you haven't told him yet."

"If he says yes, then I will face my father, and stand my ground" Weiss replied with resolution.

"But what if your dad says no?" asked Ruby. "He doesn't sound like a nice guy, and he'll judge Neptune like some did in that article you showed us."

"He will resist, there is no question of that. However, so shall I. My father knows that out of his three children, I am the only one that is qualified to inherit the family business. So long as I never waver, and do not give my father ammunition to think Neptune is a poor influence on me that affects the standing of the family, then we can both get what we want."

"What about the rest of your family? Your mom, your sister and your grandpa—they'll support you, won't they?"

"I...don't know" Weiss admitted. "Winter and I have never exactly talked about such things, relationships and marriage, as the topic had been salted given our parents' situation. I might be overly hopeful, but I would like to think that she will. I have only spoken to her briefly since her arrival in Vale, but in that time, she seems to be more concerned about me rather than my love life specifically. My brother Whitley on the other hand, is a horse of a different colour—and that hurts me. We are closer in age than I am with Winter, so we are naturally closer emotionally as well. We were home-schooled, so we only had each other to play with, but it never mattered. We would run throughout our Schloss together, listen to stories from our grandfather together, play hide and seek in the gardens together—we were inseparable. But now...I cannot wrap my mind around him and his intentions anymore. He has become more distant and adult, but...not because he is going through puberty—rather he is becoming like father. As for my mother...I care more about my grandfather's blessing and support. I think therein lies our success, along with my own strength."

"I hope so, for both your sakes" sighed the blonde, shaking her head. "And I thought my dad was overly controlling with my freedom to date."

"Your father clearly does it out of love; mine does it out of vanity." Weiss' tone then softened. "Thank you, girls. It feels surprisingly good to share all of this with you. I am sorry for keeping mum and causing you all to worry."

"Hey! Friends are there for each other!" Ruby replied, hugging Weiss tightly. "You don't have to say sorry or hide anything from us!"

"Exactly. Funny how someone who likes to lecture us for not finishing our homework and a thousand other things, can't take twenty minutes to have some girl-to-girl talk" Yang remarked with a grin and a nudge. "And chatting to Jaune before your teammates as well? Shame on you. Be upfront with us from now on, OK?"

The heiress smiled gratefully at the Xiao Long sister's words, and almost laughed at how Jaune had been entirely right.

"You have my word. Now that I have fully clarified things" she replied, folding her arms as her eyes rested on the Cat Faunus, "I would like to shift our focus onto the Goliath in the room."

A silence then fell onto the dorm that lasted for a while, which Blake finally noticed and looked up to see her friends all gazing upon her.

"W-What?" she asked, fully knowing what was on their minds.

"Don't 'what' me" Weiss returned sharply. "Ever since our talk about the White Fang, you have regressed further than how you were right before the Beacon Dance. You have become a mess, Blake, with you barely talking, if at all."

"And you're not moving things forward with Sun" Yang added. "After how you two got on at the barbecue, I was waiting with open arms for you to tell me all about it. What's going on?"

Blake felt the lump in her throat that had been steadily growing since the start of Weiss' recounting of her relationship woes, double in an instant. A lot had been going on, but she felt even less inclined to share it. Of course, the more she remained quiet, the worse things became, as not only could she see how it was affecting her friends, but she could recall clearly the advice Pyrrha had shared; as well as the advice given directly to her. Her natural instinct was to run, which made her hate herself even more. She needed to breathe.

"Everything's fine" she lied, rising to her feet. "I'm going to use the bathroom."

This was clearly a diversion, and Weiss was having none of it.

"Blake Belladonna, sit back down this instant" she said icily and strongly. Blake appropriately froze from her lieutenant's glare, which pierced her like a lance made of ice, and caused her to fall back onto the bed. "You have been incredibly secretive from the moment we met" she began, crossing her legs, "and if you have already forgotten, it did not go well for all of us when you did so. You explained why you had to keep your past a secret, and I, as well as the rest of us, understood and forgave you. However, you still have remained reserved overall to an unhealthy degree, and you are making us worry. Yang appeared to have gotten through to you at the Dance, and you finally seemed to come out of that shell during the tournament, especially with how Sun has been pursuing you. So you need to tell us what is going on between you and him, and what is wrong. Everything is not fine, so do not try to claim that absurdity again."

