Multiplayer

by NeoShadows

Life is a game. In an attempt to save a friend during the Breach, Jaune Arc died. Brought back to life with powers of a Gamer, he must now attempt to beat the game called life. He's not alone though. Every win or lose ends in a Reset, so how will he beat a game that never ends?

27. Colors

NeoShadows here with a new chapter for your greedy pleasure!

As promised, I have a new chapter ready to go out today! Told you it was done. But sadly that only means one thing folks. My next update will be the last update on Multiplayer! You know, other than the Bonus Chapter based on The Lost Fairy Tale's DLC.

Already I've been busy writing out Ch.28, going up to 7K+, I think? And I will warn you that 28 will be a long one, I'm guessing around 25K+ over. Possibly even 30K+. It's time to close up this Volume with a show! QUICK! Someone start prepping the speakers, because we're about ready to rock the night!

I got more to tell you, even a little surprise. But first, Reviews!

Ssjzohan: Yeah, I need a break to get back to the things I love. Hell, I got an anime and video game list made up for the two months I'm done uploading. Who knows? I might just get some more inspiration for my stories. But don't worry, I'll be back.

DragonManMax: Someone's been watching too much Game of Thrones. I don't even read or watch it and I know about the Red Wedding. Thank South Park for that.

AzureMegacyber: DLC's will return in the next Volume, so don't worry. And hey, you'll all be getting a chapter focused on the Fey world as a bonus. Oh, you'll love this chapter if you've taken a shining to Tsuki. As for the next list of OC's, you'll be getting them in the next day or two. Been focusing on the story, but I'll make it up for you. I can't wait to see what you've been up to. I also can't wait for you next chapter of The Game Show of Jaune Arc's Dating Life, Raven's chapter was one of my favorite. You know you can also use one of my OC for it too if you want. It be funny to see if anyone reading your fic recognizes them. Oh, and I'll definitely be adding Barbie to the list.

Randytphan: I'll have a forum that will be a Journal for all that information in the coming months. I'd add it in to the story, but that would be padding the word count, something most Gamer stories do. Though I'm surprised that people have been wanting all the extra stuff to the story. Who'd a thought?

That Guy: Blue balling is what I do! But this next one you can thank my Beta, A Fan1204 for. He helped make it better and spice it up. But toying with emotions is part of what I do, it really is.

Amusebeard: And I can only thank you for the review and continue to do my best to deliver!

Benthino: A Titanfall mech would be a crazy Perk to unlock. And I'll continue to serve my devoted fans what they crave for their patience!

TichePotato: . . . .I put in What Fang, didn't I? Boo. Boo, I say! Which is censor for Fuck.

Azalmega: You know I got something delicious in stores, friend! One more fun Event before the action begins and we go out with a bang! And yes, reading comments from my fans does make me feel better. It's better medicine then the meds they gave me.

TheNakedFlame: I know Jaune can get angry, Volume 4 did very well showing that he can get frustrated despite how goofy and kind he can be. Which did give me a thought for a story, especially once Raven was introduced. When he was talking with Helios, he was exhausted both mentally and physically from that night, so when he tried to argue and talk with the rocker he didn't have the energy to, especially when Helios cut him off and left. But we will be seeing more of that, don't you worry. Sometimes being nice won't always work.

Curioustomjerry: Don't respond to guest reviews, but I'd thought I'd answer yours. I've already thought up of Crocea Mors shield design in advance, something I like to think is original compared to other ideas that have been written. Something simple yet unique. Though I do love the Charge Blade in MH, it's my favorite, second to main, The Switch Ax!

Alright, that's enough reviews for now. Not that many compared to most of my chapters, but they usually build up after two weeks, so I can understand. Now, lets get to scrolling!

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Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to RWBY, they belong to RoosterTeeth. But one day, I'll have something of my own! If I ever complete the several drafts of my own original story. Just have to cut back on all the naughty naughty fun. Hmm. Maybe I should just say fuck it and write porn? The author of Ninja's of Love seems to be doing well. I want a catgirl #1 fan, damn it!

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Chapter 27: Colors.

[Four Days Later, Akai Shukuten.]

Time had flown by for the students of Beacon as the school week came to an end. Much to the relief of teams RWBY and JNPR. Their punishment was up and they were now allowed to visit Vale once again, just in time to celebrate Anima's most popular holiday.

Jaune clutched the edges of a trashcan as he emptied his stomach. A gurgled moan slipped out his lips as he fell back against the metal container, his energy sapped from his usual bout of motion sickness. This was why he wished he could learn some kind of teleportation spell. There was nothing worse in this world than transportation in his opinion.

A gentle hand caressed his shoulders as he tried to settle his churning stomach, easing his sickness as he gave them a thankful smile.

Pyrrha couldn't help but giggle at Jaune's state. He really couldn't handle any form of transportation. Poor goofball.

The night before, Pyrrha had been kept up all night with the thought of going out with Jaune. What little sleep she got was more than enough as the digital clock by her nightstand hit five. She was up before the rest of her teammates, getting herself ready with a shower, fixing up her hair, and dressing up in her kimono. A quick word to her parent's back in Mistral and they had sent over her dress for the festival which still seemed to fit her perfectly. Something she was thankful for as she noticed Jaune's eyes wander over her.

Pyrrha wore a vibrant red kimono decorated with autumn leaves, fitting her shape just right along with two dark red chopstick like hairpins holding her ponytail together. A stray lock of twirled hair fell beside the left side of her face and her green mascara seemed to pop out even more than usual. Jaune couldn't help but gulp at his partner's appearance. It was a side of her he hadn't seen much of, the only time he had ever seen her so breathtaking was during the dance in his first life.

"Cat got your tongue?" Pyrrha teased with a grin.

Fighting the blush on his face, Jaune laughed nervously as she helped him back on his feet. Just like he promised, he was taking Pyrrha out to make up for ignoring her. Which was fine with him, it had been a while since he had some alone time with his partner. Sometimes he felt that the bond he still held onto from his first life was the problem. Back then they had always been around one another as she trained him to stand on his own two feet in a fight. He was already accustomed to her and knew plenty about her, so he didn't feel the need to spend as much time with her as he did before.

Not today though. He was going to make sure Pyrrha enjoyed herself for putting up with his crap in not just one life, but two.

"So, what do you want to do first?" Jaune asked as he looked around the bustling streets of Vale. Literally everything was decorated with red in some sort of way. Red lanterns, ribbons, even lights, you named it. And like Pyrrha, many of the people walking around were dressed in kimonos. Even Jaune had gotten into the festive mood and had Coco design him one out of reddish orange with a blue sash.

Pyrrha tapped her lips in thought, "Well, it is morning and we've yet to eat anything. How about we go out and see what kind of traditional Anima food they have around?" she suggested with a smile.

"Sounds like a plan then." Jaune grinned, his nose already picking up on the many foods selling at the vendors. It had been a long time since he had some food from Anima, not since his last family trip to Shion years ago.

Following his nose for a good spot to stop by, Jaune quickly found a vendor selling one of his favorite treats. Roasting over a grilling fire, he spotted wooden sticks stabbing through deep red dumplings seasoned with yellow sizzling sprinkles. Handing over the necessary Lien for the treats, Jaune was handed two sets of stick dumplings before handing Pyrrha her share.

"Hope you like Red Firecrackers."

Grabbing hold of the treat, Pyrrha immediately bit down on the top smoking dumpling. She almost squealed in delight as she savored the meaty and spicy flavor. "I used to get these with my father back home. Even while following my strict diet while modeling for my agent, I would always sneak one of these in out of habit." she said happily between bites.

"Right, I almost forgot about the fact you modeled." Jaune chuckled as he ripped the meat buns off in one bite. The feeling of the spice crackling in his mouth took him back for second, he almost forgot just how hot they were, "That had to be pretty cool. You were Ms. Pumpkin Pete for year if I remember right."

"I suppose it was. I got a lifetime of Pumpkin Pete's cereal for it as well." Though she wasn't sure she would ever have need for that much cereal. It was good, but it was horrible for your health like all sugary cereal. "I would do all sorts of modeling jobs like that during my free time. And while it was fun at times, it was all too much work. I would honestly drift off into my own thoughts while I was modeling. Half the time I didn't even know what I was modeling for." she said with a guilty laugh.

'Well, that would explain the body pillows on the net.' Jaune thought dully. He had always wondered how Pyrrha had ever agreed to that. At least it was popular? Pyrrha Niko's body pillows were all sold out when he had checked.

Alongside another, the two continued their conversation as they wandered around the many attractions of the festival. With a pocket full of Lien from his latest completed Event, Jaune paid for all the fun as they played the childish games set up around the streets. It was one of the few times Jaune had ever seen Pyrrha so carefree. Even as she lost a simple little game trying to catch a small koi fish with a weak net, she continued to smile. Seeing her like that, so happy and serene tugged at his heart.

Pyrrha was happy in this life with her partner, leader, and best friend standing by her side. Unlike the one he had abandoned in his original time. He didn't regret giving up his life to save Weiss, but he still found himself with guilt at those he had left behind. To this day, he was afraid of asking Ren what had happened to them in detail when he had died. Ren saying that they were all right and fine was more than enough for Jaune.

At least he could do better here. In this life, he would stay alive and make sure that Pyrrha didn't lose that smile of hers. It was the least he could do.

In their wandering, Jaune's eyes suddenly picked up on something. Walking over to one of the vendors selling Anima made merchandise, he found a set of armored armlets for sell. His right eye formed a crosshair, scanning the details of the different types of jewelry for sell until he found one that caught his attention.

'Warrior's Mark[Accessory]: An armlet bearing the mark of the warriors of Anima. Boosts Strength and boosts the capabilities of Semblance when HP is in the red. A golden armlet designed in a ferocious twisting dragon, bearing a warrior's pride in its maw.

1,000Lien.'

"I'll take this one!" Jaune grinned as he handed over the colorful cards to the vendor. The man nodded his head gratefully before passing along the accessory to the blond boy. With it in hand, Jaune passed it on to Pyrrha, surprising the girl as she looked it over. "Here, a little gift for all the trouble I've caused you so far." he smiled brightly.

Pyrrha smiled gratefully, "Thank you, Jaune. You really didn't have to do that." she said softly before smirking at the boy, "But that still doesn't make up for all your trouble. You're lucky I'm a patient woman."

"I know you are, trust me." Jaune said sheepishly as they moved on, "I'm pretty sure anyone would have been fed up with my crap. But you've been nothing but kind and patient with me since day one."

"We're partners and best friends, Jaune. And while I don't have much experience in that matter, I know that friends stay by one another no matter what. I just. . .wished that you would talk to us whenever you're having problems."

"Pyrrha, it's nothing against you guys." Jaune sighed, "I just always think that if I can't do things on my own, then what good am I? It's a bad habit I haven't been able to kick from back when I was weak." he frowned.

