Hello everyone, hope you're all OK. There was an incredible reaction to the last chapter, I think I almost died when I saw the increase in reviews, favourites and follows. In other news, this story is now above the 100 follower count which is truly incredible, especially after only four chapters! I really cannot thank you all enough for the support that you have shown for my writing. I still get such a kick from seeing names pop up as new followers for my work. It is you, the readers, that make all of this possible. Without you all I wouldn't be able to keep improving and writing what I love, well I could keep writing but what's the point if there's no-one to share it with. Anyway, I have rambled on for quite long enough. On with the story!

"Seven hundred and thirty three." Jaune confirmed with a nod. It had taken him a little while but he had finally, after double-checking thirteen times, established the precise number of tiles on both the ceiling and the floor of his room in the infirmary. Counting them had been his only source of entertainment for the past three hours.

With his team having been sent back into lessons, the blonde was left all alone for the best part of the day with next to no-one to talk to. He had enjoyed brief conversations with the various nurses and doctors that had come in to check on him or deliver his various meals, but for the most part he was left to his own devices.

It was the last day though, the final few hours of his forced imprisonment. After many unsuccessful attempts at coaxing the information out of them, one of the nurses had finally cracked and told him that he would be free to go just that afternoon. All he had to do was wait it out, the only problem was that Jaune had never been particularly good at waiting games.

The wounded knight sighed and adjusted his angle of recline on his bed, groaning as his bruised and battered body ached and moaned in protest. The bruises had gone down somewhat since his bout with Cardin the previous day but would most likely mark him for at least a full week. He was simply grateful to be able to open both of his eyes again, the swelling around his left one had gone down but he still had an absolute shiner of a black-eye as a memento.

Jaune closed his eyes and let his mind wander of the events of the past few days, his lucky escape after launch during initiation, his second lucky escape as Pyrrha stepped in and saved him from the Kraiken, going on to kill the aquatic Grimm, meeting the others, the Nevermore. The list went on and on growing ever longer. So much had happened to him in such a short space of time that it almost seemed that life was running away with him.

He couldn't complain of course, in coming to Beacon he had made more friends than he had ever had back at home. His sisters had made sure to see off any girls that might have sought to befriend him let alone develop any form of romantic relationship with him. That coupled with the fact that most of the boys in the village used him as a means of trying to get close to any one of his six older sisters, had resulted in a rather lonely childhood for the blonde.

But that had all changed the moment he got onto that airship to Vale. That moment had undoubtedly changed the course of his life irreparably. It had led to him meeting Yang and Ruby, becoming the leader of his own team and being partnered up with the 'Pumpkin Pete's' mascot. Not too shabby given that he had achieved it all in just three days.

Then again it wasn't all sunshine and roses, in the process he had been beaten half to death and thrown around a sparring arena like a rag doll, showing everyone gathered just how incapable he really was in terms of combat. Weiss had taken an extreme disliking to his position of authority and had done all but declare a blood feud with him. Like it or not, if their team was going to do well, he would have to win the heiress over. Maybe Ruby would have some idea as to how he might go about doing that.

His teammates came to visit him later that day after their final class for the day ended. Ruby bolted in at lightning speed to take one of the chairs by his bed, rose petals hanging in the air in her wake. Pyrrha followed shortly after, her demeanour as calm as ever as she too took a seat in one of the room's chairs.

Weiss was the last to enter, her frosty atmosphere sending a chill through the room. Her icy blue eyes locked onto the bed ridden knight and for an instant he could've sworn that he saw the slightest hint of empathy within them, but it was gone long before he could confirm it. She took a seat on the second bed within the room.

"How are you feeling today Jaune?" Pyrrha asked with a smile.

"A lot better now you're all here. It's not everyday that a guy like me gets a visit from three absolute beauties." He grinned in response. Both Ruby and Pyrrha giggled, their cheeks turning pink while Weiss simply rolled her eyes and sighed, clearly not impressed.

"How long are they keeping you in here Arc?" She asked frostily.