Blake's ears pressed against her head, feeling the weight of Weiss' words and gaze crushing her. She desperately wanted to confess everything, but just as badly wanted to keep it a secret. Evidently she had failed miserably to hide it, so why didn't she just come out with it? All of it. Pyrrha's words regarding friendship, and Weiss' words of forgiveness rang in her ears, knowing just how true they were, but her heart was still pulling her in a different direction.

"Is it about you and Sun?" asked Ruby. "Can you at least tell us that?"

Trying to swallow the lump, Blake answered quietly.

"Yes" she managed. "More or less."

"Then what gives? You clearly like him, and he really likes you, so why aren't you officially dating yet?"

Blake swallowed again.

"I-It probably won't work out. He's not my type."

She pressed her ears even more tightly against her head as she saw the level of incredulousness in her friends' faces. Ruby then reached over to the bookshelf, and pulled out a soft cover novel with a particular amount of wear on the spine, and held it up, revealing a very muscular bare-chested young man with blond hair.

"Sure, totally not your type" she remarked, causing her sister to snicker, and Blake to blush.

"You've only got yourshelf to blame, so don't try to deny anything" Yang punned, rather proud of that one, and knew just how attracted Blake was to Sun.

Weiss on the other hand, was unflinching.

"Blake" she said coolly, "I am going to say this once and only once, so pay very close attention. Ruby, Yang, do not interject." This caused the girls to blink in surprise, but ultimately obeyed. "I do not know why you are so reluctant to officially begin courting Sun, as from where I and everyone else are standing, see this as incredibly foolish. Now I am not going about this the way Yang usually does, which is sexual in nature" she clarified, holding up her hand towards the blonde to stop her from speaking, as she saw her try to from the corner of her eye. "I am speaking entirely from the stance of love, happiness, and respect. Sun is clearly in love with you, and while you try to deny it, we all can see that you very much like him. The way you two cuddled at the barbecue, with you in his arms and him playing with your hair, clearly demonstrates this, and you have never looked so happy and at peace.

Now, I cannot tell you what to do, nor can I force you into a relationship with Sun just because he cares for you. However, what I can tell you to do is this: be an adult. The school year will be over in only a few days time, leaving you with very little to make it clear to him whether or not there will be a future together. Sun has been incredibly patient with you, showing just how serious and devoted he is. He could very easily find someone else, but even with a cavalcade of young women desiring him, his eyes have only been for you. Would it be foolish to let someone like him go? Without question. Nonetheless, as Pyrrha has previously pointed out in superb fashion, there is more to relationships than physical attraction—namely respect. Whether you want to date Sun or not, you must show him proper respect by giving him an answer. Just because he has feelings for you and has been so patient, does not entitle him to your love, but it does entitle him a response. Do not lead him on and drag this out if your answer is no. He will be returning to Paraíso in a few days, so who knows the next time you will see him again.

I am not saying all of this to you because Sun is Neptune's friend; I am saying this because you are my friend. I am very well aware that a long distance relationship will not be easy, as Atlas is much further away from Vacuo than Vacuo is to Vale. Nevertheless, I will do what I can to make it work because I care that much for Neptune. Sun clearly feels the same for you; therefore you need to be clear if you share that devotion. If you like him as much as we all think you do, then tell him you like him and figure out how to date while attending different schools. If you decide not to date, then tell him as soon as possible. He will certainly be heartbroken, but after seeing him speak at length the other day, I believe he is more than mature enough to handle it. And tell him face to face; he certainly deserves to be let down respectfully, rather than over text. Have I made myself abundantly clear?"

Blake sat there stunned, unable to respond. She felt as if she had shrunk to only a fraction of her true height before the Atlassian swordswoman, who had scolded her more thoroughly than even her mother had. Her words had pierced her just as much as her gaze, for Blake knew that everything her friend had said was correct. She knew that she had to confront Sun, but hadn't out of fear and awkwardness. And given that he hadn't pressed the issue, she continued to procrastinate. She knew Sun deserved an answer for being so kind and understanding; however, it was what was resting upon either answer that caused her to hesitate. Both answers brought her pain, and knew that each would be a mistake. She also never wanted to hurt Sun, and she knew that either would break his heart, especially for how things had progressed thus far. Weiss had been right for demanding of her to act like an adult, for she very much had been behaving like a child.

