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A nostalgic scene.

A modest wooden house, surrounded by sakura trees.

A gentle breeze. The pleasant wind brushes the hair covering his eyes to fill his vision with pink, the falling petals reflected in his rose-colored vision.

A familiar face looks down on him. A smile. Her lips open. A soft whisper, meant for him alone.

"Good job."

A soft touch his forehead. His body reflexively relaxes. A gentle stroke across the top of his head.

What a weird feeling. I didn't realize just how soothing this head patting thing is. Wait, I'm pretty sure Master never gave out head pats... A few blinks later, he realizes how unrealistic the scene is.

Ah, I see. So this is a dream. His eyelids grew heavy. The warm softness of his pillow invites him into being spoiled further. Then... please let me indulge myself for just a bit longer.

Closing his eyes, the comfortable contact lulls him into a much needed respite.

Jaune slowly opens his eyes to find himself staring at a pure white ceiling. The ephemeral dream still on his mind, his brain struggles to recollect itself.

"Am I in heaven?" A snort next to him served to ridicule his statement.

"Pfft… If this was heaven, that's the first time I've heard of it." Jaune tilts his head to see Yang sitting next him. "You're in the infirmary. Though I can always actually take you to heaven if you want."

Not wanting to think too deeply about which one of the dual meaning she meant, he distracts himself by looking around the room. He confirms her statement with the IV drip attached to his arm and the faint smell of antiseptic. When he attempts to push himself up, his sore muscles all scream in protest. "How long was I out?"

Noticing his difficulty, Yang gently helps him up, propping a pillow behind him as support. "You got back Sunday morning, and it's Wednesday afternoon. So around three days? How are you feeling?"

"Like I went through a blender." Noticing the fruit basket on the stand next to him, he points toward it. "Can you hand me an apple? My throat's feeling really dry."

"Nope. Patients get to sit still and recuperate. I'll peel it for you." Picking up the apple and fruit knife, she peels the skin in a practiced fashion. The rhythmic sound of the apple skin unraveling gives him some time to piece his thoughts together.

Let's see… The mission, then helping the White Fang members, and… oh, that's right, Qrow must have brought me back to the school. Damn, I was out for awhile. But that's weird… "I just realized something. Yang, isn't it class time right now? What are you doing here?"

"Pyr-Your team wanted someone to be here when you woke up. Even got permission from the teachers, though we can only have one person here at a time. You're just lucky you got my shift." Cutting the apple into slices, she holds it up to his face. "Say ahh."

Jaune almost falls into her pace, opening his mouth before realizing what she tried to do. He returns with his utmost effort at an intimidating glare. "No. You can treat me like a patient, but there's a line! I know you like your archetype, but even I can get embarrassed from that!"

"There's no one around. Why should you be embarrassed?" Jaune's glare at her intensifies. "Okay, okay. Guess I shouldn't push my luck." She takes a paper napkin and puts the pieces on it before handing it to him.

"Thanks." As he takes a bite into a piece, he notices how perfectly she removed the apple skin. "How did you remove the skin so perfectly?" Master would just eat the thing whole or shred it. No inbetween.

"I had a lot of practice." Yang's gives a bittersweet smile. "Back when Ruby was first learning how to use a scythe, she would hurt herself a lot. When I visited her, I had to make sure she didn't get sick from just eating cookies."

"That seems so… Ruby." He takes a moment to imagine a smaller Ruby with her already oversized weapon, and stuffing herself with cookies while still on a hospital bed. "Plus, wielding a dangerous weapon with large mass at high speeds… If you're not used to it, it's pretty easy to hurt yourself." He picks up another piece. "Did Aura not heal most of those wounds?"

"She didn't have Aura then." Jaune looks at her blankly. "Right, you didn't get in through combat school. People don't have Aura unlocked for them until after middle school graduation. And even then, you have to pass a cognitive test on your maturity. You know, don't use your powers to hurt innocents, out of anger, the whole shebang."

It takes a few second for him to process this. "Wait, you mean Cardin passed this test?"

"Twist of the century, huh?" Yang takes another apple and starts peeling it, putting the pieces on his napkin. "So, what happened to you? The school didn't tell us anything besides that you got into an accident."

Oh crap! "Uhhh, I don't know how much I can say. So I have to talk to Ozpin first." Jaune gives a strained smile. "Ah, but I can tell you that it was nothing dangerous, though!"

Yang gives an exasperated sigh at how thinly veiled his excuse was. "Listen, Jaune, the whole reason why- You know what, never mind. I doubt you're going to tell me anything anyway."