"They say that I should be good to go this afternoon. Just waiting on them to come and sign me out I guess." He shrugged, eyes flicking to the door. He almost hoped that one of the nurses might walk in at that moment to prove his point.

"You must be super excited huh?" Ruby chirped enthusiastically, tugging at his elbow.

"Y-yeah, to be honest It'll be nice to get some proper food. This hospital stuff isn't bad I mean, it could be a lot worse. It's just that it isn't exactly... nice either."

"Oh I know! We can go into Vale to celebrate you getting better!" She practically squealed in her excitement, leaping to her feet and knocking over her chair.

"I'd like that Ruby." He smiled, absolutely adoring her at that very moment. Going out to Vale would give him a chance to get to know his team and even convince Weiss that maybe he wasn't such a bad guy after all.

"Then it's settled. It would be a good chance for us to bond as a team." Pyrrha said with a smile giving his hand a gentle shake. "Now, I'm going to try and find a nurse to discharge you so we can get going." She explained as she made her way to the door.

Jaune watched her go with a smile and settled in to wait. It couldn't be long now. He could practically feel the sun on his face, the breeze through his hair and the fresh air in his lungs. It was strange to him how after only a couple of days couped up inside without these things in a stale infirmary room, that he had come to appreciate them so much more.

'I swear I'm never going to take fresh air and sunshine for granted ever again' He promised himself.

Jaune and his team sat in their own little booth, cut off from the rest of the airship's passengers. Conversation flowed freely between the three girls but for the most part, Jaune stayed out of it. His stomach was playing up with his motion-sickness again. His face was a tinge of putrid green and it took all of his concentration to help keep his mind off of the waves of nausea flowing over him.

For him it made little sense, none of his sisters suffered from motion-sickness, neither did his parents. He was the black sheep in that regard, and it was a curse that had caused him a great deal of difficulty in the past. It wasn't just planes either, any vehicle seemed to be able to stir it up within him.

Looking out the window, he watched as the ship flew over Vale, the vast and intricate web of buildings and roads passing by seamlessly below them. It was always a wonder for him to see the capital of the kingdom. A wealthy port city and the centre of trade in vale, although the means of import have changed a great deal, the city remained the same.

Jaune bolted off of the craft, the moment that it had set down in Vale's airship station. He stood breathing great lungfuls of the fresh air, thoroughly glad to be back on firm ground. The knight waited briefly until his teammates managed to catch up to him before the four of them all made their way into the city centre.

"So where is it that we're going?" Jaune asked the three girls around him. They had organised the whole thing without him, leaving him well and truly in the dark.

"You'll have to wait and see!" Ruby chirped giving him a playful punch on the arm. Jaune wasn't best pleased by her response but if living with his sisters had taught him anything, it was that you can't beat girls at their own games. He would have to wait and see.

With a resigned sigh the blonde turned his attentions to their surroundings, taking in all he could of the city's sights from the architecture to the atmosphere itself. It had been a great many years since he had last been in the city and it was just as he remembered it, the sights and smells were much the same.

The city of Vale was so alive, people from all walks of life bustling about, completely absorbed in their own daily lives. Mothers walked around with their children, office workers in the rush of their lives. The city was simply a hive of activity.

Great buildings and grand plazas stretched out one after the other, all interconnected by roads and bicycle lanes. Huge stone arches marking the entrances to ornate buildings and offices, it was like walking through a city from another time. A time in which Grimm were only a distant thought and grandeur was the order of the day.

The girls led him into Vale's down-town district, past rows and rows of small businesses selling items ranging from books to great swords fully eight feet in length, although how someone might wield those weapons escaped Jaune entirely.

Ruby looked like she was walking on air as she led their little procession, her partner keep pace beside her. This left both Pyrrha and Jaune at the back of the column, both admiring the scenery.

Pyrrha smiled as she looked around, in all her times visiting Vale it never ceased to amaze her just how vast the cultural differences were. She could never quite get used to the grand buildings with their wide arches, they presented a stark contrast to the forums and basilica of her homeland, yet in a way she preferred it. It was less imposing and seemed more free than the imposing columns and grid set planning of Mistral.