"Yes" the Faunus said softly, her eyes dropping to the floor.

Weiss watched her carefully, seeing just how much her tongue-lashing had affected her, and her eyes softened slightly.

"Good. I will let you sleep on it, and expect you to make the right decision" she said, rising to her feet. "In fact, we should all go to bed. It has been a long day."

Ruby and Yang nodded silently, and began to go through their nightly routine. It took more time, but Blake did so as well, and after a short while, Team RWBY turned in for the night; the lack of moon and stars turning their dorm room pitch black the instant Weiss flipped the light switch.

---

Author's Note:

Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

So of course this was coming, and a number of you have been asking when it would, and what it would entail. I wanted to give more back-story about how the Maiden powers work, what the Order is dealing with, and let Amber have her time. It goes without saying that CRWBY had no plans of giving the character anything (they didn't even give her a last name), so I did my best to make her at least a little relatable and likeable. You'll certainly all let me know how well I did in that.

Continuing what I started in Chapter VII, I wanted the Order to be as open and compassionate as possible. The scenes speak for themselves, but I hope that the humanity shines through; especially for characters that were ruined like Ironwood.

The scene with Ren and Jaune was just a little moment to explain why Ren goes by his last name. I know the real reason is for it to fit in the naming convention of Huntsmen teams (and that Hua Mulan means "Flower Magnolia"), but I nevertheless wanted to give it something deeper. I touched on this before, but I always leaned more onto Ren's Japanese influence then his Chinese. Yes he is based on Mulan, but the "Ballad of Mulan" is a short 441 word (the English translation I read) folk song, unlike the inspirations for Jaune, Pyrrha, and Nora. There was never anything really to work with by sticking to the ballad, and just developing Ren's character further from the first two volumes was much easier. Instead, I went with Japanese, and used it to get him and Jaune to connect through wanting to honour their families (and their girls). Much more to come on this.

And Anthemya finally makes her grand appearance! Yet another character that CRWBY doesn't care about (or even create apparently). It only made sense to me that Pyrrha and her mother had conversations like this, and like any good mother, would want to thank Jaune for being there for her daughter. I really look forward to showing her off more in the future, as she can be both sweet and wise, and her interactions with Pyrrha and her friends are some of my favourites in these projects. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree :)

And finally Weiss opens up to her team. It's always fun to delve further into Weiss' family, as well as conversations like these between characters. Speaking of which, Weiss giving Blake that tongue lashing. That was based on a similar situation from my full rewrite when they were in Menagerie, and Blake tells them that Sun confessed to her. Obviously, since Yang wasn't present, Weiss gives her a talk and says that she needs to go and give him an answer since they were leaving for Vale in the morning. Weiss is without a doubt the adult of Team RWBY, and...she's just so much fun to write XD. I used to hate her so much—how did this happen? XD

On that note, in consultation with my editors, I decided to cut the chapter short and leave you all on a cliffhanger. I originally included two more scenes, but after recently reading this chapter over again, it's just too busy. The following two scenes need their room to breathe, and while it will be a shorter chapter, it works better.

Hope you can forgive me for blue-balling y'all, but I should be able to get Chapter XXIV out sooner. Then again, my entire schedule has changed again, and I don't know what it will be on the week of the 20th. Ah well—keep calm and bugger on. Cheers, Gods Bless, and see you all next time :)

P.S. My editors have told me that Amber's Semblance is pretty much the Silver Eyes. Full transparency, I don't know anything about the canon in regards to Silver Eyes. I worked on everything else in regards to rewriting and world-building, and completely forgot about the Silver Eyes having any meaning or importance. It was only when I began chatting with former and current RWBY fans, and heard how unhappy they were with Silver Eyes, that I decided to genuinely think on the matter. I have since come up with an entirely separate idea for the Silver Eyes, and my thought process for Divine Blare was fully detached from anything Silver Eye related. Just wanted to let you all know. Cheers.