DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY

Jaune's eyes snap open and he sits up on his bed.

'My tribulation.'

He frowns.

'The Heavens have a twisted sense of humor. The Vytal Festival formally begins in 10 days, and I am sensing that my tribulation will arrive shortly after the festival begins. It should arrive between 13 and 16 days, which means that it will be during the later stages of the Tournament.'

The rumbling sound of engines interrupt Jaune's thoughts. He slides off his bed and peers out the window, seeing seveal large military airships proudly bearing the symbol of the Atlas military. They fly directly over the city airspace and head towards Beacon.

'I smell war...'

Collecting his belonging, Jaune exits the dorms and heads straight towards Beacon Tower. As he passes by the dining hall, he notices the members of RWBY and his team inside, and based on the noise, there is quite the event happening. Deciding to entertain his curiosity, he opens the dining hall doors to enter.

A massive stream of students run past Jaune, and he casually tilts his head to the side, dodging a piece of fried chicken.

'Of course...' He mentally sighs.

The entire hall is in utter chaos. Tables and chairs are overturned, and the floor is covered in food. At the very center are RWBY and his own team.

'I'm hardly surprised that RWBY is involved in this. But even you three...'

Nora rampages with a makeshift watermelon hammer, smashing Weiss into one of the pillars, then sends Yang into the ceiling.

'Ah... of course it was Nora.'

With a sigh, Jaune deflects several stray soda cans that were flung through the air by Pyrrha with a finger. As the food fight reaches its climax, Ruby gets down on all fours into a running position, then activates her Semblance. She blazes across the dining hall at full speed, then suddenly goes airborne as a miniature tornado of rose petals.

'Does she not realize what she is doing? How is that Semblance only speed?' Jaune raises an eyebrow.

In the meantime, Jaune stomps the ground, anchoring himself. Unfortunately, the blue haired boy and the monkey Faunus are not prepared for the vacuum caused by Ruby, and get sucked into the vortex and crash against the opposite wall.

'Isn't that the boy that was with Blake at the docks?'

When the air settles, Jaune retrieves his foot from the dining floor, leaving a large hole. The dining hall door slams open, and a very angry Glynda Goodwitch storms in.

With a huff, she flicks her riding crop at the scene before her and activates her Semblance. With masterful precision, she reorganizes the tables and chairs, then repairs all damage. Looking at this, Jaune can not help but feel quite sorry for her.

'Just how many times has she repaired damage in Beacon with her Semblance to become this proficient? I wonder how much money the school saves in repair costs due to Glynda?'

With death in her eyes, Glynda steps forward to reprimand the teenagers, but Ozpin calls out, stopping her.

"Let them have their fun."

Glynda sighs, "But they're supposed to be the protectors of the world."

"And they will be in due time," Ozpin responds. "But right now, they are just children. So why not let them play the part? After all, it is not a role they'll have forever. Wouldn't you agree Jaune?"

He and Glynda turn towards Jaune, and they silently make their way out from the dining hall.

"Unfortunately, I do," Jaune responds. "They will have to grow up whether they like it or not. Otherwise, they will be consumed by the cruelty of the world."

Ozpin lets out a sad smile.

"Are you busy at the moment? I was just about to call you to my office as there have been some... developments to discuss."

He eyes the Atlas ships above Beacon.

Jaune calmly looks up at the ships.

"I was on my way there."

*** Ozpin's office ***

Ozpin leans forward from his desk, and takes a sip from his mug. "So, what do you think?"

"You first," Jaune gesture with a hand.

"...Very well."

Ozpin leans back and gestures to the Atlesian ships.

"As you can see, General Ironwood has come to Vale for the Vytal Festival, along with his military fleet. I believe that this course of action by James is rather rash. What are your thoughts?"

"You are right that showcasing military might in this fashion is rather reckless. However, I have some additional concerns."

"Please elaborate," Ozpin inquires.

"My tribulation for breaking through to Xiantian," Jaune sighs. "It will arrive in the next 13 to 16 days. With the arrival of Ironwood and his military, the Vytal Festival, and the timeframe of my tribulation, do you think it all to be mere chance?"

Glynda pales. Of course she wouldn't discount these circumstances as mere coincidence. Everything is beginning to center around the Vytal Festival.

"I'm going to need an isolated location to face my tribulation. A spot close enough to the Academy that I'd be able to return in a short amount of time, would be ideal. However, it must also be far enough away that the campus does not fall victim to collateral damage."

"Just... how destructive is a tribulation. In fact, what does it even entail?" Glynda asks in disbelief.

"The tribulation to breakthrough from Houtian to Xiantian is a 3-in-9 lightning tribulation. To put it in simplest of terms, I will be struck with three massive bolts of energy sent down by the Heavens. I've very good reason to believe that my tribulation will be quite a bit more destructive than average. When it comes to tribulations, you either live or die. There is no in-between."

'He is quite nonchalant about the possibility of certain death.' Ozpin's eyebrow raises.