"Then I suppose it's a habit we'll have to break." Pyrrha huffed before turning around to stare at her partner. She was close to his face, enough to make him feel nervous and blush as she looked at him stubbornly, "Jaune, I wouldn't care if you were weak. And neither would anyone else. You didn't become our friend because you were strong or confidant, you became our friend because you were you. A lovable goof who was true to his heart and cared enough to help even strangers. The only bad thing I could say about you is that you believe you're strong enough to take on everything by yourself." she scowled, "Asking for help is not a weakness, it's a blessing. One many people aren't lucky to have in times of need. I'm sure that if you had simply asked for our help in the beginning, when you were working undercover with the police, then this wouldn't have had to happen to you."

Gently, Pyrrha's hand combed back the hair over Jaune's forehead and caressed the faded bullet wound on his temple. Her eyes were somber, recalling the nasty effect it had left. Because of that scar, his memories were ruined. He lost cherished memories he might not ever recover. All because he wanted to save a stranger and a friend in need. She really did have an idiot for a leader.

But it was that kindness that she had found herself fallen for.

"Friends help another, no matter what. We're your sword and shield too. You just have to have the strength and courage to use us." she said warmly, tilting her head with a gentle smile.

'. . .Pyrrha.' Jaune found his breath taken away in the face of his best friend's words. He found himself gulping, his hands going sweaty as he stared at her beautiful smile. Never before in a million years would he had thought he would find himself standing with a girl like Pyrrha like this. It was almost as if he was in a dream.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he was starting to see the whole picture. Too bad Jaune could be a slow learner at times. Romance was not his best subject.

Grabbing a hold of Pyrrha's caressing hand, Jaune smiled fondly back at his red haired best friend. It was around this moment that Pyrrha had realized how close they were and found herself blushing lightly, growing nervous at Jaune boldness. Was she dreaming again?

"I can't lie to you and say that I'll have the strength to ask for your help right away, but I can promise you that I won't leave you guys in the dark again. We're a team and we fight together. And when I'm feeling down, or troubled, I know that you will be the first one I turn to. We're best friends, teammates, and you of all people mean the world to me." he grinned widely.

The words Jaune had said didn't really mean to sound romantic, at least not to him. Who knows? Maybe some part of him was starting to fall for his partner. How could he not? She had been with him through his beginnings and his worst, always with a smile. In a way, she reminded him of his mother.

But to Pyrrha, a girl who didn't have much interactions with boys, it was more than enough to shut her down. Her blush had gone nova, turning a deep red as her eyes went impossibly wide with surprise. Her heart beat was running on overdrive and Jaune could swear that her face was steaming. She didn't make a move as her brain turned off and she fainted.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune shouted in panic as he caught the knocked out invincible girl. He yelped as her skin felt hot to the touch. What the hell did he do? Grunting, he settled her body on his back before his eyes found the empty wooden stick in her hands. "I guess those dumplings were too spicy. You were eating them awfully quickly." he couldn't help but chuckle as he threw away the stick.

No amount of Wisdom or Intelligence could compete with the level of Jaune's obliviousness.

Fixing Pyrrha over his back, Jaune continued their stroll with the girl's head resting over his shoulder. Faintly he could make out Pyrrha mumbling, growing curious as he made out his name. What could she be dreaming off? He shrugged, deciding to let her be and wait for her to regain consciousness. They still had the rest of the morning to hang out after all.

'Pyrrha Niko's Affection has leveled up! Pyrrha Niko's Affection has hit the Level Cap for Act 1! Affection Lvl10MX! A Special Reward has been Unlocked! You've Received a Gift! Champion's Aura, Unlocked!'

[Page Break]

It didn't take too long for Pyrrha to wake back up from her little nap. After apologizing and fighting in vein to cool down her burning blush, the two continued their morning stroll for games and tasty exotic food. By the time it reached close to twelve in the morning, the two had found themselves sitting back on a bench as they watched the many people in the streets enjoying the holiday. It was there that Nora and Ren had found their teammates resting.

Grinning, Nora ran up to her friends while dragging along Ren behind her. From the looks of it she had been stuffing herself with all the food around her. Crumbs could be seen on her pink kimono along with sweets stuffed in her waist's sash. It was no wonder she was vibrating in place with all the sugar she must have eaten.

"Hey, guys! What ya doing? Shouldn't you be up and about, playing some more games or eating till your stomach erupts? I know that's what I'm doing." she mumbled happily, biting down on another sweet in her hand.

Ren sighed as he discretely swapped out another sugary candy in Nora's possession with sugar free. The only reason she was still alive at this point was thanks to his Semblance, Fade. He had progressed it to the point he could remove the presence of not just himself, but objects. It made it a lot easier to switch out her sweets when she had enough.

"We're just taking a break. Not all of us have bottomless energy." Jaune groaned as he stretched his back. Seriously, did she ever get tired?

"Boo, why can't you take after me? It's no fun when my entire team can't keep up with me." Nora pouted as Jaune chuckled.

"Pretty sure if I took after you, I'd be dead. That, or I would be seeing a doctor about my blood turning into sugary syrup."

"Oh! That sounds sooooo cool!"

"Nora, even you would die."

"I sense a challenge."

The line of conversation wasn't going to end well. Bopping Nora lightly on her head, Ren gave his childhood friend flat glare, "You are not transfusing your blood with syrup. Otherwise I'm done making you pancakes." he threatened with a smirk.

Nora gasped in betrayal, "You wouldn't! . . .You would." she grumbled. She turned away from the raven in a huff and bit down savagely onto a cotton candy she was saving.

Knowing he won, Ren turned back to Jaune with a tired chuckle, "It's been a challenge keeping Nora this tame. It's been a long time since she had any Anima sweets since we left for Beacon, so she can't really help herself but gorge. Though I'm no less guilty." he smirked as he unrolled a green foiled treat before popping the creamy orange candy into his mouth, "Even I can't resist my home's candy."

"You must have had your hands full then." Pyrrha giggled, watching as Nora continued her feasting. With a relaxed sigh, the red-haired girl stood back up and patted Ren's shoulder softly, "How about I take her off your hands for a while? We still have plenty of time left before we meet up with team RWBY for the last event of the night, so how about you and Jaune have some boy time?" she smiled with a wink, "Even you two need some time away from woman."

"Ain't that the truth." Nora mumbled, recalling all the times she caught Ren fixing his hair in the mirror, "Ain't it a little worrying that those two care more for their hair than us? Next thing you know, we'll be catching them stealing our makeup."

Both boys felt annoyance at the comment as Pyrrha giggled.

"Are you sure? Nora can be a handful." Ren warned lightly as Pyrrha nodded her head.

"We'll be fine. It's not the first time we've gone out together. Now, go and enjoy yourselves. We'll all meet up again around nine with the others. Just don't go starting any trouble you two." Pyrrha jokingly warned.

Nora snickered at that, "As if those two even know how to have fun."

Waving goodbye to Jaune and Ren, Pyrrha and Nora left to do their own thing, leaving the boys to their own devices. Falling back to the bench with relief, Ren took the moment to relax now that he was free. Nora really knew how to tire a guy out. No matter how many lives he lived, he would never get used to that kind of strain.

"So, what should we do?" Jaune asked now that they were alone. Honestly, he wasn't the most informed on what guys did when they hung out. Until he met Ren, Jaune had only hung out with girls. It wasn't even until this lifetime that he actually hung out with other guys like Cardin's team. There were a few moments with Sun and Neptune, but then he died.

Ren shrugged as he leaned back, "Relax? Quite honestly, there really isn't anything I would like to do. I would rather be back at our dorm, sleeping the day away." he said with a dreamy smile. Just thinking about his sweet, loving bed was making him drowsy.

"You really don't think of anything but sleep." Jaune said flatly with shake of his head.

"I see nothing wrong with that."

"Come on, Ren. We can't just sit around like a couple of logs all day. There's got to be something for a couple of guys like us to do." Jaune urged his lazy friend. For god's sake, he himself was starting to feel his eyes grow heavy as he fought a yawn. Dear god, Ren's lazy energy was contagious.

What did Jaune expect out of Ren? All Ren ever wanted was relaxation and sleep, something The Game would never let him have with it always urging him into action. And he could only ignore The Will's annoying game messages for so long. What he was doing right now, laying back on a nice warm bench with the wind gently kissing his face with a pocket full of sweets from his home continent was better than anything anyone could think of.

With that in mind, Ren pulled out a lemon-lime sucker and shoved it into Jaune's mouth just as he was about to speak again.

"Just shut up for once and relax. Times like this. . .won't last forever." Ren said wistfully as he popped a peach flavored lollipop into his own mouth.

Jaune sputtered for a second before relenting. True, his own life had been full of too much excitement and action to last him one lifetime. Maybe Ren was on to something? Doing nothing wasn't so bad here and there.

Following his fellow Player, Jaune laid back and savored the sweet as the two relaxed before the sea of colorful folks enjoying the festivities. It was nice.

For about two minutes.

"Ooooh~? Why, I know that lustrous mane of midnight cascading hair anywhere! And that mop of silky gold, you just can't find such a simple yet wondrous hair on a man anywhere!"

The purr of a feminine voice snapped Jaune and Ren's eyes wide open before they felt themselves entrapped by two strong arms. 'Why can't I have one day, ONE day without any kind of hijinks involved?' Ren's eye twitched.

Behind the two boys stood a woman with curly sandy blonde hair, pale white skin with a beauty mark on her left cheek, lime green eyes, and small chest. Like everyone else celebrating she was dressed in a simple red kimono only with hair grooming supplies stashed in her sash and curls. She grinned widely at the two as her hands entangled themselves in their hair, fondly caressing their locks.

Jaune groaned, recognizing the woman immediately, "Ms. Canela, can you stop messing with our hair? I just had it done."

"Not by me you haven't." chided the hairdresser with a pout. A small glare met two boys as she stopped indulging her habit and walked around them to stand before them with a pout.

"Why, I haven't seen neither of you two at my salon for nearly a month! Que horrible! You won't even call me by name. Have you forgotten me and found another hairdresser?" the sandy haired woman's voice trembled with faux tears.

"Sorry, Arena." the two boys apologized monotonously. Suddenly they both blinked before turning their heads to another in confusion.

"How do you know Arena?" Jaune asked with a frown.

"She's. . ." Ren struggled to say before hanging his head in shame, "My hair stylist. I've been seeing her since coming to Beacon for all my hair care needs. How else do you think I can keep my hair so silky smooth and luxurious while on a team with Nora?" he scoffed with a flip of his hair. Narrowing his eyes, he turned his suspicion to his leader, "The real question is, how do you know her?"

Jaune chuckled guiltfully, "Well, I'm on the same boat as you. I've just gotten so accustomed to my hair being done thanks to my sisters that I usually stop by Arena's salon for a touchup. Plus, I might also stop by here and then for some. . .spa time." he said embarrassingly as he hung his own head.