"Sorry. I can say I was working with a veteran Huntsman, if that reassures you, but I don't know how much more I can say." Jaune hangs his head apologetically. "I really wish I could."

"It's fine." Yang answers rapidly, but her tone betrays her irritation.

Falling into an uncomfortable silence, he looks for another topic to bring up. "So what happened while I was gone? I hope that nobody got too worried."

"Not much happened, actually. For your team's reaction… I think it's better if you find out yourself." Oh God. The way she says that worries me. "As for everyone else… Let's see... Weiss got really worried, and started to make calls before she even heard the diagnostic. She first wanted to move you to a super fancy hospital before settling for that fruit basket."

He struggles to hold back a snicker. "That seems a bit of an overreaction. Then again, that sounds just like her."

"Blake didn't seem to care very much. She just did what she called the "social formalities," bringing the scroll charger and a clean change of clothes for you." Yang pointed to the objects on the side of his bed.

"Ah ha." Jaune scratches his head sheepishly. Well, considering that she still thinks I'm going to threaten her with her White Fang secret, I'm just glad she didn't take the chance to silence me. Plus she thinks I'm a giant pervert. I'm honestly not sure which reason I'd rather be hated for. "And Ruby?"

She returns with a strained smile. "She was the one that was in here the most. It got to the point where the teachers even started complaining about her constantly being distracted during class." She stops, pausing for a second to reconsider her statement. "Well, more than usual, at least."

"I know that Ruby tends to be more caring than most people, but she should know that my wounds weren't anything serious, right? It's kind of weird that she would be that distracted."

"You're… you're not that dense, are you?" Once again, Jaune returns with a blank stare, causing Yang to reply with a sigh. "Jaune, you're the first real friend Ruby has. As you know, she has a very energetic and naive disposition. I love that about her. But, at combat school, just standing out with that alone is enough to make you get isolated. Plus, her just being slightly ahead of the curve and having lost our mother… That easily sets you out as a target."

I wasn't aware that Ruby had lost her mother. But she doesn't seem like she went through that kind of experience. I guess that makes her stronger than me. My own baggage never seems to stop tripping me up. "Is there any reason why you didn't help her?"

For the first time, Jaune sees Yang grimace with a dejected expression, the stark contrast allowing him to realize how much this had weighed on her mind. "I did. I went over and beat those bullies into next Sunday, told them to knock it off. But I soon realized how ineffective it was. The moment I turned around, they would get right back at it."

"Didn't you suggest the same solution for Cardin?" Jaune quips.

"Well… I just wanted a reason to knock him down a peg. Plus it would have made me feel better." Yang gives a him a warm smile. "Turns out that wasn't needed. But for Rubes… she needed to figure out something for herself, her own way of dealing with it." Yang clenches her fist as she continues. "I guess she decided on just… accepting it. To smile despite it all."

Taking a few seconds, Yang uses the time to recollect her thoughts and takes his silence as an indicator to keep going. "It's not like she didn't have anyone to talk to. But she couldn't get them involved. You know how good-natured she is. If she was seen anywhere with them, then they might become victims too." She gives a bitter smile. "I wonder which is more cruel, not having any friends, or having to pretend that those you do have aren't?"

Jaune realizes he's been clenching his fist while Yang spoke. Loosening up, he takes a deep breathe to calm himself down. "Kids are so cruel. I wouldn't have done that. I wouldn't have cared about what other have said, and just been her friend anyway."

Another sigh. "And that's the problem. You get her. Well, at least that's what she believes. You two get along, you helped her out several times when she needed it, and you were the first to call her your friend. So even though it hasn't been very long, of course she'd get attached."

Jaune struggles to recall the original topic. "Wait, so that makes sense why she sees me in such a positive light. But as I said, I didn't suffer any grievous wounds. So why would she be so bothered by this?"

"Do you remember how you met her?"

"Yeah. I helped her out against that crook… don't actually remember his name."

She rolls her eyes. "Not the part I'm referring to. I'm talking about how you shielded her from a shot with your body. She probably thinks you got into this whole incident the same way. Remember what I said about her training?" He nods in response. "Well, I wasn't being completely straight when I said that. The biggest reason why she got hurt so much was due to her recklessness. She wanted to throw herself at something to numb the pain of her loss. With how you talk about your master, she probably thought you were doing the same thing. Except, with your secretiveness, it's even worse. And I have to say I agree. The way I see it, you are doing the same thing."

"I see." Jaune takes another piece of the apple, grateful how much concern Yang has shown him. "Wait, if you tell me all of this, then how the hell am I supposed to treat Ruby now? I'm going to see her in a completely different light!"

