A/N

So, uh, sorry for the kind of real long release time. It only takes me a tops of 4 hours to write each chapter, but I'm working on this huge Legend of Korra series as well, and that's my main focus. This is for sort of a way to get my thoughts directed elsewhere. On the bright side, I'm really enjoying writing these and am loving the feedback!

Please review. Please criticize.

A shrill whistle tumbled her thoughts into disarray as her eyes flew open and she rolled off the lopsided mattress with a squeak, slamming into the carpet with a thud muffled by her bedsheets.

Ruby groaned as she slowly clawed her way out of the twisted mess, flipping up her eyemask to see Weiss standing in the doorway. Ruby frowned a little at the whistle she held onto. "My leading whistle..."

"Are you up?"

Ruby squirmed around, kicking her legs and sucking in her gut to get free of the tumbled twister of fabric. Somehow this translated to her managing to hop to her feet, still wrapped inside the bedsheets with her unimpressed face poking out as she peered over her shoulder at the cold early, very early, morning. She pulled a face and slowly turned back to Weiss. "Can't I lead the team after the sun comes up?"

Weiss shook her head. "Nope. We need to get started!" Her eyes slid over to the other side of the room, focusing on the stacks of sloppily placed books acting as supports for a bed standing on top of another.

On the top, Blake's golden eyes flicked open and she loosed a tiny hiss at Weiss's loud talking. She sat up, scratching her back while using a hand to smooth out the tangled kinks in her raven hair as it tumbled down her back. Stretching, she hopped off the bed and landed on the floor without a sound. She folded her arms. "Its too early."

"Nonsense." Weiss shook her head as Yang's snores grated on her. her eyebrow twitched as she gritted her teeth.

Behind Blake's back, Yang pawed and tumbled around in her sleep, occasionally kicking her completely bare legs and mumbling some half-garbled noises. The rising sun's rays shone through the room's window, completely bypassing the sliced red curtain and hitting her luxurious golden locks that framed her sleeping features, and also glinted on the drool coming out of her open maw as she loudly snored like no tomorrow.

Blake smirked at the sight, and Ruby placed a hand on her hip as Weiss grunted in frustration and brought the whistle up, taking a deep breath before unleashing a shrill noise that forced Blake to cover both pairs of her ears, Ruby squeaked again as Yang sat up in shock, looking around with her chest heaving. "Aah! I'm up!"

With a satisfied nod Weiss wiped off the whistle and tossed it to Ruby. "Good. We've got studying to do."

Her thoughts of sleep went away at the look of focus on Weiss. Ruby gave a determined nod. "Right."

Yang stumbled to her feet with a groan, shaking out her hair. "What are we doing?" she mumbled, eyes half-closed and still sleepy.

"Getting ahead on the other teams. Jaune and his team are still asleep, as are Cardin and his fellow idiots. If we start focusing now, we'll definitely be ready before the Vytal Festival comes around!"

At the mention of Jaune, Blake and Yang frowned while Ruby glanced at the floor and mashed her fingers together. "I hope he's doing alright..."

"This business Jaune's gotten himself into is worrying. But we can't worry about Team Juniper's squeaky voiced leader! We need to worry about our squeaky voiced leader! The tournament is coming up and we are going be there to represent Beacon!" Weiss pushed Ruby towards the stack of books at the foot of their bunk-bed, placing a hefty amount in her arms before carrying the rest herself out of the room.

"Onwards!"

"I've never seen Weiss so... animated." Yang folded her arms and shared a cat-like smirk with Blake.

A knock on the door made them both turn to it.

Yang pulled the door open to see Pyrrha standing there, her usually done-up fiery hair completely enveloping her shoulders and dressed in a brown t-shirt and dark red pyjama pants.

"Pyrrha?"

"Good morning. Where are Ruby and Weiss going?"

Yang pulled a face, sticking out her tongue and blanching at the very idea of reading line after line about the interesting patterns some old guy found on the rear-end of a razorback. Professor Port popped up in her thoughts and her skin greyed.

Pyrrha blinked twice, calmly waiting for her response.

"The library for study." Blake answered for Yang. She arched a eyebrow at the way Pyrrha slowly nodded. "Is something wrong?"

"... I was just wondering if you had seen Jaune at all. He didn't come back to the dormitory last night."

"Ah yes, where do I begin? The Vytal festival is impossibly vital, pardon me, for hunters all over the world! And a great way for the four kingdoms to show their best and brightest to each other!"