Before long Ruby called a halt, stopping them in front of a small pizzeria. The aroma coming from within was pungent, rich with the smells of cheeses, garlic and savoury meats. It was enough to set their mouths watering. Ruby was practically champing at the bit and looking at Weiss with a pleading expression.

"Ruby, I though we were going to the Mistralian restaurant down the road?" The heiress asked with an impatient sigh, seemingly immune to Ruby's puppy-dog eyes.

"But Weiss they have stuffed crust meat lovers!" She begged.

"Ruby, we are meant to be getting Jaune some decent food after his stay in the infirmary."

"Stuffed crust Weiss! You can eat it backwards!" Jaune couldn't help but laugh at the little rose's valiant defence, but the heiress wouldn't be moved.

"You know I don't really mind where we go..." He spoke up sheepishly

"Fine! We'll take a vote. The Mistralian place or Ruby's pizzeria." She spoke with a tone of what seemed to be disgust when referring to Ruby's pizza place.

"Pizza!" Ruby cried fist pumping the sky excitedly.

"Very well, Arc?" Weiss said rolling her eyes.

"I uh... I don't mind." He replied weakly. In truth he didn't mind, both sounded incredible after two days eating the bland cuisine that Beacon provided their sick.

"Typical." She groaned "Well I vote Mistralian, so the deciding vote goes to you Pyrrha. What is your choice?"

The champion looked a little unsettled at having the power of veto given to her. Her eyes shifted nervously between the two opposed members of her team before giving Jaune a pleading look. The blonde simply shrugged apologetically.

"Well..." She spoke hesitantly "It would be nice to get something Mistralian, for a taste of home." Weiss smiled victoriously, Ruby's eyes filled with disappointment. "But, we have all trained really hard to be here so I think a little bit of a treat is deserved. I vote Pizza!" The champion giggled as the heiress' face dropped. Her eye twitched slightly in what looked to be suppressed rage.

With three smiling faces and one thoroughly annoyed heiress the team all made their way through into the restaurant. The atmosphere was a pleasant one, plenty of booths for the diners as well as some small free standing tables. Despite its out of the way location it was nearly full to capacity, the low hum of several conversations at once.

They made their way over to one of the unoccupied booths and took their seats on the red vinyl. Ruby immediately took up the menu and unfolded it, holding it between the three of them excitedly reading a pizza's description once in a while.

"So what shall we get?" She asked, practically bouncing around in her seat.

"H-how about a vegetarian? That's quite healthy right?" Pyrrha suggested, her eyes clearly scanning worriedly over the calorie counter by each title.

"Pyrrha, its cheat day remember? You'll burn it all off in training anyway." Ruby grinned.

"I-I guess you're right..."

"How about we order a massive pizza between us and everyone just eats however much they'd like?" Jaune suggested

"That sounds like a good idea." Pyrrha smiled. "Is that alright with you Weiss?"

The heiress herself was sat a little away from the others, her arms crossed with the queen of all pouts on her face. It was clear that the high and mighty heiress wasn't best pleased to be in such an establishments. After a lifetime of living on pauzu tuna caviar and gourmet cuisine from the finest chefs in the world, the humble pizza must have seemed like the lowest of the low.

"I don't mind nor do I care. Order what you like, I'll just have a salad." She said with a sigh.

"Weiss we cant just gorge ourselves whilst you eat a salad. Enjoy a pizza with us, we're a team now..." Jaune's attempt to convince her was weak at best but what he said was true. It wouldn't be right for them to abandon her to a meal of leaves while they ate like kings in comparison.

"Arc I will not put this trash into my body. You may all do as you like but I will not eat it." She remained resolute.

"Please Weiss, you don't have to eat much. Just a slice?" Ruby pleaded. Weiss only glared in return, though it was softer than usual and lacking its usual malice.

"Fine." She conceded "But only one slice."