Ren stared blankly at his leader and his rather feminine dealings before sighing, "Me too."

In their defense, what did others expect when they were always surrounded with woman? It didn't help that they could effortlessly pull off crossdressing and be mistaken as actual girls. Habits like that sadly rubbed off.

Arena tapped her foot impatiently as the two boys ignored her, "Oye, it's not nice to ignore a woman! I just wanted to say hello to two of my cherished guests, yet you boys won't even give me the time of day. I feel used." she grumbled.

"Sorry, Arena! You just caught us while we were unwinding is all." Jaune apologized sheepishly.

"That doesn't excuse you." she huffed before turning her head up at the boys, "Nor does it explain why you boys haven't stopped by for a trim. I mean, look at you two!" she gestured incredulously to their hairs to state their point.

"What's wrong with my hair?" Jaune asked subconsciously.

"It hasn't been conditioned properly! And look at those split ends! Just the sight of your unkempt hair makes me feel queasy." she said with a green face of disgust. "I can't stand the sights of such smooth, silky hair comparable to a woman's fine due any longer! I, need to make you beautiful~!" she sang heavenly as her hands made odd gestures towards the boys.

Jaune sweated nervously as he was edged back into his seat, "I know I haven't been keeping up with my hair for a while, but I don't need a trim now! We can reschedule!"

"I just want to lay back and take a nap in the sun!" Ren couldn't help but cry as the exotic woman grabbed him by the scruff of his kimono. She dragged him along with his leader, mumbling all sorts of treatments she was going to be treating the boys with a sunny grin on her face.

Struggle all they could, they were unfortunately helpless before a woman.

---

"It's a what?"

Blake had seen a lot of things in her time working under the White Fang. Different cities, towns, people, cultures, and ways of life. She was sure that there wasn't much left in the world to take her by surprise. She was a stoic person, showing as little emotion as possible. And she was fine with that. She was never one for showing too much.

But even a hardened warrior like herself found it hard not to gape as she stood inside the oddest establishment she had ever seen. It wasn't anything too out of the ordinary really. It was a restaurant cafe designed to appear rather upper class with some of the gaudiest furniture and decorations she had ever seen. The food appeared top notch and while Blake wasn't the fondest of coffee, even she found herself enraptured by some of the aroma's drifting by her. Despite how rich the décor was, the cafe had this warm and friendly atmosphere to it, completely opposite of what she had expected from such a place. But all that wasn't what caused her to drop her jaw.

In front of her eyes, greeting her along with Ruby, Yang, Weiss, and oddly enough, Ciel, was one of the most gorgeous men she had ever seen. The man was dressed as your stereotypical butler, with wavy brown hair looking as fine as silk, gentle, compassionate green eyes, sharp features, and smooth skin with a dazzling smile. For a second Blake had flinched before those pearly white teeth. And to add to the picture, there was four other men with handsome features behind him, bowing politely to the girls with poise.

"Welcome, sweet mistresses, to Vale's Dreamy Cafe Lounge!" they all greeted politely in sync with dazzling smiles and grins, "Pleasure to serve you!"

"There's no way those teeth are real." Blake blurted out flatly, causing some of the waiters to stumble with blushes. They were as real as Weiss' busty chest.

For some reason, Weiss felt the urge to pull on Blake's ribbon hiding her ears. And a sudden shame.

Yang rolled her eyes as she stood in front of her little party of girls. This was why Blake needed this. The girl had to unwind and stop being skeptical. No one liked a party pooper.

"Who cares? What matters is that these fine gentlemen are here to serve our every need." Yang grinned as she got closer to the waiter leading the others. Her leering lilac eyes made the man uncomfortable as he became self-conscious of his rather fine appearance. Something about the girl made him feel like he was being eyed by a prowling lion. Even the way the chesty girl licked her lips made him gulp.

Once again, Blake questioned the reasoning for her being here. It was all Yang's idea of a girl's day out before meeting the rest of their friends at the city square. Why they thought it was a good idea to let Yang make their afternoon plans, they didn't know. Honestly, they should have seen this coming. They had only themselves to blame.

"This place does look really fancy for our tastes. Do you really think we'll be able to pay for this?" Ruby asked doubtfully as she scanned the place. She was a schoolgirl without a job, she didn't have enough Lien to pay for something fancy that didn't even taste good. Her dad's allowance only allowed for the essentials in life, like ammunition, weapon parts, and cookies. Lots and lots of cookies.

To that, Yang reached into her blazing yellow kimono and pulled out a slip of paper, "Don't worry, Rubes! I got some quality coupons!" she said brightly as she waved said coupons around like a fan. Handing over the slip of paper, the head waiter nodded his head after inspecting them over with a skeptical eye. The busty girl was right, they were top quality for a group meal and first-class service for each one of them. How did such a... unique girl acquire them? The man didn't think much on it as he snapped his finger, signaling his coworkers to get back to work. You couldn't fake coupons to their establishment that well anyway.

"What kind of service do they offer anyways?" Weiss said warily as they were led away. This was Yang they were talking about, whatever she had planned was never bound to be morally good.

Hearing Weiss' question, one of the waiters answered with a winning smile, "Why, we offer top notch customer service to our female patrons! Each one of you will be seated to your private room and offered services by one of our hosts who will cater to your every need! Your selected host will take your order, cook your order, offer you drinks, listen to your troubles with an open ear, even massage those tired and weary shoulders for you if you so please! We are at your beck and call. So, don't be afraid to ask whatever you like." he said softly with dreamy eyes.

Too bad for him, that the girls he was talking to weren't their typical guests. His smile wavered as he noticed that their guests didn't show signs of being smitten with him. Not even a blush! Hell, the girl in the black kimono wearing a black bow and the dark-skinned girl in a purple kimono simply gave him the driest stares he had ever seen.

Talk about a tough crowd.

"Do you guys serve cookies and milk?" Ruby asked with a pout. Because if not, she was running out of here.

"We offer whatever your heart desires! If it's cookies you wish, then consider it granted." the waiter said smoothly with a bright, heartwarming grin.

Ruby wasn't affected, but she did smile happily. If they could satisfy her cookie habit, then she was fine.

Deflating slightly at the lack of expected responses from the ladies, the host held back a sigh as they arrived towards their destination. They stopped in the middle of a velvet colored hallway with multiple doors lining the walls to their own private rooms. A frown marred his features as he noticed the lack of available rooms before nodding his head at the number he found available.

"I'm sorry, my sweets. But it seems we are running short on rooms. We only have four available, so would it be any trouble if two of you paired up? We promise that we'll make up for it with our top-notch service!" he suggested with proud grin.

Yang shrugged as she turned to her friends, "What do ya say? You guys okay with that?"

Blake nodded stiffly, "I suppose so. Who is going to pair up?" she said stoically, not truly caring one way or the other.

Ciel merely shrugged at the question, also not truly caring. "I have no problem being alone for this. Though I do still find it strange that you invited me on this excursion to begin with."

"Well, we wanted to thank you and Penny for helping us out with the White Fang. I thought it would nice to get to know you too." Ruby explained sheepishly. They had been hoping to invite Penny along as well, but the odd orange haired girl was absent. Ciel said that she had some business to take care of before they could meet again. But since Ciel was available, they had thought it would be nice to extend the invitation to her as well.

"I think I'll just take this time to bond with my little sis. I wouldn't like her being left alone with some punk anyways." she said under her breath before narrowing her eyes at the pretty boy.

"Then I suppose that settles that." Weiss sighed as she looked over her nails. At least they acted the part of a host. It had been some time since she was treated with such class. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

Happy with their resolution, the waiter began to lead them towards their own rooms. Weiss was the first one to be dropped off before Yang and Ruby. With only Blake and Ciel left, the waiter led them to their separate rooms. Blake watched with an uncaring eye as Ciel went into her room before she entered her own. Swinging it open, she was led into a finely furnished room with a velvet booth circling the room and a short table lined with several drinks and snacks that also served as a heating stove. Urging her to sit, the waiter handed her a menu before turning to the door.

"Please, look over the menu for a bit while I get you your server for the hour. With your friend's coupon, everything is 50% off, so don't be afraid to spoil yourself with whatever you're feeling!" he said with a bright smile.

Blake nodded, not paying the man any attention as she read over the menu. The man's shoulders dropped, moping as he shut the door behind him. He was going to have to talk to the boss about some tough customers.

Sighing in relief as the waiter left, Blake decided to go over the menu, if Yang was going to force her to do this for an hour she may as well see if there was anything to get out of it. Her eyes wandered over the menu and her attention mostly focused on the services they seemed to offer. With a raised eyebrow, she read one of the many services. They offered a foot massage? How bold.

The handle to their room twisted and Blake set aside the menu with an annoyed scowl. Inwardly, Blake prepared herself to shoot down whatever pretty boy walked into serve her. As if she was so weak to fall for their tricks. She was an ex-White Fang agent and a trained huntress who could slay Grimm after Grimm with no sweat. Not some ditzy girl with a weak heart.

Blue eyes and an all too familiar bright grin greeted Blake as her host walked in with a tray cart of food and cooking utensils. He was dressed as the other waiters and had blond hair, normally unkempt but now wavy and smooth as he winked at her with a wider, charming grin.

"Pleasure to serve you, mistress! Name's Jaune, Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue! And yours to command this afternoon." he said smoothly with a charming wink.

Jaune blinked in surprise, rubbing his eyes before he gaped openly at Blake, who had taken to staring at him with wide eyes. Trembling like a leaf, he pointed his finger at the catgirl as he shouted, "B-Blake!? What are you doing here!?"

"I… should be the one asking you that." Blake said slowly as her brain tried to process the unfolding events. "Do… you work here?" She hated the quiver in her voice but she couldn't help it. Of all the people she expected to see, Jaune wasn't even on the list.

Getting over his initial shock, Jaune shook his head as his shoulders slumped and his head dropped in shame, "No, no I do not. Trust me, this is the last thing I would ever work as." he mumbled.

"Then what are you doing here?" Blake asked, still very confused to find Jaune of all people here. He wasn't much of a lady's man and it wasn't exactly from a lack of trying. He was just kind of a dork by default.

Raising his head to meet Blake's yellow eyes, Jaune gave her a deadpanned stare, "Let's just say that Ren and I don't know how to say no to a woman and leave it at that. And I curse my good-natured mouth with every fiber of my being." he said dully before sighing at his current position.

It was just supposed to be a simple haircut! But even then Jaune and Ren were not spared of The Game's mechanics as a Quest option popped up as Arena was talking over her scroll with a friend who ran said lounge. The second the Shade woman had voiced her concerns; their HUD's had displayed a mission detailing the rewards and Lien they would earn. And how could Jaune say no to a woman with a quivering lip and batting eyes!? Now they were both working as hosts for a friend of their hair stylists seeing as the guy in charge was suddenly short on two guys.