Oobleck stopped furiously tapping on various points on the huge world map behind his suffering desk and zipped to it faster than the eye could follow, taking three rapid-fire sips from a white mug before readjusting his glasses and going back to the board.

"With its southern border straddling the Grim Badlands and sitting just across the Lightened Sea from Vale, Mistral is our closest neighbor! As it is, their contingent for the festival will be arriving first. Comprised of the royal family and teachers as well as students from Sanctum! Which I believe is the academy Ms Nikos hails from? Am I correct, Ms Nikos?"

Pyrrha shook her head to focus, wiping the grimace off and nodding at the zippy Professor. "Yes, Professor."

"Excellent! And where is Sanctum located?"

"The central plains outside of the capital."

"Very good!"

Oobleck nodded eagerly and zipped to his desk, picking up a thick book twice the size of his chest with one hand and flipping it to a page in the center, taking a sip of his coffee. "Now, instead of being ruled by a community elected group of officials like Vale is, Mistral is instead administrated by a King and Queen and their own council of advisors, who all..."

She tuned out at the mention of Mistral's King and Queen, her eyes sliding over to the empty row at the front of the class where Jaune usually sat. Next to her Ren glanced in her direction. "Give him time, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha quickly looked at him. "What?"

The calm boy's purple eyes twinkled with slight amusement. "I'm good at reading auras."

She sighed, hand tightening a little as she noticed Cardin and his team hounding a couple of hapless students in the row above them. Pyrrha looked at Ren. "I... I'm worried about what he said yesterday."

"About fighting Cardin? I'm not." Ren turned his attention back to the front of the class before she could even ask why he wasn't worried at all.

The look she saw in Jaune's eyes yesterday definitely told her he was going to do it. She panicked a little as she looked in Cardin's direction, wondering if the big brute had already encountered Jaune. If he was hurt, she needed to-

"Class, Professor Port is here to assist in detailing the types of Grim you will need to know in order to qualify for the Vytal tournament."

At the front, a portly man wearing a crimson waistcoat and calvary boots nodded to the students. His full head of silvery hair almost gleamed in the room's lights, but not enough to stop attention from being drawn to the gargantuan equally silvery mostauche that covered the entirety of his mouth. "I am glad to offer my services for the day." Professor Port rubbed his hands together and chuckled, raising a eyebrow to wink at Yang before addressing the room. "Now-"

"Wait! Ms Nikos? Where is Mr Arc?" Oobleck tapped his foot incessantly, creating a series of echoing clacks on the hardwood floor.

Below her row, Ruby and Weiss glanced up at each other before looking to her with a curious expression.

She noticed that both Oobleck and Port were looking at her as well. "Jaune is... absent from class today. Unwell."

"Hmph." Professor Port shared a glance with Oobleck, stroking his moustache. "Intriguing. I'm sure you will copy a few notes down for him, then?"

Pyrrha couldn't stop herself from immediately nodding if she tried. "Yes." In the corner of her eye she caught Cardin smirking at her. Her eyes narrowed. "Of course."

While Port dragged Oobleck into manhandling a violently shaking wooden box with airholes in the sides onto the floor of the classroom, Ruby quickly glanced at Pyrrha again. She raised a hand to the side of her mouth. "Don't worry, Pyrrha. We'll find him after class."

Wiping his brow, Jaune loosed breath after breath as he stumbled to his feet. Swaying a little, he shook his head and moved forwards, resecuring his shield's harness as he picked up his sword again.

The tip scraped against the concrete and almost instantly he struggled to lift the tip up and keep it there. The early evening breeze brought a chill to his thin bare arms, making him glance at his black hoodie he had taken off hours back, wishing he was wearing something more substantial than a orange t-shirt.

Taking in huge raking breaths he kept the point of his sword balanced on the ground, using it to keep upright as he glanced up at the warm orange clouds wafting over the academy's towers, their edges swathed in golden brilliance as the setting sun's rays caught them. The sky itself was a sallow yellow in hue, which would have been something to see for Jaune if his thoughts weren't filled with parrys, ripostes and feints.

"Y'know, you picked a pretty good spot for this to go down, Arc."

Jaune's eyes widened before they narrowed. He whirled around as Cardin sauntered onto the stone walkway, wearing his full suit of armor. His huge iron mace sat on his shoulder while he carried a smooth-shaped helmet in the crook of his elbow.