"We can arrange you a location in the Emerald Forest. No one is allowed in there without my permission. Would that be satisfactory?"

"So long as the location is an elevated platform," Jaune nods. "I will be leaving a day before the tribulation arrives in order to prepare mentally."

"If you're able to breakthrough into Xiantian, what would you be capable of?" Ozpin slowly asks. "Though at this point, there it little reason to believe you're lying, we have no idea what Xiantian truly means."

"It is difficult to say specifically, but I will put it into very broad perspectives. Think of Houtian as a Huntsmen compared to regular soldiers, who would be normal mortals in this example. You could refer to Houtian as a one man squad, if that analogy helps you to understand."

"Xiantian, on the other hand, belongs to another realm of power. A single Xiantian lifeform can easily turn the tides of the battlefield. Though I'm not entirely sure where Maidens lie in terms of power, take my previous analogy and imagine a Maiden against a group of normal soldiers."

"That powerful?" Glynda gasps, while Ozpin thinks deeply.

'Likely more.' Jaune says to himself.

The elevator door slides open and General James Ironwood steps into the office. He immediately strolls enthusiastically up to Ozpin and Glynda to greet them. Jaune remains silent and seated.

"Ozpin," Ironwood greets cordially. "It has been far too long."

"General," Ozpin greets back.

"Please, drop the formalities," Ironwood insists, then he turns to Glynda with a smile. "You as well Glynda, it was been a long time since we'd last met."

'They seem rather familiar with each other? I was expecting some more tension.'

Jaune stands from his seat, grabbing the attention of Ironwood.

"Was I interrupting something?" Ironwood asks.

"No, not at all General Ironwood. I had just finished my business with Professor Ozpin when you'd arrived."

He politely nods at Ozpin and Glynda.

"Until next time."

As he walks towards the exit, Glynda adjusts her glasses.

"I'll be escorting Mr Arc back down the tower."

She briskly walks after Jaune.

Ozpin brings out two small cups from a drawer. He picks up a kettle and pours some tea for the both of them. He hands one to the General.

"So James, what brings you all the way down from Atlas? If I recall, headmasters do not typically come with their students for the Vytal Festival."

Ironwood brings the cup up to his nose and takes in the aroma.

"You know how much I love Vale this time of year. Atlas is always snow or rain. Besides, with you hosting the Festival this year, I thought this would be a good opportunity for us to catch up."

Ozpin sets his cup down onto his desk.

"While I can certainly appreciate quality time between friends, the fleet hovering outside my window has me concerned," Ozpin testily says.

"Well, concerned is what brought them here."

"I understand that travel between the Kingdoms has gotten increasingly dangerous," Ozpin quips.

"Oz," Ironwood sighs. "You and I both know why I brought my men."

After a brief moment of silence, Ozpin quietly says, "Shows of power like this will give off the wrong impression."

"But if what Qrow said is true-"

"Then this certainly is not the way to handle it James," Ozpin curtly responds. "If what Qrow said is true, then we should be acting even more tactfully than before. Such reckless actions like this will only yield negative results."

"I'm only being cautious," Ironwood says as he gazes out the windows.

"As am I," Ozpin replies. "Which is why we must continue to train the best Huntsmen and Huntresses we can."

Ironwood finishes his tea and sets the cup down.

"Do you honestly believe that your children can win a war? Who was that boy in here just earlier? Could you entrust him with such a task?" His eyes grow hard with resolve. He turns on his heels and leaves the office.

"Though that was a bad example..." Ozpin mutters. "I hope that they will never have to."

*** Library ***

The members of RWBY are currently engrossed in a fierce battle at a table. Remnant: The Game. They banter back and forth with seemingly made up rules.

Ren and Pyrrha quietly study at a table beside them, while Nora soundly sleeps with her head on a textbook.

Having just left Ozpin's office, Jaune silently walks up to his team's table and lightly taps Pyrrha on the shoulder, causing her to jolt in surprise.

"J-Jaune!" She yelps.

Amused, Jaune points at RWBY's table.

"What are those four up to now?"

"They are playing Remnant: The Game. It's a rather popular board game, though I must admit that I am not entirely familiar with its rather... convoluted rules. The basic objective is to conquer all of Remnant, playing as one of the four Kingdoms."

"A mock game of war? Jaune raises an eyebrow, intrigued.

'How ironic that these young girls would play such a game without having any idea that we are on the brink of actual war.'

He walks over to their table and peers over their shoulders to get an idea of how the game is played. After several moves, he has the general idea surrounding the game.

'Interesting. Whoever made this game is clearly familiar with the concept of war. Almost anything goes so long as it falls within reason and the available resources. Aside from taking turns, this does a rather clever job of simulating war.'

"May I play?" Jaune asks the table.

"Sorry Jaune," Ruby says apologetically. "The maximum number of players is four, and all the seats are covered."

"Do you even know how to play?" Weiss scoffs. "This game requires a certain level of tactical cunning. I doubt that you could do such a thing, given that you don't even know the rules."