A job was a job though. Turning back for the trolley cart, Jaune went ahead and begun setting up the supplies to start cooking.

Trying his best to shift the discussion away from his weak will in the face of females, Jaune gave Blake his best smile and gestured toward his makeshift kitchen. "So, what are you feeling like today? Our special of the day is Takoyaki, that's fried batter balls with minced octopus or any kind of seafood with seasoning and other delicious treats."

Blake's ear perked up at that, her hidden feline appendages wiggling in excitement, "I'll have Takoyaki with lots of octopus!" she said happily in a rare moment of giddy joy before her face flared up with embarrassment at her outburst.

Jaune just chuckled and tried to wave off her embarrassment as he went to work. He was more than familiar enough her sea food loving tendencies to be surprised by that. Removing everything from the table, the surface began to heat up as the blond began to prepare the exotic meal. A twelve two rowed metal pan was set onto the heating metal that Jaune soon filled with batter and various ingredients. Octopus, red ginger, green onions, tenkatsu, and even bits of shrimp that were only causing the beast that was Blake's stomach to growl louder. And with two sliver-like needles in hand she watched the knight begin to roll the batter balls, the food starting to waft a rich aroma within the small room.

"I hate to be that guy, but do I really have to act like a pretty boy and flirt with you shamelessly?" Jaune asked nervously as he cooked.

Tearing her eyes away from the appetizing sight of sizzling battered seafood balls, Blake grew curious.

"Is that what you've been doing? Catering to woman's needs all day like some playboy? And no, you can relax and act as you always do." she asked stoically. The idea of Jaune trying to be a suave player almost broke her calm demeanor. She could only picture him fumbling around with a nervous smile as he tried and failed to please different patrons. It was almost enough to make her laugh, almost.

"Pretty much. Ren and I have been stuck here for two hours, treating girls like they were royalty. I mean, it's not that bad." Jaune shrugged, keeping his eyes focused on his task. Fun fact, certain activities like cooking usually dropped him into a mini game. That's were his Talents came in to play. Currently, his HUD was displaying a Score Meter and timers on each Takoyaki ball to roll around.

"I lived with seven sisters, so it's pretty much the same. And my mother and father always taught me to treat woman with respect. Add in some false charisma and confidence, and I've surprisingly been doing well. You know, other than some handsy girls here and there." he coughed into his fist with a small blush. Civilian girls were completely different than the girls on campus, that was for sure.

'I suppose I can see that.' Blake thought with a growing blush as she watched Jaune cook with a peaceful expression. He had come a long way from the stumbling blond with terrible pick-up lines. The past three months he had shown remarkable growth, attracting a lot of attention from the people around him. She swore she could hear other students whispering his name here and there. There was just something about him that attracted attention.

Unfortunately, it was often the bad kind.

"How are you feeling by the way?" Blake asked softly as her eyes fell on Jaune's once nearly punctured abdomen.

Catching Blake's eyes, Jaune smiled reassuringly as he squirted cooking oil over the seafood balls, "I'm feeling just fine. After a few visits by Ms. Sprig, she's said that I've healed completely with no lasting scars. Compared to the last time I was taken into the hospital, it wasn't that bad." he said before frowning lightly.

Roman could have done worse. He pretty much wounded everyone in his line of sight for fun. Except Pyrrha who was only saved from his tricks when he was cornered and forced to run away. Jaune's frown only grew deeper as a thought struck him.

'So, why wasn't Nora hurt? All he did was knock her out with a spell. Why didn't he do that to everyone else?'

Throwing such thoughts out of his mind, Jaune went back to cooking before noticing that the Takoyaki was finished. Fixing a small serving basket in hand, he brought the day's special to the lone huntress and took a seat beside her.

"Now enough questions, I'm here to spoil you like a proper gentleman!" he said with a toothy grin.

"Jaune, I'm not going to make you wait on me like some-" Blake's protesting was quickly silenced by a hot, steamy ball of battered octopus popping into her mouth. The second it made contact with her tongue, she melted into her seat as she chewed the savory meal with a delightful moan. Her ears wouldn't stop wiggling as she clapped her cheeks in delight.

"Sorry, my ebony-haired beauty, but I have a job to do." Jaune said unapologetically.

Swallowing, Blake grew mortified with her behavior as the bliss ended. That wasn't like her! She wasn't so easily-

"Say 'ahhh'!"

Pride flew out the window as Blake happily opened her mouth, savoring the incredible fishy ball with another moan. When it came to fish, she had no control over her emotions.

Chuckling at Blake's happy demeanor, Jaune grinned knowingly, "Don't think I don't know what you're doing. I know you Blake, enough to know when you're about to go on another blame game. Trust me, you're not the only veteran player." he said with a sad smile as he continued to feed her.

"You've been avoiding me ever since I came back to the dorms, making up excuses to stay away from me. Knowing you, you're blaming yourself for what happened at the docks. Just like the Friends of Faunus. For a stoic, silent, porn reading ninja cat girl, you're pretty easy to read."

His smile was wiped completely off his face as he felt his annoyance seep back into him. He had tried to approach Blake multiple times since the docks. The entire reason any of them had gone there was to help Blake deal with her problem surrounding the White Fang. He had lost consciousness towards the end of the fight and he had no idea if she had gotten what she needed from it. Hearsay and a completed quest status wasn't good enough for him, he wanted to know from her how she was doing over all of it.

And in return he had received flimsy excuses and a friend too afraid to talk to him face to face. He had seen her hide from him went he went to talk to her, it was all but impossible not to with his HUD. The few times he had caught her off guard was met with a poorly conceived excuse that had her fleeing just as fast. At first, he thought he had done something wrong to earn her ire but that couldn't have been the case. Blake was never one to back away from someone that upset her, she was a surprisingly vocal person when it came to things she was passionate or upset over, the White Fang being a prime example.

No, instead he had realized why she was hiding from him. The concerned glances when she thought he wasn't looking gave it away. She was blaming herself and running away, just like she always did. He had thought he had helped her get past that part of herself but apparently bad habits die hard. He should have expected that to be completely honest, he was the same way. He was quick to place the blame for everything on himself, finding fault even if in realty there was none to give.

It was why he found himself at ease around her and why her company never seemed forced. In his first life, he had never realized just how similar the two of them were in that regard, too preoccupied with his own failings and weaknesses to ever concern himself with her, only ever truly finding time for his own team and Ruby.

It was also why it hurt to have her avoid him the way she had. They were never close in his past life but now Blake had become one of his closest friends. With everything they had been through so far how could they not? The Friends of Faunus event had truly brought them together in a way that he had never expected from the raven-haired beauty. He knew that she felt the same in many respects, if she didn't she would never feel as guilty as she obviously did.

So, she blamed herself for everything that happened and was too afraid to face him because she thought he may hold it against her. It was a stupid thought, he would never even entertain the idea, let alone blame her for what happened. But the reasoning fit Blake to a T. That was why he had stopped pushing to talk to her until she was ready. He knew her well enough that she would eventually seek him out. But if they were already here, maybe now would be as good as time as any.

Blake glared at Jaune with a mouthful of Takoyaki. The porn reading jab was unnecessary. How many times did she have to explain the artistic vision that was Ninja's of Love? With an audible gulp, Blake sighed.

"This time it was my fault. If I hadn't gone to the docks to prove that the White Fang wasn't involved, then none of you would have gotten hurt. I let my anger cloud my judgment, and you all paid the price." she said with guilt. "Yang suffered a punctured shoulder, Weiss suffered lacerations, Ruby suffered second degree burns and nearly had her jaw cracked, Ren nearly had his lung pierced, and Sun and Tsuki who had nothing to do with our teams suffered their own wounds. And you nearly died, again." she said in frustration as she bit down on her lip.

"That's not completely true." Jaune struggled to say as he found himself pouring her a drink. She was technically correct. None of them would have been there if it wasn't for her own agenda but that didn't mean any of them blamed her for it, he certainly didn't. Judging by the look at her pretty face however, she didn't believe his already shaky words.

"Roman did mess me up pretty badly, but I wasn't hanging on by a thread. And everyone is back on their feet. No one blames you for what happened. In case you forgot, this is also part of our job as huntsman and huntresses; to stop trouble wherever it comes up." Dipping a Takoyaki ball into tarter sauce, Jaune jammed it into Blake's mouth just as she opened it. She gave him an annoyed glare that he laughed at, "I think you're the only one who's' still hung up about the mess. Move on, Blake. We don't like seeing our friend beating herself up. You're no fun like that."

"When have I ever been fun?" Blake mumbled, withholding a guilty moan. He just had to be a good cook, "And how can you be okay with what happened? Why can't you just blame me for being a burden like a normal person!" she nearly shouted in frustration.

"Who ever said I was normal?" Jaune scoffed lightly, "I don't think anyone on our teams can be considered that. Friends don't blame one another, they pick each other up and forgive them. It seems you still have a lot to learn about that if you don't understand that simple fact. And they called me dumb." he smirked.

It looked like all those books were just for show.

Struggling to find something to say back, Blake eventually gave up and resented herself to being fed with a grumpy huff. Why was it so hard for her to make them see reason? If she was still with Adam, he would be blaming her for getting them into trouble. Any normal human or faunus would do the same thing! How were they any different?

'GIVE THEM SOME CREDIT!'

Blake's yellow eyes widened as a familiar voice came to mind. For some reason, she couldn't help but smile fondly. Didn't she have a similar conversation before with someone more brash and hardheaded? If. . .if people like Jaune and Cardin could understand that, why couldn't she? Shutting her eyes, Blake found the weight she had been carrying on her shoulders lifting as she sighed.

She had almost forgotten a very important fact. They were friends. And that was all that needed to be said. What a simple answer, it was so corny.

'Blake Belladonna's Friendship has risen! A Perk has been Unlocked! Fool's Shadow, Unlocked!'

A soft smile came to rest of Jaune's face as he regarded the more at ease Faunus girl. It looked like she finally understood where not only himself but all their friends were coming from. But it didn't stop the nagging feeling that gnawed at the back of his mind. He had thought he had gotten through to Blake before and yet this still happened. He needed to drill this into her head, he didn't want to have this conversation with her again. He didn't want to feel the same hurt he felt when she had avoided him again.

He gently let himself fall beside the catgirl and rested on the soft cushions. Her eyes were still shut as he reached out and wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders, his hand resting on the side of her head as he carefully pulled her head into his chest. Her reaction was predictable and surprising at the same time. He instantly felt her body stiffen at his touch, her face going scarlet as her wide amber eyes stared up at him. But at the same time, she didn't fight his touch nor pull away as he drew her in close.

He placed her head over his heart and couldn't help but feel his own body flush at the contact but he pushed forward, this was more important that his silly nerves. Despite his thoughts his body betrayed him as his heart started to beat a mile a minute and he became painfully aware of just how soft Blake was, how wonderfully she smelled and how great it felt to have her against his body.