"Just act like you've always have. You're not bright enough to change your conduct based on that."

"Hey!" The serious atmosphere now gone, Jaune relaxes as he realizes their little genuine heart-to-heart is over. She's looking out for Ruby. She doesn't want me to do anything reckless that might make Ruby sad. "You really do care a lot for her. You are a reliable Onee-" He stutters. "older sister."

"Aww, you're just saying that." Yang grabs him in a chokehold while poking at his cheeks. "Actually, I think that's the first time I've ever got that compliment. Most people say I don't really feel like Rube's sister."

"Can't… breathe…" Why is choking me a thing? Is my expression while this happens that entertaining?! As she lets him go, he tries to go for one last jab. "Your treatment of patients leave something to be desired. And the reason why you-" don't seem like her sister is the difference in proportions and I just realized how suicidal it is to say that. "Err, why you should be treat me better is because you're an older sister character?" Good save, Jaune Arc! He silently gives himself a mental high-five.

Yang gives him a dubious look, but decides not inquire any further. "I'll keep that in mind." She gets up off the chair and starts stretching. "God, we had a long talk. So yeah. If you do something stupid to make her sad, I'm going to put you into the hospital bed permanently." She picks up an apple piece and pushes it into his mouth. "And you won't get a hot blonde to slice apples for you either."

"Got it." Onee-chan. Jaune chews on the piece of the apple, the sweetness quickly spreading throughout his mouth. "Wait, so did you volunteer just so you can talk to me about this?"

"Ah, that's right." Yang scratches her cheek. "The other thing I wanted to do was to apologize ahead of time." She starts walking toward the door.

Realizing she isn't going to elaborate further, he keeps questioning her. "Apologize for what?"

Yang's smile grows more mischievous. "You'll find out."

He fights the urge to rip his hair out in frustration. "That's not an answer! You can't just leave me hanging like that!"

"You mean… leave you Ya-"

"No. I mean, you can't apologize for something without telling the other person what you're apologizing for!" A bit agitated, he rushes through his sentence faster than normal, causing his breathing to become irregular.

She waits for him to catch his breath before answering. "Yanging." Shooting two finger guns at him, she leaves the room before he has a chance to do another rebuttal.

"Typical Yang." As he says this, the realization suddenly hits him. "Oh God, I have to sit in this bed in silent horror figuring out what she did. Damn it, Yang!" He bites into the last piece of apple she cut for him, the sweetness much stronger than what he was used to stomaching. "Damn it, Yang."

Looking for something to do, he scans around the room for his scrolls. He swiftly finds his personal scroll charging on the stand next to him. Picking it up, he reads the two messages he received, both telling him to respond when he's awake. Firing quick responses to Qrow and Pyrrha, he is about to open up the game Love Across Multiverse when there is a soft knock on the door. Well, that was fast. "Come in."

The person who walks in is not the person Jaune expected. The well-endowed woman wears a clean white lab coat, making it hard to tell where her long white hair actually ends. Her face is extremely smooth and unblemished, making it difficult to tell her actual age. Her most striking feature is her gray eyes that pierce through him, as if observing and analyzing each one of his body language responses. Despite the cool aloof image she gives, her voice is gentle and has a feeling of natural tenderness to it. "Good afternoon, Jaune. Yang called for me before she left. Do you recognize me?"

Umm… She looks really familiar. I feel like I saw her at the commencement speech, with all the other teachers. For some reason, the trip to Forever Falls comes to mind. Oh! "I think so. Professor Peach?"

She nods. "Yes. Though, you may call me Doctor Peach while we're here. I was the one who did your checkup." She locks the door behind her.

"Why did you lock the door? Now that I think about it, I'm wearing different clothes too! Were you the one that changed my clothes? Are you a pervert? What are you going to do to me?" Jaune can see her looking at him with question marks over her head. "Sorry. I always wanted to try saying that line at least once. The response wasn't actually as entertaining as I thought." I guess I have to try it on someone who might actually understands the reference?

She clears her throat in an attempt to dispel the suddenly awkward atmosphere. "Moving on. The reason why I locked the door is because Ozpin told me about your -ahem- rather unique circumstances. To be more specific, the exact details of your semblance and how it should be kept a secret. While we were treating your wounds, we also ran some basic tests to better define the limits and nature of your semblance."

Jaune's expression lights up. "Ooh. That sounds interesting. So did you figure anything out?"

