A/N: So, super short chapter to just mop up the finishing touches before the next arc, which will be HUGE and a ton of fun to write. This story's going to go on a hiatus though until around mid-January, where I'll be picking up during the Vytal Tournament. I hope you guys have a wonderful Christmas!
Jaune and Blake didn't bother waiting at the ports for their teammates, opting to stay in Team RWBY's dorm and read one of Blake's books, knowing that the two teams would probably come and visit them once they left the landing zone pretty quickly.
Yang and Nora burst through the doorway with a wide smile on their face, greeting the room at the top of their lungs. Pyrrha and Ruby walked in after, faces slightly red, holding each other's hands. Weiss and Ren came in last, nodding their greetings as they continued to chat about something with each other. It didn't take much longer for it to be just like it was before, the two teams mingling and enjoying each other's company. They talked about what they did during the break, Ruby and Yang hanging out with their dad, while Nora and Ren went back to their hometown. There weren't any crazy stories, to Jaune's surprise. He didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth though, gladly taking the brief respite.
After all, it was only a matter of time before things got crazy again.
"So who here's ready for the Vytal Tournament?" Yang asked, grinning at the group. They all murmured in agreement, with varying degrees of excitement, from Weiss's subtle clutching of her battle skirt to Nora's elated yell. Jaune even nodded, curious to see other people fight. Watching sparring matches in Professor Goodwitch's class had enlightened him on different styles of fighting, but he wanted to see more, hoping that it would grant insight on how others fought. After all, before he joined Beacon, he had really only fought his dad.
"Well, we should probably discuss the strategy for the tournament." Weiss said, nodding at Yang. "Not only our team strategy, but also for our pair fights as well. For example, who's going to fight in them?"
"Pyrrha's a given," Jaune said, nodding at her. The girl smiled, Ruby popping up at the mention of the Amazon's name. The brunette's face lit up, nodding ecstatically.
"Yeah! Pyrrha's awesome!" Suddenly Ruby's face turned conflicted, hands flying to her mouth. "But then… we might have to fight!" The red-head smiled softly and pat Ruby's hand, shaking her head.
"I don't think that'll happen Ruby. I'm sure they wouldn't put two Beacon teams against each other early on in the tournament." Ruby seemed a little reassured, but still had a frown on her face.
"Alright then... but still." Ruby tapped her chin for a second before snapping her fingers. "I know! Yang and Weiss can partner up for the pairing fights!" The two girls mentioned looked up and nodded, eyes shining at the thought of fighting in such a large broadcasted tournament.
"Well, I am sure that would work out quite well, don't you think so Yang?" The blonde girl only nodded, grinning.
Pyrrha smiled gratefully and gave Ruby a quick hug before turning to Jaune. "And who do you think would be a good candidate for my partner?" The boy thought for a second, before pointing at Nora, who jumped up in delight.
"I think Nora's a good choice. She's got the firepower... and definitely the enthusiasm." The alchemist said, smiling at the cheerful Nora.
"Don't worry fearless leader, Nora's on the job! I'll make sure no one we fight will come out walking!" She declared.
"Uh, let's not go that far Nora." Jaune interjected, holding out a hand. "I'm pretty sure permanent damage is frowned on." Nora pulled a face, but didn't argue as Ren gently bade her to sit back down.
"Well, this will certainly be fun, don't you think?" Weiss asked.
"Yeah. Now all we need is to practice our teamwork a little more." Jaune said, making everyone in the room nod. The pair fights wouldn't need as much polish, as whichever two would probably be able to carry through with their personal skill, but they needed to get through the team stages first.
"Yeah, we need a little bit of work too." Blake said quietly. The other three teammates agreed silently.
"Alright then." Jaune said, standing up and smiling at the group before him. "Now that everything's hashed out, I'm sure everything's going to be smooth sailing from here on out." His friends laughed at that, knowing that no matter what happens, the Hunter life wasn't going to make the tournament as simple as it sounded.
But then again, what's the worst thing that could happen?