"So you're serious about this. Good for you, Arc. I decided to bring my friends along for some moral support. They'll cheer me on to the sound of your bones shattering, okay?" Cardin tilted his head in just the right way to piss Jaune off. "Just so you know, my arrangement still stands."

Jaune growled. "I'm not doing your dirty work, Cardin!"

"Okay, you miss out on the bonus though." He smirked. "Where's your harem? And your fellow pretty boy?"

The rest of Cardin's team laughed or sniggered among themselves, deepening the growl on Jaune as he stood before Cardin. "This is between you and me. No one else."

"Very noble." Cardin rolled his shoulder, bumping the heavy mace head off his shoulder. It slammed into the roof with a heavy thud, a small web of cracks appearing around it in the concrete. He kept the smirk on he started walking, slowly closing the distance between them while dragging the mace head behind him. The heavy iron grinded against the roof, setting Jaune's teeth on edge as he fought to keep his blade from wavering in his hand.

Cardin came to a stop a short distance away, a bored expression on him. He beckoned. "Waiting."

Jaune wasted no time, rushing forwards with his head down to get beyond the reach of the huge mace head. The wind whistled as it rushed through the cage-like structure of the mace as it came at Jaune's head from the side. Instinctively he raised his shield, crying out as the impact sent jarring bolts up his shield arm, taking him off-balance. Jaune managed to recover and slip underneath Cardin's outstretched arm, steeling himself for a slash at the big boy's exposed side.

As he wrestled with the idea of actually drawing blood, Cardin's elbow crashed down on the top of his back, knocking him to the ground. He now held his mace in his other hand, keeping it at rest as he directed a swift kick into Jaune's chest, winding the boy and nearly making him drop his sword.

He grimly held onto it as he weathered another kick, expecting a third only for Cardin's foot to find his side and send him tumbling along the ground. His thoughts tumbled with him and every muscle in his body burned as he came to a stop, one eye still open to see Cardin advancing with his mace raised.

Both of his eyes flew open and he rolled to the side, the impact of the mace into the concrete only inches from his nose sending tremors through his bones and making his gritted teeth rattle. Breathing heavily he watched as Cardin retracted the mace as quick as a snake, standing over him with a triumphant expression to the cheers of his team somewhere in the background.

Strangely Jaune's eyes were focused solely on the blood-red gem nestled in the center of the mace head as it came crashing towards him with meteoric speed. Automatically he brought his shield to cover his chest, a terrible shock running through him as the mace crashed into the shield, pushing it into his chest. He coughed once, head spinning and vision swimming as a savage light arose in Cardin's eyes.

Another hit and he coughed and sputtered, and his arms felt dead, crushed as they were between the shield and his chestplate. Cardin's shadow loomed as he took a step forwards to better position himself as he swung downward again and again. Beneath him the concrete dug into his back and his heartbeat slowed at the next impact.

As Cardin began to noticeably slacken, his swing slower than normal, Jaune's thoughts managed to kick his body into gear and he tried to rise, only for Cardin to drop the mace and lift him up by the collar, staring into his drooping eyes with a tired grin. "Still wanna go?"

Jaune didn't feel it in his numb hands as his sword slipped and clattered to the concrete below. With a half-coherent snarl, Jaune tried to summon his defiance as he awkwardly formed his limp and numb hand into a fist, swinging it into Cardin's side with no noticeable effect.

Cardin's own fist crashed into his stomach, forcing his mouth open and his eyes to widen as he loosed a raw gasp. His hand fell limp as his eyes couldn't focus on Cardin, barely registering as Cardin pulled his fist back for another strike that would surely knock his lights out-

The sunlight gleamed off the smooth face of a brass shield as it slammed into Cardin's side, Pyrrha's fiery red hair whipping behind her as Cardin lost his grip on Jaune's collar, sending him crashing to the ground in a barely breathing heap.

His eyes fluttered as he saw Pyrrha, standing tall with a growl on her normally stoic features, hunkered behind her shield with her crimson sword up and pointed at the recovering brute.

Ruby ran to her side, Crimson Rose's wickedly curved blade glinting in the light as the slight girl held it in front of her. Weiss stood as still as a statue next to her, Myernaster's needle-thin blade pointed at Cardin and his team as they backed off.

Cardin looked at the three of them in turn, a snarl on his features.

Pyrrha and Ruby both returned it, while Weiss held a cold stare.

The snarl gave way to a chuckle. "Some friends of yours, Arc." He turned, stowing his mace and leading his team through the open doorway behind them leading off of the terrace.