Fighting those thoughts back into the darkest recess of his mind, he tried to focus on what he was trying to do. Blake's eyes were still on him, waiting for him to say something. He saw the confusion in them as well as nervousness that he couldn't quite place. Steeling his nerves, he tried to hide his own embarrassment.

"Jaune, what are you-

"Do you feel that Blake? Can you hear it?" He interrupted her with a soft voice.

The girl continued to look at him with confusion but seemed to consider his words as she closed her eyes again and listened. After a few moments they fluttered open, those piercing amber orbs locked on his ocean blue. "Your heart?"

His smile widened, a genuine one opposed to the awkward one he had been wearing earlier. "Yeah. My heart. It proves that I'm still alive. That I'm still here and despite everything that's happened, I'm fine. But do you what else it does?"

Her eyes stayed locked on his but she didn't remove her head from his chest, she stayed pressed against it chest, the rhythmic beating of his heart having almost a calming effect on her. Her silence was more than enough for him to continue. "It tells me what I need to do. It tells me who is important to me and who I need to protect."

He stopped, if only to find the proper way to say what he needed to. "You blamed yourself for what happened to everyone, convinced that the only reason we got hurt was because of you. What you fail to see is that we made those decisions on our own. You're free to do the things you want but so are we. I can't speak for anyone else but despite everything that was going on there was nothing I would have rather done than to come with you into that fray."

He didn't take his eyes off hers and he could see a bit of the fight she was so well known for shining through. "But you nearly died. I don't want to be responsible for my friends getting hurt. I know you won't blame me but I don't want to see anyone else hurt because of me."

"The real pain is when you try to do things on your own and leave us behind. Promise me Blake. No matter how dangerous it is, please come to your friends for help. If not me then at least your team. Promise me Blake, you mean too much to me to see you get hurt if we could help."

He gazed into his now wide cat-like eyes as they stared back into his. It was more than his words that made her throat clench, it was the raw emotion in his own ocean blue eyes. Jaune was always an honest person, someone that wore his emotions on his sleeve. Now more than ever Blake could read the naked concern in them. She saw something else in them as well that made her heart speed up.

"Please Blake…" His voice was soft, a barely audible whisper as he drew closer to her. She could feel his hot breath wash over her face as he waited for her answer. It was a simple thing but it sent shivers across her body. Her hand moved on its own as it came to rest on his chest, her own eyes dimming slightly as she lost herself in his blue orbs.

"I promise."

It came out as a breathless whisper but she knew he had heard her. His eyes shone with a joy she hadn't seen in him for quite some time. He was still so close that she could feel his every breath and movement. Her heart hammered in her chest as her eyes wandered a little lower and her mind betrayed her as treacherous thoughts raced through her mind.

Was he…could she actually…did she want to…? Her mind pushed images into the forefront of her mind that did nothing to relieve the pounding of her heart before she finally gave in and slowly her eyes fluttered shut. With whatever courage she had left she began to lean in and…

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Blake stopped abruptly, her ears picking up a very loud and furious yell, 'Yang?'

The sound of walls breaking apart by a thunderous boom broke Jaune out of his daze as he turned away from Blake as they suddenly found the left side of their room smashed through by an unknown object. Said object was drilled into the right wall, their flight losing just enough velocity from its previous buffers to leave them groaning as they slid down to the floor. Jaune recognized the man despite the multiple bumps over his bruising face and frowned.

"Dio? What the hell happened to you?" he gawked as the fancy dressed man with a once smooth, chiseled jaw and well combed blond hair gurgled a response. With how beat up Dio was, it didn't come to a surprise to Jaune when the host passed out a second later. Out of curiosity, Jaune turned towards the rather large hole created by his fellow host, only to come eye to eye with a set of confused pink and icy blue eyes.

Ren, who had been serving his own guest, found Jaune's gaze on him, catching the lazy huntsman mid-foot massage. Jaune grew annoyed as he noticed his friend had Weiss's naked petite foot in hand while the girl enjoyed a parfait.

"You bastard."

Ren merely raised an eyebrow as if to ask 'and you have room to talk?

Making a mental note to get back at his friend, Jaune continued his line of sight through the hole on Ren's end. And that's where he found a fuming Yang Xiao Long cracking her knuckles with blistering red eyes as she stood protectively over a very confused Ruby innocently munching cookies. Jaune nodded in thought, putting two and two together.

"I take it Dio got too close." he said dryly.

Yang growled, her eyes glaring at the knocked-out host with no regrets, "That little snobbish prick thought he was slick. He thought he could distract me with some drinks and sweet talk while he scooted closer to Ruby. Then he made the mistake of touching her face with that damn arrogant smirk of his. Who's smirking now, HUH!?" she shouted at the knocked-out host.

"I have no idea what's going on." Ruby added in simply as she helped herself to another cookie.

Tempering her rage, Yang finally took notice of her friends past the walls she had busted in. A Cheshire grin made its way to her face as she zoned in on Jaune.

"Damn, Jaune, I didn't think you were that kind of guy. And with my own partner no less?" Yang questioned behind a snicker.

The color in Jaune's face died as he found himself turning back to Blake. At some point during their conversation she had ended up in his lap and both his hands were around the small of her back while hers were placed on his chest as she was half laying on him. All in all, it looked like the two were in some romantic embrace

Jaune gaped with a red velvet face at the multiple sets of eyes that were now solely focused on them. Some were surprised, others amused, one completely checked out. Those were nothing compared to the last pair he focused on. The icy blue orbs were absolutely frigid as the small girl shook with rage.

"YOU PERVERT!"

Darkness thy old friend, say hello to Jaune.

With the thud of another knocked out blond, Ren cleaned his hands of the massage oil as Weiss fumed while canceling her glyph. The basketball sized hunk of ice she had summoned over Jaune's head rolled between Blake's legs as Jaune mumbled in his unconsciousness.

'This is another reason I don't like to play the hero, because of situations like this.' Ren thought to himself wisely as he began to drag his leader away from the mess. Cliché shit like this wasn't something Ren wanted in his life. For a second, Ren glanced back to the knocked-out host, Dio, before shrugging his shoulders and leaving the girls to the scene.

Someone had to take the blame and it was Dio's fault. Ain't no way Ren was paying for any of this.

'Just one more hour to go. Just one more, and then you're free to go.' Ren chanted to himself. The 10,000 Lien in reward money and Special Jasmine Hair Conditioner was worth it.

Now where could he dump a knocked out blond dork?

'Congratulations! Blake Belladonna's Affection has risen!'

---

The day was slowly edging closer to night as the red festivities began to light up their red lanterns for a source of light for the drawing darkness. The sight of so many lanterns guiding the way for the people wandering the streets was breathtaking. And with their arrival, music began to play courtesy of the local musicians playing melodies of the neighboring continent. It was the sound of music that welcomed Jaune and alerted him to his next stop. Or date.

'I'm about to go on a date with a girl who's only interested in having my kid... What the hell am I supposed to expect out of this?' Jaune sighed in exasperation as he walked over to the meeting spot Tsuki had texted him.

It would have been much simpler if the mysterious, cold, stern raven-haired girl had a crush on him! But no, she had to straight up tell him that she only wanted him so she could give birth in the future. At least she didn't want to jump his bones right now. That was good, right?

Jaune slouched as he pulled at his hair in frustration. Why the hell couldn't his life be normal? Who came up with this kind of crap!? It was like some crappy romance novel! Blake would have loved this.

Pulling himself together, the blond knight began to think of what to do. Obviously, he was going to have to explain how her plans weren't going to work out. Because as much as his libido was literally kicking him in the groin in hopes of stopping him, Jaune needed to let Tsuki down. Not because she wasn't attractive, the older girl was beautiful and her red eyes were drawing. Not to mention said girl's bust rivaled Yang along with her slim figure. But the thing was he hardly knew anything about her.

'I mean, why me? What did she see that would make her want to have my kid? And more importantly of all, why does she want my kid?' There was just too many questions in the air. The only real reason Jaune had agreed to this was because he was actually hoping to get to know her. He had Tsuki's Affection unlocked without doing a thing, but her Friendship was still locked up. What exactly did that mean?

The next chance he had, he was reading his Gamer's Manual. Some new pages had been unlocked after Husk's last patch that he hadn't gone over yet. It was about time he understood his Title as Heart a little better.

"Hello, dear."

The cold, soft voice belonging to Tsuki brought Jaune out of his thoughts as he turned his eyes up from the ground to meet the older student's red eyes.

Like all the woman in the streets, Tsuki was dressed in her kimono, a scarlet red designed with twirling black feathers. Her kimono accented her figure, putting most of the girls around her to shame. And the killing blow was dealt with how snug it fit her upper body. Jaune did his best not to let his eyes stray for Tsuki's chest moving with every step she walked closer. Instead he met her eyes and noticed how she had done her hair in curls along with two red flowers tied to the side of her head.

"You can just call me Jaune, Tsuki." Jaune said nervously as she stopped in front of him.

Tsuki frowned at that before taking out of one her self-help books, "But it says that one should greet the object of their affections with romantic honorifics." she explained while pointing out the passage in her book.

"But we aren't even dating."

"That is irrelevant."

Jaune sighed as he scratched his head. Tsuki was the stubborn type it seemed, "Let's put a pin on that, what do you want to do? There's plenty of activities on the streets to enjoy." he suggested as he scanned the place for a place to start their... date, "You're from Anima, right? What did you do back home with your family?"

Tsuki tapped her lips, her features blank in thought before shrugging, "I wouldn't know. I don't believe I've celebrated this festival. My tribe found such things foolish and a waste of time. And I must agree," she said boredly as she found all the tacky red pointless, "I find little reason to celebrate when there is much to do with my time. Such as train, study, and keeping track of my latest prey."

Jaune felt a twitch in his right eye as he noticed the raven girl stare at him intensely. He was not some animal with a target on its ass, god damn it.

"Your tribe sounds... fun. But what about your parents? Didn't they encourage you to celebrate?"

"My parents are a distant memory, I am an orphan."

Jaune winced in apology, "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to-"

Tsuki cut him off with a frown, "It's no issue. I was orphaned at a young age and only know that I had a mother and no father to speak of, so I have no feelings for the matter. A Grimm attack on my original home had wiped the residence out, including my mother, and I was found by a tribe of nomadic... individuals." she said with a slight cough before continuing on as if she was talking about the weather, "The chief took me in out of pity and raised me as another member of her people. I owe her everything, and plan to pay her back however I can." she said fiercely.

The emotion in Tsuki's voice was new to Jaune. Tsuki wasn't the most emotional of people he had met, only ever showing cold glances. Hearing that kind of emotion in the silent girl's voice was a little relieving.

"Still, I'm sorry to hear that. At least you were raised by a new family." he said positively.

Tsuki tilted her head to the side at the word, "Family? I suppose you could call them that." she said in sudden realization as her eyes widened in some sort of epiphany.