A couple of hours later, they all re-emerged onto Vale's streets substantially full of pizza. Weiss had eaten by far the most despite her insistence in having only one slice, she had actually polished off a full six. Jaune had battled his way through alongside Ruby to meet four each while Pyrrha had only managed two.

The bustling streets of Vale had died down significantly since they had entered the little pizzeria. Dusk had passed leaving the city in twilight, the bright street lamps the only source of illumination in what would have otherwise been an incredibly dark world. Their lights casting a pale luminescence all around them and creating havens from the pitch black night around. Last bastions of hope in the gloom.

Team Jasper navigated their way through this world, oblivious to all around them and wrapped up in their own conversations. Even Weiss, the Ice Queen herself, seemed to be in high spirits. It filled Jaune with hope that maybe with enough time they could break past her frosty exterior and through to the real Weiss underneath. The Weiss before them now, light-hearted and quick witted.

They navigated their way through the eerily quiet streets and over to the airship station again. With every step Jaune's trepidation grew. Flying for him was never a pleasant affair with his motion-sickness, but things got a whole lot worse when he flew on a full stomach. He steeled his nerves, determined to keep his dinner down. All of the molten cheese burns in his mouth would have been for nothing if he couldn't hold it in long enough for them to return to Beacon.

Fortunately for the four teenagers, there was one last scheduled flight to Beacon that evening. They showed their Beacon identification and walked through the terminal to board their aircraft. Jaune took the aisle seat, his mind working overtime to identify the various exits and trash cans as their aircraft lifted off.

The moment Jaune felt them take to the air his stomach growled and began to churn until he had a raging tempest within. Relief came in the form of the red-haired champion. She slowly ran circles across his back with her hand, soothing his stomach and granting him a vague semblance of control. This did not however, prevent his face from turning the darkest shade of green.

The flight was relatively short and painless with little more than a couple of dry-heaves from the knight. As per the usual, he was the first off of the craft feeling relief as his feet met with the solid and unwavering earth. Pyrrha and Ruby both felt some relief at his face having returned to the usual pale colour of his complexion.

JSPR walked slowly across the campus and back towards the dorms, save for a couple of night owls out for a stroll, they didn't encounter another living thing. It was utterly quiet, the sound of their footsteps the only thing ringing out in the silence. Reaching to dorms, Weiss swiped her scroll past the lock. It clicked and she pushed it open to reveal their dorm room. Making their way in, each of the four teenagers broke off to initiate their respective nightly routines before settling into their beds. Jaune collapsed onto the soft mattress with a low moan of comfort. It beat the infirmary beds by far.

With a relaxed smile the blonde closed his eyes, allowing his mind to wander and his dreams to take over. His breathing became deeper and far slower as he drifted off to sleep, dreams of mighty heroes vanquishing the hatred filled creatures of Grimm filled his head as the night wore on. The shattered moon completed its run across the sky and sank below the horizon, trading places with the sun once more.

Classes passed quickly for Jaune the next day, time racing by until he was free once again. Even Port's lecture proved to be more entertaining that usual, Yang was called up to fight a raging Boarbatusk at the front. The knight had questioned whether or not that was strictly allowed, but seeing as how they were all enrolled in a school for hunters and huntresses it most likely was.

Once the class was over team JSPR made their way through to the dorm rooms and changed out of their uniforms into their more relaxed clothing, that is if you could call armour 'relaxed'. Once feeling a little more comfortable and after Weiss had spent a full ten minutes hanging and storing her uniform in a suit protector, they rendezvoused with team BRNY and headed off to the library to hit the books. It had once again been the heiress' idea that they all work together on their assignments and get them done as quickly as possible.

The library was the largest Jaune had ever seen in his life. Row upon row of oak wood shelves all bulging to breaking point with hundreds of thousands of tomes, manuals and text books. Perhaps the entirety of Vytal's written knowledge was stacked up in front of them. An impressive sight to see, that much was for certain.