"You attacked your own naval fleet two turns ago," Yang points at Weiss' noticeably smaller army compared to the rest.

Weiss coughs into her hand with a red tint on her cheeks.

"I'll have you know that I am quite well versed in the art of war," Jaune grins. "Let me play your hand for a turn."

Weiss clutches her cards close to her chest.

"I am not entrusting you with the good citizens of Vacuo!"

"Why not? Don't you owe me a favor anyways? I even helped you all find Blake when she ran away after telling you all that she is a Fau-mmph."

Pyrrha's hand slaps over Jaune's mouth.

Jaune pries the hand away and sighs, "What is the big deal? Does anyone here truly care that Blake is a Faunus? If you respect her as an equal, then stop tip toeing around the issue. The less you do so, the more you are doing to aid eliminating the discrimination against the Faunus race."

Blake's eyes widen in surprise. Though at first, she was annoyed that Jaune said her secret out loud, his following point transforms the annoyance to appreciation.

'He really does not care whether one is a Faunus or not... If only more are like him, then the world might be a different place for the Faunus.'

Jaune lowers his head to Ruby's ear and whispers, "How's our little project coming along?"

A glint flashes across her silver eyes and gives Jaune a confident thumbs up.

"The order should be finished in a day or two. Oh, I am super excited to see it in action! You have to show me once you get it!"

He nods and pats her shoulder as thanks.

"I won't be bothering you all any longer. Enjoy your mock war."

With a wave, he returns to his team's table.

*** Later that night ***

Blake silently broods on her bed, mind occupied with the White Fang's involvement with Roman Torchwick. She fails to notice Weiss approaching her.

Pointing a finger into Blake's face, Weiss declare, "You've been quiet, anti-social, and moody lately!"

"Weiss? Have you met Blake?" Yang scoffs.

"It is more than the usual, and I am finding it difficult to ignore!"

Weiss puts her hands on her hips.

"You made a promise to us that you'd let us know if something was bothering you. So spit it out, Blake Belladonna. What is bothering you so much?"

Blake is rather taken aback by Weiss' strange approach at showing concern, but her heart feels warm.

"I just... have a hard time understanding how everyone is so calm. Especially after finding out that the White Fang and Torchwick are working together? Combine that with everything else happening lately. I can feel that something bigger is happening behind the scenes, but no one is doing anything about it!"

"I'm sure the police and licensed Huntsmen in the city can handle it," Yang waves a hand dismissively.

"But they don't know the White Fang like I do!"

Weiss pinches her brow and sighs, "And what exactly are we supposed to do? Allow me to kindly remind you that we are all just students! First years! Kids!" She points at Ruby.

"Hey!"

"We are not ready to handle this sort of situation." Weiss concludes.

"O-okay, but-" Ruby stammers.

Weiss snaps her head at Ruby and pokes her forehead with one of her slender fingers.

"We. Are. Not. Ready." She jabs her team leader's head with every word.

Blake, slightly frustrated, raises her voice.

"And we may never be ready! Our enemies aren't going to just sit around and wait for us to graduate. They're out there somewhere planning their next move, and no one has any idea what it is. But rest assured that it's coming, whether we are ready or not!"

Weiss tiredly sighs with her head down.

Ruby raises her hand in an attempt to grab her team's attention.

"Okay then! All in favor of becoming the youngest Huntresses ever to take down a corrupt organization conspiring against the Kingdom of Vale say aye!"

Yang grins and punches a fist into a palm, itching for a good fight.

Blake nods in determination, fully on board.

Weiss looks at the rest of the team with her arms crossed, disapproval clear in her eyes.

"Come on Weiss. Shouldn't we be doing things together as a team?" Ruby tries to convince her partner.

She glances at each of her teammates, then releases a sigh of resignation.

"Fine. I'm only doing this because the rest of you are so adamant. If we're going to do this, then we might as well do it right."

Yang and Ruby pump their fists into the air while Blake gives Weiss a small smile.

Across the dorm hallway, Jaune is laying in bed with a frown, having overheard RWBY's discussion due to his enhanced senses.

'Those troublesome girls actively seeking trouble as usual. Do they seriously believe that they are the only ones privy to the situation in Vale? How naive and rather arrogant.'

Jaune sighs.

'Just like at the docks, it seems that I'm on babysitting duty once again.'

*** The following morning ***

"Oof!"

Ruby runs into someone as she's running through the hallways. She had forgotten her board game in the library. She looks up and frantically apologizes, "Sorry! Are you okay?"

The girl she had run into offers her a hand. "I'm fine. Just watch where you're going."

As Emerald helps Ruby onto her feet, Ruby introduces herself.

"Um, I'm Ruby! Are you new?"

Cinder steps out from behind Emerald. "Yes, we are transferring from Haven. For the upcoming festival." As she walks past, she gestures for Emerald and Mercury to follow.

"Maybe we'll see you around."

"Yeah, maybe!" Ruby calls out from behind them. "Oh and uh... welcome to Beacon!"

Cinder maliciously grins as she struts away.