"Yes, we were able to find out a few things." Taking out the clipboard that was clamped between her arm and body, she starts reading out the diagnostic. "When you activate your semblance, what you are actually doing is converting or adding parts of your body with Grimm counterparts. The 'cost' measured by your bracelet is actually how much conversion has been done to your body."

Jaune quickly realizes that statement seems to contradict something. "Wait a second. But I have an ability that works on my weapon too. How does that work?"

"We would have to observe it to understand the exact mechanism of it. My theory is that it actually makes your weapon alive." She pauses for a second. "Well, as 'alive' as Grimm can be. The other thing we were able to tell is that the cost lowers by the same rate that Aura heals you."

It is easy to see what that observation meant. "Doesn't that imply my semblance is actually hurting me? But that seems kind of… strange."

Peach clicks her pen, hastily writing something on the page of her clipboard. "Not exactly. I have confirmed that the Grimm parts do not damage you." She pauses for a second. "I have a personal theory, though I do not currently have any methods to confirm it. Do you want to hear it?"

"Yes please. I can use it as a reference whenever I find out something new."

"As you know, Aura acts as a healing factor. One aspect of that is to expel and repel foreign or dangerous aspects from the body. That is why Huntsmen have quicker recovery rates on disease and sickness and find it more difficult to be intoxicated. We have also observed that retired Huntsman are less susceptible to cancer due to… Sorry, I'm getting off-topic. My theory is that your Aura identifies your semblance in the same way, that your body is a human body with Grimm parts." She scribbles more notes down on her clipboard. "As your body expels it, the substance becomes like those of Grimm corpses, quickly dissolving away. The danger is in exceeding how much your body can expel. Just as Aura can not save you from a fatal wound or regrow limbs, it is possible that your body will not be able to fully pull you back when you push over the limit. Instead of 'human creature with foreign Grimm components,' you will become a 'Grimm creature with human components.'"

The thought of that happening sends him into a nervous sweat. "I figured it was something like that. It's a good thing I never got close enough to test that theory. I'll use my semblance with care."

She gives him a tender smile. "Good. Now, as for your actual injuries, they have all been healed. Outside of some minor symptoms of exhaustion and overwork, you're free to leave today."

"Okay, then I want to leave as soon as possible. Apparently I've been a big source of concern for my team. I want to show my face and reassure them I'm alright." Oh God, what are they going to say? They hit the nail on the head on how they foresaw this going. I guess I just have to hope that Nora doesn't bring out the rope again.

"I'll go and file your leave forms. Oh, and one more thing." She lowers her clipboard to give him her full attention. "Please excuse me if I'm intruding too much, but during the checkup, I noticed a multitude of scars on your body. Those scars arise from wounds not being treated properly. I may not have been told your history, but it is easy to see those come some form of abuse or neglect. Though I understand it will not remove your memory of it, if you do not wish to see the scars of those experiences, I can introduce a surgeon to you that is very skillful in removing those blemishes."

Jaune's reaction to her offer catches her by surprise. With a genuine and pure smile that seems to radiate color back into the white room, he responds with absolute certainty in his voice. "No, thank you. To me, these scars are war wounds." His hand goes over the scar on his shoulder. "They're a part of me, and instead of reminding me of those times, they're proud symbols of the fight I endeavored for this sense of normalcy I have."

His positivity shining too bright to look at, she looks toward the door. "Right. Then if you ever change your mind." As she begins to walk away, Jaune notices a dangerous glint in her eye. One he is much too used to. The same one he saw from Master, Ozpin, and Yang. The one that will absolutely, undoubtedly, and undeniably leave him in a horrifying situation. But it quickly disappears, making him doubt he saw it at all. "I will ask for you to come in for regular checkups, but other than that, that is all I wanted to talk to you about today." She leaves the room.

Everyone is so nice here. But there's just one thing that bothers me… Does no one have a sense of privacy?! Ozpin just tells Professor Peach this without telling me, Yang just reveals a bunch of stuff about Ruby! Maybe the common sense is different here…

Getting up and begin preparing to leave, he grabs the bag with the clean change of clothes. As he takes off the hospital gown and begins changing, the door swings open. Oh crap, that's right, the door's unlocked now! As Qrow walks in, Jaune realizes what a perfect setup this is and holds his hands over his chest. "Walking in without knocking, are you a pervert?"

Qrow stands still like a deer in headlights. After an agonizingly long 4.8 seconds, he takes out the flask in his pockets in slow motion, drinking it all before throwing the flask at him. With a yelp, he narrowly dodges it before it arcs over his head and onto the bed. "Are you an idiot? You're not a girl, and this is not a dating sim. Get dressed. Ozpin wants to talk to you."