The two teams occupied one of the old and worn tables, their various books and the mountains of paper occupying the whole tabletop without a millimetre to spare. To Jaune's immense surprise it was Weiss who occupied the seat beside him, seemingly rushing to beat both Pyrrha and Ruby to it. It confused him why she would go out of her way to do so, but he couldn't complain.

Jaune and his friends worked solidly for well over an hour, the afternoon winding on until one by one they all lost the motivation they had started with. They each found numerous ways to distract themselves from the task at hand. All of them save for both Jaune and Weiss.

The blonde leader worked on, ignoring the burning desire to call it quits and join the others in their shenanigans. Ozpin's words still resonated within him, driving him to do the absolute best that he possibly could. The occasional word of advice from Weiss acted as a fantastic motivator, it was never obvious and she never directly told him what to do. Rather she would pose it in the form of a question and press him into working it out for himself, pushing him towards self improvement.

When at last he had completed the assignment for Oobleck he set down his pen in triumph. His wrist had locked up, his arm ached and was covered in ink but he had done it, a seven thousand word essay on General Lagoon's forces at the battle of fort castle. He might have had a little bit of help along the way, but predominantly it was his work and he was proud of it. He settled more comfortably into his seat and allowed himself to relax.

A curious Weiss seized his papers and looked it over with a critical eye, a subtle smile of satisfaction on her face, little more than the curling up of the corners of her mouth, but it was there. It wasn't the most eloquent nor best articulated piece of work but it was good, he had even made a few points on the General's tactical decisions that she hadn't even considered. Setting it down back in front of him, she returned to her own work to add the finishing touches before she too set down her pen.

Team BRNY were the first ones to leave, heading off for the training facility to get in some sparring practice before their next class with Goodwitch. Ruby excused herself and followed after them, excited at the opportunity to get in some practice with her beloved scythe, the Crescent Rose.

Jaune stood up and walked over to the historical section of the library before returning with an aged leather bound book about six inches thick. The ancient tome had clearly seen better days, the leather cover was battered and scuffed. Along the spine, written in gold lettering was written the title; 'The Arc family, their history and deeds.' Embossed proudly across the front, in stark contrast the its tattered surroundings was Jaune's family crest. Two crescent arcs, in bright gold to match the title. Weiss looked at him inquisitively to which he shrugged.

"My dad said they had a book here about the family, thought I might check it out."

"It would make sense, copies of the histories for most of the old families can be found here, my own included." Weiss explained.

He opened the archaic book and blew away the dust which had accumulated after what must have been years without being touched. On the very first page was listed the name of his five-times great-grandfather Charlemagne I. The founder of the Arc family and one of the greatest huntsmen of the first age. On the page was an portrait of the man in question, fantastically drawn. The colours had faded and lost their intensity yet the overall effect hadn't diminished.

He was tall and proud looking with locks of bright blonde hair hanging over his eyes. Adorned in bright white plate armour similar to that which Jaune wore himself and with Crocea Mors in hand he cut an imposing image. His facial expression was stern yet there was a certain sparkle that the artist had captured in his eyes. A small attribution was written underneath.

'Charlemagne Arc, the first of his name. Huntsman of the first men. Famed for his heroic actions in the defence of Vale in the first days in which he slew the rampaging Ursa to save the lives of many innocents.'

Jaune paused for a moment, pondering the meaning of the words before him. He had known from the stories his father would tell that he was descended from a proud line of huntsmen and huntresses, they were the reason that he had wanted to become one, yet to see the deeds of his ancestors laid bare before him was a surreal experience indeed. He flicked through the various pages, occasionally lingering on a certain name that he had been told stories of.

Each and every name had a story behind it, some with more impressive tales than others but every single one of them a story of heroism and bravery in the face of adversity. It made Jaune proud to know that their blood flowed through his veins, yet also filled him with pangs of shame. What would they say if they could see him now? Sat there almost as battered and bruised as the book in his hands. He couldn't so much as hold a candle to them.

His emotional turmoil must have shown on his face because Pyrrha's hand found itself resting on his own. He started slightly at the contact and almost withdrew from it entirely, yet something stayed his hand.