Why did Jaune now feel a sense of pity? Dear god, he had to restrain himself from hugging the poor girl!

With a new firm resolve as he fought tears, Jaune took Tsuki's wrist in hand and pulled her along. Tsuki showed some surprise as the knight led her on into the streets.

"Where are we going?"

"To show you how to have some fun! If you've never had the chance to celebrate Akai Shukuten, then we're going to have to show you how it's done!" Jaune said excitedly. Time to bring some life into the odd huntresses.

Tsuki didn't seem to care but was eager to get closer to the blond boy. If it would make him happy and more interested in her, then she was all for it. This was what people did on dates, wasn't it? How fascinating.

Their first stop, some festival games!

"Tsuki, for the love of god, put down the notched arrow!"

Ebony Devil, Tsuki's personal weapon was currently in its bow form and aimed for the head of the sweating game vendor behind the safety of his booth. Several tin flat ducks on a moving belt mechanism quacked mockingly as they swam back and forth in river rows and a score board above the cowering man. Toys and stuffed animals were hung around the sides of the booth and toy guns for the game could be seen in disarray. Said girl was glaring coldly at the vendor, her red eyes promising pain and misery.

"This cheat is playing you. A few of those majestic creatures are made of heavy material, making it impossible to knock them down and achieve a respectable score to earn a worthy prize. And I will not let him get away with cheating my beloved." she said with an icy silent fury.

"You think ducks are majestic?" Jaune couldn't help but point out with a raised brow before going back to the matter at hand, "And you don't have to kill the guy! Where the hell were you hiding your weapon anyway?"

"Would you like to find out?"

"Now is not the time." Jaune struggled to say before turning for the vendor. He gave the man an apologetic smile as he scratched his cheek, "Sorry for my friend, she doesn't mean any harm."

The vendor doubted that. Point being that Tsuki hadn't dropped her glare and even lit the arrow head with fire with a snap of her finger. With a trembling grin, the vendor quickly grabbed the closest prize by him and shoved it into the blond boy's chest.

"It's all right! Really! Besides, you won! Now take your girlfriend and go, please!" he nearly cried.

Jaune opened his mouth, but shrugged his shoulders and took the prize. Tsuki wasn't wrong, games like this were always rigged. At least they got something out of it. Happy with the prize, Jaune turned around to hand it over to Tsuki, only to stare flatly at the cold girl smirking smugly in some sort of victory.

"He believes us boyfriend and girlfriend, then my plans are going smoothly." She could already picture the strong child she would bear. She was hoping they would have her hair and Jaune's blue eyes.

"No, they are not." What the hell was going on inside Tsuki's head? Putting that aside, Jaune handed the girl the large stuffed animal, a yellow plush duck. And for the first time since he had met the red eyed huntress, a look of joy passed through Tsuki's eyes. She hugged the duck tightly, the action causing the stuffed animal to quack.

"Because of that, I will allow you naming privileges of our child." she said softly with awe.

This was going to be a loooooong date. Onto the next activity!

"For the love of god, please stop. It's already dead!"

Tsuki huffed as she listened to Jaune and lowered her leg from another ax kick to the scrap of a beaten machine. The people around the two edged away from the girl as what was once a Love Tester released a dying beep. Smoke bellowed from its metal corpse.

Pointing at her defeated object of rage, Tsuki grumbled, "That thing dares to say that we are not compatible. Clearly it is in the way of my hunt, so I had to deal with it accordingly."

"It's a machine, it meant no harm." Jaune tried to explain, sweating as the girl only narrowed her eyes at him, "It doesn't mean that we're not compatible! It just means you have more to work towards." he said nervously.

For a second, Tsuki stared intensely at the object of her pseudo affection before nodding in understanding.

"Yes, I suppose the machine was correct. I have much to do before you see me romantically enough to bed me. Seems I went a little overboard." she said with a frown.

"Just a little bit." Jaune chuckled before a noise from the machine caught his attention. Leaning down towards the love tester's broken frame he found a slip of paper slowly dispensing from it. It was designed with hearts and a chibi picture of Tsuki who looked back at him with a flat but smug expression.

'You've received an Affection Ticket!

Affection Ticket [Special Gift]: A wondrous ticket rarely rewarded. Increases one Stat by 2, rewards a unique Skill or Ability, or unlocks an exotic Weapon or Item based on the NPC the ticket was rewarded by. Increases the Affection EXP of said NPC by 50% when used.'

Jaune whistled at what he was reading. Now that was a rare item. Too bad it came at the cost of a poor love machine. 'Your death was not in vain, Love Tester 2000.' He thought with tears falling from his face.

"I think we should go now." Pocketing the rare item, Jaune dragged the blinking ravenette by the wrist as he heard several rushing footsteps and angered voices heading for their location. He was not wasting his Lien on another busted piece of hardware.

It didn't take much to lose the security watching over the festival in the sea of people. Sighing in relief as Jaune checked his HUD for the red dots representing the pursuers to fade, he turned his eyes for something else they could do. Something Tsuki wouldn't destroy. Curiously, he spotted a row of vendors selling several items that caught his interest.

He eyed the jewelry, pieces of armor, small armed weapons, ammunition, clothing, and souvenirs. Eventually he stopped at a small clothing stand and grinned as his fingers picked up a finely knitted ribbon. It was dark red and felt smooth as silk designed with a silver medal engraved with a fierce crow and black thorns crossing over the ribbon.

'Never Charm [Accessory]: A special ribbon knitted after a bringer of misfortune. Lowers the less used Stat of the wearer by 5 but increases the highest Stat by 5 and increases the wearer's Critical Hit Ratio by 15%. An accessory for one who wishes for a challenge. It gives off an eerie energy, promising misery if not used properly.

2,100 Lien.'

Jaune inspected the accessory, thinking carefully over it before nodding with a positive grin. Something like this would be a nice gift for a girl like Tsuki. She seemed like the kind of girl who would love a challenge. Handing over the Lien, Jaune thanked the vendor for the item before turning back to a puzzled Tsuki. She stared at the ribbon in confusion as Jaune gestured for her to take it.

"What is this?" she asked as she gazed curiously at the ribbon.

"A gift. Honestly speaking, I feel guilty for what happened on Sunday." Jaune frowned sadly as his eyes fell on her shoulder. Tsuki had suffered a lightning spear through her shoulder for god's sakes! She didn't have to be there that night, but she had gone looking for him either way. Even it was for her own strange reasons, she had gone out of her way for him. And she had suffered for it.

Tsuki was strange. Definitely one of the oddest girls Jaune had ever met. And her goal of having his child was embarrassing. But he would never want her to get hurt because of him.

"You didn't have to look for me. We barely know each other. But you did and you got hurt. That enough has proved to me that you're someone I want to be friends with." he said hopefully as the girl continued to stare at him. She didn't seem to understand what he was saying.

"You do know that such a thing is not necessary, right? I've already agreed to having relations with you in the future, so you do not need to get closer like most men." It was a waste in her opinion. That was how relationships started, with the man drawing the woman in with friendship to romance her in the future.

Jaune sighed, chuckling as he patted the oblivious raven huntress' head.

"I just want to be friends is all. There's no ulterior motive behind it. I already know you like me, you've made that painfully clear." he said flatly before smiling gently, "But I've seen that you're more than just a cold face that values strength above all else. You can be kind and gentle, I've seen those glimpses here and there. And I know there is a lot more to you than meets the eye."

"I know I'm not much to look at. And I still have a long way to go as both a huntsman and a leader. Not to mention I'm a bit of a dork who still sleeps in a onesie. But I'm hoping you can see me as a friend, because I know I already consider you one."

For the longest time, Tsuki seemed to just stare at Jaune as if he was some math problem she couldn't solve. Under those red eyes, Jaune grew nervous as he scratched his neck. Nodding in some decision she had come to, Tsuki turned back to the vendor's ware and searched through the items before finding what she was looking for. With her own Lien in hand, she thanked the vendor politely before gesturing Jaune to open his hand. Wondering what she was up to, Jaune laid out his palm.

'Lucky Amulet (Power) [Accessory]: One of many good luck charms scattered throughout Remnant! The red color represents Strength and Passion. Increases Strength by 5 and increases the amount of Lien rewarded by Quests! It also wards off weaker Grimm when equipped. Equipable only to Swords. A special charm made from unique eastern gold coins and red tassels, beloved by the people of Anima for fortune. It jingles with a rich tune.'

Now it was Jaune's turn to be confused. Why would she give this to him? It was a nice gift, no doubt about it. But why?

Grabbing Jaune by the wrist, Tsuki turned away from the street of vendors and dragged him along. Her stomach was growling and it was time to hunt for a filling meal.

"Uh, Tsuki? Why did you give me this?" Jaune couldn't help but ask as he followed along. Stopping in front of a food stand, he got no answer as the girl bought a stick of grilled fish for herself and him. With the food in hand, she continued to drag him around until she caught eye of an open patio for them to rest at.

As she bit into her crispy fish treat, Tsuki noticed that Jaune was still waiting for her to explain. She should have known he wouldn't just accept it and now question her actions. With a grudging sigh, she decided to explain.

"In case you haven't noticed, I don't have many friends. All I've ever had was my tribe, the only family I've ever known. It wasn't until I arrived at Beacon that I actually came to make friends with strangers." she said wistfully with a small lift of her lips, "Against my better wishes, I've become rather fond of them. Even Helios. But I've sworn to myself that they would be the only exceptions. I am not here to make friends; my mission does not allow me to do so." she said sternly.

"Mission?" Jaune frowned as Tsuki nodded stiffly.

"It is not something I wish to discuss. It's a very sensitive matter." One that the chief would skin her alive if known to anyone else but herself. Even mentioning it was going too far, "They alone are enough. The less friends, the better in the long run. But I suppose, if we are to make this work between us someday, a healthy relationship as friends would be the best route to take. I wouldn't want our child to see you as some stranger." she said with a chuckle.

"Right." Jaune said stiffly. That was a question for another day. Still though, that didn't explain why she had bought him the good luck charm.

Sensing that, Tsuki smiled gently as she reached into her kimono. A beaten, worn out, and aged amulet of the same design dangled between them from Tsuki's hand.

"If we are to be friends, I thought it would nice to commemorate the occasion. Now wherever you go, you will have a memento of myself with you. Just as I have a memento of my mother with me."

"Your mother? I thought you didn't remember anything about your parents?"

Tsuki shook her head, her eyes melancholic as she gazed at the time worn trinket, "I have some faint recollections before she had perished. I do not recall much, but I know she was very fond of good luck charms, believing them to grand luck to even the most unfortunate soul. She even said a silly old crow could live a happy life if they had some faith." That was always an odd saying that still stuck to Tsuki. She never understood what it meant, "She was a bright and happy person, and loved to make friends with passing strangers. In a way, you remind me of her." she said fondly with a pleasant smile.