Jaune's jaw almost drop to the floor. "Wait, you understood that reference?"

"My side gig's a teacher. I've confiscated my fair share of games from students." He tries to take another drink until he realizes it's still on the bed. Walking over to retrieve it, Qrow's typical annoyed expression seems to be worse than usual. "Stupid horny teenagers with no time to have a relationship. Now hurry up. I don't want Glynda to yell at me again. Or take away my teacher drinking privileges again."

"Kayyyyy." Slightly happy that he found a kindred soul, he adds a little hop in his movements as he gets changed to meet Ozpin.

For the first time since Jaune arrived at Beacon, the hallways were devoid of students. Due to the fact that everyone else is still attending class, the already large hallways dwarf him in size, making him feel inconsequential. However, after recalling the events of the weekend, that feeling rapidly goes away.

"So any idea on what Ozpin wanted to talk about?" Jaune picks up his pace in order to walk side by side with Qrow.

Noticing the boy struggling to keep up, Qrow slows down his pace to match. "Well, it's pretty obvious. It's probably for going against orders, endangering yourself and risking the success of the mission."

"Ah. I was really hoping it was for something else." Now that I think about it, I did something outrageous, huh? Gah, I really did it in the heat of the moment! He resists the urge to bash his head on the wall for his rashness. "Oh, that's right! What happened with the survivors?"

"That's one of the things we're going to find out. He didn't want to do two explanations, so that's why we're going together. Plus, apparently you get lost easily?" Qrow shoots him a glance. "Seriously, how much of a kid are you?"

"Hey, it's only because buildings are hard!" The little jab does little to distract him as Jaune looks down disheartened. What if they ended up still killed by the Grimm? Or if the kids just continue to be hostages? But if I didn't do anything, then could I even have asked this question? With the uncertainty, his emotions swirl in a pool in a clouded mess, regret and sense of achievement clashing for superiority. Unable to find an answer by himself, he decides to ask Qrow for his opinion. "Did you think I messed up by disobeying?"

"Absolutely. Disobeying orders is the number one reason why a mission fails, and one of the most probable reasons for a Huntsman's death." With his confident answer, Jaune's shoulder slumps crestfallen. Whether Qrow notices this or not, he continues his answer. "At least that's what Qrow the Huntsman would say. That guy has followed Ozpin so far, and he hasn't been led astray. If you're asking me without that status, then I would have to say… I honestly don't know."

Jaune voices out his immediate thought. "That's a strange answer. Wouldn't you have decided that viewpoint before or while you've been working as a Huntsman?

"Not everything's black and white, Jaune." Qrow's hands reaches for his pockets before realizing there's nothing to grab. He lets out a sigh. "I've seen both sides. Someone who obeyed an order and died for no good reason. And someone who constantly disobeyed and makes good happen regularly." His feet stop moving as he closes his eyes, as if he were trying to recall and focus on a distant memory, pulling out every detail and emotion he associated with it. "Both are dead now, so I couldn't even ask them."

Jaune can tell from how he said it that those two people probably meant a lot to him. "I see, so it's hard to reach an answer, even with your experience…"

Qrow takes a look at his scroll before beginning again to walk at a brisk pace. "What I will tell you is something I know for certain: that you have to be strong to make either decision. Strong enough to accept that obeying might mean walking to your death, or strong enough to accept that disobeying means you live with the consequences. The two just require different types of strength is all."

"That's… difficult. Which one did-" I was about to ask about Master's choice. To almost forget Rule #6... As she said, the world doesn't need two Xenith Versailles. I may want to be like her, but there's no way I can be her. If I had to make that choice again…

If I had to make that choice again…

A series of scenes flash through his mind.

His and her collective experiences-

Being saved-

Being the savior-

Ignoring the cries for help-

Accepting the cries for help-

I'm not smart enough to decide on an absolutely correct decision. So I can only listen and follow my emotions as they dictate. If that's the case-

"The answer was obvious." Jaune whispers and affirms to no one but himself.

Without him noticing, the two arrives in front of Beacon Tower. The light at the top seems to glow more radiantly. Or perhaps he sees the light in a brighter frame of mind. Either way- The door to the tower opens. Rule #4: Time to charge straight ahead. The world will push me where I need to go.

As he steps in confidently, he fails to notice Qrow's somber expression and whisper. "Yeah. I really wish I had the same strength as the two of you."

And it's done! Whew, the end got a bit heavy, huh? How will this all play out? I... know?

Thanks to Ordon and masterofbones for helping proofreading/commenting! Ah, this edit was particularly brutal... I must improving my writing! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this!