"What's wrong Jaune?" She asked, her voice soft and kind.

"I-It's just reading all the heroic things that my ancestors did in the past kinda makes me feel like I'm a little bit of a let down. They were the reason that I wanted to become a huntsman in the first place."

"Jaune, I'm sure they wouldn't see you as a let down, you're only just starting on the path of a huntsman. You have another four years at Beacon before you even start your duties. That's plenty of time to improve and work at becoming the very best that you can be."

"How am I supposed to do that when I can barely hold my own in a fight. I got through initiation because of a stupid amount of luck. I would have died on landing if it hadn't been for that lake, they I was nearly eaten! If you hadn't have shown up I would have ended up as fish food."

"But you didn't Jaune."

"By luck more than judgement!"

The cogs in Pyrrha's mind whirred for a few moments as she concocted a solution to his predicament, Jaune looked on feeling a little awkward at the sudden stop in their conversation. He was about to question her on it when quite suddenly she seized his hand and dragged him away from the table and towards the door, leaving Weiss behind to put all of their books back.

"Pyrrha! Come back here and help me tidy up!" She called after the redhead, ignoring the angry looks from the librarian.

"I'm sorry!" Came the reply. Weiss huffed and stacked the various books, carrying them off to return them. She was frustrated, yet her frustration was completely overshadowed by her pride. Her first attempt at helping Arc seemed to be going well, indeed none of the others seemed to be any the wiser, even Arc himself was oblivious. That was the plan, subtle intervention. She couldn't help but wonder however, what idea Pyrrha had that had caused her to drag him out so suddenly...

"Training?" Jaune asked in utter surprise, still a little unsure that he had heard her correctly.

"Yes. You said that you weren't happy with your combat proficiency so we can train to make it better." She explained with a smile.

"But why did you bring me up to the roof?"

"Nobody ever comes up here, we can train for as long as we like without interruption."

Jaune was silent for a good while as he considered her offer, he knew his combat abilities were in dire need of improvement if he didn't want to end up in the infirmary after every one of Goodwitch's lessons. On top of that, Pyrrha was the Mistral champion and had been for four years running, if anyone would be able to whip him into shape in a relatively short time it would be her, plus she was his partner so it presented a good opportunity to strengthen the bond that they shared.

"O-OK, I'll do it." He nodded, a determined look in his eyes despite the nerves on his face. The champion looked positively delighted by his response as she leapt forward and flung her arms around him in a tight hug. Once the shock of the sudden contact had worn off and she had loosened her grip slightly to allow him to breathe, he slowly wrapped his arms around her as a blush crept across his face.

"This is going to be so much fun!" She chirped happily. Her bright smile was only matched by the sparkle in her emerald eyes. She seemed truly over the moon that he had agreed, perhaps because it was an opportunity for her to introduce him to the world that she had grown up in.

"So uh? When do we start?" He asked nervously.

"Now!" She said as she gave him a firm push to the chest, he over balanced and fell to the hard stone of the rooftop.

"Ow~ What was that for?" He whined looking up at her.

"Your stance is all wrong. You need to be wider, and lower to the ground. Shall we try again?" She answered with a smirk, offering him a hand up. He took it, hauling his bruised self up and off the ground.

It was there, on that rooftop under the dying afternoon sun that Jaune began his training. He knew he would have to work hard to catch up to the others, after all he would have to condense training that would normally take years into only a few weeks. Determination flared in his eyes at the thought. He could do it, no, he would do it.

I hope you all enjoyed that. Leave me a review and let me know what you think, I read them all. Now that the plot is beginning to advance at a steady pace, it shouldn't be too long before I can start to bring in team CRME and their nefarious plans. To tell the truth I am thoroughly excited. Please do follow and favourite if you enjoyed this, I try and keep the updates regular. Thank you all so much once again for reading, reviewing and helping to grow this story. It truly does mean a lot to me to know that you are enjoying my work. Take care all of you and as always I'll see you in the next chapter.