"Is that why you chose me as your... chosen?" Jaune struggled to say as his face broke out into a blush.

"No, but it certainly cements my decision, I suppose." Tsuki shrugged as she chomped down on her meal and mumbled with food in her mouth, "My first impression of you was not well. I remember my team going out to check on the first years arriving to campus when I spotted you right off the bat. Throwing up into a trashcan with a weak exterior. I could already assume that you were a fish out of water from such a simple observation."

Jaune slouched in his seat in dejection. Yeah, that wasn't his most fond memory of his first day at Beacon. It was hard to fake confidence when the students around him had already seen him as Vomit boy. Had to thank Yang for that one.

"But as time passed, I noticed this unnatural growth you've displayed." Tsuki frowned as she recalled how Jaune had went from a sub-par huntsman to one of the strongest first years in a matter of two months, "The unconfident, weak willed, somber, and nervous glint in your eyes just vanished. You became strong, stronger than most would in such a short time. It's almost as if you became a whole other person. And after the events of the Friends of Faunus, where the entire school body had learned of what you and your team had accomplished, I had finally found my chosen." she said proudly as she her eyes shut smugly.

"Me?" Jaune said uncertainly, pointing a finger to his baffled face.

Tsuki nodded firmly, her eyes showing her firm belief, "I have my own personal mission, one that involves bearing a strong child in the future. And after searching for two years, I have finally found the individual who fills the parameters I've been interested in. So, do not disappoint me and continue to grow stronger. I will have nothing less than a powerful friend/chosen!" she said sternly with a strong voice.

'Congratulations! Tsuki Yumi's Friendship has been Unlocked! A new Ability has been Unlocked! Target, Unlocked!'

'Well, at least I finally unlocked Tsuki's friendship. That's good, right?' Wasn't he on this date to convince her to drop the whole 'chosen' matter? Jaune was pretty sure he had only made her beliefs stronger. With a tired sigh, Jaune decided to just leave it be for now. Surely this wouldn't last long, right? In the end, he made another friend. And so did she.

"I still don't get you, but I guess I can learn to understand you now that we're friends." Jaune smiled. A soft growl made him realize he hadn't taken a bite from his grilled fish yet. Food was calling, so he bit down on his meal and decided to just sit back. He closed his eyes, taking in the crunchy texture before the soft white fish meat inside melted in his mouth. You just couldn't beat the simple things in life. The sound of scrapping metal caught his attention, causing him to open one of his eyes to find Tsuki dragging her seat next to his. He didn't give her any mind, instead going back to relaxing as the raven-haired girl joined along to gaze at the festive scenery.

For a date, it wasn't so bad. It was actually enjoyable.

'So, this is what people do during festivals?' Tsuki scoffed lightly, but still found herself with a small smile as she enjoyed the ambiance. And the friend close by.

'Maybe. . .such times are not so worthless.'

'Tsuki's Affection has risen! Affection Lvl 3!'

---

The date with Tsuki ended rather positively as Jaune waved good-bye to the second-year student. They had finished their meal and had gone out for some ice cream to finish off their time together. And while Tsuki had lamented how she wished to continue her plans to enrapture his heart, she had an early day ahead of her and her team. Tomorrow team HRTH would go out on an Extermination mission with a professional huntsman to deal with a high level of Griffon Grimm plaguing a village.

For now, Tsuki believed what progress she had made tonight would be sufficient. With her prized stuffed duck quacking under her arm and her new ribbon tied into her hair, the older huntress waved back to the blond knight with a satisfied smirk on her face before turning back for the street back to Beacon.

She still had a mission to accomplish by year's end. She couldn't afford to let down her chief or her people after all that they had done for her. But, she supposed, she could have a little fun while she was here. It certainly couldn't hurt.

Jaune breathed a sigh of relief as Tsuki disappeared from his line of sight. His shoulders slouched as he turned his back to meet up with the rest of his friends. Man, who knew going out on a date could be so draining? ...That was a date, right? Kind of hard to tell when the girl you're out with has already expressed interest in you for the wrong reasons. 'I don't think I can ever live that down. My heart just can't live down a declaration like that!' And his 'sword' wasn't helping! When such a sexy, mysterious, silent, and cold girl out right confesses to wanting to bang, it just couldn't stay quiet!

Fighting off the rather risqué images his brain was sending him about the cold raven-haired huntress, Jaune opened up his Scroll and activated The Game Menu. He was free for the moment; might as well download the Gift he had received from Pyrrha's Max Affection. The world ignored the blond as he raised his scroll into the air, downloading the contents of his gift in front of him in the form of a treasure box. And with a tap of Crocea Mors, a bubble of luminescent light flew towards his scroll before displaying its contents with a musical ding.

'You've received Ingot of Victory!

Ingot of Victory [Material]: A solid ingot of gold metal, stamped with the symbol of a popular celebrity champion. A rare material with a variety of uses. Can be sold for a very high price. It shines with a brilliant gleam, promising victory to whoever is capable of unlocking its full potential.'

On Jaune's screen, a metal brick of gold was displayed with a design of Pyrrha's gold tiara. From his experience in games, Jaune could automatically tell that the ingot was a very rare item, one he couldn't just sell for Lien. Something that valuable was worth more than money, it had a hidden purpose. One he could vaguely guess. Good thing he knew just the guy to help him determine its true value.

"Hey, Jaune! Over here!"

Breaking away from his thoughts, Jaune spun his head around for the sound of a familiar voice shouting his name. In the crowds of people wandering the streets, Jaune could make out a familiar spiky mop of blond hair. Sun Wukong grinned widely back at him, catching his own blue eyes. Just like everyone else, the monkey faunus was dressed in a kimono. Jaune found himself grinning back as he caught the color his newest friend was wearing as Sun ran over to him.

"Dude, twinsies!" Sun laughed as he gestured to their reddish orange kimono.

"Guess great minds think alike." Jaune smiled as the blond faunus brought his arm over his shoulder in a one-armed hug.

"Course! Guys like us can make even orange look cool and classy!" Sun smirked before patting Jaune's shoulder, "Anyways, it's good to finally see you again! Last time I saw you, you were a bloody, bruised, mess. I couldn't even check up on ya, you know, seeing as I was bleeding on the ground myself." he said with a strained smile.

Jaune grimaced, remembering that Sun had also been hurt by Roman that night. Like Blake, he had suffered multiple lacerations in the blink of an eye. Jaune didn't have the chance to see how Sun had been doing since that day. With his in-school suspension, he couldn't go out to Vale to find the monkey faunus to check on his condition.

With a pained sigh, Jaune was ready to apologize to Sun for dragging him into the mess, only for the sunny blond to smack the back of his head. Jaune grunted before aiming a glare at the flat eyed blond faunus.

"Don't give me that look. You brought that onto yourself." Sun scoffed before grinding his knuckle playfully into his newest friend's skull as Jaune yelped. Sun couldn't help but laugh, "You looked just like Blake! Let me guess, you were going to apologize to me for dragging me along? Man, you two are so alike, it's scary. Tell me," he said suddenly serious, stopping his playing to hold Jaune still and stare him in the eye, "Do you like fish and smutty novels?"

"What the hell's that look for?" Jaune said in annoyance. If Sun was going to look serious, then he better say something that fit the damn mood. How the hell did he even know about Blake's obsession for porn?

Letting Jaune go, Sun shrugged as he threw up his arms behind his back and walked alongside his friend.

"Well you two do act alike in that regard. Apologizing for things you had no control over. I would have thought better from a fellow blond. Where's that dumb, sunny smile of yours?" Sun grumbled as his tail poked the side of Jaune's forehead.

Smacking the appendage away, Jaune relented to Sun with a deep sigh. Didn't he just say the same thing to Blake a few hours ago? What a hypocrite he was turning out to be.

"It's habit." Jaune said softly as he scratched his forehead, "When you've made as many mistakes as I have, you tend to repeat the same old apology over and over again. Kinda hard to smile the troubles away when you're still haunted by your demons." he smiled solemnly. Jaune's eyes fell to his hands, trembling as red once again painted over the skin.

Still, the guilt was there. How could you smile honestly when you were responsible for the ruined fates of others?

Again, Jaune found Sun's tail jabbing his forehead. For some reason, the faunus boy wouldn't let up and kept jabbing his tail repeatedly. Growing annoyed, Jaune spun his head to shout at Sun to stop his horsing around.

A stupidly wide grin accented by the banana stretching Sun's face met Jaune as his shout died in his throat. Sun's eyes were widened comically as he stuck his tongue out between the fruit and blew a raspberry. The shout had lost its energy and found itself transforming into a small chuckle, growing stronger by the second before Jaune found himself laughing out loud in a roar. He held his sides in pain, his laughter only growing louder as Sun poked his nose with his tail.

What the hell kind of expression was that?!

With Jaune nearly rolling onto the ground in laughter, Sun bit down into the whole banana and proceeded to chew his favorite fruit with a satisfied expression. The good old Wukong Special, never failed to work its magic! Calming his laughing, Jaune wiped his eyes of tears as he turned back to Sun to find the spiky blond smiling softly at him.

"That's much better. You know, I could never stand to see people looking so down. There's just something about sadness that rubs me the wrong way." Sun said strongly as he looked up to the night sky fondly, "People are much more honest when their smiling and laughing. And I want to do whatever I can to bring people out of whatever funk they're in so they can smile. That's my answer!" he said proudly while thumping his chest. Jaune grew confused. Answer? Answer to what?

Seeing Jaune's confusion, Sun explained as he helped him up on his feet.

"Remember when you asked me why are we here? I said it was so I could travel the world and junk. But that's not all." It was so much more when Sun thought about it. A reason he had already known, but never really had the words to explain them. But his little visit to Vale had helped to put his reasons down in clear words, "I became a huntsman to protect people from the Grimm and to help them smile again. My parents named me Sun for a reason, so I could brighten everyone's moods! I want to show everyone I meet and protect that they can still smile despite how crappy things can be. That's why I'm here, to brighten peoples' day and make them happy!"

"You want to make people happy?" Jaune said slowly as Sun began to lead him along through the streets, "Couldn't you just do that without becoming a huntsman?"

Sun shook his head with a wider grin, "Nah, I figure I can only do it as a huntsman. Wherever we go, despair and sorrow is bound to be waiting. That's what Grimm are attracted to after all. And I want to fix that." he said seriously as he lost his smile, "Times can be shitty, we all got our problems, and there are things that we can never take back, but I figure if I can show everyone that they still got a bit of happiness in them, to show they that they're still capable of smiling, then I can do so much more than kill the Grimm. I can help them out of their negativity and show some positivity, maybe enough to keep them safe from the Grimm."

That was… actually a good reason to be a huntsman. Bringing laughs, smiles, and joy to others being plagued by the creatures of Grimm. Way better than his own original reason for wanting to be a huntsman. But like Sun, Jaune had his own reason for being here, other than wanting to be a warrior like his ancestors before him.