None of the girls moved or batted a eyelid for several seconds, while Jaune quietly bit down on a groan as he tried getting to his feet.

The three of them turned to him. "Jaune!" Ruby took a few steps closer, folding up Crimson Rose with worry in her eyes while both Pyrrha and Weiss stayed where they are.

Weiss sheathed Myternaster on her hip, shaking her head with a muttered swear at the sight of his bruises with pity. Pyrrha had a inescrutable look on her as she slunged Milo and Akouo on her back. There was sympathy in her eyes as she beheld the swollen bruises on his face, the scratches and bruises mottling his arms and the haggard way he breathed.

Jaune found nothing but anger in the face of them standing there. Sympathy. He hated it. Without a word he turned, one hand on his leg and another clamped on his side as he hobbled towards a footbridge connecting the terrace to the other buildings.

"Jaune- wait!" Ruby reached out, only for him to focus a glare at her.

He limped away.

The slick plastic dampened and matted down his blonde hair into a flat mat as he held the small ice bag over his head, eyes closed as he loosed a sigh and tipped his head back against the stone railing he had his back propped against.

He ignored the twinges of pain from blinking as he quietly watched the dark clouds gently floating above, while he occasionally flexed and moved his free hand. He ignored the shivers the wind brought down his spine, too focused inwards to care.

One of the window doors to the balcony swung open with a slight creak. Jaune kept his eyes on the ground as Pyrrha stepped out onto the balcony, her hair loose and completely free of the ponytail she had it up in most of the time. Cradled against her chest was his twisted black jumper, and his collapsed shield and sword resting on top.

Silently she strode to the railing, staring up at the dark night sky. "You left your things behind. I held onto them for you."

He stayed still, keeping his mouth closed as she shot a quick glance at him before looking away. He kept trying to stop his eyes from wandering over her completely bare pale legs, or getting lost in the twisted curls of her long hair down her back.

The strong girl bent down to place his things on the ground before closing her eyes. She opened them again and turned to him, her arms folded.

"You were absent for class today."

"I was training."

She nodded, looking to the side and remembering her own offer to him. "I'm still willing to help you, Jaune."

"Really?" Jaune muttered, hissing at the pain from blinking and placing the ice pack over his swollen bruised eye. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not." Pyrrha couldn't help staring at his bruises, a grimace on her. "Why won't us help you? We're worried about you-"

"I need to stand on my own. I'll never be good enough to lead the team if I don't."

She blinked twice, shaking her head. "Jaune, I know you don't think you belong here. But, you're wrong-"

"Am I?" Jaune looked her in the eye, dropping the ice pack. "You've seen how lousy I am in a fight. And Cardin just proved it all over again." A growl surfaced on him. "All my life I've been a failure, the only thing I ever succeeded at was faking my way into Beacon!"

"You're not a failure." Pyrrha muttered.

He tilted his head and looked at her with a scowl, getting to his feet. "The first person I ever talked to here was Ruby! And she was moved ahead two years! The second was the Heir to the Schnee Dynasty! And the third was you! A superstar athlete who won the Mistral championships four times in a row with her faced plastered all over cereal boxes! Why do you even follow me?"

Pyrrha's hands shook as she turned away from him. "You're my leader."

He paused in disbelief at how simply she was looking at it and shook his head. "Because Ozpin said so?"

"He chose you for a reason, Jaune." Pyrrha narrowed her eyes and turned back, looking at him straight in the eye. "Like I did." She said, tone as icy as the wind.

Studying her guarded features he shook his head again, shoulders drooping. "You're both wrong." he muttered.

Pyrrha stiffened, almost flinched as he stared at his feet. "Everyone in my family is a hero or a warrior, protecting the world, saving the innocent, and then there's me." His voice grew thick. "The scrawny huntsman wannabe with a banged up shield and sword, who for some reason, you think is some kind of... of... superstar! Just like you and the rest of my family!"

"I don't even get why you're interested in me. At all."

"Jaune-" Her eyes softened.

"You're what I want to be. I-" His nervousness showed as his voice cracked, like it tended to whenever he was this close to her. His shoulders dropped as he stared at his feet. "Even Cardin is a better hero than I could ever be."

Stunned into silence and with no idea of what to say next, Pyrrha bowed her head and turned away from Jaune, hugging herself as she stopped by the door and looked back at him, giving a single nod before going back inside the dormitory.

Jaune gritted his teeth and wiped his eyes.