"What about you? Did you find your reason for being here in all that mess?" Sun asked curiously. Jaune had been depressed when he had first met him, going on about how he wasn't sure he could stay in Beacon any longer. Hopefully the blond knight had found a reason.

Jaune nodded firmly but before he could explain it he made out the sound of someone calling his name.

"Jaune! Over here!"

"Hurry up, Vomit boy! The dance is about to start!"

"Stop dillydallying and hurry up! I expected you to at least be punctual!"

"Hurry, Jaune-Jaune! I want to bust some moves!"

Both of the boys found their vision drawn to the shouting girls of team RWBY, Ciel and JNPR. The red lanterns that decorated the festival seemed to illuminate them in a way that made them stand out in a way that made him incapable of looking at anything else, and truth be told he wouldn't want to.

Sun gave Jaune a sideways glance before he turned back to the group of friends shouting their names, the same lopsided smile that was on Jaune's face was now resting on his own. "You were sayin' something?"

The sight of all of his friends waving at him, as if to draw him towards them, it made smile even wider. "I always had a reason to keep fighting. I just needed to be reminded of it."

And he had. In their own way, they all had reminded him of what he was fighting for. He would never forget that, ever.

---

WAIT! Now, before we get to the ending AN, I got something special for all of ya's. It was going to be a DLC on a certain scene my beta edited, but I was running out of time to write up something new. So, instead, I'll be giving you a teaser for the last chapter of Volume 1. Enjoy!

---

Chapter 28 Teaser: A Tune for Discord.

The old village of Rapina was as old as the kingdom of Vale. It was a village that was born near the old ravens that they were well known for. It wasn't the most modern or up to date with the latest technology, but it was peaceful village that busied itself with selling the unique metals mined near the old mines found below along with tasty fish native to their home. But like many villages far from the kingdoms it had a very common problem.

Grimm.

Even peaceful towns would suffer to times of despair, especially during times of hardship. And for the village of Rapina, sale of their precious metals had been declining in the past years along with the drop of population of their fish. Causing drops in their small economy and loss of jobs. Enough to rile up the Grimm to seek out the source of negativity. Thankfully the village had access to Huntsman. But with how expensive a top quality huntsman or huntress could be with their own prices, they had decided to hire hunter's in training from one of the greatest schools on Sanus. And Beacon was generous to offer services at affordable prices.

To deal with the sudden spike of Griffon's plaguing the area around the village, a second year team had been hired to deal with the Grimm for a month alongside a trained huntsman that worked with the school. A simple day of fighting monsters wouldn't be enough to ward the dark creatures off after all. Not only would they be riding the village of the Grimm, but their acts of bravery and strength would inspire the people, causing them to slowly gain back their positive energy.

And after a month of fighting, it was starting to work. The Griffon's began to show up less and their numbers fell. Only the occasional Beowolf could be seen prowling around the village's borders. All that was left was the Alpha Griffon, the single Grimm commanding its brothers to attack the village and devour every last one of its people.

Team HRTH had decided that today would be the day they would finish up their mission. Finale's were tomorrow after all. So they had prepared themselves to take on the Alpha in the early morning once they had gone over the game plan with the huntsman teaching them. Unfortunately for Hera, someone on their team had decided they didn't need a plan. Or let alone anyone else but him.

After all, a star could only truly shine when it was by itself.

Above the green fields stretching above the steeps of the ravine by the village of Rapina, a massive tower of fire surged like a spike. The village people looking by the steeps moved back from the raging inferno as it created a bellow of wind to brush past them. With squinting eyes, they watched as the fire began to slowly recede but not before the more observant of them noticed something strange from the cackling flames.

Mixed within the natural red-orange hues, pitch black could be seen like some infected disease.

Below the ravine the flames dispersed like a shower of embers onto the rocky water bed. A large strange intricate circle blinked, fading away along with a blurry silhouette towering over the heavily breathing Helios. His body bellowed black smoke, his skin crawling with burns on every inch as his entire frame trembled in strain. Five elongate thin blades fell to the earth around him, stabbing into the water as he suddenly coughed a wad of blood to flow along the small carpet of water. His blood red guitar dangled by the strap around his neck before the tears on it caused it to fall to the water and stab into the wet rocks by the ax bladed frame.

Despite the pain coursing every patch of skin on his burnt body, Helios couldn't help but smirk as he stared at the massive Griffon staring at him. The Grimm's body was frozen in place, its bone platting covering nearly every vital spot cracked and burned black. No sound was heard from its beak as its body released strings of darkness to flow out of his body before it simply fell onto its stomach and turned to a rising cloud of black smoke.

"Y-You weren't. . .so t-tough. Ya. . bastard." Helios said smugly inbetween panting breaths.

Watching from above with a pair of binoculars, Hera ground her teeth angrily as the rest of the team stood on standby. The arrogant rocker had taken the only form of transport capable of getting them down to the floor of the ravine. Taking the elevators for the miners and fisherman to reach the area would have taken too long, not to mention someone had thought of the idea and temporarily shut them down. How the hell did Helios know to do that? The huntsman working alongside them could be heard cussing loudly as he tried to fix the controls to get down below.

Rue whistled at the impressive display he had just witnessed, "Wow, I had honestly thought he was a goner for second there. Even after unlocking his semblance a month ago, it looked like it still wasn't enough to do any real damage to the Alpha. But then he pulled a miracle out of his butt." he smiled brightly.

And that. . .Thing his partner had summoned. It was so regal, menacing, and overwhelming! Just what was that?

"It was reckless." Tsuki scowled deeply as looked over Helios body with her own pair of binoculars. "Whatever that was, it damaged his body and dropped his aura close to zero. It doesn't even look like he can take another step." she spat venomously, cracking the binoculars in hand from her grip. The faint red she could make out seeping into the water flowing past his boots only further drove her anger to rise.

Pulling out her scroll, Hera checked to see how low Helios's aura had gone.

'Helios Lyre.

Aura-3%'

Tsuki was right. Helios aura was just about gone. And he had already taken a large amount of damage before he performed his little magic trick. He was lucky there hadn't been any Grimm nearby when he had attacked the Alpha. Roughly shutting her scroll, Hera turned away from the scene to see if they had brought power back to the elevators. Someone needed to save her idiot of a teammate.

'What the hell's wrong with Helios? He's getting worse with every passing day. Even he has to realize that this level of arrogance is unhealthy.' Not to mention those flames created by whatever he did sent chills down her spine. Something about them just felt. . .wrong.

Maybe it was time she talked to Headmaster Ozpin about his behavior?

Whatever was going on with the team of hunters went ignored to the villagers watching by as they began to cheer and applaud the red haired rocker standing victoriously before the rising ash of Grimm. For the past month the red haired punk had been shouting his name to them all, demanding that they remembered the name of their hero. At first they thought little of him, just another arrogant huntsman like the rest. But despite the show boating, they had seen the huntsman in training going as far as helping the villagers with their problems. From providing assistance in the mines, gathering food alongside them, even brightening the moods of the children with his guitar playing. By now, they knew the name of the so called hero that had saved them from the scourge of the Grimm.

Intoxicating. That was the only word to describe what Helios was feeling with the sound of so many people applauding him, looking down at him like a hero! To them, he was a brilliant star that even the darkness that was the Grimm couldn't cloud.

For sure, the small village of Rapina would remember the name of Lyre. The name of a hero!

Unseen to the world, a wild pitch black wisp raged like a savage beast at the center of Helios's chest. The warm aura coating his body like a shield began to darken as he couldn't help but laugh out loud in victory. The cheering crowd above seemed to only fuel the vile energy as he felt intoxicated, growing worse as they began to cheer his name.

"Lyre, Lyre, Lyre, Lyre, Lyre!"

'Tell me, Mr. Lyre. What do you say to helping me with a little test concerning one of your classmates? I'm sure you're familiar with Mr. Arc. Would you like to test your strength against the so called Rookie Hero?'

Helios grinned widely as his eyes flickered with a red hue. More, more, more! He wanted the whole world to shout his name, the name of a hero! 'This power! With this power, I can finally announce my name to the world! Even that damned Arc brat won't be able to deny who the true star of the show is! Just wait till tomorrow!' he laughed uncontrollably despite the pain crawling over his entire body.

There couldn't be two stars on one stage. One had to fade away. At any cost!

'I'll show you all! The greatness of the Lyre name.' The adrenaline pumping through Helios's body began to dwindle, leaving him to suffer the exhaustion and damage. His body fell forward with a thud, splashing water onto his bleeding and burnt body. But he could care less, even as he heard the pitter patter of his leader and the trained huntsman's running footsteps coming for him. He simply smiled tiredly, his blurry yellow eyes staring off into space the Alpha Griffon once stood.

A frail woman with beautiful features, pink silky hair and yellow eyes stared back at him as he lost consciousness. The illusion smiled at him, causing his already poor vision to blur further with tears.

'Hyperion, Lyre, the name doesn't matter. You are who you chose to be. Never forget that. . .My little Hero.'

That's right. Lyre was the name of a hero. And he would do whatever it takes to make the world acknowledge that iron clad fact.

---

Escape your name. But the more you try, the more you'll just breed hate and obsession. Even something as innocent as the wish of being a hero can be twisted horribly.

Don't forget the love of your wish. Otherwise you'll only fuel your own broken dreams. Please, don't lose your way.

Don't fall.

Alright, that's Chapter 27 for ya! So, prepare yourselves for the finale! Volume 1 is coming to end the next we met, sadly. I will be going on break, taking some time off to enjoy myself and plan out things for the future. Guy's got have some rest after all. But don't fret, I will be back for Volume 2! And boy, do we got a wild ride in store.

Course, seeing as this will be the last chapter of the Volume, it will take a while to finish up and touch up. At most, it will probably take up to two weeks to finish. So, please be patient in the mean time. I'll be sure to make all that time payoff with a grand finale! And if you got any questions before we finish up this Volume, let me know in the reviews.

But before we finish up, I got a question for all ya. A curious one now that we've gone so far.

Why have you stuck around this long? I know for a fact this story isn't as great as other authors, Coeur being one of the best on the RWBY sect. And there are plenty of other Gamer fics that please their fans with juicy bits of humor and action along with adding things from other real games and animes. Mine is different, sure, but I know I could do more if had thought things out better. Hell, I still make mistakes in my grammar and sentence structure. The first few chapters are littered with mistakes despite my original editing.

So, why do you like this fic? I'm just a little curious is all now that I'm nearing a thousand reviews. I didn't expect to get that much of a reaction when I first started. And of course you don't have to answer, god knows I have a habit of not reviewing despite loving the chapter of my favorite fics. But I would really like to know what it is that you all love, so I can work to improve on that.

Now, ignoring all that mushy crap I've spouted, I should get back to working on the finale. Can't slack off here. I got fights to write!

Read and Review! It's common courtesy after all.

NeoShadows fading in and out.